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At 6pm tonight the Detroit Lions kickoff their preseason against the Atlanta Falcons at Ford Field. Players will get their first taste of NFL action this season, competing against another team and different schemes. These games determine who starts, who sits, and who makes the team. Tonight, players have a chance to make a good impression on the staff and the league.

Here are five things we should note before the game tonight:

1. Defensive Bulking:

It’s no secret the Lions struggled defensively last year.  Being 31st in points allowed per game (27.5) last season, as well as 29th in total defense (379.8), 28th against the run (135.1), 24th against the pass (244.7), 30th in sacks (30), 29th in third down defense percentage (45.1) and 31st in defensive red zone efficiency (70.0), allowed teams to easily get the upper hand against Detroit.

Aaron Glenn has changed the base scheme from a 3-4 to a 4-3 attacking scheme to fit the Lions’ personnel better. Tonight, we get our first look at this move and its effectiveness.

Rookie edge-rusher, Aidan Hutchinson, has been strong in practice, seeming to adjust well to the NFL level. In his first two weeks of camp he has been disruptive and challenging for offensive lineman. He is expected to play only one quarter, but will he get after the Falcons quarterbacks early in tonight’s game?

Additionally, edge-rusher Charles Harris led the team with 7.5 sacks in 2022. Can he pick up where he left off and lead this defense? Has Alim McNeil taken a step in production in year two? Tonight will be our first hint.

2. Does Goff Return to Form:

Jared Goff has looked very strong to start training camp. He is more comfortable, quicker to make his reads, and in control of the offense. Last season, he struggled under offensive-coordinator Anthony Lynn, but settled in with Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson calling plays.

With the same duo set to control the offense this season, Goff looks to return to his late season form. In his last six games of 2022 Goff was 3-2-1, throwing eleven touchdowns and two interceptions. His passer rating of 101.8 was obvious proof of his improvement. Through the first few weeks of camp, Goff has been making connections with DJ Chark, Josh Reynolds, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Will he continue to look strong tonight?

3. The Number Two Corner:

Jeff Okudah, the third year corner, is beyond excited to get back to action. Tearing his Achilles at Ford Field in week one last season took him out for eleven months. Okudah says he is just looking forward to competing again. Although, Okudah isn’t just competing against the Falcons tonight.

Will Harris, the former safety, has made a change to cornerback throughout training camp. Campbell says he is impressed with Harris and how quick he transitioned. With Okudah as more of a ball-hawk and Harris brining more physicality, the competition for who lines up opposite Amani Oruwariye is spotlighted tonight.

4. Rookie First Looks:

Of course, everyone will be watching Aidan Hutchinson, given that he was the number two overall pick. But tonight also gives us a chance to watch other rookies in their first NFL games.

During training camp, rookie linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez has been impressive, like extremely impressive. He has jumped up the depth charts and even took some first team reps. He is a hard hitter and a playmaker, but will we see flashes tonight?

We should also look for rookie safety Kerby Joseph and corner Chase Lucas to try and stand out. They are competing for defensive roles and special team roles, but making an impact during preseason would be their biggest help.

5. Backup QB:

Jared Goff missed a few games last season and hopefully won’t this year, but backup QB will be important in those situations. Last year, Tim Boyle sat behind Jared Goff and even started a few games. Tonight, Boyle and third-string QB David Blough will compete for that backup role. If the Lions don’t see anything, they may even go out of organization for a backup.

This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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