Everything Ahmed Hassanein Said After Breakout Bengals Performance

Ahmed Hassanein had a stellar performance in the Detroit Lions 2026 preseason opener.

The former sixth-round pick had an early sack against Bengals starting quarterback Joe Burrow. As a result, he was named the Lions Player of the Game.

Here is what he told reporters about his performance, following a 16-14 preseason loss on the road.

Take us into your mind when you took Joe Burrow down

“Well, the first thought is ‘Yeshua be with me.’ I say ‘Yeshua be with me on every snap, every play.’ I've been waiting so long. Because I got hurt in the last preseason and I didn't play the whole year, I'm just so grateful. I'm happy. I have to stay levelheaded. I don't want to get too high, and I don’t want to get too low. I have to keep it one day at a time. I have to keep stacking. I just have to keep playing with that fire that I have. I just can't wait to see my wife and just celebrate with her. It’s a big moment for me. I know I belong, and I know I can do this. I'm an NFL football player. At the end of the day, I just want to give Jesus all the glory and all the praise because he deserves it all.”

You've been performing at a pretty consistent level at training camp and sometimes when we get to the games some guys maybe fade away. To be able to play the way you have for 11 practices and then take it to the preseason, what's the meaning behind that for you?

“It just all depends on my routine. I kept my same routine. I do it like practice. With the Detroit Lions, we practice hard and we play hard. And I just took what I did in practice to the game. Good stuff happens when people work hard, put their head down and just stay levelheaded and don’t get too high and too low and just stay adaptable. I just talked to God. I truly did. I have conversations with him and I say, ‘I just want to give you all the glory, all the praise.’ I know I can do this and I want to prove it. I want to prove it to everybody and I want to have the opportunity to provide for my family. There’s no better feeling than playing for this team. This team means so much to me. I love this for the Lions. I love Coach (Dan) Campbell. I even told him I love him before the game and he said, ‘I love you’. It’s amazing to have that kind of relationship. It’s not just a job. I'm having so much fun doing it as well. And there's so much joy with this team. I'm happy to play with the teammates that I have and I'm sure I'm truly grateful for them.”