Detroit Lions Still Likely to Start With Joique Bell at Running Back

Zenner will look to build on his debut outing when Detroit travels to Washington to battle the Redskins. No one considered drafting him out of Division II Wayne State, where he played his games a few miles away from Ford Field.

Bell, rookie Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick all are expected to make the roster, leaving Zenner in a competition with George Winn for the final running back spot. Some players are trying to secure featured roles while others are fighting to make rosters. He broke free for a 45-yard run and finished with 67 yards on seven carries against the Jets, while Joique Bell, the team’s top returning running back, sat out injured.

“I think my first preseason game went OK, borderline good, but by no means great”, Abdullah wrote. He’s about as quick as Barry Sanders. He maximizes his practice time, by focusing on every rep, even when he’s on the sideline, so he can mentally process what’s happening within the offense. Coach Jim Caldwell acknowledged after the practice that Zenner was “fun to watch” in the preseason opener, where Zenner posted 56 yards on 14 touches and operated as Detroit’s clock-killing rusher down the stretch.

In a piece written for the Lions website, Abdullah proves to be a tough critic of his own work.

“I missed a couple holes, “Abdullah said”. In fact, they were ranked near the bottom of the league at 28th in rushing. Outside of Abdullah, Riddick is having the best training camp for the Lions and is making an impact on the field early. Last week the Lions did just about everything that fans hoped they would do.

The Lions first team will likely play the entire first quarter this week, so be on the lookout for more Ebron. With Riddick being more of a threat in the passing game and Bell being a bruiser, Abdullah can become an excellent complement with his home run ability. “I feel like I definitely need to be a little bit sharper this next go-around, need to play faster”.

“I think it plays a big role”, he said. “I’m feeling better and I want to get out there”. “But we have to take our time with these things and that’s what I’m doing and I’m going to continue to do”.

It sure was nice to see a Lions running back do something like this. He’ll open the season as the starting right guard and be expected to help strengthen a unit that’s had a hard time keeping Robert Griffin III upright. “You can see him play with a lot more confidence, a lot more juice in there”.