By admin The Detroit Lions held a shortened, non-contact practice Tuesday ahead of their preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.
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Coach Dan Campbell doesn’t plan to play many of the team’s starters in Thursday’s game, and with Wednesday being a travel day the Lions used Tuesday to get some reps for players not playing in the exhibition game.
The head coach expressed his excitement for the preseason opener, particularly for the young players who will have a chance to show off their development in terms of technique after being coached for the first three weeks.
“I think always with these is, as a coach, you want to see some of these guys, you’ve been coaching them on technique, fundamentals,” Campbell said. “The scheme is not as big of an issue right now, I’m not concerned with that because with what we’re giving them they’re gonna be able to play fast, but how do they handle competition? Cincinnati, I think (Bengals coach) Zac (Taylor) is gonna play those guys a couple of drives, their starters. So it’ll be a great look for our guys.”
Here are winners and losers, as well as what we’re learning from day 11 of Lions training camp, with some insights provided by the team website.
Attendance report
Avonte Maddox returned after missing practice Monday. With the latest update on Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch being that they’re expected to return after the start of the season, Maddox is believed to be part of the team’s starting safety tandem for the start of the regular season along with Chuck Clark.
Derrick Moore (groin), Malcolm Rodriguez (ankle) and Sione Vaki (eye/broken nose) were all getting work in with trainers. Running back Jabari Small, cornerback Khalil Dorsey and offensive lineman Devin Cochran were all out for undisclosed reasons.
The Lions remain without center Cade Mays (wrist), linebacker Jimmy Rolder (hamstring), offensive lineman Juice Scruggs (undsiclosed soft-tissue), Isiah Pacheco (MCL) and defensive end Payton Turner (back). Campbell noted that Kerby Joseph is away dealing with a personal issue.
Rakestraw bounces back
After a slight lull in productivity over the recent stretch of practices, cornerback Ennis Rakestraw appeared to bounce back for a strong day on Tuesday. He was matched up with Jameson Williams three separate times in one-on-one drills, and Rakestraw had a good showing.
On the first rep, Rakestraw was in phase from the snap against Williams and forced an overthrow. He was also in good coverage on a throw in the end zone to force an incompletion. The third rep went to Williams, who brought in a slant route that Rakestraw initially deflected.
Another defensive back that had a bounce back day is Roger McCreary, who reportedly won two of his three reps against Greg Dortch.
LaPorta shines
Sam LaPorta has been somewhat quiet to start camp, but reviews indicate he is rounding into season shape. When the Lions began a team rep, the Iowa product showed up in a big way.
LaPorta had two big catches with the first team offense, beating a linebacker for a big gain on an out-and-up. Then, he burnt Thomas Harper for a touchdown grab in the red-zone.
After missing the last seven games of the year with a herniated disk in his back, LaPorta continues to incrementally improve as he gets reacclimated. This is a positive development, as his absence was felt heavily throughout the offense after his injury.
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Dobbs’ debut
With the Lions not playing quarterback Jared Goff in the preseason opener, Josh Dobbs could be thrust into action shortly into his tenure with the team. Dobbs took team reps for the first time on Tuesday, running one drive.
He started strong, firing a completion to Cedrick Wilson between a linebacker and a safety to move inside the 10-yard line.
A penalty derailed the drive, as Miles Frazier jumped early. Dobbs wouldn’t finish the drive, as he was relieved by Luke Altmyer before third-down. According to reports, Dobbs stated he came out because he is still learning the team’s red-zone plays after arriving Sunday.
Altmyer was unable to lead the offense into the end zone, as his pass to Greg Dortch was stopped short to force a field goal.
Situational work
The Lions finished practice with a situation for the offense. They were down 10 with all three timeouts with under four yards to go. After an early completion, the offense took a step back as Aidan Hutchinson sacked Goff after he beat Blake Miller.
Detroit’s offense got the yardage back after a defensive holding, then ultimately couldn’t move the chains as Goff overthrew Brock Wright. They were in range for a field goal, so they were able to get within a score.
After notching the needed stop to get the ball back to the ofense, who took over at their own 20-yard line with 1:38 left. It ended poorly, as a sack by Avonte Maddox set the offense back. The Lions got yardage back with short completions from Goff to Gibbs and St. Brown, but a last-ditch attempt from Goff to Williams was ruled incomplete as he came down with the ball out of bounds.
Coaches overruled the incompletion, instead opting to get the offense some extra work. Yet, their fortunes stayed the same as Goff was intercepted by Thomas Harper to end practice.
Quick hitters
1.) Cornerback Keith Abney had a tough day, getting beat by Dominic Lovett on a slant and also being whistled for penalties working against Tom Kennedy and Wilson. Kennedy also got the best of him near the goal line, making a leaping catch on a fade route.
2.) Nick Whiteside had an interception for the third straight day, picking off a pass working against Isaac TeSlaa during one-on-ones.
3.) Offensive tackle Blake Miller had a big block during team drills, taking care of Avonte Maddox on a screen pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Today’s best reads
- Winners and Losers From Day 8 of 2026 Detroit Lions Training Camp
- Lions 2026 Week 2 Camp 53-Man Roster Prediction: Who Stays, Who Gets Cut?
- Dan Campbell Has Tough Decision With Bengals Playing Starters in Preseason Opener
- Everything Jared Goff Said During Day 10 Lions Training Camp Interview
- Lions Find New Backup QB in Veteran Josh Dobbs
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi as Winners and Losers From Day 11 of 2026 Detroit Lions Training Camp.
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This story was originally published August 11, 2026 at 12:30 PM.