It doesn’t count in any sort of standings that matter, but at the end of the day, a win is a win. And after a bit of an up-and-down afternoon, the Detroit Lions were able to secure a Week 2 preseason win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Let’s take a look at some winners and losers from what was a pretty exciting preseason game in Missouri.
Winners
Sione Vaki
Vaki picked up right where he left off from Week 1 of the preseason against the Chiefs. On one series just before the end of the first half, Vaki accounted for three first downs after catching three short passes from quarterback Nate Sudfeld. The rookie running back would make the catch just beyond the line of scrimmage before turning upfield and showing off his rare blend of agility and power that makes him really difficult to deal with in the open field.
@sione_vaki YAC alert #DETvsKC | Lions TV Network pic.twitter.com/l8A4xjhKcc
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) August 17, 2024
Running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are 1A and 1B in terms of the depth chart, and I think Craig Reynolds is clearly third on the depth chart. After that, I think we are starting to see Vaki separate himself as number four. He still needs a lot of reps to pick up on all of the nuances of the position, but the ability is certainly there.
Vaki would end with 10 touches (six carries and four receptions) on the day for 82 total yards.
Hendon Hooker
After Sudfeld played the first half against the Chiefs, it was Hooker’s turn in the second half, and, for the most part, the second-year signal caller took advantage of the opportunity.
He looked confident within the structure of the offense, and at first glance, looked like he was doing a much better job of keeping his feet under control while he was in the pocket. There were several instances in which Hooker would hit the back of his drop, and the ball would be out on time and on target. There are still occasional misfires in terms of his placement, but overall it was a clean game.
On one particular series in the fourth quarter, you saw more flashes of what made Hooker a sought-after prospect coming out of the University of Tennessee. On three consecutive downs, Hooker found three different receivers and each time moved the chains. Then, at the Kansas City 7-yard line, Hooker took things into his own hands—scrambling left and finding paydirt.
On the final series of the game, Hooker once again connected with receiver Tom Kennedy for a gain of 14 yards, setting up what would end up being a game-winning kick for Jake Bates.
It wasn’t perfect, but it was clearly progress for a quarterback who is still getting used to the speed and rhythm of the NFL game.
Kindle Vildor
Vildor’s stat line of two total tackles and one pass-breakup won’t grab the attention of many eyes, but when you go back and watch the tape, I think you would find it hard to not come away impressed with his play.
Both quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Carson Wentz tried Vildor early and often, and each time Vildor was up for the challenge.
Isaiah Williams
Once again, Williams was the Lions’ most productive player on offense. He finished with six catches for 71 yards, and was also a sparkplug as a punt returner with a long of 20 yards.
Williams is clearly electric with the ball in his hands, and his skill set is something that has the potential of translating to the regular season. With that said, Williams’ size and frame isn’t necessarily what the Lions are looking for in their quest to find someone to hold down the X receiver spot while the offense has three receivers on the field.
Jake Bates
Yes, he missed an extra point, but Bates went four-of-four on his field goal attempts for the day—including a 55-yard make that would have been good from 60-plus, as well as the game-winner as time expired.
You don’t want to see him missing too many extra points when it matters, but overall you have to be happy with Bates’ overall performance in Week 2 of the preseason.
Losers
Daurice Fountain and Donovan Peoples-Jones
As I mentioned before when discussing Williams’ strong play, the Lions need someone to step up and take control of the X receiver competition, and yet nobody appears ready to do so.
With receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Kalif Raymond not dressed, there were plenty of reps to go around for the rest of the receivers vying for a roster spot. Both Fountain and Peoples-Jones have the requisite skills and size to give the Lions what they are looking for, but thus far through August, neither have been able to put it all together for any significant length of time.
Fountain was targeted three times, catching two of the passes for 15 yards, while Peoples-Jones had four passes thrown his way, but only managed one reception for 5 yards.
Special teams
Despite the aforementioned good day from Bates in the kicking game, there were some kick and punt returns that are likely not going to make special teams coordinator Dave Fipp very happy. As far as kick coverage goes, the Lions gave up returns of 43, 36, and 31 yards, and another 42-yard punt return to make matters worse.
This was a really solid unit for the Lions in 2023, and with the new return rules in place, I am sure there are details that need to be ironed out. After all, better now than sometime in December.
