Texans @ Lions
Final Score: Texans 26, Lions 7
Writer: Griffey Geiss (@ggeiss_mlb and @ggeiss_PL on Twitter)
Houston came out strong all around, headlined by a solid day from both QBs and a defense that allowed just one score, helping them defeat the Lions on the road. I do believe they could’ve had more, too — the special teams unit was sloppy, botching two holds for kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn, and the offense made a number of mistakes that resulted in penalties and/or plays taken back, notably a small handful of false starts. Mertz excelled, TeSlaa continues to improve his stock, and multiple unlikely Texans receivers stole the show.
Three Up
- Graham Mertz — A significant improvement from what he’s done in prior preseason action; solidified the QB3 spot in my opinion
- Jacob Saylors — Effective all-around, whether in the pass, rush, or special teams game
- Isaac TeSlaa — The third-rounder continues to look great in the preseason
Three Down
- Jayden Higgins — One effective drive… other than that, not much
- Hendon Hooker — “Meh” is a good word to describe his performance… looked fantastic on some plays but had you looking away on others
- Dameon Pierce — Inefficient production despite being force-fed early
Houston Texans
Quarterback
Graham Mertz: 14/16, 145 yards, TD | 2 carries, 20 yards
Mertz balled out, turning in a 125.3 passer rating and averaging 9.1 yards per passing attempt. He also had a nifty scramble to convert on an early third down. The funny thing is, I think Mertz could’ve had even more — Houston had multiple offensive penalties in the 1st half that took away from what they were able to do with the ball. The 24-year-old Florida product has had an abysmal preseason to say the least, so this performance was a huge step in the right direction. He is in a battle with Kedon Slovis for the QB3 role to start the year.
#Texans QB Graham Mertz in the first half against the Lions:
14/16 Passing
145 Yards
1 TD
20 Rushing YardsDealing 🔥 pic.twitter.com/CcqeNnmv35
— Nick Schwager (@NickSchwagerNFL) August 23, 2025
Missed Opportunities
- two misfires — one to Daniel Jackson early and the other to Quintez Cephus (who eventually caught a TD)
- offensive penalties — multiple false starts, one offensive pass interference took plays away
- a 6 yard completion to Woody Marks was erased due to an accepted defensive penalty
Kedon Slovis: 11/16, 111 yards, TD, INT
Slovis took over in the second half and put together a mediocre performance. After an interception, he did finish strong by leading two scoring drives in the 4th quarter. I should note, he really should’ve led three scoring drives but the special teams unit botched the hold on Fairbairn’s field goal attempt.
Running Back
Jawhar Jordan: 13 carries, 55 yards | 1 target
Jordan led the game in carries and rushing yards. He averaged a solid 4.2 yards per carry and busted out for a long of 11.
Dameon Pierce: 7 carries, 17 yards
Pierce’s production was wildly underwhelming. The Texans gave him every opportunity to show off, borderline force-feeding him early, but he could only muster up 2.4 yards per carry. He’s split reps with Nick Chubb (DNP) during camp.
Woody Marks: 6 carries, 19 yards | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 20 yards
Marks, on the other hand, took advantage of his reps. He also was super involved in the passing game and could’ve hauled in another pass had it not been called back due to a flag.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Cornell Powell: 7 targets, 6 receptions, 63 yards
The UFL product looked right at home in his debut. Powell was T-1st on the team with 7 targets, plus he was 1st in receptions and yards, averaging 10.5 yards per reception with a long of 20 today. If Houston can’t find a way to keep him, surely another team will — he put together some good tape.
Quintez Cephus: 7 targets, 4 receptions, 51 yards, TD
Another guy that balled out. Cephus got multiple red zone targets, displayed good physicality, and even hauled in a touchdown against his former squad.
The connection #Badgers fans were waiting for.
Graham Mertz to Quintez Cephus. pic.twitter.com/q0Bq3pdVkK
— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) August 23, 2025
Jayden Higgins: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 18 yards
Underwhelming, really. Higgins had some good routes but didn’t turn in anything special production-wise. He caught two short passes on the same drive and did nothing after.
Juwann Winfrey: 1 target, 1 reception, 26 yards
Detroit Lions
Quarterback
Kyle Allen: 5/5, 66 yards, TD
Allen looked exceptional today with limited reps, connecting on all of his passing attempts and turning in a 158.3 passer rating. The highlight of his day was a 33 yard touchdown pass to third rounder Isaac TeSlaa. He will almost undoubtedly enter the year as the backup to Jared Goff.
Hendon Hooker: 6/11, 70 yards, INT | 1 carry, 25 yards
Hooker turned in a mixed bag performance-wise. He had some good reads, including a nifty 14-yard dot over the middle to start his day and a 25-yard scramble late in the game, but made some mistakes along the way. He wasn’t really able to showcase his arm talent due to the play calling, either.
Missed Opportunities
- Hooker overthrew multiple receivers, including a notable 3rd down attempt on the right sideline in the 3rd quarter
- offensive holding brought back a 30 yard completion to Ronnie Bell
Running Back
Jacob Saylors: 9 carries, 32 yards | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 27 yards
Saylors is another player whom I came away impressed with. He was heavily involved all-around, catching all of his targets for 27 yards, rushing for 32 yards, and even returning two kicks for 43 yards (long: 23).
Craig Reynolds: 5 carries, 12 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 20 yards
Deon Jackson: 2 carries, 3 yards | 2 targets, 1 reception, 18 yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Isaac TeSlaa: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 41 yards, TD
TeSlaa really showed out this preseason and he continued to perform at a high level against the Texans. He hauled in both of his targets for 41 yards, including a 33 yard dime from Kyle Allen for Detroit’s only points in the game. It was a good fade route against one-on-one man coverage on the outside. His celebration was also elite. The Lions gave up a ton of draft capital to take him 70th overall this year, so it’s no surprise he got all the reps in the world to showcase his ability in the preseason.
Another TD (and the worm!) from Isaac TeSlaa 🦁
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/OGx6NrPUIE
— NFL (@NFL) August 23, 2025
Ronnie Bell: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 25 yards
Bell’s production came towards the end of the game where he hauled in a big 18 yard catch in the 4th quarter. He also should’ve had a 30 yard catch, as previously mentioned, but offensive holding brought the play back.
Tom Kennedy: 1 target, 1 reception, 5 yards
Kennedy was the only other skill player that caught a pass. He also returned a kick for 24 yards.