Although the Detroit Lions won their first game of the preseason on Sunday, defensive end Kerry Hyder was forced to leave the game because of an Achilles injury.
The Detroit Lions defeated the Indianapolis Colts 24-3 in their first preseason game of 2017, however Kerry Hyder, the current leader in sacks, was forced to leave the game due to an Achilles injury that might endanger the rest of his season.
Early in the first quarter, Hyder suffered an injury and had to be helped off the pitch. With a lower leg injury, he was almost immediately declared “out”. The Lions already don’t have enough depth at defensive end, so Hyder’s injury comes at a bad time.
Matthew Stafford, the starting quarterback, only played one series with the first-team offence. He completed his first two throws before John Simon intercepted his third attempt after it went through Marvin Jones’ hands. On their first series—the first of eight three-and-outs in the game—the Colts’ offence was forced off the field by the Lions’ defence in three plays.
On their second connection of the five-play, 42-yard drive, the Lions’ first touchdown was a 23-yard touchdown ball from Jake Rudock to third-round rookie receiver Kenny Golladay. Golladay’s second touchdown reception, a 15-yard catch from Rudock, helped the Lions extend their lead to 14-3 in the second quarter after a 42-yard Adam Vinatieri field goal gave the Colts the lead.
All throughout the game, the Lions’ defence shut down Indianapolis’ offence. The Colts went three-and-out eight times and failed to score on 14 of their 16 possessions. They also punted 11 times.
At halftime, the Lions were up 17-3 thanks to a 28-yard Matt Prater field goal that extended their lead.
With a 15-yard catch-and-run from Brad Kaaya, UDFA rookie receiver Dontez Ford gave the Lions one more score in the fourth quarter, putting Detroit ahead 24-3. Troymaine Pope’s one-yard plunge on the game’s final play gave the Colts their first touchdown after a 14-play, 90-yard drive.
After Hyder departed the game, the defensive ends for the Lions, Alex Barrett and Jeremiah Valoaga, both of whom had sacks and combined for nine tackles, stood out. Hyder’s replacement, Brandon Copeland, was forced to leave the game due to a shoulder injury. In the fourth quarter, Pat O’Connor, a seventh-round rookie, and Bruce Gaston teamed for a sack and forced a turnover.
For the Lions, Greg Robinson started at left tackle and played the whole first half. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed one hurry on 25 pass block plays. Taylor Decker suffered a torn labrum, thus Robinson, who was acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Rams, is set to start the first game. The other likely starter at the position is Cyrus Kouandjio.
In the first half, the Lions didn’t make a single penalty. They totaled five penalties for 31 yards throughout the game.
With Matthew Stafford out, the backup quarterbacks for the Lions both performed admirably. On 13 of 21 passes, Jack Rudock completed 142 yards and two touchdowns. In his first preseason game as a rookie, Brad Kaaya also performed admirably, completing seven of eight throws for 64 yards and a score in the second half. Rudock is currently locked in as the team’s number-two quarterback, while Kaaya is probably vying for a spot on another team’s practise squad or as a backup.
With starter Eric Ebron out, rookie tight end Michael Roberts had a lot of playing time and caught four catches for 34 yards. Despite having big hands, he had trouble keeping the ball under control the whole game, fumbling once and missing a throw.
Kick and punt returners Dwayne Washington and Jamal Agnew each made their debuts. Zach Zenner and Jace Billingsley both returned kickoffs in addition to punts.
In the first quarter, Ameer Abdullah only made a few plays before being substituted by Zenner, who ran for 26 yards on six rushes. Following free agency signee Matt Asiata in the depth chart, Washington ran the ball six times for 34 yards.
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