Snapshots: Bubble players who helped or hurt the team’s chances in Lions’ win

DETROIT — The Lions have sold out their… wait a second, is that it? A preseason game?

What do you say? A pre-season final?

There’s nothing more meaningless than exhibition games, where most teams drop their benches onto the field to determine the final roster spots while protecting their regular-season starters. Unless, apparently, you’re the Pittsburgh Steelers, who played most of their starters — including their top two quarterbacks, star receiver George Pickens and top running back Najee Harris — against Detroit’s second- and third-ranked defensive teams Saturday afternoon at Ford Field.

The Steelers jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, as expected given who was on the field for each team, before sending their backups out as well. Then Detroit found its groove, as quarterback Hendon Hooker ran for 93 yards, Jermar Jefferson scored two touchdowns and Jake Funk caught another in a 24-17 exhibition win over the Steelers.

Detroit finished the preseason with a record of 2 wins and 1 loss. Nothing should be deduced from that.

Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown and pretty much everyone else who will start a game this season didn’t play at all. But it paved the way for many players in the bubble to make a final statement before roster cuts come in the coming days. And if the crowd in attendance is any indication — a sellout crowd! In the preseason! — this place will be packed when this team takes the field for the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football.

Bring earplugs, friends.

Let’s move on to some additional observations:

— Dan Campbell said he was dying for a receiver to take over at the back of this rotation. With the preseason now over, let’s hope the Lions coach was being metaphorical about the whole death thing. Donovan Peoples-Jones, a big, speedy veteran with proven production in Cleveland, opened camp as the favorite to win the WR3 job. But he did almost nothing in practice, turning nine exhibition targets into just six receptions for 31 yards. Wow. Then there’s Daurice Fountain, who opened camp as the most productive WR3, then went on a downer the last two weeks, turning six exhibition targets into just two receptions for 15 yards. That includes dropping a bomb that caught him in both hands against Pittsburgh. Then there’s Antoine Green, who suffered a season-ending injury and was released.

The only receiver who seemed to help himself in the preseason was Isaiah Williams, who went from being the top receiver in the UDFA class to the team’s top receiver with 11 catches for 123 yards in the preseason. He had just one reception against Pittsburgh, but it was an impressive catch where he caught a quick slant pass, planted his left foot in the ground and then cut to the right for 17 yards to set up a touchdown. Williams also averaged 13.7 yards per punt return heading into the weekend — third-best in the league — and then added a 16-yarder against Pittsburgh. He also broke up a kick return for 37 yards.

The youngster deserves credit for making the most of his opportunities. But here’s the thing: At 5’10”, Williams fills the same slot/returner role as All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and former All-Pro returner Kalif Raymond. The Lions would prefer to have more size to complement what they already have at the position. Williams is not that.

Ultimately, expect Raymond to start alongside St. Brown and Jameson Williams to open the season. Isaiah Williams could also make the initial 53-man roster, as Dan Campbell likes to reward players who perform at their best in the most important moments — think Tom Kennedy coming off of previous preseasons — but Williams might not stick around long either if Detroit finds a better player on the waiver wire once cuts are made next week.

— Staying in the passing game, Hendon Hooker will hear from his mother after this one. The quarterback joked a few weeks ago that his mother wishes he would slide more after suffering a brain injury running at a defender against the New York Giants. He did so for two shifts in Kansas City last week. But with three quarters to show what he had to offer against Pittsburgh, Hooker ran well, often and aggressively. He finished with 10 carries for 93 yards and put together the best offensive performance by a Lions quarterback in the preseason. He was more mixed through the air, though, especially when Pittsburgh’s starters were in the game. He took three consecutive sacks at one point, finished with five total sacks, completed only one pass for 20 yards — on a catch and run to Maurice Alexander — and finished 12 of 20 overall for 114 yards and a touchdown. He did not throw an interception, but did lose a fumble.

Overall, it’s an encouraging step forward for the second-year quarterback, though his performance against Pittsburgh’s starters reminds us that he still has a ways to go. He’s expected to fall behind Jared Goff and Nate Sudfeld this season — neither of whom played against Pittsburgh — but his dual-threat play is an intriguing developmental element. His upside is high for a backup quarterback, no doubt about it. And when was the last time that was said about a backup quarterback in Detroit?

— The Lions are sitting on an embarrassment of fortune at running back. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are one of the best 1-2 duos in the league, while rookie Sione Vaki was so impressive with his feet and hands in the preseason that he didn’t even log a single snap against Pittsburgh. This kid is ready. So is Craig Reynolds, a fourth-year backup who blocks extremely well. It’s a deep rotation with an assortment of running and blocking styles, and there are even some interesting practice squad options. Jermar Jefferson scored two touchdowns against Pittsburgh, including a 7-yarder in the fourth quarter. And then there’s Jake Funk, who played in front of Jefferson, ran for 27 tough yards on six carries, and caught a touchdown pass.

— Here’s the thing. Kicker Jake Bates has a hell of a tip. You don’t make three 60-yard field goals in your first UFL season without one, and he kicked a 64-yarder in practice after joining the Lions. He also kicked a 53-yarder in the rain in New York and a 55-yarder with plenty of room to spare in Kansas City, plus he kicked the game-winning 43-yard field goal at the buzzer. So why is he firmly on the bubble? In a word, consistency. The Lions will enter the regular season as a Super Bowl favorite, and they need to know they can count on their kicker. And it’s not clear that Bates has earned that trust despite his progress throughout camp. He didn’t help himself on the final kickoff either, leaving one kickoff short of the touchdown zone (look it up guys, it’s a thing this year) and pushing another out of bounds, all while kicking a 30-yard field goal wide right. Yes, 30 yards. That should be automatic for any NFL kicker. Bates, who had a 46-yarder, is an intriguing prospect and should at least be on the practice squad as a developmental player. But damn, if given one last chance to dissuade Detroit from going for help when cuts are made in the coming days, Bates has struggled to be consistent again.

— It will be fascinating to see what the Lions do at tight end. James Mitchell is a former fifth-round pick entering his third season, but he could find himself dangerously close to the bubble in the coming days. He was disappointing over the summer and had a nasty slump against Pittsburgh. Shane Zylstra, meanwhile, had four He caught for 29 yards. Mitchell is the best blocker, and perhaps the Lions will look to that type of skill set after Sam LaPorta and James Mitchell. But the lack of depth at receiver could prompt Brad Holmes to look for more pass-catching ability, and Zylstra clearly offers more than Mitchell at that level.

— With John Cominsky out for the long haul, the Lions could use some help down the stretch of their offense. And I don’t think James Houston is the player some people think. He logged a lot of snaps last preseason — which usually means a player hasn’t earned a roster spot yet — though he did seem to help himself with a sack and two hits on the quarterback. Two other names to watch are Isaac Ukwu and Mitchell Agude, who have played their way into roster consideration. Ukwu also finished in style, opening this game by literally shoving offensive tackle Devery Hamilton into the quarterback for a sack on the first play from scrimmage. That’s adult work.

— I don’t think Ty Summers has a shot at being part of a linebacking rotation led by Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez and Jalen Reeves-Maybin — and based on the snap count against Pittsburgh, it looks like Ben Niemann could have been part of that team, too. But credit should be given to Summers, a mid-camp signing who played well right away. He racked up six tackles, 1.5 sacks and two quarterback hurries in the first four series against the Steelers, and finished with eight total tackles.

— Defensive tackle Brodric Martin left the game late in the third quarter with a lower-body injury. He also made an odd holding decision before leaving, giving Pittsburgh a first-and-goal at the 1-yard line. He didn’t record a tackle. At this point, he appears firmly behind interior defenders like Alim McNeill, DJ Reader, Levi Onwuzurike and Kyle Peko.