Lions Falcons preseason snap counts reveal depth battles

A careful look at how Detroit and Atlanta used players in their preseason game to illuminate ongoing position battles.

Lions Falcons preseason snap counts reveal depth battles

Detroit and Atlanta played a short preseason game that offers a snapshot of where each team is testing depth. The Lions split quarterback reps evenly between Kyle Allen and Hendon Hooker, each clocking 24 snaps, while Jared Goff did not play. Detroit pulled Hooker after five minutes in the second quarter following his second fumble, a move that signals the coaching staff is prioritizing ball security and decision making in a live setting. Because the game ended early in the fourth quarter, some players did not reach expected snap counts, so this data should be read as a partial glimpse rather than a full roster verdict.

On offense the Lions used a mix of their depth at running back, receiver and along the line. Saylors and Small shared most backfield duty, with Reynolds getting a longer look and Sione Vaki sidelined by an injury. Meeks led the receivers with the most snaps and delivered the Lions’ first big play of the night on a 68 yard catch, while TeSlaa showed impact on a gunner role and continued to build special teams value. The tight end group rotated among Zylstra, Yeboah and Horton, keeping LaPorta on the sideline for this game. Up front, Manu and Miller each worked the full game at tackle in an unusual shift caused by an early injury to a depth piece. The guard and center group featured multiple combinations as Ratledge rose into a near full half before an arm injury shortened his night. These choices hint at where Detroit plans to trim toward final cuts, though the truncated game limits the certainty of any single conclusion.

This baseline is useful, but it is incomplete. A single half of football and a shortened second half make it risky to draw firm conclusions about the Lions’ top backups. The split at quarterback shows a practical trial run for Allen and Hooker in a real game, yet the absence of Goff and the early end mean more data will be needed before determining a clear No 2 or the pace of Hooker’s development under pressure. Across the roster, depth players stepped forward in small ways which could influence late cut decisions, especially at cornerback where two new additions did not play and at center where Colon, Niese and Eguakun split snaps after Ratledge left with an arm issue. The visible emergence of Meeks as a downfield threat adds a hint of what the offense could become if depth players convert opportunities, but it will require sustained performance in forthcoming games for any real roster impact.

Highlights

Rosters will evolve as more preseason work unfolds