Here are 18 players or things trending up, down and staying level coming out of the Detroit Lions’ preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons, which was
suspended in the fourth quarter with the Lions ahead 17-10.
Stock up: Quarterback Kyle Allen
Allen was going to need to significantly outperform the incumbent to be seriously considered for Detroit’s backup job. What the veteran showed against the Atlanta Falcons could have the scales tipping in his favor.
Entering the game with a little more than five minutes remaining in the second quarter, Allen immediately went to work with a five-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that featured a 68-yard deep shot and a pretty 11-yard touchdown toss.
Allen helped the offense net points on three of four series, with the exception coming at the end of the first half, when the Lions took possession at their 17-yard line with 30 seconds remaining.
On the night, Allen finished 7-of-8 for 120 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers. That puts the pressure on the other contender for the job, especially after he stumbled as the starter in this contest.
Stock down: Quarterback Hendon Hooker
After describing his preseason debut as a 0-out-of-10 performance, Hooker operated at a decidedly better level against the Falcons, completing 70% of his throws and scrambling for 27 yards.
However, any positive progress was washed away by an inability to take care of the football. Hooker lost a fumble on Detroit’s opening possession, made worse by the fact that he bailed from his pocket prematurely. Yes, there was a facemask grab that was missed, but that doesn’t excuse putting the ball on the ground.
Maybe you could live with a single turnover, but Hooker coughed it up a second time after leading the Lions into the red zone. This one popped free after his offensive tackle was beaten around the outside.
After the second giveaway, Hooker got an early hook in favor of Allen.
Stock up: Wide receiver Jackson Meeks
Meeks didn’t do Hooker any favors early, dropping a well-placed third-down throw across the middle. But the undrafted rookie receiver, who has impressed all camp, authoritatively rebounded from the miscue.
Meeks caught his next target for a first down, then hauled in a 68-yard bomb from Allen to set up Detroit’s first touchdown. On that fade route to Isaac TeSlaa, Meeks set a pick to help his teammate get separation.
Meeks would be the recipient of Detroit’s second touchdown, a 1-yard toss from Allen. And on top of it all, Meeks was active, effective and occasionally dominant as a run blocker.
That’s how you interview for a job. In Meeks’ case, he might be interviewing for 32 of them if the Lions can’t find room on their 53-man roster.
Stock down: Cornerback Erick Hallett
Hallett had a strong start to camp, showcasing previously unrecognized versatility by moving from safety to cornerback, where he’s seen reps both outside and in the slot.
Against the Falcons, Hallett drew the start on the outside. He was frequently targeted in the contest, giving up five receptions, including a 13-yard touchdown on a play where he was also flagged for pass interference.
With Ennis Rakestraw ruled out for the year, there’s potentially room for another cornerback on the roster. Hallett had a shaky week of practice followed by an equally rough outing in this matchup, missing out on an opportunity to strengthen his resume.
Stock up: Cornerback Nick Whiteside
Earlier this week,
we wrote about Whiteside, the local product who signed mid-camp after playing in the UFL this spring. It can be difficult to acclimate in those situations. However, the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder has played with confidence and routinely made plays on the ball during recent practices.
Against the Falcons, Whiteside broke up a third-down throw and made a couple of open-field tackles. Targeted twice, the opposition gained just 3 yards on those snaps.
Treading water: Defensive tackle Brodric Martin
It was surprising to see Martin on the field after he missed the two practices leading up to the game. He showed some promise in limited snaps, including a perfectly played run stop that saw him use his length to keep the blocker off his body before shedding the interior lineman to make the tackle.
Martin also had a QB pressure, but unfortunately made contact with the passer’s helmet in the pocket, drawing a 15-yard roughing call.
Stock up: Offensive tackle Giovanni Manu
I’m not going to pretend Manu went out and mauled his assignments from bell to bell. Still, after getting manhandled on the practice field by Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport the past week, the second-year offensive tackle showed resiliency and poise, effectively executing his assignment most of his nearly 50 snaps.
The Lions certainly needed Manu to step up his game with the team’s offensive tackle depth depleted going into the night and worsened by a pre-game injury to veteran Justin Herron.
Stock down: Offensive tackle Mason Miller
Miller wasn’t similarly able to elevate his game. The undrafted rookie, who drew the start and played all 48 offensive snaps at right tackle, allowed multiple pressures, including the sack that dislodged the ball from Hooker in the red zone.
Miller was closer to adequate in the ground game, especially during Detroit’s run-heavy, 11-play, 57-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter. Still, he needs to start making strides in protection to justify a spot on the practice squad.
Treading water: Reserve tight ends
If you were looking for one of the three contenders — Shane Zylstra, Kenny Yeboah or Zach Horton — to step up, you likely feel unfulfilled.
Zylstra, the best receiver from the group, is the only one who saw a target. He had three balls thrown his way and came down with all of them, but for a measly 8 yards and a long of 4.
The undrafted rookie Horton was the position’s best blocker on the night, including a couple of nice ones on the aforementioned 57-yard touchdown drive. Still, it wasn't anything worth writing home about.
Yeboah was less impressive than last week, perhaps still dealing with residual discomfort after having his leg unnaturally bent backward in the Hall of Fame game.
Stock up: Edge Nate Lynn
Lynn continues to intrigue enough to remain on the fringes of the roster discussion. He didn’t play a ton, but he found a way to generate multiple pressures on the quarterback, including an impressive sack in the second half.
Stock down: Edge Mitchell Agude
Agude has also been in that mix of young edge rushers with something to prove. Still, he’s been quiet through two preseason games, and his playing time looks to be dwindling in favor of Lynn, Isaac Ukwu and rookie Ahmed Hassanein, who are each making more plays than the longer-tenured Agude.
Stock up: Third down defens
e
The Lions didn’t give up a third-down conversion until the second half, limiting the Falcons to 1-for-7 on the night, while also getting a stop on the opposition’s lone fourth-down try.
On the critical, drive-ending down, the defense kept things in front of them and did a nice job making tackles shy of the sticks.
Stock down: Two-minute defense
The Lions gave up one touchdown in the game, allowing the Falcons to slice through the defense in the closing minutes of the first half.
The coverage wasn’t even that bad, but Falcons starting quarterback Easton Stick carved up the secondary on the series, completing six consecutive passes for 70 yards, including a capping touchdown to Chris Blair.
Stock up: Running back Jacob Saylors
On the roster for fewer than two weeks, Saylors is making some noise, much like his former St. Louis Battlehawks teammate, Whiteside.
Saylors led the UFL in rushing, and you got a small taste why on Friday as he gained a team-high 35 yards on nine carries, adding another 9 yards on a well-executed screen pass.
Running hard up the middle, Saylors found holes and maximized the blocking, especially with a fourth-down conversion that set up Detroit’s “winning” touchdown.
Stock down: Running back Jabari Small
After some eye-catching runs on the practice field, Small hasn’t translated the success to the preseason games. After a quiet showing in the Hall of Fame contest a week ago, it was more of the same in Atlanta. He finished with 13 yards on five carries (2.6 yards per carry) and wasn’t targeted as a receiving option.
Stock up: Veteran defensive backups
You could appreciate the guys who have been around the block a few times on Detroit’s defense.
Linebacker Zach Cunningham was a menacing presence against the run, defensive end Al-Quadian Muhammad was disruptive, finding his way into the backfield for an early sack, and Rock Ya-Sin was a force multiplier in his debut at safety.
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