Allen Park — Joint practices are upon us.
After more than three weeks of training camp practices and two preseason games, the Detroit Lions will get some of their best work of the offseason this week with a pair of shared sessions with the Miami Dolphins ahead of their preseason game this Saturday.
Here are six practice-field matchups that will have my attention this week.
Reed vs. Miami’s receivers
Look, there’s no question about it: Terrion Arnold should top my list of players to watch this week. The problem is we don’t know if the second-year cornerback is going to suit up, and even if he does, what his level of participation will be.
Arnold is dealing with a hamstring strain, which has shelved him the past couple of weeks. He’s close to returning, based on how well he’s been moving while working with trainers off to the side the past few days. However, hamstrings are easily re-aggravated, and that’s not something the Lions need as the regular season nears, no matter how valuable these reps might be for the young defender.
Arnold was cooking to start camp. Charting practice stats is a silly exercise, but if I did, I’m confident he’d have the most pass breakups, even factoring in his recent absence. Last year’s first-round pick looks primed to make a much-anticipated second-year jump after logging more than 1,000 defensive snaps as a rookie when you include the playoffs.
Arnold and Detroit’s cornerbacks get tested daily by a talented corps led by Amon-Ra St. Brown. Still, Miami’s dynamic starting duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle is the fastest starting tandem in the league. If Arnold could have maintained his camp success against them, being less familiar with their tendencies than his teammates, it would have sent the hype train into overdrive.
Assuming Arnold isn’t full go, we’ll settle for Reed matching up against Hill and Waddle, although both receivers could sit out this week with injuries. Hill has an oblique strain, while an undisclosed ailment recently sidelined Waddle.
Reed has proven to be a stellar addition to Detroit’s roster, replacing Carlton Davis III with a similar caliber man-to-man corner on the outside. The Dolphins’ duo are familiar foes for Reed, who saw them twice each year as a member of the New York Jets the past three seasons.
Jamo and TeSlaa vs. Dolphins CBs (and Minkah)
No projected starter for the Lions has shown more year-to-year growth than Jameson Williams. Coming off a 1,000-yard campaign, the fourth-year receiver has drastically improved as a route runner, showing maturation with his releases, breaks, timing and hands, making him a far more dangerous weapon, overall.
It’s a shame the Dolphins traded Jalen Ramsey this offseason. The three-time All-Pro would have pushed Williams to his limit, particularly at the line. Instead, we’ll see Detroit’s receivers work against the likes of Storm Duck and Kendall Sheffield. It just won’t be the same.
Where Williams will be tested is his ability to take the top off a defense with Minkah Fitzpatrick — the key piece that came back in the Ramsey deal — patrolling deep. Fitzpatrick has 20 career interceptions and led the league in 2022.
Beyond Williams, rookie Isaac TeSlaa merits continued monitoring. The third-round draft pick’s first camp and early preseason performances have been pleasant surprises because of his ability to rapidly clear developmental hurdles.
Even with starter Tim Patrick nursing a quad strain, most of TeSlaa’s work is expected to come with the No. 2 offense, meaning he’ll primarily operate against the Dolphins’ backup corners. No matter, work is work at this early stage of his career, and a veteran like Jack Jones should provide a solid test for TeSlaa.
Detroit’s interior OL vs. the Dolphins’ interior DL
Fans were offered a first glimpse of Tate Ratledge in last Friday’s preseason game against Atlanta. The rookie guard had more ups than downs. However, it’s difficult to get a full grasp on his abilities when he’s playing between two backups, including an undrafted rookie offensive tackle.
Ratledge is just one piece of an overhauled interior that has Graham Glasgow shifting back to center and Christian Mahogany taking over at left guard after spending most of his college career on the opposite side.
So far, the collective has performed decently during Detroit’s camp. But with Alim McNeill and Levi Onwuzurike out with long-term injuries, they haven’t been fully tested by a defensive interior that thrives at rushing the passer.
Miami rookie Kenneth Grant isn’t that. He’s more like Detroit’s first-round pick, Tyleik Williams, an impressively athletic nose tackle. It will be more telling how Detroit's group handles Zach Sieler, the former Ferris State standout who has finished with 10.0 sacks each of the past two seasons.
On top of the standard matchups, we’ll also want to see how the communication with Detroit’s interior is developing. The Dolphins aren’t an ultra-aggressive blitzing defense under coordinator Anthony Weaver. Still, they did send an extra rusher nearly a quarter of their opponents’ pass plays last year, which would be a sufficient test.
Starting edge rushers vs. the Dolphins OTs
Aidan Hutchinson looks fully recovered from last year’s broken leg. He's won his fair share of reps against All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell and traumatized Detroit’s backup blindside blockers while Taylor Decker recovered from offseason shoulder surgery.
To a lesser degree, Marcus Davenport has been doing the same, working opposite Hutchinson. They rush differently, but Davenport has been delivering on expectations as the power complement on the edge.
Like Ramsey, we’re being robbed of a premium practice matchup following the offseason retirement of five-time Pro Bowl tackle Terron Armstead. Instead, Detroit’s duo will likely see plenty of Austin Jackson and Patrick Paul, two average to below-average pass protectors.
No one gets the ball out quicker than Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. If forced to hold on to it by Detroit’s back seven, Hutchinson and Davenport should have plenty of success this week.
Hooker/Allen vs. Miami’s second-team defense
Detroit’s backup quarterback competition still hangs in the balance, with veteran Kyle Allen taking a presumptive lead over incumbent Hendon Hooker on the strength of their preseason performances.
Even with two interceptions in the Hall of Fame Game, Allen has been superior, posting a 95.1 passer rating compared to Hooker’s 42.7. That metric doesn’t even account for Hooker's two lost fumbles against Atlanta on Friday.
On the practice field, they’ve been closer to even, which is why it’s premature to hand the job to Allen. Joint practices are unique because they allow the coaching staff to control the situations to sharpen the evaluations.
Let’s see if Hooker can regain some momentum after his rough showings against the Chargers and Falcons.
Keith Cooper vs. the Dolphins’ offensive line
The easier matchup to close this guide would have been highlighting Tyleik Williams against another rookie, guard Jonah Savaiinaea, who the Dolphins grabbed early in the second round.
I promise that battle won’t be overlooked. Still, Keith Cooper’s ability to build on his early camp momentum is potentially more intriguing. Williams should open the season as a starter. Cooper, meanwhile, is still fighting for a spot on Detroit’s roster.
Cooper is undersized as a defensive tackle, but that frame gives him the versatility to play both inside and on the edge. He had below-average athletic testing during the pre-draft process, causing him to go undrafted. He wasn’t even initially offered a contract as a free agent, having to gain the opportunity through a tryout at Detroit’s rookie minicamp. Regardless, he’s impressed, earning work with the team’s second defensive grouping and a smattering of first-team reps.
Cooper can get an edge on a guard and bull rush a tackle. His frame and skillset are similar to Josh Paschal’s, and Cooper could help the Lions bridge Paschal’s absence as he continues to recover from an offseason injury.
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