The Lions completed their preseason with a loss to the Buffalo Bills. With roster spots on the line, some players stepped up—but too many others failed to take advantage of their opportunity.

Here are the Lions who helped or hurt their case for a place on the Lions final 53-man roster.

STUD: Tion Green

Tion Green finally made a statement in the fourth game of the preseason. He finished the night with eight rushes for 63 yards (7.9 average), and four catches for 87 yards and a 74-yard touchdown. Check out the video of the touchdown below.

But big plays aside, Green was a shifty runner tonight, who was able to convert quickness to power when he anticipated contact. He was also a standout on special teams, often finding himself around the return man.

I mentioned in my 5 things to watch in the Lions’ preseason game vs. Bills, that the Lions were likely looking for a fifth running back or fourth tight end and that Green was in the mix. I also mentioned that a player might make the team on his special team play. Green stood out in both of those areas today and made as good of a case for the 53-man roster as any Lion on the field.

Will he make the 53? It will likely come down to how the coaches and front office want to structure the roster. But make no mistake, if he’s not on the active roster, he will be a priority to be signed to the practice squad.

DUD: Jared Abbrederis

It was clear very early that the Lions coaches were pitting Jared Abbrederis against Jace Billingsley to see which player would step up. Each player rotated kick return duties but neither were able to impress, leaving the competition to be settled on offense.

Abbrederis finished the game with only one catch for 16 yards and after securing the reception, he fumbled it. Not good.

Abbrederis may get a break because Billingsley only secured two catches for two yards, but with ball security such a high priority, Abbrederis could have made a made a mistake that cost him a job.

STUD: Johnson Bademosi

I am currently projecting the Lions to keep seven cornerbacks, but I have stated all season, if they were to only keep six, Bademosi would be the guy in trouble. Fortunately, Bademosi has stepped up his play each game finishing the preseason on a high note.

Tonight, he continued to thrive in his primary role as the Lions’h first team gunner, often being the first players to meet the kick returner. He also showcased his excellent form tackling, which has made him such a valuable special teams contributor.

His defensive back skills also showed improvement, causing two pass breakups and making four tackles.

DUD: Brad Kaaya

With an opportunity to prove to the Lions coaches that they should keep three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, Kaaya fell flat. He had a decent preseason, and at the end of this game, he finished with a stat line of, 12 of 20, for 182 yards, two touchdowns (one of which was all Tion Green), an interception and a fumble.

Despite the positive, yet misleading, stat sheet, he made several mistakes that showed he just isn’t ready for the NFL.

While I believe it’s possible for Kaaya to improve with time, that time should come on the practice squad in 2017.

STUD: Jamal Agnew

After an eye-opening training camp, Jamal Agnew was quieter during the preseason. In this game he was utilized in a variety of ways, illustrating why so many people were so hyped about him early. Agnew made plays in coverage, as a blitzer, tackling with power and as a gunner on special teams.

While Agnew was not used as a returner in this game (Abbrederis and Billingsley got their opportunities), this is another element of his game that should help him make this team.

DUD: Pat O’Connor

On a night where Detroit was hoping to gain separation between pass rushers, neither Jeremiah Valoaga, Alex Barrett nor Pat O’Connor was able to stand out positively.

While all three players left much to be desired, O’Connor had an offsides penalty, a questionable unnecessary roughness penalty (which the coaches will likely forgive), and only one tackle.

I still like O’Connor’s upside and believe he is worth keeping around in Detroit, but that is more than likely going to be on the practice squad, rather than the 53-man roster.

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