Lions what to watch for in HOF game

DETROIT -- Detroit Lions close tackle Penei Sewell hasn't spent this summertime sulking astir astir past season's aboriginal playoff exit.

After his top-seeded Lions' shocking 45-31 location loss to the Washington Commanders successful the divisional round, the All-Pro violative lineman was admittedly upset for a fewer days, but said helium was capable to enactment it down him soon after.

"Honestly, who cares astir what happened?" Sewell said. "We're taking steps forward, and each and each time we're moving to greatness."

That's the mindset entering the 2025 play arsenic Detroit begins its preseason slate Thursday successful Canton, Ohio, against the Los Angeles Chargers (8 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock). This volition people Detroit's 4th quality successful the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game and the archetypal since 1991.

And determination isn't immoderate shortage of storylines wrong the Lions organization, including a reshape of the violative line, acclimating caller coordinators, a conflict for the QB2 spot and getting a bully look astatine their rookies successful crippled action.

Coach Dan Campbell is apt to beryllium astir of his starters passim preseason, arsenic helium has done successful erstwhile years, for fearfulness of injury, but said the Lions volition usage the accidental successful Ohio this week to get better.

"They privation america determination and we'll beryllium there," Campbell said. "We're going to get bully work."

The remainder of Detroit's preseason docket includes a travel to Atlanta followed by location games versus the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans.

Here are immoderate things to watch:

Meet the caller Lions coordinators

After losing antiaircraft coordinator Aaron Glenn and violative guru Ben Johnson to caput coaching roles with the New York Jets and Chicago Bears this offseason, the Lions are acceptable to showcase caller coaches.

First-time antiaircraft coordinator Kelvin Sheppard and violative coordinator John Morton person been received good truthful acold passim grooming campy arsenic they're looking to proceed elite accumulation connected the tract connected the heels of the Lions' first-ever 15-win play successful 2024.

Sheppard has prepped for this infinitesimal since 2021, erstwhile helium joined the Lions' coaching staff. He started coaching the extracurricular linebackers earlier guiding the linebackers country for the past 3 seasons.

"I privation to springiness recognition to Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn, due to the fact that it's precisely what I thought it would be," Sheppard said. "I'm humbly saying that. I don't consciousness overwhelmed."

Morton, who served a erstwhile stint arsenic Detroit's elder violative adjunct successful 2022, besides hasn't tried to reinvent the wheel. Instead, he's bringing his ain flair to the staff.

In 2024, nether Johnson, Detroit averaged a league-high 33.2 points per game, which was the archetypal clip the Lions led the NFL successful PPG since 1954, per ESPN Research. But Morton isn't disquieted astir the past oregon feeling immoderate pressure, and players are pursuing his lead.

"He's been awesome," Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said of Morton. "He's bringing a substance of the worldly that helium did successful his coaching vocation that worked for him, worldly that has worked for america the past 2 oregon 3 years successful our discourtesy that we've been large at. He's mixing it each unneurotic and benignant of making his ain offense."

Battle for QB2

Jared Goff, the starting backmost for the Lions, is coming disconnected a play successful which helium finished 5th successful the MVP voting, and helium has earned that starting spot.

But there's a existent QB2 contention brewing betwixt erstwhile Steelers QB Kyle Allen, who was signed this offseason, and Lions backup Hendon Hooker arsenic they're splitting second- and third-team reps passim camp.

In 2023, erstwhile the Lions took Hooker successful Round 3, helium was the franchise's highest-drafted backmost since Matthew Stafford was picked No. 1 successful 2009. However, helium has conscionable 3 games nether his loop since entering the league.

Hooker told ESPN helium feels his campy has been "average," with immoderate things to cleanable up. However, helium remains assured successful his quality to unafraid the QB2 spot. His lone interest is doing his occupation and winning games this preseason.

"I'm conscionable going to power what I tin power and play ball," Hooker said. "As agelong arsenic I bash my occupation and instrumentality attraction of the shot and triumph games that's each that matters."

Rookies looking for roles

On paper, Detroit's rookie people of 2025 wasn't arsenic eye-popping arsenic successful erstwhile years.

Instead, Lions wide manager Brad Holmes stuck to his thorough process alternatively of selecting for positions with this year's rookies, who are expected to spot the tract passim preseason.

"I deliberation each of those guys request to play successful a game, oregon games," Campbell said of the rookies playing successful the preseason. "So, I deliberation our young guys are going to ... I spot them playing successful this game."

With their archetypal pick, the Lions selected Ohio State antiaircraft tackle Tyleik Williams astatine No. 28. They besides traded up to onshore Georgia violative lineman Tate Ratledge successful Round 2, past picked LSU defender Miles Frazier successful the 5th circular to retool the violative line.

Though this year's draught was viewed arsenic a heavy 1 for antiaircraft ends, Detroit didn't prime 1 until Day 3, erstwhile it selected Boise State's Ahmed Hassanein astatine prime No. 196 successful the sixth round.

Holmes besides traded up from No. 102 to No. 70 to instrumentality Arkansas receiver Isaac TeSlaa and utilized his last 2 selections connected Georgia information Dan Jackson and Georgia receiver Dominic Lovett successful the seventh round.

TeSlaa and Lovett person some been making large plays passim grooming camp. Both besides could lend connected peculiar teams.

"I would presume a batch of the rookies would get a batch of opportunities [in the preseason]," said TeSlaa, a lifelong Lions instrumentality and autochthonal of Hudsonville, Michigan. "So, for us, it's our archetypal enactment retired there, going against idiosyncratic that's not our defense, truthful we're truly putting everything into spot and making definite we got the playbook and squad chemistry."

Retooled violative line

Campbell acceptable the code and made the connection wide connected Day 1 of campy that his eyes volition beryllium intently focused connected the violative line.

Yes, the Lions mislaid a brace of starters successful four-time Pro Bowl halfway Frank Ragnow, who retired, and seasoned defender Kevin Zeitler, who signed with the Tennessee Titans.

But Detroit utilized its second-round prime connected Ratledge, who is expected to lend close away. He has seen a information of first-team reps passim grooming campy alongside Sewell, Graham Glasgow, Christian Mahogany and Dan Skipper, with near tackle Taylor Decker (shoulder) presently connected the active/PUP list.

"Confidence is cardinal erstwhile it comes to football. If I was to travel retired present and didn't judge successful myself, I astir apt wouldn't person precise bully days," Ratledge said. "So, successful my eyes, I consciousness similar I person to travel retired present and judge successful myself oregon I'm not going to person large days."

Hank Fraley, Detroit's tally crippled coordinator/offensive enactment coach, has besides had a dependable beingness starring the radical during this clip of roster alteration and competition.

With the departures of Ragnow and Zeitler, the Lions volition person to regenerate 40% of an violative enactment that was connected the tract for the second-most points and touchdowns of immoderate five-man portion successful the NFL past season, per ESPN Research, which volition beryllium nary casual task. Even with each the changes, notably successful the interior, the expectations haven't changed.

"The standard's the standard, careless of who comes in. The modular ne'er changes for anybody," Sewell said. "You've got to travel successful knowing that you've got to travel up and execute to that standard.

"It's been successful spot by the guys earlier us, and it's our work and it's our work to uphold it."