Detroit Lions vs Houston Texans Match Player Stats (Aug 23, 2025)

Houston dominated Detroit 26-7 at Ford Field on August 23, 2025. The Detroit Lions vs Houston Texans match player stats from Saturday’s preseason finale show Houston’s dominance. Texans rookie Graham Mertz completed 14 of 16 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown while Lions rookie Isaac TeSlaa caught a 33-yard scoring pass from Kyle Allen for Detroit’s only points. Houston controlled possession 40:15 to 19:45, outgained the Lions 399 to 186, and converted 9 of 12 third downs compared to Detroit’s 1 of 7. The 49,017 fans at Ford Field watched Houston’s reserves outclass Detroit’s depth across every phase.

Quarterback Battle: Complete Passing Statistics

Kyle Allen won the backup job. Simple as that.

Houston Texans Passing Stats

Detroit Lions Passing Stats

Allen went 5 for 5 with a touchdown. Perfect passer rating. Perfect preseason. The veteran’s four games: 35 completions on 44 attempts, 401 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. His performance made the decision straightforward for head coach Dan Campbell. Experience, accuracy, and command of the offense. Allen checked every box.

Hooker struggled again. A 36.2 passer rating. Zero touchdowns in four preseason games. Three interceptions. Detroit’s defense forced a turnover early in the fourth quarter, and Hooker immediately gave it back with an overthrow that landed in Houston safety Jalen Mills’ chest. The third-year quarterback from Tennessee never found rhythm. He held the ball too long, relied on checkdowns, and couldn’t sustain drives.

Mertz ran Houston’s offense with surprising poise for a sixth-round rookie. The former Wisconsin and Florida quarterback directed three consecutive scoring drives in the first half. His legs kept chains moving on third down. His arm finished drives. The 6-yard fade to Quintez Cephus over cornerback D.J. Miller showed touch and anticipation on a contested throw.

Slovis added 111 yards on 11 of 16 passing with a touchdown and a pick. The second-year quarterback found Daniel Jackson wide open on a play-action bootleg in the fourth quarter after Lions safety Ian Kennelly reacted late to a coverage switch. Jackson’s 3-yard touchdown catch pushed Houston’s lead to 23-7.

Ground Game Production

Houston’s running backs controlled the tempo. Detroit’s backs couldn’t answer.

Houston Texans Rushing Stats

Detroit Lions Rushing Stats

Jordan led Houston’s ground attack with 13 carries for 55 yards. He also handled return duties, gaining 26 yards on a kickoff return and 10 on a punt return. Marks scored from nine yards out after Keith Cooper missed a backfield tackle. Brooks added 23 yards on seven attempts.

Saylors produced Detroit’s most consistent offense with 59 yards from scrimmage on nine carries and three catches. Reynolds managed 12 yards on five attempts. Jackson gained three on two carries.

Ogunbowale ripped an 18-yard run around the right edge to set up first and goal from the six. Mertz kept drives alive with his legs, converting two third downs with runs totaling 20 yards.

Pass Catchers: Complete Receiving Numbers

TeSlaa scored again. Three straight games. Three touchdowns.

Houston Texans Receiving Stats

Detroit Lions Receiving Stats

TeSlaa hauled in two targets for 41 yards and a score. The third-round pick from Arkansas produced solid preseason numbers: 10 catches, 146 yards, and three touchdowns. Allen’s deep ball down the right sideline found TeSlaa in stride. The rookie’s speed created separation. The 6-foot-4, 214-pound receiver secured the catch, scored, and celebrated with “the worm” to the delight of the home crowd. TeSlaa locked down a roster spot. He’ll play behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams starting Week 1.

Powell led all receivers with six catches for 63 yards on seven targets. Mertz found him repeatedly on intermediate routes during Houston’s first-half scoring drives. Former Lions receiver Cephus caught four passes for 51 yards and a touchdown. His 6-yard scoring grab came on a perfectly placed fade. The extra point failed on a botched snap.

Winfree converted third and 11 with a 26-yard catch against zone coverage on Houston’s 11-play, 89-yard touchdown drive. Hutchinson opened the game with a 24-yard grab on the Texans’ first possession. Bell had a 30-yard connection with Hooker wiped out by a holding penalty on offensive lineman Zach Johnson. The flag killed Detroit’s best play of the afternoon.

Dominic Lovett and Jackson Meeks battled for the final receiver spot. Neither caught a pass. Neither made special teams plays. Both had solid camps. The coaching staff still had no clear answer on keeping six or seven wideouts after this finale.

Defensive Performance: Tackles and Turnovers

Loren Strickland dominated. Nine tackles. One tackle for loss. Several punishing hits.

Houston Texans Defense

Interceptions: Jalen Mills (1, 17 return yards)

Detroit Lions Defense

Interceptions: Tyson Russell (1, 0 return yards)

Strickland’s third-quarter hit on tight end Harrison Bryant brought the Ford Field crowd to its feet on third and 26. He filled gaps in run support, delivered sure tackles in space, and arrived with bad intentions. Strickland’s performance likely secured the fourth safety spot over Erick Hallett.

Nowaske matched Strickland with nine tackles while rotating between MIKE and WILL linebacker. He added a quarterback hit. His strong preseason secured depth linebacker reps.

Muhammad recorded Detroit’s only sack at the end of the first half. Two sacks this preseason. 3.0 sacks and eight pressures in nine games last season. Detroit needs pass rush depth with several defensive linemen injured. Muhammad fills that need.

Russell intercepted a bobbled pass from Cephus early in the fourth quarter. Despite getting beaten badly off the line, the cornerback stayed in the play. Cephus couldn’t secure the catch. Russell capitalized. Mills picked off Hooker on the very next snap, reading the overthrow and returning it 17 yards to set up Houston’s third touchdown.

Hallett struggled in coverage and run support. The defensive back got stood up at the point of attack. Pushed backward on run fits. Arrived late on pass plays. The poor showing hurt his roster chances in a tight safety competition.

Pittman contributed five tackles and two tackles for loss. His stop behind the line of scrimmage forced Houston into third and long in the fourth quarter, leading to a 48-yard field goal instead of a touchdown.

Special Teams Breakdown

Grant Stuard nearly housed the opening kickoff. The veteran linebacker showed his value as a returner.

Kickoff Returns: Stuard took the opening kick 44 yards on a perfectly blocked play. His decisive north-south running and burst through the lane set up Detroit with excellent field position at their own 45-yard line. Only the last defender tripped him up before he could break free. The Lions believe Stuard’s speed and running style make him a weapon in the return game. Houston’s Tremon Smith had the game’s longest kickoff return at 47 yards. Jacob Saylors handled two returns for Detroit, gaining 43 yards total.

Punting: Jack Fox controlled field position for Detroit with four punts averaging 51.5 yards. He placed one inside the 20-yard line and boomed his longest for 61 yards. Fox’s consistency in directional punting and hangtime created chances for Detroit’s coverage units. Jackson Meeks nearly pinned Houston inside the five on one Fox punt, but replay showed he was barely touching the end zone when he contacted the ball, resulting in a touchback instead of a downed punt.

Field Goals: Ka’imi Fairbairn went 2 for 3 on field goals for Houston. He drilled a 53-yarder on the opening drive after a false start penalty pushed the Texans out of fourth and inches range. Fairbairn missed from 35 yards when Houston drove inside the red zone in the third quarter but redeemed himself with a 48-yarder in the fourth. Jake Bates converted his only extra point attempt for Detroit.

Punt Returns: Jordan handled two punt returns for Houston, gaining 14 total yards with a long of 10. Detroit had no punt return opportunities.

Game Flow and Turning Points

Allen’s second possession put Detroit ahead 7-3. Then Houston took over.

The veteran quarterback engineered a 10-play, 85-yard touchdown drive. He hit Reynolds twice for first downs before finding TeSlaa on a slant for a third-down conversion. Three plays later, Allen lofted the deep ball to TeSlaa for the 33-yard touchdown. Detroit led 7-3 after one quarter.

That was it for the Lions offense.

Mertz took control after Allen exited. The rookie scrambled for an 11-yard gain on third and seven to keep Houston’s opening drive alive. A false start on fourth and inches forced the 53-yard field goal attempt. On the next drive, Mertz scrambled again to convert third down, then Marks scored from nine yards out for a 10-7 Houston lead.

Houston extended the advantage to 16-7 on an 11-play, 89-yard series. Mertz converted third and 11 with the 26-yard strike to Winfree against zone coverage. Ogunbowale’s 18-yard run around the edge set up first and goal from the six. Mertz finished the drive with the fade to Cephus. The extra point failed, making it 16-7 at halftime.

Detroit’s offense managed just 90 total yards after Allen’s touchdown drive. Hooker couldn’t sustain anything. His best play, the 30-yarder to Bell, came back on the penalty. Three straight runs failed to produce a first down on one possession after tight end Zach Horton committed a false start that prevented a fourth-down attempt.

The third quarter brought no scoring but saw Russell’s interception and Hooker’s immediate turnover to open the fourth. Slovis needed just two plays to reach the one-yard line. Jackson’s play-action touchdown catch pushed Houston’s lead to 23-7. Detroit tried to rally with Hooker connecting on an 18-yard throw to Bell and an 18-yard dump-off to Jackson, but a 10-yard sack derailed the drive. On fourth and 5, Hooker scrambled into another sack, turning the ball over on downs.

Linebacker Ezekiel Turner left the game in the third quarter with a lower right leg injury. Campbell said after the game the injury “didn’t look good” for the veteran who appeared in nine games last season.

Detroit wore an all-white pants and blue top uniform combination that generated mixed reactions on social media. Some fans hoped to never see that particular jersey pairing again. The Lions finished their preseason 1-3. Houston went 2-1 while resting starters and evaluating depth.

Roster Decisions Made Clear

Allen’s perfect 5-for-5 performance locked up the backup quarterback job. His preseason totals leave no doubt: 35 of 44, 401 yards, five touchdowns, two interceptions, 123.6 passer rating. The veteran earned Jared Goff’s backup role with four strong games. Experience matters at the position.

Hooker’s fate was sealed. Zero touchdown passes across four games. Three interceptions. A 36.2 passer rating in the finale. The third-year quarterback from Tennessee never found consistency or rhythm. Detroit will carry just two quarterbacks into the regular season.

TeSlaa made the roster and secured playing time. Three touchdowns in three games. Ten catches for 146 yards in the preseason. TeSlaa’s preseason validated Detroit’s third-round investment. He’ll contribute immediately in the rotation and on special teams.

The receiver battle between Lovett and Meeks remains unresolved. Both had solid camps. General manager Brad Holmes and Campbell still must decide between six or seven receivers.

Muhammad’s sack helped his case for the 53-man roster. Detroit needs pass rush depth. Muhammad’s two preseason sacks and proven production provide another option along the defensive line.

Strickland’s performance likely won the fourth safety job. Hallett’s struggles in coverage and run support probably cost him the spot. The competition shifted decisively in Strickland’s favor.

Detroit’s pass rush depth remains concerning. One sack all game from the defensive line rotation raises questions. The Lions may still need to explore adding an edge rusher before Week 1.

Both teams now focus on regular season preparation. Detroit opens at Green Bay on September 7 at 4:25 PM for their traditional NFC North rivalry. Houston travels to Los Angeles to face the Rams the same day. For more NFL coverage as teams finalize rosters ahead of the 2025 season, visit Newzire for updates across the league.

Holmes and Campbell faced their Tuesday deadline to trim from 90 players to 53. Practice squad formation began Wednesday with 16 available spots for players who cleared waivers.

The individual statistics from this preseason finale settled several roster competitions. Allen’s precision earned him the backup job. TeSlaa’s playmaking secured his role. Strickland’s physicality won the safety battle. Hooker’s struggles cost him a roster spot. For bubble players, this game represented either validation or a harsh lesson in NFL roster construction. Houston’s depth handled their assignments. Detroit’s reserves left coaches with difficult decisions and lingering concerns about pass rush production heading into the regular season.