Dan Campbell stars in new Applebee’s commercials for 2025
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell stars in new Applebee’s commercials for 2025. Campbell filmed the commercials in Howell, Michigan, in July.
The Detroit Lions finished off their preseason with a 26-7 loss to the Houston Texans on Saturday, Aug. 23 at Ford Field in Detroit.
The Lions hosted the Texans for a joint practice at their facility in Allen Park on Thursday, Aug. 21, where both teams showed impressive defensive performances. Houston ranked fifth in total defense in 2024 (315 yards allowed per game), while the Lions ranked 20th (342.4 yards per game).
This was the final opportunity for many players to make the regular-season roster, with coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes having tough decisions to make for the defensive line and wide receiver groups.
Perhaps the biggest outstanding question is who will back up starting quarterback Jared Goff. Campbell has recently expressed greater trust in new addition Kyle Allen over third-year quarterback Hendon Hooker, though the Lions could theoretically carry both players on the roster during the regular season.
Allen started the game and threw a touchdown to rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa in the first quarter, going a perfect 5-for-5 passing. He gave way to Hooker early in the second quarter, and Hooker struggled the rest of the way, going 6-for-11 for 70 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.
Here were our updates and observations throughout the game:
The Lions finish off their preseason with a 26-7 loss to the Houston Texans. They will have the next week off and will begin the regular season on Sept. 7 against the Green Bay Packers in Green Bay.
Quarterback Hendon Hooker completed all four of his passes on his last possession, but also took two sacks, including one on fourth down in Texans’ territory to give the ball back to Houston on their own 30-yard line.
After an eight-play, 26-yard drive, the Texans added three points to the scoreboard on a 48-yard field goal from Ka’imi Fairbairn.
The Texans got the field goal off without a hitch this time, though Fairbairn’s low-arcing line drive was probably not how he envisioned the attempt would go.
A 25-yard scramble from quarterback Hendon Hooker set up the Lions on the Texans’ side of the field, but the offense couldn’t do much beyond that, ending with a missed connection from Hooker to rookie receiver Dominic Lovett.
Hooker has completed 2-of-7 passes for 20 yards so far.
The Texans scored their third touchdown of the game on a 3-yard pass from Kedon Slovis to receiver Daniel Jackson.
Kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn hit the extra point this time.
Lions’ cornerback Tyson Russell intercepted Texans’ quarterback Kedon Slovis on the first play of the fourth quarter, giving the Lions the ball deep in their own territory. On the very next play, however, Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker threw it directly to Texans’ safety Jalen Mills, giving the ball back to the Texans in the red zone (though an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty brought it back to the Lions’ 28-yard line).
These were the first two turnovers of the game, and they happened on back-to-back plays.
No score change after the third quarter, with the Texans racking up yards (now at 325) but failing to extend their lead after a missed field goal.
The Lions gained 13 total yards in the quarter, with the Texans having the ball for the vast majority of the period. The last quarter of the preseason approaches.
The Lions announced that Robert Porcher, a defensive lineman who spent all 12 of his NFL seasons (1992-2003) with the Lions, will be inducted into the Pride of the Lions during the team’s home opener against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Sept. 14.
Porcher recorded 435 solo tackles with the Lions, which is ninth-most in franchise history.
Two big hits from Lions safety Loren Strickland (plus a key pass interference penalty on Texans’ receiver Juwann Winfree) helped keep the Texans out of the end zone despite the Lions allowing an 11-play drive that reached Detroit’s 7-yard line.
Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbarn missed the 36-yard attempt, the second time he has whiffed on a point-scoring opportunity this game. The Lions are sending out quarterback Hendon Hooker for his first drive of the half with Detroit down by nine points.
Lions linebacker Ezekiel Turner limped off the field with the help of trainers after suffering an apparent injury to his right leg. Turner appeared in nine regular-season games for the Lions in 2024 after starting his season with the Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks.
The Texans started their final drive of the half with two and a half minutes left on the clock, but seemed uninterested to put together a hurry-up offense, instead running short passes and running plays.
The Texans have almost doubled-up the Lions on offense, with 212 yards of total offense compared to the Lions’ 110. The Lions have especially struggled on the rushing attack, with 37 yards on 12 carries for an average of 3.1 yards per play.
If Detroit’s second half looks anything like the Lions’ final drive of the half, you can expect a lot of running plays. Hooker handed the ball off on all three of the Lions’ plays in his most recent drive, with a 4th-and-1 play blown up by a false start penalty.
There have been 28 combined rushing attempts from both teams in the first half compared to 23 combined rushing attempts. It looks as if both teams are trying to finish this game quickly and without risk of significant injury to important players.
A 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Graham Mertz to receiver Quintez Cephus caps off an 11-play, 89-yard drive and gives the Texans a two-score lead.
A muffed handle on the point-after attempt limits the scoring drive to six points for Houston, however, as the Texans take a nine-point lead.
Quarterback Hendon Hooker begins his first drive for the Lions midway through the second quarter. He and Kyle Allen are battling for the Lions’ backup quarterback position, with Allen having an edge on the role entering today’s game.
Hooker began the possession with a 14-yard pass to running back Jacob Saylors, but the drive stalled on the Lions’ 48-yard line, leading to a punt.
The Texans retake the lead on a nine-yard touchdown run from running back Woody Marks. The run caps off an eight-play, 50-yard drive from the Texans.
It’s been a fairly balanced matchup so far. Both teams have long drives ending in scores, though the Lions were able to convert theirs into a touchdown.
The Lions offense has 81 total yards on 13 plays, while the Texans have 74 total yards on 11 plays. Both teams have established a steady rushing attack, with Texans quarterback Graham Mertz leading all rushers with 20 yards on two scrambles.
Grabbing his third touchdown of the preseason, Lions’ rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa made an impressive 33-yard catch in the front right corner of the end zone to give the Lions the lead.
TeSlaa hit the worm and a bow-and-arrow celebration after the touchdown.
The catch capped off a 10-play 85-yard drive that was otherwise dominated by running back Craig Reynolds, who had two catches for 20 yards and another nine yards on three rushes during the drive. Quarterback Kyle Allen is so far 5-for-5 for 66 yards and a touchdown today.
Texans’ linebacker Jake Hansen was attended to on the field after a Lions’ running play in the first quarter. He was helped off the field, walking under his own power.
Hansen is entering his fourth year with Houston, having started two games for a top-tier Texans defense in 2024.
The Texans marched down from their own 20-yard-line on their opening possession with an efficient run game, but were stopped after a false start penalty on 4th-and-1 in Lions’ territory.
A 53-yard field goal from kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn put the Texans on the board.
Grant Stuard, who has started returning kicks for the Lions in the preseason, started off the game with a 44-yard return on the opening kickoff.
The Lions started their opening drive on their own 45-yard line, but went 3-and-out after a third-down sack on quarterback Kyle Allen from Texans’ defensive tackle Tommy Togiai.
The Texans won the coin toss and chose to defer their decision to the second half.
The Lions will receive the ball to start the game facing the south end zone.
Lions’ offensive tackle Taylor Decker turns 32 today. Decker was taken by the Lions in the first round of the 2016 draft and has played in 126 regular-season games for the Lions over nine seasons.
Decker is the longest-tenured active Lion and signed a three-year, $60 million contract with Detroit in 2024.
How to watch Lions vs. Texans preseason game
After a joint practice this week, the Lions will take on the Texans in a preseason game at Ford Field on Saturday, Aug. 23.
Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET.
TV: WJBK (Fox 2).
Streaming: Fubo.
Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1).
The Lions preseason games will be broadcasted on Fox locally, with streaming available on Fubo.
Watch Detroit Lions preseason on Fubo
Is Jared Goff playing?
Likely not. The Lions often take a conservative approach with their star players and rely on training camp reps and joint practices for their players to get ready for the season.
Based on most recent depth chart.
WR Jameson Williams – 1
WR Amon-Ra St. Brown – 14
LT Taylor Decker – 68
LG Christian Mahogany – 73
C Graham Glasgow – 60
RG Tate Ratledge – 69*
RT Penei Sewell – 58
TE Sam LaPorta – 87
WR Tim Patrick – 12
QB Jared Goff – 16
RB David Montgomery – 5
*rookie
Houston Texans first-team offense
Based on most recent depth chart.
QB C.J. Stroud – 7
RB Nick Chubb – 21
WR Nico Collins – 12
WR Christian Kirk – 13
WR Jayden Higgins – 81*
TE Dalton Schultz – 86
LT Cam Robinson – 74
LG Laken Tomlinson – 75
C Jarrett Patterson – 54
RG Tytus Howard – 71
RT Aireontae Ersery – 79*
*rookie
Detroit Lions first-team defense
Based on most recent depth chart.
EDGE Aidan Hutchinson – 97
DL Alim NcNeill – 54**
DL DJ Reader – 98
EDGE Marcus Davenport – 92
LB Jack Campbell – 46
LB Alex Anzalone – 34
NB Amik Robertson – 21
CB D.J. Reed – 4
CB Terrion Arnold – 6
S Brian Branch – 32
S Kerby Jospeh – 31
**on PUP list
Houston Texans first-team defense
Based on most recent depth chart.
DE Will Anderson Jr. – 51
DT Mario Edwards Jr. – 97
DT Sheldon Rankins – 90
DE Danielle Hunter – 55
LB Azeez Al-Shaair – 0
LB Henry To’oto’o – 39
CB Derek Stingley Jr. – 24
CB Kamari Lassiter – 4
NB Jalen Pitre – 5
S Calen Bullock – 2
S C.J. Gardner-Johnson – 23
You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com