Atlanta — The Detroit Lions‘ preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons was cut short after Lions defensive back Morice Norris suffered a serious injury with 14:50 remaining at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Friday night.
While attempting a tackle on former Michigan State running back Nathan Carter, Norris’ head collided with Carter’s knee. He laid on the ground, motionless, as a backboard and cart were immediately brought out. He was eventually taken off the field in an ambulance and transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.
“Morice Norris is in stable condition and has feeling and movement in all his extremities,” the Lions announced late Friday evening. “He will remain at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta overnight for observation. We would like to thank the Atlanta Falcons organization, the EMS team at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the doctors and staff at Grady for their support.”
Lions coach Dan Campbell called the situation “an eye-opener.”
“It hits a little different,” he said. “It puts things in perspective.”
Players from both teams expressed serious concern as medical personnel from both teams worked on Norris. After he was taken off in an ambulance, 11 players on each side eventually returned to the field. The Falcons took a snap but didn’t actually run a play. All 22 players simply stood there, running out the remaining time on the clock for around eight minutes. At one point, the players wound up gathering a circle of prayer as time wound down.
After several minutes ticked off during the play — which was eventually removed from the NFL scorebook, making Norris’ injury the final official snap — officials announced the game was being suspended. The Lions were leading, 17-10, when play stopped.
Prior to the two teams retaking the field, Campbell spoke to the entire Lions sideline.
“I just told them to pray for him,” Campbell said of his message to the team and staff. “Because at that point, we didn’t have much. He was breathing, so I shared that, and I said, ‘Please pray for him,’ and I told them we’re taking knees. We’re going to take knees for the rest of the game, they are and we are, until this thing is over.”
Lions quarterback Kyle Allen said no one on the sideline wanted to continue playing. It’s unclear why the teams were urged to return to do so. Preseason games were suspended under similar circumstances twice in 2023, once between the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots and another time between the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars.
“It’s just awful,” Allen said. “Like I said, you sign up for football and you understand the risk, you understand injury and putting your body on the line. But you never think something like that’s going to happen.”
Added Allen, when asked about Atlanta’s players showing care for Norris: “I think anyone that’s put their body on the line on the field understands what they’re doing and understands the gravity of it. At the end of the day, we’re all out here (as) football players. We might be on 32 different teams, but we’ve all played football our whole lives and had our own injuries and been through it. I think people — when you’re on that field and you see that, you understand how dangerous it really is out there. At the end of the day, we’re all football players.”
Asked how the decision to run out the clock came to be, Falcons coach Raheem Morris said, “Just Dan and myself, respect for his family, Morice Norris. It was that simple.”
Campbell said, “Raheem Morris is a class act. He’s the ultimate class act. We agreed that it just didn’t feel right to finish that game. That man is a class act. Always has been.”
Falcons quarterback Easton Stick said it was “a really scary situation,” and Falcons defensive back DeMarcco Hellams said it was “a great decision” to end the game early.
“The first thing is safety. I know a lot of people may think about players playing the game…and guys getting [opportunities] and things like that, but first thing on our mind is player safety,” Hellams said. “Just out of respect for the situation that happened — it wasn’t anything that was a minor injury, you know, it was a major injury — seeing the carts and seeing the ambulance come out, so, I think it was a great decision by whoever made that choice.”
Norris, 24, is in his second year with the Lions. Campbell said a number of the team’s veteran defensive backs view Norris as a “little brother,” and that he knew some players wanted to go see him in the hospital. Campbell said some members of the organization would stay in Atlanta.
Quarterback Hendon Hooker, who got the start against Atlanta, was pulled with 5:10 left in the second quarter after turning it over via fumble twice and completing 7-of-10 passes for just 38 yards. Allen was 7-for-8 for 120 yards and two touchdowns.
Both Detroit touchdowns were the first career touchdowns for the rookie receiver who caught them. Isaac TeSlaa (two catches, 18 yards) caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Allen with 2:18 left in the first half. Jackson Meeks, who caught a 68-yard pass on Allen’s first official attempt, added a 1-yard score with 0:42 to go in the third quarter. Jake Bates made a 57-yard field goal early in the second half. Edge rushers Nate Lynn and Al-Quadin Muhammad registered one sack each.
Rookie defensive tackle Tyleik Williams and rookie offensive lineman Tate Ratledge made their pro debuts in the contest.
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
@nolanbianchi
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