Detroit Lions come away with final preseason game win

At the beginning of this game, it seemed like the Pittsburgh Steelers would cruise to the finish line with an easy preseason win. However, things quickly changed as Hendon Hooker woke up and led his offense through some solid sequences. The Detroit Lions would come away with it winning 24-17 to set them up for the regular season on September 8th.

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Steelers rotation starts out strong

Things started off quickly for Pittsburgh. In the first play of the drive, Najee Harris would go up the middle for five yards, but a bad pass would lead to them losing six yards right after. However, quarterback Russell Wilson would launch one to George Pickens for 32 yards, setting them up nicely. Cordarrelle Patterson would then cut directly through the Lion's defense, receiving the handoff and galloping his way into the end zone.

It didn't end here. Detroit would slowly try and chip away in hopes of finding themselves a TD, but the Steeler's defense had a different plan. Hooker would be sacked hard by Nick Herbig, leading to a fumble that was recovered by Pittsburgh at Detroit's 35. This time, Justin Fields would step up as Wilson went to the sideline. A shotgun to La'Michal Perine for one yard would lead to the next TD, and the Steelers would have a 14-point cushion.

It wasn't just an offensive show in the first quarter. There were four sacks, three of them in quick succession, that made it clear Pittsburgh wanted to shut this game down. It was a hot start, but unfortunately, it burned out.

Detroit Lions finally show up

After those two quick punches from Pittsburgh, it was time for Detroit to give a few of their own. Seven minutes into the second quarter, the Lions finally started playing football on offense. It was a sequence of chipping away slowly down the field mixed with some incomplete passes and negative yardage. Finally, Hooker threw a shotgun pass to Isaiah Williams, giving his team 17 yards.

Jake Funk would have a great run up the middle for 15, and Hooker would follow that up with a 19-yard scramble of his own. Another pass to Funk after that would lead to a two-yard TD to bring the game to 14-7. The energy in the stadium shifted as Detroit fans began to feel like they had a chance in this one. Yes, it's just a preseason game, but it's still fun seeing your team do the right thing.

The defense wanted a piece of the action, too, as right after the two-minute warning, QB Kyle Allen was sacked by Isaac Ukwu, and Detroit would recover. Hooker would start the next sequence off with a 15-yard pass to Kaden Davis as the team raced the clock. A continuous forward momentum would lead to a TD and extra point for the 14-14 tie.

A rocky start that led to a solid win

The third quarter didn't start out like the Lions had hoped. After 14 plays of running clock, they'd end up missing the field goal and handing the ball back to the Steelers. Thankfully, Pittsburgh couldn't get a touchdown, but they did take a 17-14 lead as their field goal was good. Less than a minute later, Hooker, who was having a solid game, threw an interception.

Luck and good defense were on the Lion's side, though, as the Steelers couldn't do anything with the intercepted ball. Instead, Hooker would be given the chance to make up for the interception, and he did. He ended the third with a 10-yard scramble up the middle to put the team at the Detroit 25.

The Lions QB would throw a quick, long ball to Maurice Alexander for 29 yards, and a 15-yard penalty on Pittsburgh would do some more damage. Two scrambles from Hooker would take them to the Steelers 11, and the sequence would end with a shotgun to Jermar Jefferson for the TD and a made extra point from Jake Bates.

Hendon Hooker would finally leave the field, switching out with QB Jake Fromm. He'd lead an 11-play sequence that finished with a field goal sealing the victory for Detroit 24-17.

Article originally written by Elizabeth Della Piana