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 had an underwhelming finish to their 2025 preseason slate with a lopsided loss to the Texans on Saturday.

Top takeaways and notes from the Lions preseason loss, including players who helped themselves and hurt their chances in Detroit

The Lions fell to the Houston Texans 26-7 in their final preseason game of the season at Ford Field. The big question during this fall camp has been if the Lions will take three quarterbacks on their roster.

The Detroit Lions hosted the Houston Texans in Ford Field for Saturday's exhibition season finale. A largely uninspired Lions team dropped a 26-7 decision to the Texans. Here's how the two teams got to that final score.

Since departing from Detroit, Quintez Cephus has yet to find a home. But an impressive end to the preseason could lead to Cephus finding a home in Houston.

Former third-round pick Hendon Hooker entered training camp as the favorite to back up Jared Goff, but he’s struggled, and Kyle Allen has excelled. Over the last two preseason games, Allen has gone 21-for-25 for 244 yards with four touchdown passes. Meanwhile, Hooker is 16-of-29 for 117 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.

Nowaske made plays from the SAM and MIKE roles, and was arguably the team’s best defender against the Texans. In base sets, Nowaske played the SAM with the first and second teams, but when the Lions went into second-team nickel sets, he shifted to MIKE and showed off his range to run the field.

The Detroit Lions resume Week 3 of the 2025 NFL preseason hosting the Houston Texans tonight. Start time, where to watch, streaming and NFL schedule.