Allen Park — After the Lions' win over the Jets in the preseason opener, much of the talk was about rookie running back Ameer Abdullah, who had 67 yards on seven carries, including a highlight-reel 45-yard jaunt.
Another rookie, Zach Zenner, drew some raves for gaining 55 yards on 13 carries in the second half. It's a positive development for the Lions' running game, which ranked 28th in the NFL last season, averaging 88.9 yards.
But with Joique Bell still on the physically unable to perform list, the starting back last week — and listed as the starter on this week's depth chart for Thursday's preseason game at Washington — is Theo Riddick.