Detroit Lions vs New York Giants Match Player Stats (Aug 8, 2024)
MetLife Stadium hosted 75,108 fans on August 8, 2024, for a preseason matchup between Detroit and New York. The Giants secured a 14-3 victory in wet conditions, with most starters resting after joint practices earlier in the week.
Table of Contents
Game Information and Scoring Summary
Venue: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Date: August 8, 2024 (4:00 AM, August 9)
Officials: Alex Kemp (crew chief), Rusty Baynes, Sean Petty, Scott Helverson, Mike Morton, Lo van Pham, Robert Richeson
Weather: Wet, sloppy conditions
Scoring by Quarter
| Quarter | Time | Team | Score | Play Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 03:21 | DET | 3-0 | Jake Bates 53-yard field goal |
| 2nd | 09:12 | NYG | 7-3 | Eric Gray 48-yard touchdown run (Gano XP) |
| 2nd | 04:49 | NYG | 14-3 | Eric Gray 1-yard touchdown run (McAtamney XP) |
Team Statistics Comparison
Overall Performance Metrics
| Category | Detroit Lions | New York Giants |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 228 | 250 |
| Total Plays | 67 | 54 |
| Yards Per Play | 3.4 | 4.6 |
| First Downs | 15 | 14 |
| Passing First Downs | 6 | 4 |
| Rushing First Downs | 4 | 9 |
| Penalty First Downs | 5 | 1 |
| Time of Possession | 31:49 | 28:11 |
Offensive Production
| Category | Detroit Lions | New York Giants |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 110 | 95 |
| Completions/Attempts | 18/33 | 12/25 |
| Yards Per Pass | 3.0 | 3.5 |
| Sacks Allowed | 4-22 | 2-14 |
| Rushing Yards | 118 | 155 |
| Rush Attempts | 30 | 27 |
| Yards Per Rush | 3.9 | 5.7 |
| Longest Rush | 16 | 48 |
Situational Football
| Category | Detroit Lions | New York Giants |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd Down Conversions | 5/17 (29.4%) | 2/11 (18.2%) |
| 4th Down Conversions | 0/4 (0%) | 1/1 (100%) |
| Red Zone Visits | 3 | 1 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 0 | 1 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Fumbles Lost | 0 | 1 |
| Penalties | 7-41 | 10-102 |
Detroit Lions Individual Statistics
Passing
| Player | Comp/Att | Yards | TD | INT | Sacks | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nate Sudfeld | 13/24 | 96 | 0 | 1 | 4-22 | 46.5 |
| Hendon Hooker | 5/9 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 65.0 |
| Team Total | 18/33 | 110 | 0 | 1 | 4-22 | 51.6 |
Rushing
| Player | Attempts | Yards | Average | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hendon Hooker | 4 | 34 | 8.5 | 0 | 16 |
| Sione Vaki | 4 | 29 | 7.3 | 0 | 15 |
| Nate Sudfeld | 3 | 14 | 4.7 | 0 | 8 |
| Zonovan Knight | 6 | 12 | 2.0 | 0 | 4 |
| Craig Reynolds | 4 | 11 | 2.8 | 0 | 5 |
| Jake Funk | 4 | 9 | 2.3 | 0 | 7 |
| Jermar Jefferson | 5 | 9 | 1.8 | 0 | 6 |
| Team Total | 30 | 118 | 3.9 | 0 | 16 |
Receiving
| Player | Receptions | Targets | Yards | Average | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isaiah Williams | 4 | 4 | 35 | 8.8 | 13 |
| Donovan Peoples-Jones | 1 | 2 | 26 | 26.0 | 26 |
| Antoine Green | 3 | 3 | 13 | 4.3 | 7 |
| James Mitchell | 1 | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 11 |
| Zonovan Knight | 2 | 3 | 10 | 5.0 | 9 |
| Parker Hesse | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 8 |
| Shane Zylstra | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 |
| Maurice Alexander | 1 | 3 | 6 | 6.0 | 6 |
| Others | 4 | 15 | 16 | 4.0 | 5 |
| Team Total | 18 | 33 | 132 | 7.3 | 26 |
Defense
| Player | Total | Solo | Sacks | TFL | PD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malik Jefferson | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| DaRon Gilbert | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Brodric Martin | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Mitchell Agude | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Joseph | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Others | 41 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Team Total | 62 | 34 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
New York Giants Individual Statistics
Passing
| Player | Comp/Att | Yards | TD | INT | Sacks | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy DeVito | 8/15 | 92 | 0 | 0 | 1-10 | 72.1 |
| Drew Lock | 4/10 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 1-4 | 8.3 |
| Team Total | 12/25 | 95 | 0 | 1 | 2-14 | 43.6 |
Rushing
| Player | Attempts | Yards | Average | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dante Miller | 12 | 63 | 5.3 | 0 | 19 |
| Eric Gray | 4 | 52 | 13.0 | 2 | 48 |
| Tyrone Tracy Jr. | 5 | 26 | 5.2 | 0 | 12 |
| Drew Lock | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Tommy DeVito | 4 | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 2 |
| Team Total | 27 | 155 | 5.7 | 2 | 48 |
Receiving
| Player | Receptions | Targets | Yards | Average | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Gray | 4 | 4 | 46 | 11.5 | 24 |
| Tyree Jackson | 2 | 4 | 34 | 17.0 | 18 |
| Allen Robinson | 1 | 2 | 9 | 9.0 | 9 |
| Daniel Bellinger | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 |
| Dante Miller | 2 | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 13 |
| Bryce Ford-Wheaton | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6.0 | 6 |
| Others | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Team Total | 12 | 22 | 109 | 9.1 | 24 |
Defense
| Player | Total | Solo | Sacks | TFL | PD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darrian Beavers | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Ovie Oghoufo | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Matthew Adams | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Holmes | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boogie Basham | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Dyontae Johnson | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Others | 47 | 28 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| Team Total | 72 | 45 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 1 |
Special Teams Performance
Field Goals and PATs
| Team | Kicker | FG Made/Att | Long | XP Made/Att | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | Jake Bates | 1/1 | 53 | 0/0 | 3 |
| Giants | Gano/McAtamney | 0/0 | 0 | 2/2 | 2 |
Punting
| Team | Punter | Punts | Average | TB | Inside 20 | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | Jack Fox | 7 | 49.7 | 0 | 2 | 62 |
| Giants | Jamie Gillan | 7 | 45.6 | 1 | 4 | 60 |
Returns
Kick Returns
| Team | Player | Returns | Yards | Average | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | Isaiah Williams | 2 | 56 | 28.0 | 28 | 0 |
| Lions | Maurice Alexander | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 20 | 0 |
| Giants | Isaiah McKenzie | 1 | 26 | 26.0 | 26 | 0 |
Punt Returns
| Team | Player | Returns | Yards | Average | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | Maurice Alexander | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Giants | Gunner Olszewski | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | 8 | 0 |
| Giants | Isaiah McKenzie | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 13 | 0 |
| Giants | Ayir Asante | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 4 | 0 |
Pro Football Focus Performance Grades
Lions Top Performers
| Position | Player | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| C | Duke Clemens | 90.0 |
| OT | Dan Skipper | 89.0 |
| CB | Amik Robertson | 87.4 |
| LB | Mitchell Agude | 81.5 |
| CB | Ennis Rakestraw Jr. | 80.3 |
| DE | Nate Lynn | 78.5 |
| S | Brandon Joseph | 78.3 |
| RB | Sione Vaki | 76.1 |
Lions Bottom Performers
| Position | Player | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Nate Sudfeld | 38.1 |
| RB | Jermar Jefferson | 45.4 |
| OT | Giovanni Manu | 43.7 |
| EDGE | James Houston | 28.0 |
| DT | Mekhi Wingo | 28.3 |
Turnovers and Fumbles
Lions Fumbles
| Player | Fumbles | Lost | Recovered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maurice Alexander | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steven Gilmore | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sione Vaki | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Team Total | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Giants Fumbles
| Player | Fumbles | Lost | Recovered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tre Herndon | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Isaiah McKenzie | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Team Total | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Key Plays and Turning Points
First Quarter: Brandon Joseph intercepted Drew Lock and returned it to set up Detroit’s field goal opportunity. This turnover led directly to Jake Bates’ 53-yard field goal, giving Detroit their only points.
Second Quarter: Eric Gray broke through the Lions defense for a 48-yard touchdown run at 9:12, capping a six-play, 91-yard drive. The play began after Tommy DeVito connected with Gray on a 24-yard pass to move into Lions territory.
Second Quarter: Dru Phillips stopped Nate Sudfeld on a fourth-and-one attempt at the Lions’ 37-yard line. The Giants capitalized immediately, with Gray scoring from one yard out four plays later.
Notable Individual Performances
Eric Gray led all players with 98 yards from scrimmage on just eight touches. His two touchdowns came on runs of 48 and 1 yard. The second-year back averaged 13.0 yards per carry and 11.5 yards per reception.
Dante Miller, an undrafted rookie from South Carolina, carried 12 times for 63 yards. He gained positive yardage on every attempt and demonstrated consistent power running between the tackles.
For Detroit, rookie Sione Vaki impressed with 29 yards on four carries (7.3 average). His Pro Football Focus grade of 76.1 ranked third among Lions offensive players.
Nate Lynn recorded five pressures and one sack on just 22 defensive snaps for the Lions. The undrafted defensive end earned a 78.5 PFF grade.
Injury Report
Hendon Hooker left the game in the third quarter with a concussion and did not return. Drew Lock exited late in the first quarter with a hip injury. Lock stated afterward he could have returned if necessary.
Roster Implications
Giants players who improved their roster standing include Eric Gray, Dante Miller, Tommy DeVito, and rookie cornerback Dru Phillips. Boogie Basham and Dyontae Johnson each recorded sacks in their competition for edge rusher spots.
Detroit saw positive performances from rookies Sione Vaki, Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (80.3 PFF grade), and undrafted defensive end Nate Lynn. The backup quarterback position remains unsettled after Nate Sudfeld’s struggles (38.1 PFF grade) and Hendon Hooker’s injury.
Historical Context
According to ESPN, this marked the 15th preseason meeting between these franchises. The Giants improved to 9-6 in exhibition games against Detroit.
Statistical Analysis
The NFL’s official game center confirms Detroit ran 13 more offensive plays but averaged 1.2 fewer yards per play. This efficiency gap proved decisive.
New York converted their only fourth-down attempt and scored on their lone red zone visit. Detroit failed on all four fourth-down attempts and came away empty on three red zone trips.
The Lions’ 29.4% third-down conversion rate (5 of 17) reflects their offensive struggles throughout the game. Their inability to sustain drives led to seven punts despite controlling possession for nearly 32 minutes.
For additional context on recent Lions performances, their previous matchup statistics show similar offensive inefficiency issues in critical situations.
Giants fans interested in comparing quarterback performances can reference recent Giants games for additional perspective on the backup competition.
Summary
In a preseason contest marked by evaluation opportunities, the Giants demonstrated superior execution in critical moments. Their 14-3 victory came through efficient offense (4.6 yards per play), opportunistic defense (4-for-4 on fourth-down stops), and standout individual performances from Eric Gray and Dante Miller. Detroit’s offensive struggles, particularly in the red zone and on fourth downs, overshadowed solid defensive play and strong performances from select rookies. Both teams gained valuable evaluation footage as roster decisions approach.
