The Detroit Lions had an ugly showing in the Hall of Fame Game against the Los Angeles Chargers, but there were still some rookies who managed to shine in their respective exhibition debuts.
The Detroit Lions kicked off their preseason slate against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday night with a 34-7 loss.
It was an ugly performance for the Lions in all three phases. The Lions turned the ball over multiple times, including a pair of interceptions from Kyle Allen, and Detroit's defense didn't have many answers, either.
Detroit even got cute on the opening kickoff by allowing linebacker Grant Stuard to return it, and he ended up fumbling the ball away to Los Angeles. So much for that.
Despite the ugly showing, there were a few rookies who managed to stand out. Let's see who fit the bill.
WR Isaac TeSlaa
TeSlaa was the Lions' leading receiver on Thursday night, catching two passes for 45 scoreless yards. TeSlaa did have a touchdown opportunity in the first quarter, but Allen threw a pick in the end zone when targeting the rookie
TeSlaa's two catches came in the first quarter on the Lions' third offensive series on back-to-back plays. The Arkansas product reeled in a 24-yard catch and then moved the chains again with a 22-yard grab on the next play.
The rookie even had an impressive rep as a gunner on a punt, showcasing his speed. All in all, it was a heck of a preseason debut for TeSlaa.
WR Dominic Lovett
Lovett's night got off to a bad start with a drop that thwarted a first down on the Lions' first offensive series. He then had a pass ripped out of his hands by a Chargers defender in the fourth quarter, resulting in an interception.
However, he was able to rebound after that and finished with a team-high five catches for 31 yards.
Lovett caught his first ball on the team's third drive of the game. Then, Lovett had three catches on Detroit's next drive, which resulted in a touchdown. One of those receptions moved the chains on fourth down.
The rookie's longest reception of the night was a 10-yard grab. Lovett also had a kick return of 22 yards and a punt return that went for 19.
The seventh-round pick had the early hiccup, but he was solid for the most part, as has been the case throughout training camp.
Ahmed Hassanein
Hassasnein didn't register a sack in his preseason debut, but he still managed to stand out.
The Boise State product made an impressive run stop at the line of scrimmage at the end of the first half and recorded a pressure before that. He finished the night with four tackle (two solo).
Hassanein flashed his impressive motor and left us excited to see more of him in the preseason games to come.
Why it matters
You never want to put too much stock into the Hall of Fame Game, but it's hard not to be enthused about what we saw from these rookies, all of whom could have fairly to very significant roles in 2025.
The Lions need reliable depth options at wide receiver behind their top three in Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Tim Patrick. Lovett and TeSlaa are currently vying for those depth roles, along with veteran Kalif Raymond.
It was good to see Lovett thrive in the kick-return game, as the Lions don't have a locked-in kick returner at the moment. TeSlaa's impressive showing on the punt return shows he has a chance to bolster Detroit's special teams.
Hassanein has an opportunity to have the biggest role of the three, though, as the Lions have very shaky depth options behind their starters along the edge, Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport. Not to mention, Davenport is injury-prone.
We'll get our next in-game look at these three rookies when the Lions take the field for their next preseason game on Aug. 8 in a road matchup versus the Atlanta Falcons.
Category: Football
