The Detroit Lions won their first preseason game on Sunday, but defensive end Kerry Hyder suffered an Achilles injury in the process.
The Detroit Lions defeated the Indianapolis Colts 24-3 in their first preseason game of 2017, but reigning sack leader Kerry Hyder suffered an Achilles injury, putting his season in risk.
Early in the first quarter, Hyder was hurt and had to be taken off the field. With a lower leg injury, he was declared “out” virtually immediately. Hyder’s injury comes at a time when the Lions already have a shortage of defensive end depth.
Starting quarterback Matthew Stafford played only one series with the first-team offence, completing his first two throws before being intercepted by John Simon after passing through the hands of Marvin Jones. The Lions’ defence forced the Colts’ offence, which was without Andrew Luck, off the field in three plays on their first series, the first of eight three-and-outs in the game.
The Lions scored first, with a 23-yard touchdown ball from Jake Rudock to third-round rookie receiver Kenny Golladay, their second hookup in a five-play, 42-yard drive. Following a 42-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri, the Lions upped their advantage to 14-3 in the second quarter on Golladay’s second touchdown reception, a 15-yard catch from Rudock.
The Lions’ defence shut down Indianapolis’ offence the whole game. The Colts went three-and-out eight times and failed to score on 14 of their 16 possessions.
A 28-yard Matt Prater field goal added to the lead and the Lions led 17-3 at halftime.
UDFA rookie receiver Dontez Ford gave the Lions one more score in the fourth quarter, breaking tackles on a 15-yard catch-and-run from Brad Kaaya to put Detroit ahead 24-3. The Colts finally reached the endzone on the final play of the game on a one-yard plunge by Troymaine Pope, capping off a 14-play, 90-yard drive.
GAME NOTES
Alex Barrett and Jeremiah Valoaga stood out among the Lions’ defensive ends after Hyder left the game, each picking up a sack and combining for nine tackles. Brandon Copeland, who replaced Hyder, left the game with a shoulder injury. Bruce Gaston and seventh-round rookie Pat O’Connor combined to pick up a sack and cause a fumble in the fourth quarter.
Greg Robinson played the entire first half at left tackle for the Lions, giving up one hurry on 25 pass block snaps according to Pro Football Focus. Robinson, acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Rams after the injury to Taylor Decker, is expected to start week one while Decker recovers from a torn labrum. Cyrus Kouandjio, the other potential starter at the position, has been hampered by injury during much of camp and did not play on Sunday.
The Lions committed no penalties in the first half. They finished with five penalties in the game for 31 yards.
Both Lions backup quarterbacks played well in relief of Matthew Stafford. Jack Rudock passed for 142 yards and two touchdowns on 13-of-21 passing. Brad Kaaya also looked good in his rookie preseason debut, completing seven of eight passes for 64 yards and a touchdown in the second half. Rudock is firmly entrenched as the number-two quarterback for now, Kaaya is likely competing for a practice squad position or a backup spot with another team.
Rookie tight end Michael Roberts saw a lot of reps with starter Eric Ebron sidelined, catching four passes for 34 yards. He also struggled with ball control all game long despite his large hands, fumbling once and dropping a pass.
Dwayne Washington and Jamal Agnew started at kick and punt returner, respectively. Jace Billingsley also returned punts and Zach Zenner returned a kickoff.
Ameer Abdullah played sparsely in the first quarter before being replaced by Zenner, who ran for 26 yards on six carries. Washington carried six times for 34 yards and appears to be third on the depth chart, followed by free agent signee Matt Asiata.
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