Lions vs. Chiefs: Quick takeaways from the coach’s tape review

Perhaps the biggest roster battle in Detroit is for the No. 4 and (maybe) No. 5 wide receiver spots. If the coaching staff is using separation on routes as a primary criterion for deciding, none of the combatants really helped themselves.

It was especially pronounced when Nate Sudfeld was in the game in the first half. Sudfeld had to double-clutch a few times because the option he wanted to throw to, the one the play is designed to go to, simply wasn’t open. Donovan Peoples-Jones, Tom Kennedy, Kaden Davis and Daurice Fountain all struggled to gain consistent separation. Davis had the long catch-and-run touchdown on a nice dig route (and good clear-out post by Peoples-Jones), but beyond that, it was tough to find anyone consistently open.

Undrafted rookie Isaiah Williams was probably the most effective at creating space for himself on routes. Working the same basic route tree and position as Kennedy did earlier in the game, Williams was better at getting off the line and using sharp feet to present himself as a more viable target. Having said that, Williams was a little too easy to stick with on an out-route in the end zone just before halftime.

For what it’s worth, the tight ends battling for TE3-TE4 spots behind Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright also struggled to get open.

It’s very well possible that Khalil Dorsey and Kindle Vildor are battling for the same roster spot as a reserve outside cornerback and core special teams player. Each put his best foot forward in Kansas City.

This was the best performance I’ve seen from Dorsey in his two-plus years in Detroit. Facing the Chiefs’ starting offense, Dorsey provided excellent coverage and quick recognition. His devastation of a quick screen is a play Lions fans have been begging a CB to make for years. His physicality really stood out.

Vildor was just as good, and he did a lot of that against the Chiefs version of Jameson Williams, first-round rookie Xavier Worthy. No. 29 was in perfect hip-to-hip stride with the speedy Worthy on a few routes, one of them forcing a throwaway by Carson Wentz. While he tends to be a little grabby, on this day Vildor did a good job of realizing that Worthy doesn’t handle contact well at all and a simple nudge would send him off track.

These two holdovers are effectively the battle for the No. 5 CB spot. Based on this game, as well as much of training camp, it’s looking more like the Lions might prefer to keep six CBs and roll with only four WRs or one less depth OL.

For a guy signed barely a week earlier, Summers had a whale of a game in Kansas City. No. 25 was all over the field on defense, making plays and showing great awareness and instincts in both the run and passing defense.

Playing the spot in the defense that Alex Anzalone does with the starters, Summers demonstrated impressive speed and body control. It’s common to see depth LBs overrun the point of attack in the run game, especially high-cut athletes like Summers, but that didn’t happen. He pulled off three reps of picture-perfect inside leverage coverage on plays where the Chiefs wanted to hit the tight end.

Summers also made a couple of nice plays on special teams. He’s a long shot to make the final roster, but the practice squad journeyman backed up a decent first week of practice in Detroit with some very good game tape in K.C.

Jake Bates finally got some extensive work in actual game conditions, and the greenhorn with the giant leg (mostly) delivered.

This game was a huge test for Bates, and for Dan Campbell’s confidence in him. Getting the green light to try the 55-yarder was not something Campbell bequeaths often. Bates rewarded his coach for the experiment with a no-doubter delivery of three points. The game-winner as time expired? Yeah, that’s a massive confidence builder for Bates but also for the entire team, including Campbell.

Yes, Bates did (badly) miss an extra point, something he’s done a few times in training camp practices, too. Those shouldn’t still be happening. Overall though, this was a great time for Bates to have his best day in a Lions uniform.

Playing right tackle, Sorsdal did not have a confidence-inspiring performance against the Chiefs. The second-year lineman was great early in training camp but continues to look less and less like a reliable swing OT option in Ben Johnson’s offense. It’s most notable in the run game.

The sequence that raised my worry meter was Detroit’s first drive of the third quarter. On one play, he blocked down when his assignment was outside. Then a false start penalty. Then a complete whiff where No. 75 once again read the assignment wrong, and it got RB Zonovan Knight pounded in the backfield.

It’s something we’ve seen in camp this summer, and it was rough in Kansas City: Sorsdal remains tentative when he’s got a tight end next to him, sometimes confused by the extra body to his outside shoulder. This was an issue for Lions LT Taylor Decker earlier in his career. Maybe Decker can help Sorsdal progress through this rough patch?

–After a shaky first drive of the second half, I saw all I needed to see from Hendon Hooker to elevate him over Nate Sudfeld as QB2. I hope the Lions saw it that way, too. The decision-making was consistent, and Hooker has told us multiple times this summer that’s the biggest step he needs to make.

–Mathieu Betts bagged a sack, but overall this was not a good showing for No. 95. His sack was more a result of the Chiefs RT and RG miscommunication responsibility than Betts “winning” the rep. An offsides penalty, a badly missed coverage rep and an overall inability to get off blocks probably burned the CFL star’s last real chance to prove he belongs on the 53-man roster.

–Ben Niemann had more good reps than Malik Jefferson in the battle for what might very well be a nonexistent sixth LB spot. Summers outshone them both, as did Abraham Beauplan on defense.

–On a similar thought stream, Brandon Joseph outplayed Ifeatu Melifonwu in the battle for the No. 4 safety spot. Joseph’s weakness has been tackling, but he came up big against Kansas City. Melifonwu continues to look impressive attacking downhill, but he was the one who abandoned the coverage help for Amik Robertson on Kansas City’s first touchdown. Put the two of them together and you’ve got a fantastic NFL starting safety, a guy like Brian Branch 😉

–Going more in-depth on Giovanni Manu in a coming piece, but I thought the fourth-round rookie showed real progress in this game from what we’ve seen most of the summer. I only had No. 59 with one clear loss in 19 pass protection reps against the Chiefs while playing left tackle.

–Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp has some work to do with his kick coverage unit in terms of getting off blocks without losing containment. Too many misses in this game to tally up in that regard. The return game blocking wasn’t up to snuff, either.

–Kingsley Eguakun got the start at center but didn’t help himself facing the Chiefs starters (minus Chris Jones). The lack of base strength was a problem, but it’s the same issue for Eguakun’s primary competition as the No. 2 center (not counting starting LG Graham Glasgow), Michael Niese. No. 62 had a nondescript outing at right guard.

–Rookie RB Sione Vaki has been a very effective receiver all throughout camp, and it was great to see him unleash the receiving and YAC skills on the Chiefs. Not that there was much question about it, but Vaki has absolutely locked up the RB4 role behind David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs and Craig Reynolds.