Rapid Rewind: Allen shines again, but Lions' backups cough up halftime lead in loss to Dolphins

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Detroit — Behind a second straight strong showing by backup quarterback Kyle Allen, the Detroit Lions took a 14-7 lead at the half of Saturday’s preseason game with the Miami Dolphins. Unfortunately for the Lions, the team’s backups couldn’t hold the edge, ultimately dropping a 24-17decision at Ford Field.

Allen shook off a trio of shaky throws, all high, to lead two touchdown drives, including one shortly before the half. The veteran connected on touchdown passes of 11 and 18 yards in the second quarter to put the Lions ahead at the break.

The Dolphins took the lead early in the fourth quarter, and even though the Lions were able to tie it with a short field goal following a turnover, they never led again.

The Dolphins seized the lead for good with a six-play, 60-yard drive to open the fourth quarter and capped the scoring with a short field goal shortly after the two-minute warning.

Detroit had a chance to tie the game or take the lead with a two-point conversion. However, quarterback Hendon Hooker was intercepted after leading the offense into the red zone in the closing seconds.

Starters

Offense: Kyle Allen, Craig Reynolds, Isaac TeSlaa, Jackson Meeks, Tom Kennedy, Shane Zylstra, Jamarco Jones, Netane Muti, Kingsley Eguakun, Kayode Awosika, Dan Skipper

Defense: Keith Cooper, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Chris Smith, Pat O’Connor, Grant Stuard, Zach Cunningham, Trevor Nowaske, Nick Whiteside, Erick Hallett, Ian Kennelly, Rock Ya-Sin

Game ball

Allen, Meeks and TeSlaa share the game ball with the veteran quarterback posting another strong day with four completions and a touchdown to each of the rookie receivers.

Scoring summary

First quarter

● 1:18 — A big series for Western Michigan alum Dee Eskridge, who converted a third-and-12 with a 27-yard gain on a receiver screen to beat Detroit’s blitz, followed by a 12-yard catch-and-run score on a shallow cross two plays later, snagging a ball behind him and plowing through Ya-Sin at the goal line. DOLPHINS 7, LIONS 0

Second quarter

● 7:00 — After a clunky start, Allen settled down to complete all three of his throws on a run-heavy, 10-play scoring drive. After chain-moving tosses to Meeks and TeSlaa, Meeks found paydirt on a fourth-down snap from Miami’s 11-yard line, breaking toward the sideline on a short out route, using Zystra’s veteran pattern to disrupt the coverage. LIONS 7, DOLPHINS 7

● 0:30 — Taking over after a fourth-down stop deep in their own territory, the Lions successfully executed the two-minute drill, driving 83 yards in nine plays. Allen connected with TeSlaa on fourth down to extend the series, then found the rookie receiver on a stutter-and-go that TeSlaa went up and pulled down over cornerback Cornell Armstrong in the end zone for an 18-yard score. LIONS 14, DOLPHINS 7

Third quarter

● 10:42 — Inheriting a short field after a quality punt return, the Dolphins needed just four plays to drive the remaining 36 yards for a matching score. On third-and-8, quarterback Quinn Ewers found Theo Wease Jr. for a 15-yard touchdown. The receiver ran a slant, besting the coverage of cornerback Tyson Russell. LIONS 14, DOLPHINS 14

● 4:53 — Taking over in field-goal range after a muffed punt, the Lions handed the ball off six straight snaps before Hendon Hooker dropped back on third-and-6 from the Miami 10-yard line. With nothing open, the quarterback scrambled around the left edge for a touchdown. However, the score was nullified by a holding infraction against Giovanni Manu, leaving the Lions to settle for a short Jake Bates kick. LIONS 17, DOLPHINS 14

Fourth quarter

● 12:16 — Wease continued to give the Lions’ third-string defense trouble, getting behind linebacker Ezekiel Turner on play-action for a 23-yard gain to open the series before breaking free of cornerback Allan George's coverage on a scramble drill for a go-ahead, 8-yard touchdown. DOLPHINS 21, LIONS 17

● 1:50 —After stalling out in the red zone, Miami bypassed going for Detroit's jugular. Instead of going for it on fourth down from the 3-yard line, they took the points with a 22-yard field goal. DOLPHINS 24, LIONS 17

Turnovers

● Dophins punt returner A.J. Henning muffed a third-quarter punt, which was recovered by Lions receiver Dominic Lovett.

● Driving the Lions into the red zone in the closing seconds, Hooker’s pass was intercepted by slot cornerback Ethan Robinson, who jumped in front of the throw while blitzing.

Key stats

● Allen misfired high on three throws and didn’t miss another one, connecting on 14-of-17 for 124 yards, two touchdowns and a 136.3 passer rating.

Playing behind the team’s third-string offensive line — a group featuring two players who signed this week — Hooker struggled. He completed just two passes for 14 yards while eating two sacks on his first seven dropbacks.

Hooker was sharper during a two-minute drive at the end of the game, completing four throws before he was intercepted.

● With Reynolds having multiple runs negated by flags, Sione Vaki ended up leading Detroit’s backfield in the first half, netting 30 yards on five carries. Jacob Saylors, handling most of the workload in the second half, gained 39 yards on 13 carries.

● Meeks led the Lions with seven receptions for 93 yards, followed by TeSlaa’s four grabs for 41 yards.

● Isaac Ukwu had an early sack taken off the board by a penalty away from the ball. However, the second-year edge rusher found his way into the backfield again for a drive-stopping sack on fourth down in the red zone.

Ezekiel Turner paced the defense with nine tackles, including one for a loss.

Injuries

● Rookie defensive end Ahmed Hassanein exited after getting violently tossed to the ground during a third-quarter run play. He immediately clutched at his shoulder/pec and was taken directly to the locker room for further evaluation.

Next game

The Lions will stay home and close out the preseason against the Houston Texans next Saturday at 1 p.m. The two teams will conduct a joint practice two days before the contest.