Detroit Lions: What We've Learned Through Week 3 of Preseason
The preseason is like the first month of a college course.
There aren't any tests. Assignments generally aren't too challenging.
Instead, you're tasked with reading your textbook (or playbook) and listening to lectures (team meetings) because that's when the lessons are learned that will determine your grade (season record).
So while the Detroit Lions' current 1-1 record is the equivalent of answering a question correctly during a class discussion, there are still takeaways that need to be stored for later use. Click through to bring your education up to speed.
WR Ryan Broyles Is Gone
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The NFL isn't Google. There may be plenty of amenities that make working there fun, but the league is quick with a pink slip if you don't exploit your opportunities.
Ryan Broyles hasn't done so, at least according to his snap counts.
He only saw 11 plays against the Washington Redskins, per Pro Football Focus, with most coming in the fourth quarter against guys hoping to hook onto practice squads. That's a drastic reduction from the 25 he enjoyed against the New York Jets.
There's no question that Broyles has great hands. The unfortunate truth is he can't gain the same separation that made him a second-round pick a little over three years ago.
The coaching staff must not see him as a part of the rotation going forward considering his lightened workload. If he doesn't have a place in Detroit, the team needs to focus on those who might and let Broyles try to stick somewhere else.
So don't be shocked if the Lions release him when the roster is whittled down to 75 players.
QB Kellen Moore Could Follow Behind Him
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We've seen Kellen Moore play well enough to be a backup quarterback. Unfortunately for him, none of those plays have come in 2015.
The drop-off in Moore's play is as obvious as it is befuddling.
He would never have the arm strength to be a long-term starter, but he showed enough poise and accuracy in the 2014 preseason to earn a 108.4 quarterback rating. Now he looks shell-shocked throwing against fourth-team defenses.
The first preseason game gave him a chance against first- and second-team guys. The offensive line did him few favors, allowing him to take a fair amount of abuse. However, he didn't bounce back from that in a significant way. Even on plays without pressure over the past two weeks, he's posted a 69.4 quarterback rating.
And the practice reports haven't inspired confidence either.
It's hard to argue that Moore has enough developmental potential to earn a roster spot with guys like Jermelle Cudjo and guard Taylor Boggs making plays.
The staff is unlikely to trust him in a game that matters based off what we've seen so far. So what's the point keeping him around?
Jeremy Ross Is Making the Team
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If you're sick of hearing how Jeremy Ross is almost indispensable, you may want to click to the next slide.
Ross was the incumbent return man, but T.J. Jones provided some hope for fans starving for a new option. The latter looked aggressive against the New York Jets, averaging over 10 yards per return on three punts.
But the world is now crashing down around those fans.
The coaching staff did everything it could to get Ross involved against Washington. He was targeted four times, grabbing all of them for 31 yards, 15 of which came after the catch.
Ross also received half of all the returning opportunities. None were spectacular, but his competition (Jones, Josh Wilson and Ameer Abdullah) did nothing to challenge him either.
Get used to it, fans. The coaches apparently still respect Ross' returning ability and developmental potential. Unless someone else takes the first punt return next week, you can now safely lock up four receiving roster spots (Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate and Corey Fuller).
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There's a Tough Call on the Defensive Line
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This time of year always brings tough decisions. It's why the front office and coaching staff are compensated so well.
However, whether to keep defensive tackle Jermelle Cudjo or defensive end Larry Webster on the 53-man roster is an acid-reflux-inducing dilemma. Hopefully their medical insurance covers antacids.
Cudjo started out as a semi-throwaway note in Dave Birkett's camp observations. The Detroit Free Press scribe said he "write[s] that guy's name down for something nice he does every practice."
Then he had his coming-out party against the Jets, popping up all over the interior and logging a defensive stop (play that constitutes an offensive failure). He wasn't as active against Washington, though.
Webster was last year's fourth-round pick. His athleticism inspired confidence from the coaching staff that he could develop into a top-flight pass-rusher. It's now been over a year since he was selected, and we've yet to see the gains he had supposedly made, per MLive.com's Justin Rogers in 2014.
The Lions carried Webster on the roster in 2014 so another team didn't scoop him off the practice squad. But he doesn't have anything on tape at this point to warrant another team's risk, so sending him through waivers in favor of a player actually making plays might be the right call.
Either way, glad I'm not the one tasked with making it.
Where in the World Is Kyle Van Noy?
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The Lions and their fans had high hopes for 2014 second-round pick Kyle Van Noy. Through two games this preseason, the weight of those expectations may be taking their toll.
Van Noy's slow start last season was excusable. He didn't practice with the team for the first half of the season and looked tentative when he did.
However, nothing has changed with another offseason under his belt.
Aside from a pass breakup against the Jets, Van Noy has been invisible, both to observers and opposing quarterbacks. And pass coverage was supposed to be his specialty.
On Kirk Cousin's fourth-quarter touchdown pass, Van Noy seemed to be the only defender playing a man defense. He actually followed the tight end behind linebacker Travis Lewis instead of switching off like everyone else.
That type of play will get you benched in a hurry. There's still time for him and Larry Webster to figure it out, but counting on either in 2015 is a tough sell.
The Reports Were Accurate
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For what it's worth, the team is much better than the tenor of the previous five slides. You already knew this team had talent across the board. Now you must remember that this was an exercise to learn the smaller lessons in preparation for the season.
But we don't have to be negative all the time. One shining example of that has been quarterback Matthew Stafford's play.
Thus far, he's done nothing to disrupt all of the glowing offseason and training camp reports regarding his offensive knowledge and accuracy, per MLive's Kyle Meinke.
Stafford had only one slightly inaccurate throw in Washington, where he put it slightly behind Corey Fuller. While the wide receiver couldn't bring it in, the pass was close enough to be classified as a drop.
Plus, the way he kept his eyes downfield to find Golden Tate for his first completion while running forward from a collapsing pocket looked routine. It should be considering Stafford's veteran status, but it's reassuring nonetheless.
There are some small problems with this team. However, when the bigger concerns—like quarterbacking play—aren't something to sweat, it makes it easier to ignore the minutia.
Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu.
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