Detroit Lions: 5 Things Learned in the 1st Preseason Game Against the Bengals

The Detroit Lions put a beating on the Cincinnati Bengals Aug. 12, both on the field and on the stat sheet. Matthew Stafford looked great, and Ndamukong Suh looked as fearsome as ever.

Scoring 34 points is awfully impressive for a post-lockout preseason game, especially when all four offensive units contribute.

On defense, Suh and the gang applied pressure all day, including a sack, fumble, two interceptions and numerous hits on Bengals' rookie QB Andy Dalton.

In the end, a preseason game isn't about winning or losing, it's about learning. Players learning game situations and coaches learning about their players.

What did we learn in the Lions preseason game? Here are five things to look forward to from the new-look Detroit Lions.

5) This Team Has Swagger

From images of Matt Stafford and Shaun Hill chilling on the sidelines with their backwards baseball caps, to Nate Burleson being upset because a challenge ruined his opportunity for a touchdown dance, it is clear this team has a different attitude than a few years back.

Even Jim Schwartz' post-game smirk told volumes when asked about personal foul penalties. Does this team want to incur 15-yard penalties? No. Does this team love putting teams (and the league as a whole) on notice? Certainly.

The Detroit Lions came out firing on all cylinders—strutting up to the line and positive after every play. 

Even the fourth-stringers got into the action as Robert Callaway blew through the line and got one of his three tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He got up and let loose a mighty shout, throwing his hands back.

It's a new culture in Detroit—no more heads hung low, no more slinking back to the huddle, no more paper bags in the stands.

A little swagger never hurt anybody.

4) Special Teams Could Put Detroit over the Hump

Remember Stan Kwan?

Do you want to remember Stan Kwan?

Kwan, now with Buffalo, was the special teams coach of  the Detroit Lions from 2004-2009 and was the oft-cited reason for the awful special teams in Detroit. Now, not all of that is fair. A coach is only as good as the talent on the field, and Detroit's special teamers were awful for much of the Matt Millen era—so bad that many of them are now out of football.

Last year, Danny Crossman was hired and given a mandate to be as aggressive as possible to improve the Lions third unit.

It worked.

Jason Hanson and Dave Rayner both hit field goals last night, including an end-of-half rush job that surprised even the head coach. Hitting a 37-yard field goal is impressive enough for some units in the preseason, but doing it in 13 seconds is even better.

Punting was just as good, as Nick Harris finally has some competition for his job. Rookie Ryan Donahue has a big leg, and both he and Harris hit punts over 50 yards, albeit with a couple regrettable touchbacks.

Coverage and return units looked solid as well—a testament to the improved talent on the roster and Crossman's influence on the team.

Detroit has lost a lot of games over the last decade thanks to special teams. This year, it looks like that unit might help them win a couple. 

3) Some Talented Football Players Will Not Make This Roster

Derrick Williams had an up-and-down night.

After two dropped balls, Drew Stanton went back to the well and hit Williams on an impressive 32-yard reception. Then, another talented run and catch from Williams was called back thanks to an Aaron Brown holding penalty.

Brown too flashed signs of brilliance and moments of ineptitude. He could not have looked worse on that holding penalty as he was run over by a backup linebacker and only kept his QB upright by holding on for dear life as he was trampled.

Stanton finished that drive with back-to-back passes to Brown—a poorly set up screen and then an excellent crossing route that set up the aforementioned 13-second field goal. 

Brown finished tied (with Ian Johnson) as the Lions' leading rusher on the day and was also the Lions leading receiver. Yet, both he and Williams are fighting for roster spots this preseason.

It wasn't too long ago that John Standeford, a deep receiving reserve for the Bengals, was starting for the Lions in 2009. Numerous other starters from the Millen era are either fighting for roster spots across the league or working in professions other than football.

This year, talented players (and former starters) like Eric Coleman, Ashlee Palmer, Lawrence Jackson, Shaun Hill, Will Heller, Nate Vasher and more will be in reserve roles for the Lions while other talented players won't make the roster at all.

Along with Williams and Brown, Zac Robinson, Robert Callaway, Cobrani Mixon, Quinn Pitcock, Nate Hughes, Dave Rayner and others are auditioning as much for other teams as they are for the Lions.

The Lions won't have room for every talented player they have in camp.

That's a great problem to have.

2) The Defense Has Some Work to Do, but Has Never Looked This Good

Like any young unit, the Lions defense is a work in progress.

Numerous penalties kept the Bengals' offense on the field for far too long, and the Lions were, at times, unable to stop the Bengals' running backs.

Worse yet, the Lions linebacking corps seemed to have the same Achilles' heel they had in 2010. The short pass was a dangerous weapon for the Bengals as Andy Dalton rebounded from his first pass—an interception by Chris Houston—and finished 11-of-15, averaging only 4.6 yards per pass.

Sure, 4.6 yards isn't much, and many defenses would be happy with that. However, not all quarterbacks are first-year, third-round picks like Andy Dalton, and the Lions will face receivers who are much better after the catch than the Bengals depleted group.

Putting it mildly, the Lions need to improve this facet of their defense, or NFC North receivers like Devin Hester, Donald Driver and Percy Harvin will decimate all positive feelings from this offseason.

On the other hand, the Detroit Lions defense has never looked quite as good, quite as powerful as it did last night—holding the Bengals to only a field goal and creating constant pressure in the defensive backfield.

Moreover, the Lions did not play Nick Fairley and Andre Fluellen—their third and fifth defensive tackles, as well as possible situational ends—or Alphonso Smith, who is fighting for the nickleback position.

We'll learn a lot more about the defense in Week 3 of the preseason against the New England Patriots, but holding the Bengals to three points was a great way to start 2011.

1) Stafford to Johnson (and the Rest of the Offense) Will Be a Winning Formula

Here, Calvin Johnson is shown, getting kudos for scoring the first touchdown of the Lions' 2011 season.

It should be the first of many.

Just about anyone with gray matter between their ears (looking at you Cris Carter) believes Calvin Johnson is a potent weapon at wide receiver.

In the same respect, the oft-injured Matt Stafford has plenty of upside when he's healthy. The first-overall pick in 2009 has all the tools coaches want in a quarterback; he has just never been able to showcase them for an entire season.

If both can stay on the field and away from the trainer's table, Stafford to Johnson can be a winning formula for the Detroit Lions.

That isn't to say the rest of the offense can't be dangerous as well.

With Brandon Pettigrew, Jeff Backus, Maurice Morris, Titus Young, Jason Fox and Tony Ugoh sidelined for the Lions, the offense still posted 34 points.

The only real downside to the game was the lack of a rushing attack, which is somewhat excusable when a top lineman, tight end and running back are all in street clothes.

The Lions also got great contributions from Tony Scheffler, Will Heller, Aaron Brown, Nate Burleson and impressive performances from each of their backup quarterbacks.

Next up, the Detroit Lions will have another easy opponent in the Cleveland Browns and then a chance to avenge their Thanksgiving Day Massacre against the New England Patriots, who just trounced the Jacksonville Jaguars in their preseason opener. Regardless of what happens against the Bengals and Browns, the Patriots will be a much better test of the value of the Lions rebuild.

In Week 1, however, the Lions showed they are a team to be feared.

Michael Schottey is an on-call editor for the Bleacher Report College Writing Internship, as well as an NFL Featured Columnist and an NFL Labor/Draft Expert. A member of the Pro Football Writers of America, he has professionally covered the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions, as well as NFL events like the Scouting Combine and the Senior Bowl. Follow him on  Twitter.