ATLANTA — Friday's preseason game between the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions ended prematurely after Lions safety Morice Norris was driven off the field at in an ambulance due to an injury sustained during the fourth quarter. There was 14:50 left in regulation. Both teams remained at midfield inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium until the game was officially suspended with 6:19 left on the clock.

Final score: Lions 17, Falcons 10

Editor's note: Everything below was written before Norris' injury occurred.

Why it's important: The Falcons sat their starters, including quarterback Michael Penix Jr., so Friday's exhibition game showed who the coaching staff needs to still evaluate. Seeing players like defensive lineman Zach Harrison, edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie and wide receiver Casey Washington dressed out was somewhat surprising since they all took significant reps with the first-team units during Wednesday's scrimmage, which Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said was meant for the starters. Just goes to show that there's still more to figure out this training camp.

Key takeaway: James Pearce Jr. may not have had eye-catching plays (see safety DeMarcco Hellams below), but the rookie edge rusher's presence was definitely felt by the Lions. Whenever Pearce lined up outside, Detroit had multiple players block him, pulling over an offensive lineman to work alongside a tight end in hopes of keeping Pearce out of the backfield. Or, the Lions just ran the ball the opposite way of Pearce. That says a lot about how opponents already are viewing the Falcons' first-round draft pick, and it's something Atlanta has been missing.

Key moment: During the second quarter, Detroit faced second-and-8 at the Atlanta 11-yard line when Falcons edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie got around Lions right tackle Mason Miller to sack quarterback Hendon Hooker. In the process of his takedown, Ebiketie forced a fumble out of Hooker. Falcons defensive lineman Ta'Quon Graham recovered it. The unfolding of this play alone shows what the Falcons have been prioritizing this offseason and working on this preseason: rushing the passer and forcing turnovers.

Defensive standout performance: DeMarcco Hellams. The third-year safety had an insane first two series, starting opposite veteran Jordan Fuller. Hellams made the first tackle for the Falcons, taking down tight end Shane Zylstra as soon as he caught a 2-yard pass from quarterback Hendon Hooker. Later, Hellams tackled Hooker on a 23-yard run despite his target trying to stop him. Hellams then had a hard hit on running back Craig Reynolds as a pass fell incomplete coming his way. The hit drew an audible oof from the crowd. Hellams was flagged for unnecessary roughness, but an offensive pass interference call on the Lions offset the penalty. Safe to say No. 23 is back from last season's ankle injury.

Offensive standout performance: Easton Stick. The third-string quarterback really held his own in the first half, completing 15 of his 18 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. He spread the love, too, with six different receivers, which helps because the Falcons need to work out their depth behind starters Drake London and Ray-Ray McCloud III since Darnell Mooney is out with a shoulder injury. Stick's favorite target was Dylan Drummond, with eight receptions for 62 yards. Stick's sole touchdown pass was a 13-yarder to Chris Blair that tied up the scoreboard before halftime.

Number to know: 57. The distance of rookie kicker Lenny Krieg's field goal in the first quarter. It's only a yard short of veteran kicker Younghoe Koo's career long, which he made last year in the Falcons' Week 4 win against the New Orleans Saints. Krieg, however, missed his second boot of 53 yards in the third quarter.

Injury updates: No one from the Falcons went down with an injury.

Who did not dress: ILB Divine Deablo. WR Darnell Mooney. S Jessie Bates III. WR KhaDarel Hodge. WR Drake London. K Younghoe Koo. RB Bijan Robinson. TE Kyle Pitts Sr. QB Michael Penix Jr. CB Mikes Hughes. CB Clark Phillips III. CB AJ Terrell Jr. RB Tyler Allgeier. RB Carlos Washington Jr. WR Ray-Ray McCloud III. CB Keith Taylor. ILB Troy Andersen. ILB Kaden Elliss. ED Leonard Floyd. OL Chris Lindstrom. OL Ryan Neuzil. OL Matthew Bergeron. OL Jake Matthews. OL Kaleb McGary. OL Storm Norton. TE Charlie Woerner. DL. David Onyemata. (NOTE: This information is unofficial and was not provided by the team.)

Settling the storylines:

• Neither starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. nor backup quarterback Kirk Cousins were supposed to play Friday. That was established at the beginning of the week. They were to be joined by most starters along the sideline, too. Rookies, however, were expected to play. All that happened as expected.
• Competition is brewing in the safeties' room for the starting spot opposite Jessie Bates III. The Falcons signed veteran Jordan Fuller in free agency, drafted Xavier Watts in the third round and welcomed back DeMarcco Hellams from injury. All three played Friday.
• Wide receiver Darnell Mooney is still recovering from a shoulder injury sustained earlier in training camp. That has left an opening for another wideout to make his presence known. So far, Casey Washington and David Sills V have been standing out in practice, but the battle continues. Chris Blair caught the sole touchdown pass Friday.
• Recap all of the news leading up to Friday's game in one spot here.

Looking forward: The Falcons hold their ninth open practice Monday at IBM Performance Field. Tuesday and Wednesday will then be joint practices with the Tennessee Titans. The two teams are scheduled to play next Friday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 7 p.m. ET.