Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press

Three Lions who helped their stock in Thursday’s 31-0 win in the preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills:

■RB Dwayne Washington – Washington got the start at running back with Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick sitting, and the rookie scored on a 58-yard touchdown run on his first carry. Andrew Quarless made a nice block on the play, but Washington showed off his deep speed. Washington was responsible for the Lions’ two biggest plays of the preseason, including a 96-yard kick return TD.

■DE Kerry Hyder – Hyder is a longshot to make the 53-man roster, but no one jumped off the field more than he did Thursday. Hyder had three sacks, a fourth called back by penalty, and fueled a big night by the Lions’ second-team defense, which held the Bills to minus-1 yard of offense through its first four series. His hustle deserves a chance with some NFL team.

►What Teddy Bridgewater injury means to Lions

►Lions first-half observations vs. Bills

■WR Jace Billingsley – Billingsley is a good bet for the practice squad, but he gave the Lions something to think about when it comes to the 53-man roster, too. He had seven catches for 80 yards, including a nice one-handed touchdown grab when he fought off cornerback Sterling Moore in the end zone. Billingsley also handled kick and punt returns for the Lions on Thursday.

Three Lions who hurt their stock:

■CB Alex Carter – Carter didn’t do much to help his chances of earning the last cornerback spot. He played behind Johnson Bademosi and Darrin Walls, who started in place of Darius Slay and Nevin Lawson, and was called for an illegal contact penalty that nullified a Hyder sack.

■S Isaiah Johnson – General manager Bob Quinn mentioned Johnson as a potential starting safety earlier this spring, but injuries kept him off the field last week and he had a quiet game playing as a backup Thursday. The one play that stood out: When tight end Nick O’Leary caught a pass over the middle and drove Johnson back a few yards before a gang of Lions helped bring him down.

■OL Joe Dahl – Dahl’s roster spot isn’t in any jeopardy, but he struggled playing left tackle Thursday after spending most of training camp at guard. Dahl had a false start on fourth-and-1 in the second quarter and gave up too much pressure both as a run and pass blocker.

Predicting the Detroit Lions' initial 53-man roster

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett .

Download our Lions Xtra app for free on Apple and Android!