Kerry Hyder lay near the Indianapolis goal line clutching his left leg. The preseason was less than a quarter old. One of the biggest things NFL teams want to do in preseason games is get out of them with starters and key contributors healthy. So no matter what else happened during Detroit’s 24-10 preseason win at Indianapolis on Sunday, Hyder’s injury overshadowed it.

And if it turns out to be serious -- the cart came out for Hyder and Lions coach Jim Caldwell called it "significant" -- that’s a massive blow for the Lions and a defensive line that has already been dealing with injuries (Ezekiel Ansah, Cornelius Washington) and suspensions (Armonty Bryant, Khyri Thornton) to starters and key contributors.

QB depth chart: Matthew Stafford played one drive and it ended with an interception -- but on a pass that should have been caught by Marvin Jones. The ball popped in the air and fell into John Simon's hands. After that, Jake Rudock took over and completed 13 of 21 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns. He left the game with 10 minutes, 15 seconds left in the third quarter for rookie Brad Kaaya, who finished the game going 8-of-11 for 71 yards and a touchdown.

When it was starters vs. starters, the Lions looked: Decent. The offense didn’t get much run and Stafford’s only series ended in an interception. But the better news is that the majority of the offensive line -- particularly left tackle Greg Robinson -- held up well. That’s important considering the potential issues there. Defensively, Detroit did pretty well, holding the Colts scoreless and forcing three three-and-outs.

Lions defensive end Kerry Hyder was carted off the field after injuring his leg in the first quarter. AP Photo/Darron Cummings

One reason to be concerned: Hyder’s lower-leg injury in the first quarter. He started to slip turning the corner while rushing the passer and immediately fell to the ground. Detroit’s sack leader last year with eight, Hyder is expected to be a strong No. 2 rusher behind Ansah, who is still on the PUP list. The depth chart behind Ansah, Hyder, Washington and Bryant is thin and inexperienced. This was one area the Lions didn’t address heavily in the offseason, and it might come back to hurt them -- badly. Anthony Zettel's role becomes even bigger if Hyder's injury is as bad as it sounds. Add that Brandon Copeland went to the locker room during the second half Sunday, according to the TV broadcast, and that defensive line depth is non-existent.

That guy could start: Robinson has been in a competition with Cyrus Kouandjio to replace Taylor Decker at left tackle. Robinson got all of the reps with the first team and handled himself well. He opened up a couple of rushing lanes for Dwayne Washington and Zach Zenner and did well in pass protection, giving Stafford and Rudock pockets. It looks more and more like Robinson might win the gig without as much competition as it might have seemed.

Rookie watch: Kenny Golladay showed the makings of an impact receiver with three catches for 53 yards and two touchdowns -- on difficult catches -- in the first half. First-round pick Jarrad Davis did well in limited action with one tackle but had a bunch of nice reads. Jamal Agnew got some chances as a punt and kick returner but didn’t get many opportunities. He had 7 yards on one return. Michael Roberts, the tight end, struggled. He had two drops by my count -- and one could have been ruled a fumble he lost instead. He’s had similar issues in camp.

Ameer Abdullah looks fine: Working with a small sample size here, but Abdullah’s one series showed he’s perfectly healthy after a foot injury ended his 2016 season in Week 2. He caught a pass from Stafford, had a nice cut to juke a defender for a 14-yard gain. He also had one carry for 2 yards, but to be safe, the Lions weren’t going to use him much.

“It felt great because I was out there with my teammates again,” Abdullah said during the TV broadcast. “When I got in that huddle, I told everybody, ‘Get used to this.’"

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Opportunities could open on the defensive line: Two undrafted free agents flashed Sunday: Alex Barrett and Jeremiah Valoaga. Barrett got some work with the first unit, particularly after Hyder’s injury, and had six tackles, a sack and two quarterback hits. He showed good speed off the edge and continued what he’s done in practices. Valoaga had six tackles, a pass defended and a sack. While he didn’t get some of the work early that Barrett did, Valoaga continued to show up around the ball throughout the game.

Don’t read too much into anything yet: Other than the injuries and some questionable interior line play -- T.J. Lang didn’t play and Graham Glasgow struggled -- there were a lot of positives for Detroit on Sunday. But don’t get too excited. The starting offense played one series and it ended with an interception. The defense looked good, but star Colts quarterback Andrew Luck didn’t play. Some individual performances were strong -- particularly from Golladay, Davis and Robinson -- but this is still a small sample size of what’s to come.