Lions fall in preseason opener: 5 takeaways and what Dan Campbell said

FOX 2 - For the first time this 2026 season we got a look at this season's Lions and even though nearly none of the starters played - we learned a lot. 

Big picture view:

The Lions may have lost 16-14 to the Cincinnati Bengals, but rookies, backups and position battles were the main storylines that grabbed the spotlight.

Dan Campbell said:

"We played really sloppy, particularly on offense," he said. "We shot ourselves in the foot and we were not good on third down. And that was primarily because of drops-slash-penalties. So we got to clean that stuff up. 

"It's the first one, we'll learn from this, the guys will get better."

"We've got to clean that stuff up. It's the first one, we'll learn from this, the guys will get better," he said. 

Five takeaways from last night's game:

What we loved:

1) Defensive end Ahmed Hassanein

The second-year edge rusher from Boise State lost most of last year to injury - but returned to the field this summer with a vengeance.

Last night Hassanein had four tackles and two sacks – including one against Bengals starter Joe Burrow.

"Ahmed, man, was disruptive, made a lot of plays. He plays maximum effort and is only going to get better," Campbell said.

2) Running back Jacob Saylors

Saylors looks to have the inside track on the No. 3 running back spot after making a splash last night. He finished with 83 total yards, including eight carries for 55 on the ground. 

"He was probably our most potent player on offense, you know, I thought he made a lot of plays for us," Campbell said. "I mean, he was a sturdy workhorse (that) we had early in the game. If we were coming up with anything positive, he had most of it, and he has some juice."

The former UFL standout mainly played special teams last year, but got extra carries with Sione Vaki out injured.

What we didn't (love):

3) Receiver Isaac TeSlaa

Reports out of camp have TeSlaa's performance up and down and the second-year wideout looked inconsistent in Cincy. 

TeSlaa had zero catches on three targets, including one pass going off him, and being intercepted. 

4) Penalties and third down

The Lions had nine penalties for 84 years, although to be fair, the Bengals were not much better and weather conditions were not optimal – making for a sloppy game for everybody. 

On third down, the Lions went 4-of-11, making it hard for the offense under new coordinator Drew Petzing to finish off many drives with points.

Rookies impress:

5) Rookie roundup: From undrafted Luke Altmyer to first round pick Blake Miller and everything in-between, it was a good night.

Altmyer (13-22 for 130 yards) had a solid if unspectacular performance at quarterback with two interceptions and a touchdown pass. 

Blake Miller at right tackle was hardly noticeable – in a good way, not giving up any sacks.

When offensive linemen blend in, it is a compliment, not to mention he held his own against the Bengals' starting defensive line in the first quarter.

Related: Ex-Lions DB Terrion Arnold to sign with Seahawks, per report

At cornerback Keith Abney II had a nice night - especially given the need at the position with Terrion Arnold's departure. 

Abney had five total tackles with a solo game-high of four, with a fumble recovery, one catch allowed and one pass deflection.