Lions 25, Colts 16
The Lions took a narrow victory over the Colts in their preseason meeting on Friday, winning 25 to 16. It was a game that felt tighter than the final number suggested, with neither side able to build much momentum. And here's the thing about these early-season fixtures — they rarely tell you much about what's coming.
The Colts started slowly, finding themselves behind after the first quarter and never quite closing the gap. Their recent form had been uneven, with a draw against the Patriots and a heavy defeat to the Falcons. To be fair, this wasn't much different from what they'd shown before.
Meanwhile the Lions were finding their rhythm, scoring consistently and keeping their defence organised. They'd beaten the Commanders 17-13 in their last outing, and there was a sense they'd figured something out. By then they'd already lost to the Bengals 16-14, so confidence wasn't guaranteed.
The third quarter saw both sides trade possessions without either managing to pull away. The Colts tried to respond, but their attacks found no answer against a Lions defence that seemed to know where to be. It's the kind of game where one or two mistakes decide things, and the Colts had more of those.
When the whistle went, the Lions had enough to take the win, though not by as much as they might have hoped. The Colts showed flashes of promise but couldn't string together a sustained period of play. Preseason football has its own rules, and neither side should read too much into this result.
