After two physical practices on Monday and Tuesday earlier this week, the Detroit Lions went on the road to take on the New York Giants in a slow-moving, rainy game on Thursday night. It wasn’t a downpour, but the rain seemed to affect the players on the field as players were slipping and there were some drops on open catches.
Check out my Lions’ winners and losers in the 14-3 loss to the Giants in the preseason Week 1 game.
Winners
Hendon Hooker
In his first NFL preseason game after missing all of last season, Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker showed flashes of what he could do with his arm, and also his legs. Hooker finished the game going 5-for-9 for 36 yards and led the team in rushing yards with four carries for 34 yards. His ability to run came in clutch when he needed to make a play when nobody got open.
Unfortunately, he left the game early as he was seen in the blue medical tent, went to the locker room, and never returned. Hopefully, he can play next week and get more time to showcase what he can do. When he was on the field, the offense was able to move down the field with more ease.
Jake Bates
After a rough few days in practice, kicker Jake Bates rebounded well in his first preseason game as a Lion. He did mess up on the second kickoff, getting a penalty as the ball didn’t land inside the 20, but he nailed a 53-yard field goal, his only kick attempt of the game.
Bates will likely face some competition in the rest of training camp and preseason, but it was good to see him kick the ball outdoors in the elements. He has done well indoors from a distance, but outdoors, even in sunny skies, has struggled so far. Perhaps this performance can give him the confidence to carry into the regular season if he can win the job.
Defensive line pressure
Despite no starters playing on the defensive line, a few backups shined and made a good impression in the first game of the preseason. Defensive end Isaac Ukwu had two tackles, and a sack as he got around the left tackle and took down Giants quarterback Drew Lock from behind. Another UDFA that shined was defensive end Nate Lynn, who also had two tackles, two QB hits, and a sack.
It wasn’t just the edge rushers that put pressure on the quarterbacks as second-year defensive tackle Brodric Martin had three tackles and two pass deflections as he helped set up a sack for a teammate. Another player who contributed to the pass rush was defensive end James Houston who had two tackles and a QB hit.
The Lions seem to have some depth along the defensive line, which is good to see early on in training camp. The more players who can generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks, the better.
Sione Vaki
When the Lions needed a spark on offense in the second quarter, rookie running back Sione Vaki gave them a little jolt to move the ball down the field. He was able to get three carries for 25 yards by the two-minute warning and had a nice 15-yard run to move the Lions down the field.
.@sione_vaki showing off the moves on the way to a pickup of 15#DETvsNYG | Lions TV Network pic.twitter.com/lDwI2lHhjd
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) August 9, 2024
On that same drive, quarterback Nate Sudfeld threw an interception, and on the return, Lions wide receiver Tom Kennedy forced a fumble and the defensive side of Vaki showed on the fumble recovery. Vaki would get another carry and finished the game with four carries for 29 yards.
Losers
Maurice Alexander Jr.
The one position group on offense that has a lot of questions right now is wide receiver. Three spots are locked in currently, with the competition wide for the final two to three spots. Alexander hasn’t impressed much on the offensive side of the ball, but his chance to make the roster is as a returner for punts and kicks. With that being his best chance at making the team, he didn’t do well on Thursday to showcase he deserves the spot.
While it was raining out, Alexander still fumbled the football on the first punt return of the game. Then, while he was ruled down on the next punt return, he lost control of the football again on the play. He should have called a fair catch as the defender was on him easily. Alexander has a lot to work on if he wants to make the team as a returner.
Nate Sudfeld
It was not Sudfeld’s best game. The weather conditions certainly didn’t help, but Sudfeld didn’t do himself any favors, either. He took too long to get the ball out of his hands at times, and his lack of athleticism showed on plays when the team needed him to move around and avoid the tackles to throw the ball away or extend the play.
Sudfeld finished the game going 13-for-24 for 96 yards with an interception. It didn’t help that the backup offensive line didn’t have a good day either, as Sudfeld was sacked three times. When the offensive line gave him time though, Sudfeld didn’t know what to do and some simple throws for him were far from simple.
Offensive line depth
With no starters along the offensive line playing, it was up to the backups in this game and they struggled for most of the game. Not only were they allowing sacks, the running game was limited as to what they could do. When your leading rusher is your quarterback, and it’s not Lamar Jackson, there are issues with your offensive line.
If you eliminate the rushing yards by Hooker, the Lions averaged just 2.8 yards per carry with 30 carries for 84 yards. The depth has been tested so far with injuries this preseason, and another injury happened as offensive tackle Connor Galvin left the game on a cart after getting rolled up on. It’s the first preseason game for everyone, but the Lions might need to make some moves if one of their starting offensive linemen miss some time this season.
Morice Norris
Despite having a few good weeks of practice, playing in a real game was a struggle for safety Morice Norris. On the touchdown run by Giants running back Eric Gray, Norris was put in the spin cycle with a simple move. Later in the first half, Norris was beaten by tight end Tyree Jackson for an 18-yard gain that nearly went for a touchdown.
Norris could have been put in better spots by his teammates, but when he needed to make a tackle or cover his assignment, he couldn’t do just that. Norris has a tough hill to climb in the safety room and this performance won’t be any help.
