Lions camp observations: D-line looks better vs. Giants

Here are some notes and observations from Tuesday's joint practice between the Detroit Lions and New York Giants. 

■ After Detroit's defensive line struggled to get much traction in last week's practices with the Oakland Raiders, the pass rushers had a more effective morning in their first series of battles with the Giants, winning more than half of the one-on-one reps. 

Ziggy Ansah took part for the first time and looked to be moving pretty well, although he stalemated in both his reps with Nate Solder, the Giants' big free-agent addition 

■ The overall intensity of the practice seemed somewhat muted compared to the two sessions against the Raiders. Some of that perception was potentially influenced by the viewing location in Napa, where media could freely roam the sidelines, compared to Allen Park, where they're pinned to a raised platform in the end zone and much farther away from the action. 

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■ In one-on-one drills between the Lions' pass catchers and Giants' back seven, Teo Redding caught a pair of deep passes, Kenny Golladay put a well-placed bomb on the ground and tight end Michael Roberts dropped one in the end zone. 

■ Guard T.J. Lang sat out the practice and was replaced by a rotation of Joe Dahl and Kenny Wiggins at right guard. Safety Stefan McClure, running back Dwayne Washington and linebacker Chad Meredith were back on the practice field for the Lions. 

Disappointingly, star rookie running back Saquon Barkley was held out by the Giants after he tweaked his hamstring during Monday's practice. 

■ Working with the second-team offense, Ameer Abdullah was stripped by Giants linebacker Mark Herzlich. It was a down moment in an otherwise positive day for Abdullah, who was impressively elusive in punt return work and picked up a big chunk of yardage on a well-executed screen pass. 

■ Quarterback Jake Rudock continues to struggle in the competition to be Matthew Stafford's backup. In team drills, Rudock's downfield accuracy continues to be his biggest weakness, with multiple misfires on intermediate and deep throws. 

■ For the second straight day, Nevin Lawson worked as the starter opposite Darius Slay. In nickel looks, Jamal Agnew got some work with the first-team after a solid performance in the preseason opener, while Quandre Diggs shifted to safety. 

■ Safety Glover Quin showcased his world-class anticipation, setting in front of an Eli Manning pass and picking it off. 

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

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