5 Lions who stood out in preseason win over Chiefs

The Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs met up in a preseason matchup that turned out to be a highly entertaining game, as the road team hit a game-winning field goal as time expired.

Five players stood out the most as the Lions earned their first preseason victory after losing to the New York Giants last week.

Here's a look at those five players.

Jake Bates

Jake Bates struggled early on in training camp but has since been turning his fortunes around.

The kicker hit 4-of-4 field goals Saturday against the Chiefs, including a 43-yard game-winner.

His other three came from 23, 32 and 55 yards. The latter was the longest of the preseason for Bates, as he made a 53-yarder last week.

The power in his leg was never a question; it was the consistency of his accuracy of kicks that had been weighing him down early in camp.

The former Michigan Panthers kicker did miss an extra point in the second quarter, for what it's worth.

The Lions haven't brought in any competition after Michael Badgley went down for the season, but if Bates continues to show his worth as he has recently no competition will be necessary.

Hendon Hooker

The 26-year-old Hendon Hooker played well as he started the second half, after Nate Sudfeld started the first half for Detroit.

The quarterback completed 12-of-15 passes for 150 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions. He also started with five consecutive completed passes. Hooker also used his legs on an 8-yard scamper to the end zone.

Sudfeld played at an acceptable level as well, completing 14-of-27 passes for 196 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. But Hooker obviously has the higher upside in serving as the backup to Jared Goff.

Hooker led the team on a 14-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a Bates field goal to cut the lead down to one.

He left last week's game early with a concussion and that may have made him more cautious going forward when running with the football. During one of his runs, he found wide open field but decided to slide down instead of take a hit from a defender, something Lions fans would like to see instead of risking injury.

Down by eight, he also led a touchdown drive in the fourth quarter but failed to get the two-point conversion as he was sacked.

He could be in line to start next week against Pittsburgh.

Sione Vaki

The rookie Sione Vaki impressed against the Chiefs on Saturday, snagging four passes for 60 yards and rushing the ball six times for 22 yards.

Head coach Dan Campbell thought Vaki stepped up in what he could bring to the passing offense.

"He was making play after play, and he's tired, and he keeps going. He keeps pushing himself through it," Campbell said after the game.

Vaki could be utilized more in Detroit's offensive scheme going forward, but the converted running back will be limited with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery ahead of him on the depth chart.

The fourth-round pick was used often to get the ball down the field, especially late in the second quarter when the Lions trimmed the lead down to 16-12 at half. He had 81 total yards on 10 touches in the first half alone.

Isaiah Williams

In a game that will be remembered when making roster cuts, wide receiver Isaiah Williams definitely left a strong impression after Saturday's showing.

He made 6 catches for 71 yards, including a 38-yard reception from Hooker. He also rushed the ball once for 11 yards.

Last week against the Giants, Williams had four catches for 35 yards.

Williams went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft and is trying to make the 53-man roster. He also returns punts and has done so twice for 21 yards, showing his versatility to the team.

Campbell has previously said he's looking for someone to step up at wide receiver not named Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, so maybe the former Fighting Illini receiver will be the man to do it.

Kaden Davis

Another receiver trying to make the roster, Kaden Davis's name has been brought up throughout training camp and he may have caught Campbell's eye in attempting to step up and be a player the Lions could depend on this season at the WR3 or WR4 spot going forward.

Davis showed his yards-after-catch abilities on a pass over the middle from Sudfeld and scored a 61-yard touchdown, with 42 of the yards coming after the catch.

The Lions will next play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday.

<

/figure>