Wilson, Fields lead TD drives for Steelers in loss to Lions in preseason finale

DETROIT — Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin still isn’t ready to say who his starting quarterback will be when the season begins.

Russell Wilson and Justin Fields led touchdown drives for the Steelers, who lost 24-17 to the Detroit Lions on Saturday in the preseason finale for both teams.

Jermar Jefferson rushed for two touchdowns for the Lions, including a go-ahead, 7-yard run in the fourth quarter.

“It didn’t start pretty, but we finished strong,” Detroit coach Dan Campbell said.

Tomlin has said repeatedly that Wilson is in the “pole position” for the starting job, and the 35-year-old veteran didn’t do anything in Detroit that would suggest he won’t take the first snap when the season kicks off in two weeks. But Tomlin wouldn’t budge.

“We’ll make a decision at the end of our work week,” he said.

Wilson completed both of his pass attempts, including a 32-yard toss to George Pickens. Two plays later, Cordarrelle Patterson scored on a 31-yard, high-stepping run to cap the game-opening possession.

Wilson spent the rest of the game on the sideline while Fields was given three drives to show what he could do. His performance was uneven.

Fields converted a third down with a run and threw a 22-yard pass to MyCole Pruitt on consecutive plays, setting up La’Mical Perine’s 1-yard touchdown run.

In the previous two preseason games, neither Wilson nor Fields led Pittsburgh to a touchdown.

“We’ve had a really great training camp and OTAs and we finally put it on the field,” Wilson said.

Fields’ second possession ended when he was looking to the right in the shotgun formation as the ball was snapped. He recovered the fumble but was sacked. His third possession ended when he took another sack.

Fields finished 3 of 4 for 40 yards and ran twice for 4 yards.

The Steelers chose to start over at quarterback this season after Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitchell Trubisky each got starts for a team that went 10-7 and lost to Buffalo in an AFC wild-card game.

Just days apart in March, Pittsburgh signed Wilson after he was released by Denver and acquired Fields in a trade with Chicago.

The defending NFC North champion Lions, meanwhile, didn’t put quarterback Jared Goff or any other key players on the field in the hopes of keeping them healthy for a season with high expectations. After the game, Campbell said All-Pro offensive tackle Penei Sewell is “good” after he left a practice earlier in the week with a foot injury.

Hendon Hooker started at quarterback and after completing his first two passes, he was sacked on three straight snaps. He played extensively, giving him much-needed experience after he missed his rookie year with a knee injury.

“Ups and downs, but ultimately, he got better and he needed that,” Campbell said.

Hooker helped the Lions score touchdowns on their last two drives in the first half.

He had a 2-yard touchdown pass to Jake Funk, then made plays with his arms and legs to help set up Jefferson’s first touchdown run.

Hooker was 12 of 20 for 114 yards with a touchdown and threw an interception to former Detroit defensive back Cam Sutton, who got some work in before serving his eight-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

CHARGERS 26, COWBOYS 19

ARLINGTON, Texas — Derius Davis ran 70 yards for a touchdown on Los Angeles’ first play, Simi Fehoko caught a 78-yard scoring pass and the Chargers beat Dallas in a preseason finale.

Trey Lance ran for a touchdown and threw for a score but had five interceptions, including undrafted rookie Tre’mon Morris-Brash’s 25-yard pick-6 with Dallas trailing by a point in the fourth quarter.

It could be Lance’s last extensive action for the Cowboys.

The 2021 No. 3 overall pick by San Francisco played most of the preseason — without any turnovers before facing the Chargers — as Dallas tries to decide if Lance will be part of the club’s future.

For now, the expiring year on Lance’s rookie contract will be spent as the third QB behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush. The Cowboys traded for Lance last year after he lost the battle to be Brock Purdy’s backup with the 49ers.

Easton Stick was on the throwing end of Fehoko’s long TD, but was just 11 of 28 for 109 yards with an interception otherwise as the Chargers try to sort out the backup plan behind Justin Herbert.

PACKERS 30, RAVENS 7

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Green Bay’s kicking competition is going down to the wire.

Greg Joseph improved his chances of unseating incumbent Anders Carlson by making a 55-yard field goal and a 36-yarder Saturday and the Packers beat Baltimore in a preseason finale without most of the starters from either team.

Carlson made a 54-yarder in the first quarter but pushed a 32-yarder wide right in the final period.

“We’ll wait and see,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said about the kicking competition after the game.

After Carlson struggled as a rookie last season, the Packers brought in Joseph to compete with him. Joseph has played for the Cleveland Browns (2018), Tennessee Titans (2019) and Minnesota Vikings (2021-23).

“I’ve controlled what I can control,” Joseph said. “Anything further, it’s no point in losing sleep over because it’s out of my control.”

Both teams rested their top players to make sure they stayed as healthy as possible for the start of the regular season. The Ravens still got some bad luck with running back Owen Wright breaking his foot and center Nick Samac also getting carted off the field.

Samac, a rookie seventh-round pick from Michigan State, had been getting some first-team reps in camp while 2023 Pro Bowler Tyler Linderbaum deals with a neck issue.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh expressed confidence after the game that Linderbaum and tight end Mark Andrews, who got hurt in a car accident last week, will be ready for the start of the regular season.