Falcons Experience Unprecedented Ending in NFL Preseason 1 Week

Some Atlanta Falcons players, particularly on defense, gained some valuable live game repetitions Friday night against the Detroit Lions. That's the great thing about the NFL preseason.

What's not so great about the NFL preseason is the chance for unnecessary injuries. That happened Friday night too although to the Lions.

Because of a very serious injury, the Falcons-Lions matchup ended in a very abrupt, unprecedented way at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Friday.

Falcons-Lions Suspend Week 1 Preseason Matchup After Morice Norris Injury

Falcons running back Nathan Carter gained eight yards on the first play of the fourth quarter. But crazily, that was also the final play of the preseason matchup.

Lions safety Morice Norris appeared to hit his head on Carter's thigh. Norris received credit for half a tackle, but the replay indicates that the safety may have lowered his head too much on the hit.

Norris also banged his head on the turf after making the tackle.

prayers up for Lions Cornerback Morice Norris who suffered a head injury against the falcons in a preseason game. #lions #falcons #preseason pic.twitter.com/721Stwy4a6
— eagles (@jalenhurtsish1m) August 9, 2025

Play stopped for more than 10 minutes as an ambulance came onto the field to take Norris to the hospital.

As serious a situation as I have covered. It's been 10+ minutes and they have not moved him into the ambulance.
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) August 9, 2025

Scary scene here pic.twitter.com/hFXjwvqp4D
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) August 9, 2025

After the ambulance left the field, the game didn't resume. The clock started to run but no play occurred. Instead, the two teams huddle at midfield for a prayer.

The clock is running, but no one is lining up to play. I think this one is over.
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) August 9, 2025

The Falcons and Lions are huddling together at midfield. Both teams must have agreed to run out the clock after Lions safety Morice Norris left in an ambulance. Respect. pic.twitter.com/s0qQdT3dKW
— Terrin Waack (@TerrinWaack) August 9, 2025

The scene in Atlanta after Lions DB Morice Norris left the game in an ambulance. Clock continues to run. pic.twitter.com/DrSNy0uTrY
— Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) August 9, 2025

The two teams agreed to suspend the game. After about three quarters, the contest ended in a 17-10 victory for the Lions.

The NFL suspended the Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals matchup on Monday Night Football in Week 17 of the 2022 season after Damar Hamlin collapsed. So, suspended games aren't completely unheard of.

But the scene left Falcons and Lions beat writers sharing astonished reactions on social media. Many of them typed some variation of the sentence, "never seen this before."

I have never experienced anything like this before. The teams just standing together at the 50 as the clock runs. 10 minutes to go, and I think everyone is content to wait this out. Play is over in Atlanta.
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) August 9, 2025

I've never seen anything like this, and it's the right decision. After the game stopped a dozen minutes to stabilize Morice Norris' injury, the Falcons snapped the ball, and everyone is letting the clock run. NFL should just phone it in and call it.
— Justin Rogers | Detroit Football Network (@Justin_Rogers) August 9, 2025

Lions and Falcons players holding hands at midfield in a circle, letting the clock run out with 13 minutes left. Never seen this before
— Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) August 9, 2025

Game suspended
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) August 9, 2025

The Lions broadcast stated Norris "was indeed blinking his eyes" while entering the ambulance on a stretcher. Lions head coach Dan Campebll told reporters after the game Norris went to a local hospital and that "he's breathing, he's talking" and that he had "some movement."

Lions broadcast says Morice Norris "was indeed blinking his eyes" while getting loaded into the ambulance. https://t.co/dxQ2glpSAo
— Richard Silva (@rich_silva18) August 9, 2025

Campbell begins his press conference by saying there's a positive update on #Lions DB Morice Norris.

"He's breathing, he's talking...he's got some movement, and now, they're running some tests."
— Nolan Bianchi (@nolanbianchi) August 9, 2025

Falcons Defense, QB Easton Stick Start Fast in Preseason Opener

As for the game, the Falcons defense was the most impressive side of the ball for Atlanta.

The unit gave up 10 points in the third quarter. But in the first half, the Falcons held the Lions to seven points on six drives (one was a kneeldown at the end of the second quarter).

Atlanta's defense recovered two fumbles in the first half. One came on a strip sack from edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie.

The Falcons offense was slow to get started, but quarterback Easton Stick led the unit on a touchdown drive late in the second quarter. Stick finished 15 of 18 for 149 yards and a touchdown.

Atlanta's offense struggled to move the ball in large part because the team's running game was non-existent. Carter accounted for more than a third of the team's rushing yards on the final play of the game.

The contest will count as a loss in the record books for Atlanta. The Falcons will face the Tennessee Titans at home in Week 2 of the NFL preseason. Kickoff will be at 7 pm Friday, Aug. 15.