Detroit vs. Washington: Key Players in Week 2 Preseason Matchup

The Detroit Lions travel to Washington to play the Redskins on Thursday night. 

While the final score is meaningless in the grand scheme of things, the preseason offers players a chance to prove they belong. Some players are trying to secure featured roles while others are fighting to make rosters.

Ameer Abdullah and Brandon Scherff are highly regarded rookies looking to make an impact on their respective teams. Matthew Stafford is a veteran quarterback trying to prove his critics wrong and take his team to the next level.

Ameer Abdullah

The Lions' 2015 second-round draft pick made quite the splash in his debut against the New York Jets last week. Abdullah rushed six times for 67 yards. 

His most impressive moment came on a 45-yard run that Darrelle Revis prevented from being a touchdown.

The rookie wrote in his blog on the Lions' official website that he needs to continue improving as he prepares himself for the NFL season.

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I think my first preseason game went OK, borderline good, but by no means great. I missed a lot of holes. I was a little rusty, but that’s what I expected getting back into game shape. Seeing things at game speed again. There was definitely a lot to learn from. I have a good idea of how the competition will be across the league, what to expect on Sundays and Mondays.

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Abdullah is listed behind Theo Riddick on the team's official depth chart, but the rookie should get plenty of snaps early against the Redskins.

With incumbent starter Joique Bell sidelined with an injury, Abdullah has a chance to show head coach Jim Caldwell that he's deserving of a featured role. 

The Lions made Abdullah a high draft pick because of his ability to make defenders miss and break off a long run. If he continues impressing, he'll fill a big need for the Lions in the regular season.

The team is hoping Abdullah can fill the role that Jahvid Best and Reggie Bush failed to fulfill. With Riddick being more of a threat in the passing game and Bell being a bruiser, Abdullah can become an excellent complement with his home run ability.

The Lions ranked No. 28 in the NFL in total rushing yards and averaged a mere 88.9 rushing yards per game.

Abdullah has the potential to drastically change the Lions' running game. His presence on the field will change the way teams plan for the Lions. 

Matthew Stafford

The former No. 1 pick looked sharp in his only series against the Jets.

Stafford needed just five plays to go 71 yards and find receiver Golden Tate for a 35-yard touchdown pass. 

The 27-year-old threw for at least 4,200 yards in each of his past four seasons. Although he threw a career low in interceptions, the Lions offense as a whole dipped. 

The Lions ranked in the top 12 in passing yards but threw just 22 touchdown passes. With nine of the 11 starters returning to a defense that finished No. 2 overall last year, Stafford and the offense are expected to make considerable gains in their second year under Caldwell.

Stafford will likely play a full quarter against the Redskins. Ball security and accuracy should be the quarterback's point of emphasis this week.

The quarterback's play in recent years has been a source of criticism among the media and fanbase. Backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky told Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press that Stafford will be better in 2015 because he's more comfortable in this offense.

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There’s this notion out there that, for some reason, he’s just OK or he doesn’t work really hard. It’s the complete — I want to kind of go to bat for him — it’s the complete opposite. You’re kiddin’. He loves it, he works really hard, he’s committed to it, it’s important to him, and he’s incredibly good.

We’ve been going for almost 2 1/2 weeks: the quarterbacks. He’s been really sharp, really confident and I think he’s taken a little bit more control because he’s got a little bit more belief in what he’s doing now, compared to last year. He’s a really, really, really good player, I think. The Lions organization, the community, are lucky to have him. I just think there’s more and more good things to come from him.

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If the Lions hope to overtake the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North, Stafford will have to ensure this offense lives up to expectations.

Brandon Scherff

The Redskins needed to add talent across the board.

While the Redskins could've found immediate impact on the defensive side of the board, the team elected to draft Scherff with the fifth overall pick.

The rookie played left tackle in college but was moved to the right side and struggled. Head coach Jay Gruden told Rich Tandler of CSN Mid-Atlantic in June that the transition wasn't smooth.

“You know, we saw him at the rookie camp and were excited to see him play for the first time,” Gruden said. “We moved him over to right tackle and he had some struggles.”

The team moved Scherff to right guard and he's played well in that spot.

He has a ton of upside, and the team is hoping he can solidify the offensive line. He'll open the season as the starting right guard and be expected to help strengthen a unit that's had a difficult time keeping Robert Griffin III upright. 

Gruden told Mike Jones of the Washington Post that Scherff looks impressive at his new position.

“Pretty safe, pretty safe. He’s really taken that role on,” Gruden said. “You can see him play with a lot more confidence, a lot more juice in there. He’s a lot more comfortable in there, and that’s fine."

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