Here’s who we think stood out, either positively or negatively, in the Detroit Lions‘ preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons on Friday, which was suspended with the Lions leading, 17-10, in the fourth quarter because of an injury to safety Morice Norris, who is stable and has movement in all extremities.
Stock up: QB Kyle Allen
Allen checked into the game with 5:31 remaining in the first half and quickly led a touchdown drive, launching a 68-yard throw to undrafted free agent Jackson Meeks before finding rookie receiver Isaac TeSlaa in the end zone for an 11-yard score soon thereafter. Allen flashed some escapability, too, scrambling for eight yards on the play immediately after he hit Meeks. He also maintained his balance despite being pressured on a play in the third quarter, turning what could’ve (probably should’ve) been a sack into a 2-yard gain. He finished 7-for-8 for 120 yards and two touchdowns in a bounce-back performance.
Stock down: QB Hendon Hooker
On the opposite end of Allen was Hooker, who fumbled twice in the four drives he started. There was a handful of encouraging throws — and Hooker’s second fumble was, in part, the result of some substandard pass protection — but putting the ball on the turf twice is unacceptable, especially after head coach Dan Campbell spent the days leading into the game stressing the importance of limiting turnovers. Hooker has led eight possessions this preseason, which have resulted in 142 total yards, four punts and four turnovers (an interception that wasn’t his fault, a turnover on downs and two fumbles). The Lions will take the whole body of work into account when evaluating their backup situation behind starter Jared Goff, but the last two exhibitions have done Hooker no favors.
Stock up: WR Isaac TeSlaa
All aboard the TeSlaa hype train. The rookie receiver, after posting two explosive plays in Detroit’s preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, once again made a loud impact with a pair of receptions, one to move the chains on fourth down early in the second quarter and another about eight minutes later to give the Lions their first passing touchdown of the preseason. Each catch allowed TeSlaa to show off a different aspect of his skill set. The fourth-down conversion came courtesy of the separation he created on a slant, and the touchdown was aided by his contested-catch ability. The arrow is pointing way up.
Stock down: OT Mason Miller
The Lions entered Friday shorthanded at offensive tackle, with starters Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker expectedly out and top reserves Dan Skipper (ankle) and Jamarco Jones (ankle) sidelined. That meant large roles for Miller, an undrafted free agent from North Dakota State, and second-year pro Giovanni Manu. The pairing played all 46 of Detroit’s offensive snaps at right and left tackle, respectively. Miller had trouble in pass protection, with his worst mistake coming on Hooker’s second fumble. He was beaten cleanly by Arnold Ebiketie, who used his speed to get around Miller and punch the ball out of Hooker’s grasp.
Stock up: WR Jackson Meeks
Meeks, who had increased opportunity due to fellow rookie receiver Dominic Lovett (abdominal) being unavailable, has been one of Detroit’s best undrafted free agents in training camp. The Syracuse and Georgia product made a splash with his 68-yard reception, and he later hit the end zone on a well-designed rollout inside the 5-yard line. Meeks was also key in the Lions’ first touchdown, properly executing a switch release with TeSlaa, causing enough hesitation in Atlanta’s secondary to give Detroit’s third-rounder the space he needed to go up and make a play. Finding a spot on the active roster for Meeks will be challenging — Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick, Kalif Raymond and TeSlaa feel like locks, and Lovett has momentum to be No. 6 — but he’s shown enough to deserve a role on the practice squad, should he not be scooped up by another team.
Stock down: DB Erick Hallett II
It was a fairly strong showing for Detroit’s defense, allowing the Falcons to score 10 points on the seven possessions before play was suspended. But that was mainly due to an effective effort in stopping the run. Falcons quarterbacks Easton Stick and Emory Jones combined to complete 82.6% of their 23 throws for 198 yards, and they spread the love, with five pass-catchers each being targeted multiple times and three having at least 35 receiving yards. Hallett was on the wrong end of two big completions, getting beat by Chris Blair for a 13-yard touchdown and allowing rookie Nick Nash to collect 13 yards on a pass over the middle in the third quarter.
Stock up: Edge Nate Lynn
Lynn, a 2024 undrafted free agent who had a team-best three pressures against the Chargers, only saw 15 snaps in Atlanta, but he made his presence felt with four pressures. He was extremely close to knocking the ball free on an incompletion in the first quarter, and he got home for a sack in the third frame, using a left-handed stab to knock the offensive tackle off balance before dipping and winning to the outside. Ahmed Hassanein deserves a shoutout here, as well, as his pressure on the opposite side didn’t allow Jones to step up, opening the door for Lynn to finish. Lynn’s pass-rush win rate this preseason (29.6%) ranks second among the 26 defenders who’ve had at least 20 pass-rush opportunties. Lynn has had 29.
Stock down: Special teams
Kicker Jake Bates was true on his lone attempt, an impressive make from 57 yards out. But the effort on special teams as a whole lacked discipline, with four Lions getting flagged in that phase of the game: Tom Kennedy (illegal formation on opening kickoff), Dicaprio Bootle (holding on a punt), Daron Gilbert (holding on a punt, but declined because it happened alongside Bootle’s infraction) and TeSlaa (illegal block above the waist on a kickoff).
Stock up: CB Nick Whiteside
Whiteside had two tackles and a pass breakup, nearly coming away with an interception on the play on which Lynn got close to a sack. Signed last month, Whiteside has quietly been impressive as a reserve. Perhaps he can push for a roster spot over the next two-and-a-half-weeks before cutdown day. The Lions may be looking for an extra cornerback, considering Ennis Rakestraw Jr.’s season-ending shoulder injury.
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