Lions 3-14 Giants, Gray gets two rushing TDs, summary: score, stats, highlights | NFL Preseason Week 1

Giants beat Lions in preseason opener

It was a rainy evening in East Rutherford, New Jersey when the Giants hosted the Lions in their first preseason Game of the year. It was a time for the rookies to show what they’ve got and for the unproven to prove themselves. Some did…some really didn’t.

This is of course the preseason, so a Super Bowl contender losing to a team that hasn’t won a title since 2011, without scoring a single touchdown, doesn’t really say anything at all to be honest. So there’s no need for Lions fans to panic. Though the Giants fans can rejoice in a few things. 

A few points of note…

Sudfeld not a convincing QB2

Nate Sudfeld did not look like a strong backup option to Jared Goff on Thursday against the Giants. He struggled mightily throughout the first half, throwing two near-interceptions and one actual interception. After finishing the first half going five-of-11 for 24 yards, Sudfeld was replaced by Hooker to start the second half. However, Hooker left with a medical issue in the 4th quarter and Sudfeld came back in. Sudfeld took the team all the way to the red zone but turned the ball over on downs. In the end, they never got a touchdown.

The lone points scored were from a Jake Bates field goal in the first quarter. That field goal was set up by an intercepted pass from Giants QB Drew Lock to Brandon Joesph.

Hooker had decent showing

Hooker wasn’t in long before he had to leave for medical reasons. We’re still not sure of the details. But before he did, he moved the team down the field successfully after a few third-down conversions. Unfortunately, they didn’t lead to scores either, but his quarterback play looked good.

Giants offense looking good 

Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito, the hero of last season, completed five-of-eight passes for 79 yards and running back Eric Gray stomped all over the Lions defense, with 52 rushing yards and two touchdown runs, one of which was a 48-yard score. 

DeVito played the majority of the game as Drew Lock left early in the game with an injury. 

In the end, the game was mostly uneventful, especially considering all the scuffle and fuss from the joint practices. 

END GAME - GIANTS WIN!

And that'll do it for tonight! The Giants defeat the Lions in their preseason opener at MetLife Stadium.

DeVito takes the knee

Miller picks up 6 yards for the 1st down

TWO-MINUTE WARNING

The Giants let the clock run down to the two-minute warning.

They have the ball at 3rd and 4 at their own 24 and are ahead 14-3.

Clock keeps tickin'

And another 3...

Miller picks up 3 yards

DeVito pass incomplete to McKethan

Lions get Pass Interference call on Vildor, 11 yards

1st down Giants

DeVito pass deflected by Martin - incomplete

2nd down

Miller runs it up 4 yards

Lions go for it on 4th and goal

Sudfeld gets hit from behind by Whitley - SACK - and the ball pops out

Giants get the ball at their own 3

Sudfeld hands it off to Funk and he's stopped short by Beavers and Holmes at the 3 - 4th and goal

Sudfeld pass too high - incomplete to Calhoun - 3rd and goal

Sudfeld pass complete to Calhoun but Holmes holds him down - 2nd and goal

Sudfeld pass deep to Calhoun, but there's a Pass Interference call on Giants' Holmes

1st and goal

The ruling on the field stands

1st down Lions

Giants lose a timeout

Ruling on the field was that Williams made the first down, but Daboll is challenging it.

Looks like the foot could've stepped out short, but let's see. 

Hawkeye laser is on the case.

Sudfeld pass complete to Williams and he picks up 12 for the first down

False Start on Lions' Manu, 5 yards

3rd and 10

Sudfeld hands it off to Funk and he gets nowhere - 3rd and 5 at the Giants 43

Sudfeld pass complete to McKeon for 5 yards - 2nd and 5

Sudfeld pass complete to Alexander for 5 yards and the 1st down

Sudfeld pass batted away by Rogers - incomplete

3rd down and 3

Lions' Galvin was injured during the play.

Funk runs it up 7 yards - 2nd and 3

Sudfeld passes deep to Peoples-Jones and it is CAUGHT for 26 yards

Gillan punts 39 yards to the Lions 13, fair catch by Williams

Devito tosses it to Miller for a 13-yard run - 4th and 7

DeVito pass deep to Jiles is incomplete - 3rd and 20

DeVito pass incomplete to Ford-Wheaton - 2nd and 20

DeVito hands it off to Miller and he runs it up 8 yards

Holding on Giants' Nelson - declined

Holding on Giants' Jackson, 10 yards

Hooker was injured and taken to the medical tent

Fox punts 51 yards to the Giants 41 and Asante runs it 4 yards to the Giants 45

Sudfeld SACKED by Whitley for a loss of 6 yards - 4th down

Sudfeld pass to Williams for 7 yards - 3rd and 5

Funk taken back 1 yard by Rogers - 2nd and 11

Gillan punts it 60 yards to the Lions 9, downed by Johnson

Miller's taken backwards 6 yards by Jefferson, 4th and 15

DeVito pass incomplete.

Holding call on Giants' Miller

3rd and 9

Miller takes it again but he's swallowed up after a yard

Miller went 4 and then turned on the turbo jets again for a 19-YARD run to the Giants 36!

END THIRD QUARTER

And that'll take us to the end of the third quarter.

The Giants are still in the lead after the Lions turned it over on 4th down.

Giants have the ball at their own 13 - 2nd and 1

DeVito hands it off to Miller and he runs it up 9 yards

Lions blitz, Hooker's pass BLOCKED by Oghoufo, INCOMPLETE.

Giants will take over at their own 3 and the Lions remain touchdown-less.

Lions goin' for it cause they pretty much have to

Hooker throws it to Peoples-Jones in the end zone, but it's broken up by Borders - incomplete. 4th and goal

Hooker runs it up to the 4, taken down by Beavers - 3rd and goal at the 3

Knight taken back a yard - 2nd and goal

Lions at 1st and goal at the 8

Hooker was SACKED by Whitley and Rogers for a loss of 2

Giants get Face Mask call on Rogers for 8 yards

Knight runs it up 3 yards - 2nd and 7

Giants' Johnson was injured on the play

Hooker scrambles away and pushes through for a gain of 16 yards, running over several defenders

Knight takes it up 4 for the first down

Knight runs it up 9 yards - 2nd and 1 at the Giants 39

Hooker pass bobbled but caught by Hesse for 8 yards.

Roughing the Passer on Giants' Whitley, 15 yards

Hooker pass incomplete to Alexander - 3rd and 8

Knight takes it up 2 yards 

Hooker to Williams for 13 yards and the first down

Hooker pass incomplete to Alexander - 2nd down

Gillan punts it 44 yards to the Lions 9, fair catch by Williams

DeVito passes it to Ford-Wheaton for 6 yards and it's a 4th down and 2

Miller takes it again, just 1 yard - 4rd and 8

Miller takes it up 6, then 1 - 2nd and 9

DeVito pass complete to Jackson for 5 yards

Taken back by an Illegal Formation call on Giants, 5 yards

Lions go for it on 4th and 1 and DeVito picks up 2 yards - 1st down at the Giants 39

Lions' Bada was injured on the play

DeVito scrambles for 2 yards - 4th and 1

DeVito is still in at QB for Giants

Miller takes it up 2 yards, then 5

Fox punts it 44 yards and McKenzie runs it up 13 yards to the Giants 28

Lions get Delay of Game, 5 yards - 4th and 7

Hooker takes it up 1, then 6 - 4th down and 2

Knight up for a gain of 1 - 2nd and 9

Hooker scrambles up for 6 yards

HOLDING call on Giants' Johnson, 5 yards

Hooker's in under center for the Lions to start the second quarter

Knight picks up 3 - 2nd and 8

WE'RE BACK!

McAtamney kicks 61 yards to the Lions 4 and Alexander to takes it up 20 yards to the Lions 24 

Total and complete chaos

At halftime, the Lions are down 14-3 after the Giants running back Eric Gray scored two rushing TDs. 

The Lions had a chance at a comeback there at the end of the half but truly fumbled it. 

END FIRST HALF

Fox punts it 45 yards to the Giants 4, downed by Calhoun and that will take us to the END of the first half!

Lions take 3rd and final timeout

Sudfeld pass incomplete to Davis, covered by Hawkins - 4th and 13 at the Giants 49

Sudfeld pass complete to Davis for 5 yards - 3rd and 13

Sudfeld under pressure yet again, doesn't dare throw it again and gets SACKED by Chatman for a loss of 8 - 2nd down and 18

CHAOS

Sudfeld pass INTERCEPTED by Herndon

but FUMBLES it, RECOVERED by Lions' Vaki at the Giants 46!!

Lions' Green was hit hard in the helmet by Owens - injured on the play and down on the field

Vaki takes it up 4 - 3rd and 2

Sudfeld pass complete to Mitchell for 11 yards - 3rd and 6

Sudfeld SACKED by Basham for a loss of 9 - 2nd and 17

TWO-MINUTE WARNING

That'll take us to the 2-minute warning in the first half.

Giants lead 14-3.

Lions have the ball at 1st down at the Giants 27.

Vaki takes off 15 yards to the Giants 27 - 1st down

Sudfeld under pressure by Anderson, gets out of the pocket and picks up 8 yards - 1st down

Vaki picks up 9 yards - 2nd and 1

Giants get Defensive Too Many Men on Field penalty - 5 yards

Sudfeld under pressure, runs it out of bounds - 2nd and 3

McAtamney kicks 64 yards to the Lions 1 and Williams takes it up to the Lions 29 

Gray on FIRE

After a failed tush push by the Lions on 4th down, the Giants took over at the 37 and took full advantage of the opportunity.

After Gray got another big run of 13 yards, DeVito set up a pass to Jackson who took the ball all the way to the 1-yard line, setting up Gray for the touchdown. He easily ran it in and the Giants make it a 14-3 game with 4:49 to go in the first half.

McAtamney extra point is GOOD

DeVito pass to Jackson is complete and he takes it 18 yards all the way to the 1!

Gray doesn't make it far this time as Dorsey takes him down

DeVito pass to Jackson is incomplete

Lions called for Offsides - 5 yards

1st and 5

DeVito passes short to Gray and he takes it up 13 yards!

Lions tried to pull off a QB sneak and they can't swing it - stopped by Giants at 4th and 1 - Giants take over at the 37

And the officials are calling it short 

Sudfeld pass to Kennedy is caught (but bobbled) but it's unclear if it's short. They're using the laser hawkeye instead of the chains to measure it. 

Jefferson takes it up 6, but is taken back a yard on the next - 3rd and 5

Gano kicks 65 yards to the Lions 0 and Williams takes it to the 28

He can't be stopped!

A 24-yard reception followed by a 48-yard TD run. Nice.

DeVito sets up a nice scoring drive with two big passes to Gray and Jackson. Then it's Gray who gets the first TD of the game on a 48-yard run into the end zone! 

Giants take the lead with 9:12 to go in the first half.

Gano's PAT is GOOD!

Gray gets away for a 48-yard run into the end zone!

DeVito under pressure, pass incomplete, throws it out of bounds

DeVito goes long to TE Jackson this time for another big gain - 16 yards

DeVito pass COMPLETE to Gray for 24 yards

DeVito pass incomplete to Robinson - 3rd annd 7

Gray takes it up 3 yards - 2nd and 8

McKenzie MUFFS the punt, tackled at the 19

Personal Foul on Giants for hitting a player out of bounds - 9 yards

Sudfeld pass incomplete to Fountain with Hawkins all over him - 4th and 5

Sudfeld tosses it to Green for 3 yards - 3rd and 5

Jefferson takes it up 2 yards to the Lions 33

Sudfeld chucks it down the middle to Zylstra for 7 yards and the Lions' FIRST first down of the game

Sudfeld's next pass is nearly intercepted, incomplete to Fountain - 3rd and 3

Sudfeld pass to Green for yards

Gillan punts 43 yards to the Lions 17, fair catch by Alexander

DeVito pass complete to Gray but he gets just 8 yards - 4th and 12

DeVito pass hits the tips of Robinson's hands and bounces off to the ground - incomplete and 3rd and 20

Giants rookie RB getting some runs in first quarter

END FIRST QUARTER

And that takes us to the END of the first quarter here at rainy MetLife Stadium

DeVito SACKED for a loss of 10 yards by Lynn and Martin 

Fox punt caught by Olsezewski at the 29 and he runs it 8 yards. Lions are called for Player Out of Bounds on Kick - 5 yards

Sudfeld pass incomplete - 4th down

Third-round draft pick Jermar Jefferson is taken BACK 2 yards by Phillips

Jefferson takes it up 4 yards - 2nd and 6

Giants punt 44 yards into the end zone - Touchback

Giants - Delay of Game, 5 yards

Tommy DeVito has come on to replace Lock - 4th and 10 at the Lions 39 and they're going for it

Lock is under pressure by Lynn and he throws another incomplete pass to McKenzie. Lock is grabbing his side and looks to be hurt.

Lock pass to Bellinger and he gets wrapped up by Gilbert and drops the pass - incomplete. 3rd and 10 at the Lions 39

Yep...incomplete pass. 2nd and 10.

On 2nd and 1, Lock gets hit while throwing the ball and it falls to the ground, recovered by Tracy at the Lions 39. It's called a FUMBLE RECOVERY, but it's being challenged by the Lions and it will likely be called back as an incomplete pass...

Bates kicked the ball and it landed short of the landing zone in the Giants 40.

Lions' Bates gets the penalty - Kickoff Short of Landing Zone and another for Illegal Formation on the Lions - Declined

The game has been mostly a snooze fest so far, but finally we've got some points on the board. After Giants QB Drew Lock threw an interception that was caught and run back by Lions safety Kerby Joseph 20 yards, the Lions had an opportunity to score. They didn't get in the end zone, but we got to see Bates make the field goal 53 yards. Lions are on the board with 3:21 to go in the first quarter.

LIONS FIELD GOAL!

Bates 53 yard field goal is GOOD!

Sudfeld throws another deep incomplete shot with Banks all over Davis 

Sudfeld throws it high - incomplete - 3rd and 10

Lions in at the 35. Sudfeld tosses it to Reynolds for no gain.

Lock's pass is INTERCEPTED by Joseph and he takes it back 20 YARDS

Lock tosses the screen pass to Gray for a yard - 3rd down

Nabers is in and he's wide open but Lock apparently didn't see him and threw it away off the sidelines - 2nd and 10

Tracy takes it up 4 yards for another 1st down

Lock under pressure tosses it to Bellinger for 7 yards

Lock hands it off to Tracy and he's got just enough - we've finally got a 1st down!

Lock escapes the pocket and scrambles up for 7 yards

There is indeed some rain comin' down here at MetLife Stadium, which is about the most exciting thing I can report from the game so far.

Fox punts it 50 yards and Olszewski takes it up 4 yards to the 20

At 3rd and 2, it's Reynolds again but he's stopped short by Johnson and Riley. 4th down yet again.

Reynolds gets it again, takes it up another 5 - 3rd and 2

Reynolds takes it up 3 yards, taken out by Ojulari and Johnson

Gillan punted it 47 yards to the Lions 25 and Alexander caught it at the 25 and was immediately taken out and back by Boykin.

The ball flew out of his hands and was recovered by the Giants, but he was down by contact, so no fumble call there. Lions will start at their own 25.

Lock is SACKED by Ukwu for a loss of 5 yards - 4th down

Lock hands it off to Tracy again and he gets a few yards. Let's see if one of these teams can make it past 3rd down.

Lock is still in at QB for the Giants. Tracy takes it up 6 yards.

Olszewski takes it up just 3 yards to the Giants 26

Lions match Giants and go 3 and out...punting it back 60 yards...

Nate Sudfield in at QB now for the Lions and he is SACKED on the second play by Johnson

On the Giants' kick return, Alexander MUFFED the punt at the Lions 34 and Lions' Gilmore recovered it there.

Gilmore received a Holding penalty, 10 yards at the Lions 20.

Lock is in at QB for the Giants and they go 3 and out after a 5-yard scramble and an incomplete pass to McKenzie, followed by a no-gain run by Hyatt.

There was a flag on that play - a Holding call on Giants' Hodgins, putting them back 10 yards 

Bates has been one that we're all excited to see. He kicked it back 62 yards to the Giants' 3, allowing McKenzie to run it back 31 yards.

The Lions are the first to use the new kickoff of the two teams. Here we go!

Good news, Giants fans

It seems we'll get to see a bit of the rookie after all!

We're just moments away now from the first preseason game between the Giants and Lions! 

Fight, fight, fights

Ah, yes, the talk of the week has been about the fights that occurred during these two teams' joint practice. 

And yes, that is fights, plural. Over the two days of practice, there were multiple brawls between the Lions and Giants players. According to ESPN''s Jordan Raanan, on the first day alone there were "approximately eight skirmishes" on the field.

By the end of second day, the Lions and Giants had earned themselves a $200,000 fine each. The NFL sent out a memo that "fighting and unprofessional conduct at joint practices would not be tolerated".

The first of the scuffles occurred between Lions star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and the Giants defense. Another was caused by Giants quarterback DanielJones, who pushed Lions DT Alim McNeill in the back after he drove Giants center GregVanRoten to the ground. At one point, Giants rookie WR MalikNabers got into it with Lions safety KerbyJohnson, with Nabers later saying said "stuff like that is going to happen".

Let's see if this aggression comes through on the field tonight.

The one everyone is excited to see...

That would be the Giants' first-round pick, rookie wide receiver, Malik Nabers. He's played well in training camp, but the live action is a different ballgame. 

Unfortunately, we will have to wait at least another week, as Nabers is expected to sit this one out.

NFL

Who is Lions QB Hendon Hooker? Career stats, contract details...

Speaking of quarterbacks...

Hendon Hooker is the one we'll see for the Lions tonight instead of starting QB Jared Goff. 

Hooker was selected by the Lions No. 68 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, but he spent the year recovering from a bad ACL injury he suffered at the end of his season with Tennessee. Before that injury, however, he gave the university 6,080 passing yards and 58 touchdowns and only five interceptions in two seasons as their starter. 

Tonight's game will be Hooker's first opportunity to show what he can do in a live action game. He's been performing well during training camp, splitting time with fellow backup Nate Sudfield. He has, however, dealt with some fumbles and interceptions in practice. Tonight will give him a chance to show he can manage the game.

Read more about Hendon Hooker.

Will Daniel Jones play tonight?

As much as he'd like that, it seems unlikely. Jones is in dire need of proving himself this season and any practice he can get will benefit him in that way. BUT. He is also just coming back from an ACL injury. The risk of injury is not likely worth it to Brian Daboll. 

If Jones does get hurt again or if he doesn't have the big year his big money deal suggests he should, it'll be Drew Lock who steps in. 

Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito behind Jones

In fact, Lock along with fellow backup Tommy DeVito are the two we'll likely see tonight. Both of these two have starting experience in the NFL, so that ought to create even more pressure on Jones to perform well when he does finally take the field.

Good evening and WELCOME BACK to FOOTBALL season!!! 

The full NFL preseason finally begins tonight with a double-header and we're bringing the coverage live from the Detroit Lions @ New York Giants Game!

The game kicks off at 7 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium and we'll be here to bring you all the latest updates, scores, commentary, and highlights. 

Let's go!