Because reserves often dominate preseason NFL action after halftime, evaluating a team's performance is often best done by splitting the game into separate halves. The first half of Friday's Lions vs. Browns game was dominated by Detroit. They led 14-3 at halftime, the defense had sacked Cleveland QBs three times and looked ready to cruise to an easy win.
Then something went wrong.
The Lions couldn't tackle in the second half. They were outscored 16-3 and allowed 228 yards of offense to Cleveland's reserves. The poor effort wasn't lost on Jim Schwartz.
“The biggest disappointment is the way we came out after halftime,” he said. “You have a lot of guys on our second and third groups that are jockeying to try to make a good impression to make the team ... we let [Cleveland] back in the game, and that's disappointing.”
Some highlights -- and lowlights -- from Friday's second half.
Ronnell Lewis “Hammers” the Browns: Most of Lions reserve defenders struggled Friday, but the same can't be said for rookie DE Ronnell “The Hammer” Lewis. He was only credited with one tackle, but his positioning was solid and often forced ballcarriers away from open space. He made an outstanding play to stop Cleveland on a two-point conversion attempt that kept the Lions in the lead midway through the fourth quarter. Lewis is clearly adjusting to the speed of the NFL, but his effort Friday was a good first step.
Reiff looks good in extended reps: T Riley Reiff's performance Friday showed he's settling in well in the Lions offensive system. Reiff played well as second-team LT, and was responsible for several blocks that gave QB Shaun Hill seemingly endless time on both of Detroit's TD drives. Reiff looks to be every bit the long-term replacement for veteran LT Jeff Backus that GM Martin Mayhew envisioned when he drafted him.
Kellen Moore struggles in debut: The questions surrounding QB Kellen Moore's arm strength and ability to survive as an NFL QB seem justified after a lackluster performance. Moore was 4 for 14 for 40 yards and an INT on Detroit's final drive. In fairness, Moore's throws were sometimes delivered under pressure, but his passes lacked pace and accuracy even when he had ample time to deliver the ball. Moore's effort simply must improve to justify keeping him on the roster.
Follow Lions reporter John Kreger on Twitter at @CBSSportsNFLDET and @JohnKreger.