Pride of Detroit
After a rough outing in the Hall of Fame Game, the Detroit Lions are back at it this week, traveling to Georgia for Week 1 of their 2025 preseason schedule against the Atlanta Falcons. Similarly to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Ohio, the vast majority of starters and regular season contributors will not be dressed, giving plenty of opportunities to those players still looking to make their mark and grab a roster spot.
It will be a huge opportunity in particular for quarterback Hendon Hooker, who played the second half of last week’s game in Canton. Both he and fellow backup quarterback Kyle Allen had issues with getting the offense in any semblance of rhythm, leaving the coaching staff waiting for someone to step up behind starting quarterback Jared Goff.
Elsewhere on the roster, there are several other position groups worth watching closely on Friday night. What will the offense line that begins the game with Hooker look like? Can reserve offensive tackle Giovanni Manu turn in another strong performance to follow up on what was a mostly positive outing against the Chargers? On the defensive side of the ball, will rookie Ahmed Hassanein continue to flash when you turn on the tape?
My answer: I want to see rookie receiver Isaac TeSlaa get going in the first half while he and Hooker are on the field together. It’s still really early, but so far, TeSlaa has surpassed some of the early expectations I had for the Hudsonville native. Physically, he is a big, strong target, that has some serious speed once he opens things up. And in a game where there likely won’t be many starters on the field with him, it would be nice to see Hooker try to feed the rookie early and often.
What about you? What are you looking for on Friday night against the Falcons? Let us know in the comments below.
