Undrafted Rookie Calls Out Lions After Blowout Preseason Loss

After lopsided defeats in the NFL, it’s typical for a veteran to be critical of himself and teammates.

But following the 25-7 preseason loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on August 19, it was an undrafted rookie for the Detroit Lions who was outspoken about on the team’s performance.

“I mean, obviously it comes from making big plays, and we didn’t have a ton of them early,” Cota told reporters, via MLive.com’s Kory Woods, when speaking about the offense’s lack of energy on August 19. “I don’t think there’s anyone to blame for that.

“I think every position group just came out a little lull-ish today, but we’ll see on tape.”

Actually, that may be putting it nicely. The Lions posted just 131 total yards, as they averaged 2.6 yards per play against the Jaguars. Detroit also had two turnovers and went a putrid 1-for-12 on third-down conversions.

Lions Sluggish Offense Against Jaguars

For the second straight week, starters Jared Goff, David Montgomery and Amon-Ra St. Brown didn’t play at all. But other key players such as running back Jahmyr Gibbs and starters along the offensive line didn’t dress either in Week 2 of the preseason.

Without those players, Detroit’s No. 2 offense looked slow against the Jaguars. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was under pressure for much of the day, which resulted in under a 50% completion percentage for the veteran.

Late in the first quarter, Jaguars defensive lineman Jeremiah Ledbetter broke through the Lions offensive line and hit Bridgewater before he could even execute a handoff. Bridgewater fumbled, which the Jaguars recovered and returned 33 yards.

That was 1 of 4 tackles for loss the Lions allowed against the Jaguars defense. Jacksonville also posted 2 sacks and 6 quarterback hits.

Bridgewater finished 5-for-11 with only 34 passing yards. Fellow backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld didn’t fare much better, as he completed 9 of 18 passing attempts for 80 yards. He also had an interception for the second straight game.

Cota Lone Bright Spot for Lions Offense

One could argue that the single positive for Detroit’s offense from the loss to the Jaguars on August 19 was Cota. He only had 2 catches for 9 yards, but his second catch was a 1-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal.

Cota also returned a punt for 28 yards in the first quarter.

Still, the undrafted rookie didn’t seem satisfied with being one of the better Lions on offense in Week 2 of the preseason.

“We won’t win every time like last week. We need to be prepared every drive,” Cota said. “We have to create opportunities and secure good field position for the defense if we can’t score. But we certainly need to score more.”

The Lions scored two touchdowns and two field goals in a 21-16 victory against the New York Giants to open the preseason on August 11. Cota led the team with 4 receptions and 60 yards in the win.

With back-to-back strong preseason performance, Cota is making his case for a spot on Detroit’s 53-man roster. The Lions waived former second-round pick Denzel Mims with an injury designation on August 18, which appeared to open up the receiver competition for players such as Cota.

Cota is competing with fellow undrafted wide receivers Dylan Drummond and Antoine Green, along with Trinity Benson and Jason Moore, for a roster spot. The Lions signed Moore on August 18 when they released Mims.

Cota arrived in Detroit as an undrafted free agent from Oregon this offseason. He posted 36 receptions for 497 yards and 3 touchdowns with the Ducks last season.

From 2018-21, Cota played for UCLA. In four seasons with the Bruins, he had 67 catches for 883 yards and 6 touchdowns.