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The Lions saw LeGarrette Blount, the team's starting running back, leave after a hit with 8:07 left in the third quarter.

Related players: Kerryon Johnson, Ameer Abdullah

Blount returned to the sideline in the fourth quarter with helmet in hand. No injury was announced by the Lions, which is hopefully good news for owners. If Blount misses time, Johnson figures to get more of a workload and Abdullah, who was inactive, could also factor in. The Lions run game did not look improved Monday night, however.

Lions Inactives
Ameer Abdullah RB
Joe Dahl OG
Andrew Donnal OT
Romeo Okwara DE
Brandon Powell WR
AShawn Robinson DT
Dee Virgin DB

Related players: Kerryon Johnson, Theo Riddck, LeGarrette Blount

Abdullah made the team but he'll sit Week 1 with Johnson and Blount likely getting early down work, and Riddick seeing passing down duties.

The Vikings made a handful of roster moves on Monday, including the release of kicker Kai Forbath.

Forbath, who had been with the Vikings since November of 2016, made 47 of his 53 career field goals with Minnesota. He was 45 on 53 extra points during that time.

Related players: Daniel Carlson

Forbath had been battling the rookie Carlson for the starting job. Forbath made one of two field goal attempts against the Jaguars, making a 44-yard try but hitting the right upright on a 41-yard try. Carlson was a fifth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Auburn.

The running game showed some badly needed and long-awaited signs of life, mostly in the form of Kerryon Johnson. He had a team-high 67 yards from scrimmage, 34 of which came on seven carries. That's a fine debut, yet some of his best moments aren't reflected in the box score.

In the third quarter, Johnson stiff-armed one defender, then crossed-over another in the open field for a 57-yard run. It didn't count because of a Tyrell Crosby penalty, and that doesn't matter. This team is just trying to accumulate some talent in the backfield, and Johnson already looks the part.

Related players: Ameer Abdullah, LeGarrette Blount

The story said all three backs averaged at least 4.0 yards per carry. Abdullah continues to look good and is having a nice camp, we've reported over the last week. Some who follow the team feel Abdullah will make the squad as a fourth back, but Johnson is expected to be the star of the backfield as the season goes on with Theo Riddick the pass-catcher and Blount the change-of-pace and short-yardage back.

I'm starting to think Ameer Abdullah's chances of making the team are better than originally thought. He was listed as the starting kick returner on the club's first depth chart of the season, and sure enough, took the first reps there against Oakland. Plus, he was the featured back during two-minute drills, and even caught a nice pass out of the backfield to move the chains.

Related players: Theo Riddick

The writer says the Lions could go several different ways at the back end of their RB rotation. But he feels Abdullah is athletic and could be an insurance policy should Riddick get injured at some point. He added at this point in camp, he thinks Abdullah would make the team.

As characterized by an article appearing on the Lions’ official website (and of course that means nothing at all . . . other than it appears on the sliver of the Internet owned and operated by the Detroit Lions), RB Ameer Abdullah is on the roster bubble as training camp approaches.

Related players: LeGarrette Blount, Kerryon Johnson, Theo Riddick

As the story went on to say, the top of the depth chart will consist of veteran Blount, rookie second-rounder Johnson, and third-down-specialist-plus Riddick. Abdullah will need to win the fourth roster spot (or leapfrog one of the other three) in order to remain. That makes special teams a key for Abdullah, since any running back buried that deep will need to be able to do other things. And, as noted in the article, Abdullah spent time as the kick returner during offseason workouts.

The Detroit Lions have desperately tried to improve what has been a weakness, signing and drafting players to improve their running game.

Detroit ranked last in the NFL last season in rushing offense and has been among the league’s worst on the ground offensively in recent seasons.

Lions general manager Bob Quinn has made it a priority to fix the problem.

He signed veteran LeGarrette Blount in free agency and moved up in the draft to select Kerryon Johnson in the second round.

Related players: Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick, Zach Zenner, Dwayne Washington

The story said the newcomers will compete with or perhaps push out Abdullah in what has become a crowded backfield with running backs Riddick, Zenner, and Washington also on the roster. The team also selected lineman Frank Ragnow 20th overall to help give the run game a boost.

Lions running back Ameer Abdullah said last week that he hoped for a chance to finish the season strong after sitting out a pair of games with a neck injury and he was back in the lineup against the Bears last Saturday.

Abdullah didn’t get much of a chance to finish strong, however. He only played eight snaps on offense and saw Tion Green get most of the work at running back after Theo Riddick left the game with a wrist injury.

Abdullah said Monday that he “wouldn’t know why I would be” in the doghouse and suggested questions about his role would be better suited for head coach Jim Caldwell, but he did admit to being frustrated by the change.

This year Abdullah has run for just 3.4 yards per carry, the story pointed out. The story also added Riddick is a much better receiver out of the backfield. So far, Green has proven to be a tougher runner who has had a knack for finding the end zone in short-yardage situations, mostly during his college career but it seems as if the Lions want to see if this transitions to the NFL.