Detroit Lions Studs and Duds: Green, Gilmore Shine in Final Preseason Outing

The Detroit Lions bounced back from a slow start to claim a 26-17 win over the Carolina Panthers in their preseason finale. With the win, Dan Campbell's team finishes the preseason with a 2-1 record.

Without many of their starters, the game was filled with several Lions players competing for the final roster spots. Multiple players made strong cases, while others hurt their chances. 

Here are the studs and duds from Friday's win. 

STUD: WR Antoine Green

Campbell has openly mentioned the need for Green to be more consistent throughout training camp. On Friday, the rookie's best was on display. 

He turned a dagger route into a 70-yard touchdown in the second quarter. The North Carolina product displayed good speed on the play, cruising by the Panthers' defense. 

In total, the rookie had 97 yards on three catches, to go along with a 32-yard kick return. 

Green and undrafted rookie Dylan Drummond were the Lions' top two wideouts on Friday, strengthening their cases to make the final roster.

DUD: WR Chase Cota

Cota hurt his chances to make the 53-man roster, with a pair of ill-fated drops. First, he couldn't corral a pass in the end zone that hit him in the hands. 

Later, he couldn't complete a contested catch that would've converted a third down. Failing to produce in those clutch situations damaged what had been an otherwise strong preseason. 

His size and speed still make him an intriguing piece worth holding onto, but the performances of Drummond and Green gashed his stock moving into final cuts.

STUD: QB Teddy Bridgewater

Bridgewater delivered a strong second showing as a member of the Lions. After struggling in his preseason debut, the veteran looked to be in control throughout his half of play. 

Thanks to turnovers created by the defense, he led a pair of scoring drives late in the first half. In total, he piloted the offense to 20 unanswered first-half points, after falling behind, 10-0. 

The Louisville product finished his day 13-of-22 for 178 yards and a touchdown. He displayed good timing on the offense's play-action concepts, and had a solid rapport with the likes of Drummond and Green.

Elsewhere, third-stringer Nate Sudfeld went down on his first possession, and was carted to the locker room. Undrafted rookie Adrian Martinez finished 5-of-11 for 39 yards in relief. 

DUD: CB Starling Thomas V

Thomas has consistently been good on special teams throughout camp, but his defensive struggles came to the forefront on Friday. 

He was called for pass interference early, the latest in what has been a camp full of struggles with hand placement in coverage. Thomas was also penalized in last week's loss to Jacksonville.

In a tight race for the final roster spots, issues such as that tend to be magnified. Chase Lucas and Steven Gilmore intercepted passes, while Khalil Dorsey contributed a forced fumble and big kick return, causing the UAB product to fall behind.

STUD: CB Steven Gilmore

Gilmore made a loud pitch to make the final roster Friday. It was a thorough effort for the Marshall product.

In addition to five tackles and back-to-back pass breakups in the third quarter, Gilmore had a pick-six in the fourth quarter. It was the second interception of the preseason for the undrafted rookie. 

An effort of that caliber could be the difference between he and others on the roster. 

DUD: K Riley Patterson

Patterson has been viewed as the favorite in Detroit's ongoing kicker competition by a significant margin. He attempted all the kicks Friday, as Parker Romo was sidelined for the second straight preseason game. 

However, it was a rough day for the veteran kicker. He missed a 53-yard field goal off the crossbar, then pushed an extra point wide right in the fourth quarter. 

The Lions' kicking battle was seemingly decided given his workload, but the two competitors have been close in camp. Time will tell what impact Friday's performance has on Patterson's chances to be the Lions' kicker.