DETROIT -- TJ Jones boosted his chances of staying in Detroit, turning a short pass into a 64-yard touchdown to help the Lions beat the Buffalo Bills 17-10 in a preseason game Thursday.
Jones -- who missed all of his rookie season last year because of a shoulder injury -- played extensively in part because after another wide receiver was injured.
The former Notre Dame standout made a move to get open on a slant, caught a pass from Kellen Moore and used a burst of speed to split defenders and score.
"I caught that ball and was running for my life," Jones said.
Jones also had a tackle-breaking, 18-yard punt return early in the second quarter shortly after Greg Salas, who is also competing for a roster spot, was carted off the field with an injured left knee.
"He showed a flash of speed," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said.
Rookie Zach Zenner, who is also vying for a roster spot, ran for a go-ahead, 3-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter for the Lions (3-1) after the Bills (2-2) had a head-scratching penalty.
The Bills stopped the Lions on a fourth down only to have the play negated by Ikemefuna Enemkpali lining up offside. Buffalo signed the linebacker last month a day after he was cut by the New York Jets because he punched quarterback Geno Smith and broke his jaw.
"We did some of the stupidest things I've ever seen in football," Bills coach Rex Ryan said. "It was awful. A football follies play, offside on a fourth down call on defense by a lineman."
Buffalo's fourth-string quarterback, Matt Simms, played the entire game and had the ball at his team's 36 with 1:47 left, but turned the ball over on downs. Simms was 22 of 38 for 223 yards and lost three fumbles, all of which were recovered by defensive tackle Kerry Hyder.
"Things like that at this level of the game just can't happen," Simms said. "I'm the quarterback. It starts with me and it ends with me."
Copyright 2015 by The Associated Press
