One of the universal takeaways from the Detroit Lions’ first preseason game was the sheer dominance of the first-team offensive line. The starting five played just 10 snaps, engineering a 79-yard scoring drive that owed much credit to the outstanding blocking in both the run and pass game.
Left tackle Taylor Decker, the senior member of the bunch, was proud of how his unit played on Friday night. It was the first time the five-man unit had played as one despite being brought together before the 2021 season. Injuries to Decker and Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow kept them from ever seeing the field together last year.
“We knew we were all going to play, and we were all excited to finally be out there together in a game-time situation,” Decker said in his postgame press conference. “We’ve had the scrimmage, but this will be the first time our projected starting five has been out there for a game scenario. The coaches said, ‘Be ready to play a quarter. If you guys go out there and do what you need to do, you might come out, you might not.’
We just took the game mindset really. We just went out there and—we were able to run the ball, get some passes going and move the chains which was nice. I thought the energy was really, really good as a whole team. I’ve been here for a little while now; there was like a little swagger about us out there. That was good to feel and good to see.”
The swagger comes from the players being talented, but also beyond that. It’s something instilled by the coaches, notably head coach Dan Campbell, assistant head coach Duce Staley and OL coach Hank Fraley–all longtime former NFL players.
“I would say—and I’ve said this before, what feels different around the building is just an atmosphere for open communication to where everyone is able to ask questions and feel comfortable, and when you’re comfortable you can go out there and you can play confidently,” Decker explained after the game. “You know that your coach believes in you. You know that your teammates believe in you.”
Decker knows the line can do better and will push for more.
“We just need to maintain that for the entire four quarters because we know there’s going to be ebbs and flows in the game,” he said. “That’s just the NFL, everyone’s got good players. If we can keep that high level of energy and emotion out there, I think it can be really good for us.”
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