Observations: Rakestraw Picks Off Another Pass, Bates Struggles

Takeaways from Lions' competitive scrimmage Friday.

K Jake Bates practices his kicks. / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK

With joint practices and the start of the preseason next week, the Detroit Lions used Friday's practice to conduct an intrasquad scrimmage.

With competition being key for the team's culture, it was another opportunity for Dan Campbell to see what he has on the 2024 roster.

“I think today is, this oughta feel like a preseason game, really. That’s really what it should feel like. This should be competitive, they should be hot, they should be scratching and clawing for everything they’re gonna get out here," Campbell said. "I would anticipate, I would be shocked if it’s not, these guys are gonna go after it. It’s who’s gonna win the rep, and when you get in these pressure situations or you get in these positions where you’re fatigued, it’s hot. I just went eight reps in a row, who is gonna be able to focus and mentally do their job? They’re not gonna bust an assignment or the details of what they do, they don’t just throw it out the window."

The Lions are gearing up for two days of joint practices with the New York Giants, which will precede the preseason game that the teams will square off in on Aug. 8. As a result, testing the team through fatigue was a point of emphasis in Friday's practice.

"Even though you’re fatigued, you’re still trying to, ‘I’m gonna line up exactly where I’m supposed to be, I’m gonna break this route exactly where I’m supposed to break it.’ That’s ultimately what you’re looking for, the guys that don’t, they’re unfazed," Campbell stated. "And doesn’t mean it’s gonna be perfect, but it’s clear that in those moments where some of these things can make you mentally weak, man, that’s what fatigue does to you. They can focus in those moments, and they can will their bodies to do what they ask it to do. That’s what we’re looking for.” 

Here are some observations from the Lions' ninth training camp practice.

St. Brown puts on show, Goff sharp

The first-team offense held the advantage over the defense for most of Friday, as quarterback Jared Goff was sharp and efficient. His main target was unsurprisingly Amon-Ra St. Brown, who hauled in a touchdown pass as part of a strong day.

On the first set of team reps, against the first-team defense, St. Brown brought in four of Goff's seven completions. The series ended with a touchdown strike from Goff to Daurice Fountain.

St. Brown hauled in his score from Goff later in practice on a nice catch-and-run, eluding safety Ifeatu Melifonwu on his race to the end zone. Upon scoring, he hit a dance similar to the one he was nearly penalized for in the Lions' win over the Chiefs.

The Lions also utilized St. Brown in a pair of flashy plays, first using him as the pitch-man on a reverse to Jahmyr Gibbs. Later in practice, he was part of a double pass, and threw a wobbler back to Goff.

The veteran quarterback threw a touchdown to Gibbs, in addition to his strikes to Fountain and St. Brown. He also had a big-play toss to Brock Wright and a nice completion to Sam LaPorta working against Jack Campbell in coverage.

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Defense brings heat on Hendon Hooker

The Lions' defense brought plenty of pressure Friday. Alim McNeill got pressure on an early Goff pass, and Aidan Hutchinson would've had a sack had it been live. In the first set of team reps with two's on two's, James Houston forced a throw-away from Hendon Hooker.

In reps between the second-team offense and first-team defense, Hooker was feeling the heat. Jack Campbell would've had a sack on a blitz that ended the drill. Hooker had to scramble to extend another play in a later team session.

It was a tough day for Hooker leading the second-team offense. He had nice completions to Kaden Davis and a touchdown to Sione Vaki, but also had an underthrown pass picked off by Khalil Dorsey and another pass intercepted by Ennis Rakestraw.

Rookie offensive lineman Giovanni Manu also struggled during his reps on the offensive line. Drafted out of the University of British Columbia, he struggled to stay in front of rushers, but did have his moments when he was able to get his long arms on his assignment.

Rakestraw finished the week with three interceptions, and is one of the biggest risers dating back to Monday when the team began padded practices.

Bates' inconsistency is cause for concern

With Michael Badgley on injured reserve, Jake Bates remains the lone kicker on the Lions' roster. With his success in the UFL, fans were enthralled with the potential of Bates becoming the kicker of the future. However, he has been inconsistent through two weeks of training camp.

Bates had a difficult day on Friday. He started with misses from 51 and 46 yards out, then conducted a series of kicks ranging from 33-64 yards in mostly five-yard increments. He hit his first three, from 33, 38 and 43 yards, then missed from 46. After makes from 48 and 51 yards, he missed from 54 yards out.

The former Michigan Panthers kicker did convert from 59 yards, but missed short from 64. He then missed an extra point off the upright. At the conclusion of practice, he missed a 40-yard attempt at the end of a situational drill.

Ultimately, Bates was unofficially 8-for-14 on field-goal attempts and five-for-six on extra points.

Quick hits

1.) Albert Breer of SI and Dan Graziano of ESPN were both in attendance for Friday's practice.

2.) The Lions practiced the league's new kickoff after it debuted in the Hall of Fame game Thursday night. Among the players getting opportunities to return were Maurice Alexander, Jalon Calhoun, Kalif Raymond, Tom Kennedy, Jameson Williams, Sione Vaki and Jahmyr Gibbs.

Gibbs broke a nice return, helped in part by the kickoff team not going with maximum effort. But, the Alabama product showcased clear potential in this area of the game. Raymond also drew nice applause for his efforts.

3.) Jermar Jefferson scored a touchdown, and was getting plenty of touches with the third-team offense. Campbell said the fourth-year back was "in a really good place."

4.) Former Lions Chris Spielman and Cory Schlesinger were observed catching up following the conclusion of Friday's practice.

5.) The Lions are now set to travel to New York for joint practices. Running back David Montgomery explained that the team is looking forward to squaring off against a new opponent after two weeks of battling each other.

"Yeah, I mean, we've been going against each other for 10, 11 days now," Montgomery said. "It's cool, but it's still my guys. So, it's good to go against somebody else and get an opportunity to go against somebody else."