DETROIT -- The Detroit Lions believe they have found the backup quarterback and depth receiver they were looking for this preseason.
Kyle Allen threw a 33-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass late in the first quarter to rookie Isaac TeSlaa (Arkansas Razorbacks), solidifying their roles with the Lions in a 26-7 loss against the Houston Texans in the preseason on Saturday.
"I was pleased with both of those guys," Detroit Coach Dan Campbell said. "It's good to see Kyle really take it to where he's gone."
Allen has established himself as Jared Goff's backup, beating out Hendon Hooker, and TeSlaa earned a spot in the receiver rotation behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.
Detroit drafted the 6-4, 214-pound TeSlaa in the third round even though he had just 28 catches for 545 yards and 3 touchdowns last season for Arkansas and he has validated the franchise's faith in him.
TeSlaa produced in practices as well as games, with 10 receptions for 146 yards and 3 touchdowns.
"There's a place for him to help us early in this season," Campbell said.
Texans rookie Graham Mertz, meanwhile, made a bid to earn a spot on a 53-man roster or at least an invite to be on a practice team.
"I'm really proud of Graham with the way he commanded the offense," Houston Coach DeMeco Ryans said. "He was under control. He did a really nice job of moving the ball up and down the field."
Mertz was 14 of 16 for 145 yards with a 6-yard touchdown pass to former Lions receiver Quintez Cephus in the second quarter. He ran two times for 20 yards.
"You want to give the coaches that confidence anytime you step out there that you can go out there and execute when your number is called," said Mertz, a former Florida and Wisconsin quarterback.
Kedon Slovis, who was on Houston's practice squad last year as a rookie, completed 11 of 16 passes for 111 yards with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Jackson in the fourth quarter.
The Texans (2-1) kept C.J. Stroud on the sideline, a week after he led two drives in a preseason win over Carolina, and did not play No. 2 quarterback Davis Mills.
Mertz made the most of the opportunity, showing he could make plays with his right arm and legs.
The 29-year-old Allen has started 19 times, including twice with the Texans in 2022, and played in 31 games over seven seasons with Carolina, Washington, Houston, Buffalo and Pittsburgh. He threw 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 12 starts for the Panthers in 2019, the only season he played extensively.
Allen, who was 5 of 5 for 66 yards and a score on Saturday, completed 35 of 44 passes for 401 yards with 5 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in four preseason games. Detroit (1-3) took Hooker in the third round out of Tennessee in 2023, hoping he would eventually become Goff's backup.
Hooker didn't throw a touchdown pass in the preseason and threw his third interception of the preseason in the fourth quarter against Houston.
DOLPHINS 14, JAGUARS 6
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Tua Tagovailoa threw a 25-yard touchdown pass and was sacked twice in his only action of the preseason, and Miami beat Jacksonville.
Mike Boone ran for a 7-yard touchdown for Miami (2-0-1), and Jacksonville's Cam Little kicked field goals of 59 and 43 yards.
While the Jaguars (0-2-1) rested their starters, many of the Dolphins' regulars played into the second quarter in the preseason finale for both teams.
Tagovailoa played the first three drives and sat after connecting with Malik Washington early in the second quarter to put Miami ahead 7-0. Washington caught Tagovailoa's pass inside the 20-yard line, turned to the outside then shifted inside before sprinting to the end zone.
Tagovailoa completed 4 of 8 passes for 49 yards. After the TD, he connected with reserve tight end Pharaoh Brown for a 2-point conversion.
Zach Wilson replaced Tagovailoa and directed Miami's second touchdown drive, which ended on Boone's run with 8:29 remaining in the third quarter.
Rookie Quinn Ewers took over for Wilson in the fourth quarter and completed 7 of 8 passes for 66 yards.
The Jaguars finished with six sacks.
Jacksonville drove to the Miami 30 with 2:06 remaining, but John Saunders Jr. intercepted Seth Henigan's pass and returned it 52 yards.
Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders dressed but did not see the field. Punter Jake Bailey handled the kickoffs, and Miami went for 2 after each of its touchdowns.
Bailey also came up short on a 51-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter.
Little kicked both field goals in the second quarter. His 59-yarder came as time expired.
Henigan finished 15 of 21 for 77 yards, and John Wolford went 3 of 5 for 25 yards as the Jaguars struggled all night to move the ball.
PACKERS 20, SEAHAWKS 7
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Malik Willis bounced back from an early interception and threw a touchdown pass to Romeo Doubs as Green Bay defeated Seattle.
Green Bay forced four turnovers and sacked rookie Jalen Milroe five times.
With the Seahawks resting starting quarterback Sam Darnold and backup Drew Lock, Milroe played the whole game and lost three fumbles. The third-round pick from Alabama went 13 of 24 for 148 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 31 yards on seven carries.
The Packers played many of their regulars for much of the first quarter as they built a 10-0 lead. One Green Bay starter who didn't play was quarterback Jordan Love, who practiced on a limited basis this week as he recovers from surgery on his left (non-throwing) thumb.
Love was one of 19 Packers who weren't in uniform Saturday.
Willis, who won each of the two games he started in place of an injured Love last year, threw a deep pass into coverage that was intercepted by Ty Okada on the opening possession. On the next series, Willis led a 14-play, 96-yard drive.
RAVENS 30, COMMANDERS 3
LANDOVER, Md. -- Keyon Martin returned an interception for a touchdown, Tyler Loop kicked a 61-yard field goal and Baltimore completed an unbeaten preseason with a rout of Washington.
It was Washington that snapped Baltimore's record streak of 24 preseason wins two years ago. That was the start of four losses in five exhibition games for the Ravens, but then they went 3-0 this year.
None of this means all that much. Star quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels weren't playing, and the Commanders didn't play backup Marcus Mariota either. Sam Hartman threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in the second quarter for Washington.
Receiver Terry McLaurin, currently in a contract dispute with the Commanders, was at the game but did not play.
Martin, who contributed a safety in the team's previous preseason game against Dallas, picked off a pass and ran it back 26 yards to give Baltimore a 24-3 lead.
Washington gave Chris Rodriguez a few carries early. He gained 34 yards on five attempts.
Aside from that, the Commanders showed little offensively. Cooper Rush completed all five of his passes for Baltimore, and Rasheen Ali opened the scoring with a 9-yard run. D'Ernest Johnson made it 14-0 with a 1-yard run in the second quarter.
Loop, who is replacing Justin Tucker as the Ravens' kicker after being drafted in the sixth round this year, made kicks of 46 and 52 yards before connecting from 61 early in the fourth. He went 9 of 11 on field goals this preseason, including 5 of 6 from at least 50 yards.
BROWNS 19, RAMS 17
CLEVELAND -- Andre Szmyt hit a 37-yard field goal as time expired to lift Cleveland to a preseason victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
Jordan Waters scored on a 2-yard run with 2:08 remaining to put the Rams up 17-16, setting the stage for the Browns' late drive.
Tyler Huntley came in after Shedeur Sanders struggled. He drove the Browns 46 yards in six plays, which was capped off by Szmyt's winning kick.
Szmyt could end up being Cleveland's kicker after Dustin Hopkins continued to struggle. Hopkins missed his second extra point of the preseason in the second quarter.
Joe Flacco had a touchdown pass and Dillon Gabriel directed two scoring drives as the Browns went 3-0 in the preseason for the second time in five seasons. It is not an indicator of success though as Cleveland went 8-9 in 2021.
Dresser Winn went the distance for the Rams and completed 15 of 23 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown. Waters finished with 41 yards on six carries.
Flacco was 9 of 10 for 71 yards and a touchdown as the first-team offense was in for three series and 17 plays. He completed all four of his passes on the second drive, including a 15-yard scoring strike to rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr.
Gabriel was 12 of 19 for 129 yards and a TD. He went 9 of 11 during a two-minute drive late in the first half that went 86 yards in 11 plays, including a 3-yard touchdown to Gage Larvadain with 17 seconds remaining.
COLTS 41, BENGALS 14
CINCINNATI -- Third-stringer Riley Leonard completed 15 of 20 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown as Indianapolis beat Cincinnati in the preseason finale for both teams.
Neither team played its starters. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who completed 18 of 24 passes for 185 yards and three TDs this preseason, sat this one out, as did his backup, Jake Browning.
Desmond Ridder, a University of Cincinnati product, started for the Bengals (1-2) and completed 8 of 20 passes for 75 yards with an interception and a rushing TD.
Colts safety Daniel Scott picked off Ridder's pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown to put Indy (1-2) ahead 10-0 in the first quarter.
Ridder's 1-yard sneak, set up by Kendall Milton's 41-yard run, got the Bengals within 10-7 in the second quarter.
The Colts named veteran Daniel Jones as their starting quarterback earlier this week and Anthony Richardson as the backup. Both watched from the sideline as Leonard tossed a 59-yard touchdown pass to Laquon Treadwell to make it 24-7 just 29 seconds before halftime.
Treadwell had six catches for 116 yards.
BRONCOS 28, SAINTS 19
NEW ORLEANS -- Bo Nix passed for 110 yards and a touchdown to Courtland Sutton in three possessions, and Denver defeated New Orleans in both clubs' preseason finale.
Saints rookie Tyler Shough ran for an 11-yard touchdown on a read-option play as he and second-year pro Spencer Rattler continued their competition to be New Orleans' starting quarterback.
Rattler started and completed 5 of 8 passes for 43 yards, leading two drives that culminated with Blake Grupe field goals and one which stalled on failed QB keeper on fourth-and-1.
Shough was 12 of 20 for 102 yards and led two scoring drives, the first ending with one of three field goals that Blake Grupe hit from beyond 47 yards for the Saints (0-2-1).
However, Shough's performance was marred by a lost fumble on a sack by Que Robinson in Saints territory. The turnover led to a Denver TD on Audric Estime's 5-yard run.
Denver's first-team offense put together a pair of scoring drives in the Superdome, where Broncos Coach Sean Payton called plays from the home sideline between 2006 to 2021.
Nix's 14-yard pass to Sutton on fourth-and-5 helped set up Wil Lutz's first of three field goals for the Broncos (3-0).
On his final series, Nix capped a six-play, 77-yard drive with his 19-yard scoring pass to Sutton. That capped a four-catch, 83-yard performance for the veteran receiver.
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. celebrates after intercepting a pass during the second half of a preseason NFL football game Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. celebrates after intercepting a pass during the second half of a preseason NFL football game Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Devin Leary, right, throws under pressure from Washington Commanders defensive end Andre Jones Jr. (50) during the second half of a preseason NFL football game Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Devin Leary, right, throws under pressure from Washington Commanders defensive end Andre Jones Jr. (50) during the second half of a preseason NFL football game Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Washington Commanders quarterback Josh Johnson (14) scrambles as Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Malik Hamm (59) defends during the second half of a preseason NFL football game Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Commanders quarterback Josh Johnson (14) scrambles as Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Malik Hamm (59) defends during the second half of a preseason NFL football game Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Keyon Martin (38) celebrates after intercepting a pass and running it back for a touchdown during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Washington Commanders Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Keyon Martin (38) celebrates after intercepting a pass and running it back for a touchdown during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Washington Commanders Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)