Saturday was supposed to be a prime opportunity for the Detroit Lions depth players to shine. With their final opportunity to justify a spot of the 53-man roster—or put out good tape for the other 32 teams—Detroit’s reserves fell flat. Outside of one offensive drive led by Kyle Allen in the first quarter, the Lions looked flat on both sides of the ball. The Texans dominated the trenches, their skill position players made more plays, and their quarterback play made Hendon Hooker look like the odd man out again in Detroit’s quarterback room.

Here’s how the Lions’ preseason finale played out.

First quarter

The game kicked off with an impressive return from Grant Stuard on a well-blocked kickoff.

That gave Kyle Allen, who surprisingly started, the opportunity to drive starting from his own

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