Jacob Saylors didn’t just play in the preseason finale against the Colts; he straight-up took over, dropping a 100-yard bomb that basically guaranteed his spot on the 53-man roster. We won the game 25-16, yeah, but anyone watching knew the score wasn’t the real story. This was all about who was fighting for their job, and Saylors left absolutely no doubt.
Saylors Just Ran Away With It
This dude was everywhere. Out of the 38 offensive plays in the first half alone, Saylors touched the ball 14 times, plus another two targets! We were feeding him on nearly half our plays to start the game, and for good reason. He put up 67 yards on 12 carries and snagged two catches for 12 yards in that first half. Honestly, if Joshua Dobbs had put a little more touch on a pass near the goal line, Saylors would’ve had a touchdown to go with those insane numbers.
Coach Dan Campbell even said it during his halftime chat with Patti Cesarini: “Saylors is making a lot of runs,” adding, “All those guys have had some runs, but Saylors is taking advantage of that and he’s finding those creases.” When Jabari Small went down with an injury on a kick return in the first quarter, Saylors just kept grinding. He played into the second half, kept tearing up those Colts depth defenders, and our O-line was pushing them around. He finished the day with 17 carries for a flat 100 yards. Seriously, 100 yards! With the running back room looking a little banged up right now, Saylors could be a huge factor for us in Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints. This guy is ready to roll.
QB2 Battle Heats Up, But Not How You’d Think
While Saylors was cementing his spot, the QB2 battle got real interesting, and not in the best way to start. For the second game in a row, our first offensive drive ended in a turnover. Luke Altmyer tossed an interception that felt eerily familiar to Josh Dobbs’ pick from last week: rolling out to the right and throwing it back across the middle. You just can’t do that!
But hey, the replay showed some wild stuff. Lucky Jackson, who was downfield blocking Sauce Gardner (and probably thought it was a run play), actually ended up right in the way of Thomas Gordon’s intended route. That’s just tough luck. Give Altmyer credit, though. The undrafted guy didn’t let that screw with his head. He bounced back strong on the very next series, dropping some genuinely good throws. He hit Greg Dortch and Tay Martin with quick, decisive strikes, and then, boom, a 19-yard pass to Lucky Jackson on third-and-9 that showed real patience and feel. He even led a 10-point scoring drive after that early mistake. This QB2 thing is far from settled, but Altmyer definitely showed some resilience.
So, what’s next? The real deal kicks off with Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints. Saylors is locked in, and we absolutely need him to be part of the offense given our current injury situation at running back. And that QB2 spot? Altmyer showed he’s got heart, but the competition is clearly still on. This team is shaping up, and I can’t wait to see what these guys bring when it counts!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pride of Detroit.
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