TWENTYMAN: Lions-Giants joint practice Day 2 observations

Bates watch: Lions kicker Jake Bates kicked in practice Tuesday. From my vantage point standing behind the opposite end zone I couldn’t see the exact yardages, but he took nine kicks varying from what looked like around 40 to 60 yards and he was 6-of-9. He made two of the last three from the farthest distances.

Showing off his hands: When we think of Lions running backs and the passing game we immediately think of Gibbs and his versatility. He caught 52 balls as a rookie and the expectation is for him to be an even bigger part of the passing game this season. But veteran David Montgomery showed off his hands on the first play of a team red-zone period, beating a Giants linebacker on a wheel route and making a great over-the-shoulder catch for a touchdown. He caught just 16 passes last year, but on that play he looked like a seasoned receiver.

Run game: Both Gibbs and Montgomery made some plays in the run game Tuesday too, and that was good to see from a Lions run game that’s hasn’t really broken out so far in practices in Allen Park. There were a few nice holes and nice runs Tuesday, but also some plays by the Giants in the backfield, including a play by Dexter Lawrence standing Montgomery up right after quarterback Jared Goff handed him the ball. It’s still a work in progress, but Tuesday was something to build off.