The Detroit Lions secured their first win of the 2024 preseason on Saturday when the team recorded a 24-23 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Lions got off to a slow start, falling behind 13-0 in the first quarter. But the offense quickly turned things around in the second quarter and the defense was able to stabilize for the rest of the game.
When evaluating offense and defense, we must take into account that the Lions did not use their starters. With that in mind, here’s how we rated offense, defense and special teams after Detroit’s win over the Chiefs in Week 2 of the preseason.
Testimony of the Detroit Lions
Attack: C
Nate Sudfeld wasn’t great, but despite his ugly interception, he performed better than he did in Week 1 of the preseason. Hendon Hooker was the real bright spot on offense. The second-year signal-caller looked composed in the pocket and threw accurate passes en route to an impressive performance.
After two incomplete passes to start his day, Hooker completed 12 of 13 passes and scored a rushing touchdown in addition to his 150 yards through the air. His only blemish was a bad exchange on a handoff that led to a lost fumble in the red zone, but a high snap played a role.
Hendon Hooker keeps it for the goal 🙌#DETvsKC | 📺 Lions TV Network pic.twitter.com/hor0mVtTWO
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) 17 August 2024
Both quarterbacks led the offense on three touchdown drives and two field goals each. Hooker’s final drive was a game-winning one that ended with a Jake Bates field goal in the final seconds. Overall, the Lions were 7-15 on third downs and just 1-5 in the red zone.
The running attack averaged just 3.8 yards per carry, with Zonovan Knight leading the pack with a team-leading 36 yards (4.5 yards per carry).
Sione Vaki wasn’t as effective on the ground as he was in the season opener, but he made a splash on the final drive of the first half with 60 receiving yards. He had 81 total yards on 10 touches in the first half.
🚨 @sione_vaki YAC alarm 🚨#DETvsKC | 📺 Lions TV Network pic.twitter.com/l8A4xjhKcc
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) 17 August 2024
As a wide receiver, Isaiah Williams once again shone with the most receptions (six) and yards (71) on his team. Kaden Davis had the most important play of the game with a 61-yard touchdown reception after a pass from Sudfeld. Maurice Alexander and Tom Kennedy have recovered somewhat after remaining quiet in Week 1 of the preseason.
The offensive line held up better than in the season opener and only allowed one sack in the entire game.
Defense: B
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ starting offense played the first two series, but could only score field goals in both, and Kansas City’s passing attack averaged just 6.8 yards per attempt.
However, the Chiefs scored touchdowns on two big aerial plays and had several pass catches over 20 yards. Kansas City didn’t reach the 100-yard mark on the ground, but averaged a respectable 4.1 yards per carry.
Khalil Dorsey contributed to his cause, tying for a team-high five tackles, including one for loss, and also had some good moments in coverage.
Josh Paschal, Isaac Ukwu and Mathieu Betts each had a sack, Amik Robertson, Kindle Vildor and Jalen Reeves-Maybin each intercepted a pass and Abraham Beauplan and Mitchell Agude each had two tackles for a loss. Paschal’s sack forced a fumble and Beauplan recovered it, leading to points for Detroit.
Considering that the regular players were not on the field, it was overall a solid performance from the defense.
Special teams: B
The special teams had a lot of good stuff, with Jake Bates being the biggest standout after he kicked four field goals, including a 55-yard attempt and the game-winning 43-yard attempt, but he missed an extra point.
Jake Bates from 5⃣5⃣❗️#DETvsKC | 📺 Lions TV Network pic.twitter.com/cVAxJP5H0B
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) 17 August 2024
Jack Fox was in his usual elite fashion, averaging 54 yards per attempt, including one long one of 70 yards, and one of them landed inside the 20-yard line.
The return game was mixed. Isaiah Williams’ 20-yard punt return helped set up the game-winning drive, but Jalon Calhoun dropped a kickoff return that gave KC points.
