Hendon Hooker sputters again as Lions drop preseason finale to Texans

DETROIT — The Detroit Lions will have a tough decision to make on third-string quarterback Hendon Hooker when compiling their 53-man roster early next week.

Hooker turned in another poor performance while playing in the final three quarters of Detroit's preseason slate, finishing 6-for-11 passing for 70 yards, no touchdowns and an interception in a 26-7 loss to the Houston Texans at Ford Field on Saturday.

Hooker entered the game on the third drive, after backup quarterback Kyle Allen started 5 for 5 for 66 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Isaac TeSlaa.

Hooker completed his first pass — a 14-yard checkdown to running back Jacob Saylors — and didn't complete another pass until 6:44 remained in the third quarter on another checkdown to Saylors.

He finally got in a minor groove near the end of the game, completing a pair of 18-yard passes to wide receiver Ronnie Bell and running back Deon Jackson. He finished that drive with four completions, the latter two being a screen and a checkdown. He was sacked on fourth down while trying to escape the pocket.

Over four preseason appearances, Hooker went 22-for-40 passing for 187 yards, three interceptions, and two fumbles. Not only did he not throw a passing touchdown all preseason, the Lions did not score a touchdown of any kind with him at quarterback over four games.

Hooker's ineffectiveness in Saturday's game was to the detriment of a couple of receivers who are on the bubble entering cutdown day (Tuesday, 4 p.m. ET). Neither Jackson Meeks nor Dominic Lovett, both of whom are sitting firmly on the fence, ended up with a reception.

Houston took a 3-0 lead with 7:12 left in the first quarter. Lions defensive tackle Myles Adams came up with a critical stop on third-and-1, and Ka'imi Fairbairn put home a 53-yard field goal after the Texans took a false-start penalty before fourth down.

The Lions took their first and only lead of the game on TeSlaa's third touchdown of the preseason. After TeSlaa moved the chains by crossing up a Texans defensive back on a slant route, he ran a go down the sideline and Allen put it right in the bread basket for a 33-yard connection to put Detroit up, 7-3, at 1:52 in the first quarter.

Texans running back Dameon Pierce regained the lead with 12:22 left in the second quarter. Lions lineman Keith Cooper Jr. got penetration but couldn't get hands on the ball carrier, as Pierce ran right by Cooper and Lions edge defender Nate Lynn on his way to a 9-yard touchdown.

Ex-Lions receiver Quintez Cephus added to the Texans' lead. He hauled in a fade route over Lions cornerback D.J. Miller Jr. for a 6-yard touchdown reception. Fairbairn whiffed on the ensuing point-after attempt, resulting in a 16-7 Texans lead with 4:46 remaining in the second quarter. Cephus had four catches for 51 yards.

Lions cornerback Tyson Russell came up with the team's first pass defense of the day with 14:53 left in the fourth quarter. As Cephus struggled to haul in a throw with his helmet, Russell was in the right place at the right time to steal the ball off the bobble.

But Hooker gave it right back on the next play from scrimmage, overshooting wide receiver Dominic Lovett on a ball that landed right in the hands of Texans defensive back Jalen Mills.

The Texans took a commanding 23-7 lead with 12:58 to go. After Keith Cooper Jr. and Anthony Pittman teamed up for a 2-yard tackle-for-loss near the goal line, Texans receiver Daniel Jackson got lost in a sea of bodies and ended up wide open for a 3-yard touchdown reception.

Houston added a 48-yard field goal to make it 26-7 with 6:35 left in the game.

Starting lineup

— Offensive starters: QB Kyle Allen, RB Craig Reynolds, WRs Isaac TeSlaa and Tom Kennedy, TE Zach Horton, LT Giovanni Manu, LG Netane Muti, C Kingsley Eguakun, RG Kayode Awosika and RT Dan Skipper.

— Defensive starters: DL Pat O'Connor, Chris Smith, Myles Adams, Al-Quadin Muhammad, LBs Trevor Nowaske, Zach Cunningham, Grant Stuard, CBs Nick Whiteside and Allan George, Ss Rock Ya-Sin and Erick Hallett II.

More observations

— At least three reserve players who would otherwise be expected to play were absent from the contest: Running back Sione Vaki, cornerback Luq Barcoo and offensive tackle Jamarco Jones. Vaki and Jones both suffered undisclosed injuries during Detroit's joint practice against the Texans on Thursday.

— Offensive lineman Kingsley Eguakun, a bubble player who's fighting for the reserve center job, started the game. He was knocked back on third down during Detroit's opening possession, leading to a sack of Allen, but was relatively solid the rest of the way on first watch.

— Hooker's biggest gain of the preseason, a 30-yard completion to receiver Bell in the third quarter, was called back for a holding penalty on offensive guard Zack Johnson. With Hooker turning in another poor performance over three full quarters, the wide receiver production struggled, too.

— Still, the Lions made a significant improvement in their discipline. Detroit was called for just five accepted penalties (47 yards) after being called for 13 accepted penalties the week prior.

— Lions linebacker Grant Stuard reprised his role as the team's kick returner to start the game and returned the opening kickoff 44 yards to the 45-yard line of Detroit. He was replaced by wide receiver Dominic Lovett after the opening kick.

— The final impression from cornerback Nick Whiteside, one of the darlings of training camp, was underwhelming. He was the nearest defender on at least four big chunk plays and was later flagged for defensive holding on third-and-11 on the Texans' final drive of the second quarter.

— With plenty of jobs available on the defensive line, the Lions' pass rush was relatively non-existent outside of a two-play sequence near the end of the first half. Edge defender Nate Lynn registered a quarterback hit on a play that was ultimately called back for offensive pass interference. On the very next play, Al-Quadin Muhammad sacked Texans quarterback Graham Mertz to end the half.

— Lions safety Loren Strickland, who made the team as an undrafted rookie last season, was all over the place in the second half. He finished with a team-high nine tackles, including one for loss. Linebacker Trevor Nowaske had eight tackles.

— With Vaki out of the lineup, none of the Lions' running backs ran the ball particularly well. Craig Reynolds had five rushes for 12 yards, Saylors had nine for 32 yards, and Jackson had two for 3 yards.

— In addition to his tackle-for-loss near the goal line, Pittman came up with another tackle-for-loss in the fourth quarter, stopping Texans running back British Brooks for a loss of 3.

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