Photo: Lon Horwedel ~ Imagn Images
DETROIT ~ The Detroit Lions overcame an early mistake and leaned on several young contributors to secure a 17-13 preseason victory over the Washington Commanders on Saturday at Ford Field. Washington turned a Detroit turnover into an early first-quarter lead, but the Lions responded by controlling the game on the ground and steadily finding an offensive rhythm. Detroit finished with 279 total yards, including 169 rushing yards, to improve to 1-1 in the preseason.
One of the game’s biggest storylines was the continued development of rookie quarterback Luke Altmyer, who completed 9 of 13 passes for 86 yards while helping guide multiple scoring drives. Altmyer said he felt more comfortable operating within Detroit’s offense after another week of game experience. “I felt very comfortable. I knew the plan, I was prepared,” Altmyer said. “As long as I know I’m prepared and I’m ready for the moment, I’m good.” He added that the opportunity to play continues to accelerate his growth. “Reps, reps, reps, that’s kind of my thing. Man, the more reps I get, the more comfortable I get.”
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(CONTINUED) Joshua Dobbs provided the game’s biggest highlight when he broke free for a 50-yard touchdown run that tied the score in the first quarter. The veteran quarterback finished with 53 rushing yards and a touchdown while also throwing for 74 yards. Detroit later took its first lead of the game when running back Trayveon Williams punched in a 1-yard touchdown run. The Lions’ success on the ground stood out throughout the afternoon, something Altmyer emphasized afterward. “If you want to win a lot of games at any level of football, high school, college, NFL, you’ve got to be able to run the football,” Altmyer said. “It was really cool watching them backs run today. They went hard.”
Jake Bates delivered the go-ahead points with a 37-yard field goal with less than 2 minutes remaining as Detroit held on for the victory. While pleased with the result, Altmyer said the team’s focus remains on continued improvement. “The goal is not to achieve some result, but the goal is to get better every single day,” he said. Altmyer also praised the atmosphere at Ford Field despite it being a preseason contest. “It was super loud, really fun. People were into it,” he said. “This stadium, the city has a lot of personality. Glad to be a part of it.”
The Lions will close out the preseason next Saturday when they travel to Indianapolis to face the Colts.
