DETROIT — Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers threw his first two NFL touchdown passes, albeit in an exhibition, in Saturday’s preseason game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.

Entering to start the second half for Zach Wilson, the Dolphins’ backup quarterback who started for Tua Tagovailoa on Saturday, Ewers delivered a 15-yard touchdown strike, lofting the ball over the middle to undrafted rookie wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. in the third quarter. It tied the game at 14.

He and Wease connected again early in the fourth quarter, this time from 8 yards out with Ewers rolling left off play action, to give Miami the lead, 21-17.

Maybe Ewers’ best throw came in the fourth quarter, when he found AJ Henning through a tight window on a slant on third-and-7. He hit Wease again on a third-and-8 to extend that same drive, which resulted in a field goal after he couldn’t hit Wease for a third touchdown on third-and-goal.

The Dolphins won the exhibition, 24-17, with undrafted rookie cornerback Ethan Robinson making a remarkable interception, leaping in the backfield off a blitz to pick off Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker.

Ewers went 11 for 17 yards for 116 yards and the two touchdowns to Wease, who had six catches for 80 yards.

The Ewers-to-Wease connection is one the Dolphins have displayed throughout training camp when units lower on the depth chart get work.

Ewers, the Texas product, was selected in the seventh round of the past draft after many expected he may have been picked in the middle rounds.

He bounced back from a rough preseason debut in which he was 5 of 18 — falling victim to several drops from his targets — while fumbling twice while sacked last Sunday against the Chicago Bears.

It was an inauspicious start Saturday for Dolphins wide receiver Dee Eskridge on Saturday, but then he was one of the standouts early in the exhibition at Ford Field.

Eskridge caught an 11-yard touchdown pass and had another 27-yard catch and run after fumbling an early punt return opportunity. As most starters didn’t play, he went for three catches, 53 yards and the touchdown in the first half Saturday.

His first-quarter touchdown came to him from Wilson short to the left, and Eskridge turned it up the field to dive for the pylon.

To set up the score, Eskridge took a short pass to the other side 27 yards to set up Miami for first-and-goal from the 10-yard line on a third-and-12 play.

In the second quarter, Eskridge also got open deep, but Wilson’s underthrow was nearly intercepted.

Eskridge fumbled his first chance as a punt returner in Saturday’s game. Before making the catches on offense, he responded with his second go at fielding a punt, showing his speed to the outside to elude Lions special teamers, but an illegal block in the back nullified his return.

Eskridge is vying for a roster spot and got a start Saturday as, beyond starting wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Malik Washington also sat out the exhibition against the Lions.

Wilson was 15 of 23 for 151 yards and the touchdown to Eskridge, but he was nearly intercepted twice, missed another open touchdown and also took a fourth-down sack.

Miami allowed a first-half touchdown when safety Jordan Colbert got picked on a rub route, leaving wide receiver Jackson Meeks open for the touchdown pass from Kyle Allen.

Detroit scored again before the end of the first half, as Allen threw an 18-yard touchdown to Isaac TeSlaa, who beat Dolphins cornerback Cornell Armstrong on the jump ball.

In between Lions touchdowns, Wilson and the Dolphins drove downfield. Wilson had wide receiver Tarik Black open in the end zone but threw wide of his target on third down. He was then sacked on fourth down, with left tackle Kion Smith surrendering the pressure.

Dolphins outside linebacker Grayson Murphy picked up a sack late in the first half on a simple swim move. In the second half, rookie defensive tackle Jordan Phillips had 1 1/2 sacks, teaming up with outside linebacker Cameron Goode on one.

Running back Jaylen Wright started in the backfield and did not impress with four carries for 3 yards. He also fumbled once, but it was recovered by the offense.

The run game started humming in the second half behind rookie Ollie Gordon II, although also against Lions defenders further down the depth chart. Gordon had 10 carries for 50 yards.

The Dolphins’ opening offensive series concluded with Wilson getting rocked on a third-down pass as center Daniel Brunskill failed to pick up a blitzer up the middle.

Miami’s second drive, which resulted in the Eskridge score, was nearly stalled by an illegal formation penalty by right tackle Larry Borom, who committed two such infractions Saturday after he wasn’t lined up properly on the opening play of last week’s preseason opener in Chicago.

After Eskridge had one fumble on a punt return early, undrafted rookie wide receiver AJ Henning muffed a third-quarter punt, which set up a short Lions field goal. Henning did have a 26-yard punt return earlier.

In the punter competition, incumbent Jake Bailey had the finest punt of the afternoon, booting one 59 yards down to the Lions’ 9-yard line.

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