I won’t spend time telling you to not read too much into the preseason. Chances are you have heard it all before. With that said, there are still some takeaways to be had from the Detroit Lions’ 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in the annual Hall of Fame Game played in Canton, Ohio.
Let’s jump into what we learned in the Lions’ first preseason game of 2025.
QB play looked rough
Simply put, it was a tough evening for both Kyle Allen and Hendon Hooker. Allen began the night with the twos, and looked off from the jump.
Allen threw two first-half interceptions, with the first one nearly going for six points the other way. Out of the bunch towards the field-side, Lions receiver Tom Kennedy ran a route that broke towards the boundary. It takes more arm strength than people realize to consistently execute these kinds of throws, and not only was Allen’s throw late in terms of timing, it also didn’t have the required juice.
When the Lions went with Hooker in the second half, the offense didn’t fare any better. Working with the threes and beyond, Hooker was often bailing out of the pocket quickly due to breakdowns in protection.
Ennis Rakestraw is still getting his feet under him
After showing some signs of promise in training camp and early in 2024, Rakestraw missed a lot of time due to a lingering hamstring injury that nagged him throughout his rookie campaign. And for a young player working to transition from the college to pro ranks at one of the most difficult positions to do so, every rep is as good as gold.
Rakestraw started the game at outside cornerback, and certainly looked like a player that is still acclimating to the NFL level. On a third-down play early in the game, the second-year corner was in press coverage, and while he was trying to re-route the receiver near the line of scrimmage, he got twisted up, allowing the receiver to gain separation down the sideline. He also had another missed tackle on what would have been a potential tackle for loss, and a nice rep that was negated by an illegal use of hands penalty.
As I said earlier, we know how difficult the transition can be for young cornerbacks as they adjust to the speed and precision of the pros. Rakestraw has all the tools needed to play at this level, and we have seen this coaching staff develop countless players. Hopefully he can continue to bank reps and stack good days.
Ahmed Hassanein is FUN
For someone who has only been playing the game of football for six years, Hassanein looked really comfortable against the Chargers on Thursday night. He was disruptive at the point of attack, displaying fast and violent hands to help him defeat would-be blockers. This allowed him to pressure the quarterback a handful of times, and helped him make four tackles in his preseason debut.
Last week when talking to the media, Hassanein explained how he pays close attention to some of the moves that Lions star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson uses, and tries to replicate some of them during his reps. So far, so good.
OL depth needs more time
Besides what shakes out at the center position between veteran Graham Glasgow and rookie Tate Ratledge, we know the starters, along with third tackle Dan Skipper, are about as set as they come. Beyond that, there is quite a bit of uncertainty. And while offensive line depth is an issue for most NFL rosters, few rely on their line like the Lions do.
I am still reviewing the all-22 film from the Chargers game, but judging off my first watch, there weren’t a ton of standout performances in the trenches. Veteran interior offensive lineman Kayode Awosika had a few nice moments, along with fellow veteran tackle Jamarco Jones. Outside of that, there appeared to be quite a few missed assignments along the line, particularly in the second half as the Lions produced only 59 yards of offense.
If some of the younger guys in the room like Giovanni Manu, Colby Sorsdal, and Kingsley Eguakun could take some positive steps throughout the rest of camp, I am sure offensive line coach Hank Fraley would sleep better at night.
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