The Detroit Lions jumped out to an early lead against the New York Jets and never looked back in Week 1 of the NFL Preseason. Greg Salas led the Lions 23-3 victory with five receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown.
Matthew Stafford got the start for Detroit and led them to a booming beginning. The 2014 Pro Bowl quarterback dished out a 35-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate to give the Lions a 7-0 lead with 12 minutes and 36 seconds left in the first quarter.
The 27-year old only played the first drive in his 2015 debut, but he finished 2-for-2 with 57 yards through the air and one touchdown.
In 2014, Stafford took the Lions to an 11-5 record. The former first overall draft pick threw for 4,257 yards and 22 touchdowns. This season, he is looking to limit the number of interceptions he threw, which was 12.
The only points put on the board by the Jets was a 34-yard field goal made in the first quarter by Nick Folk. After those three points, it was all Detroit.
The Lions sent out Kellen Moore, who went to Boise State University, for the second drive of the game. Moore got the Lions close to the red zone, but he could not deliver a touchdown. Instead, Matt Prater connected on a 28-yard field goal to give the Lions a 10-3 lead.
Moore, 26, is in the running for the backup quarterback spot on the team. He is the current leader after sitting as the third string last season. Moore played in all four preseason games during 2014 and was solid. He completed 68.6 percent of his passes and tossed three touchdowns while not giving up an interception.
The undrafted quarterback could not get the Lions on the board in the second quarter. Moore finished his 2015 preseason debut 9-for-17, which was good for just 67 yards. His only standout flaw was an interception with four seconds left in the first half, but the Jets quietly kneeled the ball to send the game to halftime.
While the Lions made an impact through the air and with special teams, the running game was very impressive. Ameer Abdullah, a second-round pick (54th overall) in the 2015 NFL Draft out of the University of Nebraska, rushed seven times for 67 yards. The rookie's longest went for 45 yards and he averaged 9.6 yards per attempt.
Theo Riddick drew the ball eight times and took the ball for 35 yards, which only was good for 4.4 average yards per rush.
As for the Jets, Chris Ivory had six touches for 25 yards. The 27-year old scored six touchdowns on 198 attempts for the Jets last season. The fifth year running back averages 53.8 yards per carry during his career.
There are multiple New York running backs that are looking to secure the number one role, including Bilal Powell. The 26-year old only scored one touchdown over 33 attempts last season for the Jets, but he played in 15 games. Powell rushed for 35 yards on eight carries with a 19-yard long.
Another running back that could take the number one slot at running back is Zac Stacy. The former top NFL running back only touched the ball three times for nine yards. Stacy should expect more touches in the future.
In the third quarter, Dan Orlovsky made his presence felt with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Salas to put the Lions up 17-3 over the Jets. Just seven minutes later, Kyle Brindza hit a 49-yard field goal to give Detroit a 17-point lead.
Orlovsky, 31, threw for 96 yards on 5-for-11 passing. The veteran threw for a touchdown and averaged 8.7 yards per attempt.
The Lions got a huge game from Salas, a wide receiver, to help lead the team to victory. Salas caught five passes for 92 yards and one touchdown.
The 26-year old has 574 yards receiving in the NFL. However, Salas has never caught a touchdown in the regular season. He is considered a long shot to make the team, but should be able to if he continues these types of performances.
Bryce Petty carried the quarterback load for the Jets after Ryan Fitzpartick threw for just 16 yards on 2-for-3 passing. Petty, a rookie out of Baylor University, completed over 50 percent of his passes for 50 yards. The quarterback only averaged 2.8 yards per attempt.
In the fourth quarter, Brindza hit a 41-yard field goal to increase Detroit's lead. The game ended with Detroit leading 23-3 over the Jets.
The Lions will travel to Washington to take on the Washington Redskins on Thursday, August 20. Kickoff will take place at 7:30 PM EST.