INDIANAPOLIS, IN (8-29-26) — The Detroit Lions closed out their preseason Saturday with a 25–16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium, giving several players fighting for roster positions one final opportunity to make their case before Detroit determines its initial 53-man roster.
For many of the Lions who took the field, this was more than another preseason game.
It was a final audition.
Quarterback Joshua Dobbs (#6) delivered one of Detroit’s strongest performances, completing 15 of 19 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He finished with a 129.8 passer rating while making his case for a place in Detroit’s quarterback room.
Rookie Luke Altmyer (#2) also received an opportunity, completing 7 of 11 passes for 55 yards. Altmyer threw one interception and was sacked twice.
Running Backs Make Their Case
Detroit’s competition at running back produced two of the most notable performances of the afternoon.
Jacob Saylors (#25) rushed 17 times for 100 yards, averaging 5.9 yards per carry and breaking a 22-yard run.
Trayveon Williams (#47) made his opportunities count as well, rushing nine times for 57 yards and scoring two touchdowns.
With Jabari Small (#26) and Roydell Williams (#24) also among the backs competing for opportunities, Saturday represented an important final evaluation before roster decisions.
The Lions finished with 186 rushing yards on 43 carries.
Receivers Get One Last Opportunity
The competition for the final receiver positions also produced an impressive performance from Lucky Jackson (#11).
Jackson caught all five passes thrown his way for a game-high 94 yards, averaging 18.8 yards per reception and producing a 35-yard gain.
Tay Martin (#17) caught four passes for 16 yards and a touchdown, while Jackson Meeks (#13) added two receptions for eight yards, including a six-yard touchdown.
Other receivers competing for opportunities include Dominic Lovett (#19), Tarik Black (#12) and Malik Cunningham (#15), making production during the preseason finale particularly important.
Detroit finished with 356 total offensive yards — 186 rushing and 170 net passing.
Lions Defense Limits Indianapolis Ground Game
Detroit also received several encouraging performances defensively.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (#2) intercepted Indianapolis quarterback Riley Leonard (#15), while Skyler Gill-Howard (#50) and Myles Adams (#96) each recorded a sack.
Detroit generated nine quarterback hits and held Indianapolis to only 34 rushing yards on 14 attempts.
The Colts used three quarterbacks.
Anthony Richardson Sr. (#5) completed 7 of 10 passes for 80 yards. Easton Stick (#4) completed 8 of 15 passes for 78 yards, while Leonard went 3-of-7 for 48 yards with the interception.
DJ Giddens (#21) scored Indianapolis’ lone touchdown on the ground, while Anthony Gould (#6) led Colts receivers with four catches for 51 yards.
Indianapolis also produced an impressive afternoon from its kicking game.
Blake Grupe (#10) converted both of his field-goal attempts, including one from 46 yards, while Spencer Shrader (#3) connected from 60 yards.
Detroit wasn’t mistake-free.
The Lions lost three fumbles, while Altmyer’s interception was picked off by Sauce Gardner (#1).
Still, Detroit overcame those mistakes, moved the football effectively and finished its preseason schedule with a victory.
Final Auditions Before Roster Decisions
With the preseason now complete, the difficult part begins.
Head Coach Dan Campbell, General Manager Brad Holmes and the Lions’ football operations staff must turn weeks of training camp practices and three preseason games into decisions about Detroit’s initial 53-man roster.
The defensive front remains another area where those decisions could be difficult.
Ahmed Hassanein (#99), Eric O’Neill (#66) and Anthony Lucas (#61) were among the players receiving opportunities during Saturday’s finale.
At receiver, Jackson’s 94-yard performance gave coaches something significant to evaluate.
At running back, Saylors’ 100-yard afternoon and Williams’ two-touchdown performance provided two strong closing arguments.
And at quarterback, Dobbs’ efficient two-touchdown afternoon strengthened his résumé as Detroit evaluates its depth behind Jared Goff (#16).
Some players who walked off the field at Lucas Oil Stadium Saturday will be part of Detroit’s 53-man roster. Others could land on the practice squad, be claimed by another NFL organization or find themselves waiting for another opportunity.
That’s what makes the final preseason game different.
Every snap can matter.
Latino Connections on Both Sidelines
Saturday’s game also featured a connection of particular interest to La Prensa Latina News Wire and Latino football fans.
Detroit’s coaching staff includes Justin Mesa, who serves as an offensive quality control coach.
Mesa joined Detroit in 2025 after building a coaching career that included stops at Washington State, Wyoming, Dixie State and USC.
He also has strong Southern California connections. Mesa worked at USC before later serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Loyola High School in Los Angeles and as head coach at San Marino High School.
Across the field was another noteworthy coaching story.
Diego Ortiz, a native of Mexico City, Mexico, serves as an offensive quality control coach for Indianapolis.
Ortiz’s path to a full-time position with the Colts included participation in the NFL’s Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship and two seasons as a Tony Dungy Fellow with Indianapolis.
Before reaching the NFL, Ortiz coached at Texas Tech and played quarterback in Mexico, where he helped Pumas Acatlán win a National Conference championship in 2013.
The Colts deserve recognition for providing Ortiz with an opportunity to develop through the Tony Dungy Fellowship and then advance into a full-time position on their coaching staff.
Mesa and Ortiz working on opposite sidelines also provide a reminder that Latino representation in professional football isn’t limited to the players wearing uniforms.
Coaches, scouts, athletic trainers and football operations personnel are also helping shape NFL organizations behind the scenes.
Those are stories La Prensa Latina News Wire will continue to follow.
Regular Season Comes Next
For Detroit, preseason evaluation is essentially complete.
The Lions now turn their attention toward the regular season, but first comes the difficult process of determining which players will remain with the organization.
Dobbs, Saylors, Williams, Jackson and several other roster hopefuls made their final arguments Saturday in Indianapolis.
Now the decisions belong to Detroit.
For the players on the bubble, the waiting begins.
