The Detroit Lions gave their fans something to cheer about in the preseason opener Friday night at Ford Field against the New York Giants.
Down 13-3 early in the third quarter, wideout Maurice Alexander, who has been mostly on the practice squad across the last two seasons, broke several tackles during an epic 95-yard punt return TD run to the house including a pair of spin moves. Check it out:
Maurice Alexander went for the 95- yard punt return TD for the Lions 😱pic.twitter.com/iKLB8Wod1C
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 12, 2023
That's certainly going to help his case at making the 53-man roster, even if he's only a special teams guy. At the time of writing, the Lions are now down 16-14 in the fourth quarter with about five minutes left. Detroit is actually tipped to win the NFC North given their impressive campaign in 2022 where they barely missed the playoffs. Given the all-around talent up and down the roster, it's certainly possible.
Article Continues BelowFor Alexander, there is unfortunately still a plethora of other wide receivers above him on the depth chart. Regardless, he put on a show for the Lions supporters who are fired up to see what their team can do in 23′. Detroit has two more preseason matchups before the campaign begins, facing Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars next week before visiting the Carolina Panthers.
Week 1 meanwhile is a difficult matchup with the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, which should be a fantastic test for Dan Campbell's squad to see where they're really at in terms of being a legitimate contender.
While a Super Bowl run might not be in the cards quite yet, booking a spot in the postseason looks to be a reality.