Lions News

[froot loops]

As the Lions have gotten better the training camp battles aren't as important. It was a cage match arguing about keeping Jason Glenn because the Lions had shit linebackers.

[CGVT]

As the Lions have gotten better the training camp battles aren't as important. It was a cage match arguing about keeping Jason Glenn because the Lions had shit linebackers.

Yeah, you don't see much if any discussion on players to pick up when other teams cut them either. The Lions roster is the best that I can remember.

[Mainevent]

I think they should be keeping their eye on vet WRs if one shakes loose. DC certainly not giving vibes that they are content with WR3 position at this point. But finding somebody to mesh at this juncture is not easy. They are probably stuck.

Reynolds replacement and edge pass rush were my concerns with this team before and after the offseason and they still stand out to me as issues. Hope to see some guys step up to fill in those spots.

[whatever_gong82]

Nature and nurture: Lions' Reader influenced by grandpa who played in Negro Leagues, parents who instilled spirit of giving back

Justin Rogers
Aug 19

DJ Reader_8-19-2024.jpg

Detroit – Before fully committing to football, Detroit Lions defensive tackle DJ Reader was a pretty good baseball player.

As a pitcher, his fastball touched the low 90's, and to the surprise of no one who has seen the athletic, 335-pounder operate in his current profession, his right-handed swing packed massive power. He batted better than .500 his junior and senior years and was one of the top high school recruits out of the state of North Carolina.

In Reader's equipment bag, he carried an old bat. Really old. He would take cuts with it, but he never used it to hit. It was too valuable, sentimentally more than anything. The bat belonged to his grandfather, Ervin Lee Ford.


Ford, nicknamed Thunderbird for his speed on the basepaths, is a member of North Carolina A&T's Hall of Fame. He played for the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro Leagues, and later broke the color barrier for the Appleton Papermakers, a farm team for the Boston Braves.

Ford is the root of Reader's athleticism, the nature of his story. Those gifts didn't even bother to skip a generation. Reader's mother, Felicia, was a talented softball player, earning a scholarship to follow in Ford's footsteps at A&T, where she hit third in the Aggies' lineup. She too had a sweet power stroke, and just like her son, claims to have had deceptive speed for her size.



Felicia, who still lives in North Carolina, traveled to Detroit this week to support her son's first community event since he signed with the Lions this offseason. You see, everywhere Reader goes, the Lions defensive lineman tries to leave an imprint, not just on the football field, but in the cities where he plays.

At home, in North Carolina, Reader has partnered with the United Way and runs a free youth football camp annually. In Houston, where was drafted and spent the first four years of his pro career, he received the prestigious honor of being the Texans' Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee for his contributions on and off the field. And in Cincinnati, where he spent the past four seasons, Reader has opened two resource rooms, with a third on the way, to support local students in the community.



Reader signed with the Lions as a free agent this offseason. His ability to have an impact on the field is in a holding pattern while he rehabs from a torn quadricep suffered near the end of last season. While that waits, his ability to make his mark on the city's youth has no such restrictions.

On Monday, representing his foundation "A Son Never Forgets," Reader appeared at a back-to-school event at Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy on the city's west side, meeting with students and parents, supporting a dental screening initiative, while handing out backpacks, school supplies and food provided by his foundation.



His foundation's name is in honor of his father, David, who died of kidney failure a decade ago when Reader was only 19 years old. Where Reader's athleticism is in his nature, a genetic gift, his giving spirit is firmly rooted in his nurture.

David was a teacher. So is Reader's brother. The Lions lineman has always had a great respect for educators, who he believes have the ability to influence youth more than anyone outside parents. And both David and Felicia always emphasized giving back. As a family, they volunteered at soup kitchens and the Salvation Army, and helped install rain barrels in flooded areas of North Carolina that were ravaged by a hurricane.



Reader's parents are joyful. He points to his mother across the gym at Monday's event, highlighting her laughing.

"She's always smiling, always like that," Reader said.



And before David's kidneys gave out, he suffered from rheumatoid arthritis. Yet despite the challenging physical ailments, Reader doesn't recall his father ever having a bad day.

"One thing he always did a great job with was controlling his attitude," Reader said. "I think that's kind of paved the man I am. I tell people all the time, 'If you don't see life as glass half full, me and you probably don't see life the same.' That's kind of how I go about it. I've been immensely blessed because of it."


The joy Reader's parents experienced helping others rubbed off. He knew, from an early age, he wanted to help. The fact that he sees the same attitude in his young son and he gets to honor his parents, while extending the legacy of his father after his life was cut short, only makes it all the better.

"It's just important that it's happening, that somebody is turning the wheel," Reader said. "If I wasn't doing it, it wouldn't be happening. That's the biggest thing. The satisfaction I get out of it is seeing people getting the help that they need, and things getting done are helping the community. That's all you can really do. I think when you give back, that's all you can really do is try to put your imprint out there and hope those things impact in a positive way."



Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

X: Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Wojo: No panic! Hooker, Bates should plug Lions’ nagging holes


Bob Wojnowski
The Detroit News


Paywall News article.



Detroit — The key ingredients in the Lions’ three-year transformation are obvious. Better drafting, better coaching, better players. Better decision-making, better strategy. Better composure, better conditioning.

Woven throughout is a philosophy instilled by owner Sheila Hamp, implemented by Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell, and executed against the odds. I’d call it the secret sauce to success, except the Lions have an array of secret sauces.

Don’t overlook this one: Patience over panic.



Now is when it becomes vital. Coming off a 12-5 season and NFC Championship game appearance, the Lions are refining their talented roster. They have fewer major decisions, which makes every last decision stand out. Two positions have been persistent blind spots for Holmes and Campbell — backup quarterback and kicker. With one preseason game left, Hendon Hooker and Jake Bates are on the verge of calming those fears, at least for now.

If you listen to fans (and yes, media), it’s easy to build a frothy panic about any position, right down to Gatorade jug-filler. If Jared Goff goes down (I apologize for typing those words), they’re doomed! Sign a veteran! Beg Teddy Bridgewater to bring his clipboard back!

Jake Bates after making a FG.jpg

The Lions have responded patiently, and it may be paying off. They drafted Hooker in the third round in 2023 as he was recovering from knee surgery. They were rightly intrigued by his mobility and accuracy at Tennessee, but he’d need time.

The Lions have shown they’re not afraid to wait. They’ll have to make a win-now gambit at some point, presumably, but they’ve steadfastly stuck to the plan, and more payoffs may be coming.



Hooker looked sharp in his first extended action Saturday in Kansas City, completing 12 of 15 passes for 150 yards. He was 5-for-5 in the fourth quarter and scrambled for a 7-yard touchdown, but also lost a fumble, as the Lions prevailed, 24-23. With the last preseason game Saturday against the Steelers, Hooker indeed should displace Nate Sudfeld as the backup.

But, but, but, who’s gonna kick?! Holmes has heard it every year, and frankly, hasn’t exactly answered it. Campbell hears it every game, and often answers by going for it on fourth down, which is smarter than many realize.



Panic percolated when Michael Badgley went down last month because of a season-ending injury. The Lions turned to Bates, who played one season at Arkansas as a kickoff specialist, then popped to life with the Michigan Panthers of the UFL. He drilled numerous clutch kicks, including a 64-yarder.

Bates was a natural fit for the regular tenant of Ford Field, but his big leg has produced an occasional dogleg. Inconsistent in camp, he finally flashed his unique power, 4-for-4 on field goals — 55, 23, 32, 43 yards — including the game-winner against the Chiefs. He’s 5-for-5 in the preseason with one missed extra point and is trending toward rewarding the Lions’ patience.



“There's still gonna be growing pains that come with this; we've just got to be patient and let him continue to grow,” Campbell said. “As long as he doesn't ever go in the tank or lose confidence. You're not gonna make them all, but you keep getting better. This kid, he's got something."

The Lions have been patient to a fault with their kickers, going through a suspect line of candidates since Matt Prater left for Arizona in 2020. Holmes and Campbell have doubled down on patience, not yet bringing in a challenger to Bates.



The patience-over-panic plan sounds basic, and it only works if you have a competent front office and coaches. In previous regimes, the Lions would pluck aging free agents to compensate for poor drafting, a recipe ripe for prolonged futility.

They’ve resisted the temptation to add an experienced third receiver, to the consternation of some. But Jameson Williams could be a game-breaker and running back Jahmyr Gibbs had 52 receptions last season. Tight end Sam LaPorta is a tight end/receiver hybrid, and Amon-Ra St. Brown would catch 300 passes if asked. Rookie Isaiah Williams also has been impressive with 106 yards in two preseason games. As the Lions’ standards have risen, there’s always an urgent quest for more.



For instance, who’s gonna rush the quarterback?! Aidan Hutchinson does it well, but he can’t do it all.

This is the most-pointed debate, and it’s fair. Hutchinson led the NFL in quarterback pressures but the defense ranked 24th in sacks. At the trade deadline, Holmes passed on a big-time talent like Chase Young, who was dealt to the 49ers and made a modest impact. In the offseason, Vikings free agent Danielle Hunter was the prize, and he signed with the Texans for $49 million over two years. Last week, the Falcons traded for star pass rusher Matthew Judon, who was in a contract dispute with the Patriots.



The Lions protected themselves with defensive-line acquisitions Marcus Davenport and DJ Reader. But they also opted again for patience, and if younger, less-expensive players perform, success becomes sustainable.

Levi Onwuzurike was a second-round pick in 2021 but missed one full season due to a back injury. Arguably, he’s been the most pleasant revelation of camp, having gained 20 pounds and regained his rush speed. He was healed by time, but now must produce.



Same is true of third-year linebacker James Houston, who flashes elite pass-rush skills worth waiting for. The sixth-round pick burst out with eight sacks in seven games as a rookie but has been plagued by injuries. His unorthodox technique makes him a difficult fit for a regular position, but his extraordinary production (limited sample size, yes) buys him time. The same could be true of Josh Paschal, a second-round pick in 2022 out of Kentucky, who had a fourth-quarter strip sack in Kansas City.

It’s important not to confuse patience with passiveness, and I don’t think the Lions are guilty of that. Holmes has made numerous bold draft moves, adding Gibbs and injured speedster Williams with hotly debated first-round picks. Gibbs’ impact was immediate, and Williams appears on the verge of a breakout.



One spot on the patience-panic spectrum that still vexes the Lions is the secondary. They’ve signed play-now veterans — C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Cam Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley — and lost several to injury. This season, they went all-in with the draft, taking cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. with their top two picks. They also signed free agents Carlton Davis III and Amik Robertson, and all have had positive moments.

There’s no guarantee patience will lead to the ultimate goal, just as there’s no guarantee any combination of Young-Hunter-Judon would put the Lions over the top. There’s risk at both ends of the spectrum.



But this is not a random strategy hatched in a vacuum. Hamp strongly pleaded for patience with Campbell in 2022, when the Lions were 1-5. Holmes strongly pleaded for calm when Goff scuffled early in his transition from the Rams. Some staffs might’ve given up on Williams after he was suspended four games for violating league gambling policies and struggled with route-running and catching.

Panic serves no purpose, generally. But urgency will grow as long as the Lions are Super Bowl contenders. We don’t know for sure if they’ve filled certain holes — Backup QB! Backup receiver! Kicker! Edge rusher! — but possibilities definitely have emerged. The hope (plan) is, with a little time, production will follow.



Bob.wojnowski@detroitnews.com

@bobwojnowski

[whatever_gong82]

Will Jake Bates' big leg change Dan Campbell's appetite for risk? Don't count on it


Paywall article from yesterday's Freep.

Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press


KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The most aggressive coach in the NFL isn’t about to change his stripes, not based on how his first-year kicker kicked in a meaningless preseason game.

But when Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions begin their quest for a Super Bowl next month, they may have a new good-vibes-inducing weapon to weigh on certain plays.


Jake Bates made four field goals in the Lions’ 24-23 preseason win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday to run his total to 5-for-5 on exhibition attempts this year.


He drilled a 55-yarder in the first half, to pair with the 53-yarder he made last week, and he made the game-winning 43-yard kick as time expired.

Campbell said he was “fired up” Bates got a chance to kick with the game on the line and even happier the Lions’ likely Week 1 kicker came through in the clutch.



“I needed to see that,” Campbell said. “And quite frankly, I felt like he would drill that.”

Bates has battled inconsistency at times this summer and missed an extra point in Saturday’s first half, but he also has a hammer for a leg and has shown a flair for the dramatic in his short pro career.

Jake Bates 8-17-2024.jpg

With the Michigan Panthers of the UFL, Bates vaulted into this city’s collective kicking conscious with a game-winning 64-yarder in the Panthers’ first game. He followed that up with 52- and 62-yard kicks a week later and had a walk-off 42-yard game-winner later in the season to help the Panthers make the playoffs.

Bates signed with the Lions in June and became the odds-on favorite to win the kicking job when Michael Badgley suffered a season-ending injury this summer. The Lions brought in a few kickers for workouts, but never added competition and seem content to go into the season with Bates as their kicker.



Bates said Saturday’s game-winner didn’t feel any different than some of the biggest kicks he made for the Panthers this year, and in fact there might have been fewer people watching from the stands.

“I don’t know if it was any different,” he said. “I think you try to keep every kick the same. It doesn’t matter the situation or what stage you’re doing it on, if you get too up for a kick or too low for a kick it’s not good so try to stay right there no matter if it’s practice, UFL, NFL, preseason, postseason, whatever. Just same kick every time.”


Jake Bates 2nd half in Kansas City 8-17-2024.jpg

For a Lions team that has cycled through kickers in Campbell’s first three seasons as coach while never seeming to be brimming with confidence in those they employed, Bates has a chance to bring some stability to a position whose limited success has come mostly through gritted teeth and clenched butt cheeks in recent years.

Campbell said his faith in Bates on Saturday was due in part to the mettle his kicker showed at other times — and while doing other things — in camp.



In one instance, Bates led his team of long snapper Scott Daly and assistant special teams coach Jett Modkins to the finals of a fowling competition the Lions held as a team-bonding experience.

“You got to be careful, but it's like, man, we had this fowling competition the other day and he's in the championship and he makes two critical throws in crunch time,” Campbell said. “And it's like, no, it's not kicking but yet there's something about this kid that's intriguing and he's got a little bit of confidence to him, he's got a little bit of something and you just, you don't know. You always kind of memory bank those things that come up and then you see what he's done over the last couple of weeks and it's encouraging.”



As encouraging as Bates’ first two months in Allen Park have been, it’s premature to think they will sway Campbell’s thinking in some key in-game situations.

The Lions have gone for it on 118 fourth-down attempts and converted 62 the past three seasons, most in the NFL in both categories. Campbell has run fake punts from deep in his own territory and passed on makeable field goals in the NFC championship game — would-be kicks of 46 and 48 yards that were similar in range to the game-winner Bates made Saturday.

Jake Bates as a Michigan Panther 3-30-2024.jpg

Campbell’s tolerance for risk is more woven into his personality than it is a product of the kicker on his team, and Bates’ big leg doesn’t change the analytics of those situations. It might have the opposite impact even, pushing Campbell to roll the dice on more long field goals than he ever has in his life.


“You’ll have to ask me when I'm in the moment or after a game and I'll tell you, maybe,” Campbell said. “Probably not. But it is hard to say. I mean I would say what makes you feel good is if you know you have everything at your disposal, you can do anything you need to do at any time. And offense, defense, special teams, kicking game, all of that. So anytime you can gain confidence in that, in your kicker, but also putting him in position to have success. … We're still learning what he is and where he's comfortable at and where he's going to hit these high marks, so we’ll just, we’ll keep taking it as it comes.”

That’s fine by Bates, who was pragmatic about his kick Saturday and has stayed even-keeled about his camp so far.


He was happy to make the game-winner, but he knows he has more work to do to keep the job.

“All I know is whenever my number’s called upon I’m going to try to do my best to help this team out,” Bates said. “Like he said, it doesn’t matter if it’s preseason, regular season, postseason, winning is fun and so whatever helps this team win I’m all here for.”


Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.

[whatever_gong82]

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/08/19/lions-dt-d-j-reader-no-real-timetable-on-return-from-quad-injury/74862954007/

[chemiclord]

Yeah, I don't expect Campbell to change his philosophy much on 4th down regardless of who the kicker is. In most cases, he's going to look at the scenarios in front of him, and decide his offense is more likely to convert on 4th than any other scenario. And he'll probably be right.

The advantage of having a guy like Bates is for those gray area situations where going for it on 4th is untenable, but punting it also doesn't provide a particularly good return, or at the end of the half and at the end of games. That may only happen a handful of times a season. But it's better to have that weapon in your holster than it isn't, especially if one of those handful of occasions happens in an important game.

The big issue right now with Bates is being confident he has the consistency to do the routine part of his job.

[CGVT]

Yeah, I don't expect Campbell to change his philosophy much on 4th down regardless of who the kicker is. In most cases, he's going to look at the scenarios in front of him, and decide his offense is more likely to convert on 4th than any other scenario. And he'll probably be right.

The advantage of having a guy like Bates is for those gray area situations where going for it on 4th is untenable, but punting it also doesn't provide a particularly good return, or at the end of the half and at the end of games. That may only happen a handful of times a season. But it's better to have that weapon in your holster than it isn't, especially if one of those handful of occasions happens in an important game.

The big issue right now with Bates is being confident he has the consistency to do the routine part of his job.

This post is spot on. Last second and the Lions need a 60 yarder to win? They have a shot. 4th and two at the other teams 37? Lions are still going for it.

I agree the consistency will be an issue. It's going to be a roller coaster ride.

[CGVT]

Dan seems pretty optimistic on the injury front.

[whatever_gong82]

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/08/20/detroit-lions-provide-positive-update-injuries-jahmyr-gibbs/74873679007/

[whatever_gong82]

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/08/20/detroit-lions-sign-linebacker-joel-iyiegbuniwe/74865666007/

[whatever_gong82]

Lions camp observations: Reynolds breaks big run and secondary getting healthier


Justin Rogers
Aug 20

Unknown Detroit Lion happy 2024 pre-season.jpg

Allen Park — Here are some notes and observations from Tuesday’s training camp practice.


● As always, let’s start with a participation report.

Cornerback Terrion Arnold (pec), running back Jahmyr Gibbs (hamstring), tight end Sam LaPorta (hamstring) and linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez remained out after the weekend. Joining those four on the sidelines were offensive tackles Giovanni Manu and Dan Skipper (ankle) and safety Ifeatu Melifonwu.


The defensive backfield got significant reinforcements with the returns of Carlton Davis III (hamstring), Ennis Rakestraw (ankle) and Brian Branch. Additionally, linebacker James Houston (knee), guard Kevin Zeitler and running back Jermar Jefferson were back, but with limited workloads.

Also absent were fans. This was the first practice closed to the faithful since the first couple days of camp. See you in Allen Park in 2025, y’all.


● After the standard start of stretches, individual drills and walkthroughs, the Lions transitioned into a one-on-one period. Sticking with personal preference, I focused in on the trench battles.

Aidan Hutchinson and Penei Sewell split the marquee matchup, with Sewell establishing a firm anchor on the first rep, before allowing Hutchinson to get a hand into his chest on the second. The defender lifted the star offensive tackle on to his toes and drove him into the pocket for an impressive win.

Meanwhile, Frank Ragnow looked every bit a dominant All-Pro, shutting down veteran Kyle Peko before stonewalling the powerful, but still developing Brodric Martin.


Encouragingly, Martin bounced back with a flawlessly executed push-pull to blast past Michael Niese later in the drill.

Some of the day’s most promising reps belonging to backup offensive tackle Colby Sorsdal, who has been looking for some consistency all camp. He initially got beat off the snap working against undrafted rookie Isaac Ukwu and Josh Paschal, but was able to reset and re-anchor to win both of those reps. Sorsdal also won a second battle against Ukwu, while driving defensive tackle Alim McNeill wide on a rare edge rep.


On the opposite side of the line, left tackle Jamarco Jones struggled. Coming off a solid preseason debut in Detroit, he got beat multiple times, including by a pretty inside swipe from Houston.

Among the interior defenders, Mekhi Wingo’s burst continues to be problematic for Detroit’s backup o-linemen. Wingo’s quick first step got the best of both Kayode Awosika and Niese.


● During full-team work, Khalil Dorsey continued to play with the first-team defense in place of Arnold. Rakestraw rotated with Davis at the other outside corner spot, with both having their workloads monitored in their return to practice.

On offense, undrafted rookie Kingsley Eguakun flipped spots with Niese. Eguakun served as the right guard with the first-team in place of Zeitler, while Niese played center with the second unit. The team is testing the versatility of both players with looming roster decisions next week.


● It was an inconsistent day for Jameson Williams, who also had a brief injury scare. The speedy receiver got open deep on the opening snap of full-team work, but was overshot by quarterback Jared Goff.

Later in practice, Williams struggled to adjust to a back-shoulder throw that bounced off his hands. And when the offense was working in the red zone, he couldn’t hang on to a another 50-50 ball after doing an excellent job creating late separation while working against Rakestraw.


Williams also had a ball punched loose on a receiver screen by Branch.


With the scare, Williams pulled up on a quick pass across the middle holding his right arm. He went to the sideline doing several, slow windmill motions, and briefly got checked out by a trainer, but was able to return to action shortly after exiting.

On the plus side, Williams made a contested catch on a slant working against Rakestraw, and also had a key first-down grab on third-and-12 in the red zone during a situational segment at the end of practice.


● The day’s best play belonged to Craig Reynolds, who took a handoff working with the top offensive group and shot through a hole created by his offense line, racing past the linebackers and safeties into the second level.

As he crossed the goal line, Reynolds turned around to trash talk safety Kerby Joseph to cap the approximately 70-yard score.


● After bobbling a pass that was nearly intercepted early in practice, tight end Shane Zylstra recovered to deliver a devastating pancake block on the perimeter to spring rookie Isaiah Williams, running a receiver screen.


● Jake Bates attempted seven field goals between 28 and 48 yards, making six. He missed a 38-yarder that badly hooked left. The Lions also had him attempt what appeared to be a 68-yarder at the end of practice, which the kicker sent very, very wide right.


● The situational drills at the end of practice saw the first-team offense starting at the 17-yard line, down six, facing third-and-12 with 20 seconds remaining and no timeouts.

As previously mentioned, Williams hauled in a first down on the first snap, and on second-and-goal from the 5-yard line, Amon-Ra St. Brown beat Rakestraw on a comeback route to the front right pylon for the tying score.

The second-team offense was put in a slightly more precarious position, starting at their own 20, down one, with 46 seconds and no timeouts. To make matters worse, linebacker Jack Campbell got home for a sack on the first play.

Backup QB Hendon Hooker recovered with completions to Daurice Fountain and Kaden Davis across the middle to get the offense to its own 48, but that’s as far as they’d go, leading to the ridiculously long field goal try Bates missed.



Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

X: Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Lions hoping to start Hendon Hooker in preseason finale against Steelers


Nolan Bianchi
The Detroit News

Paywall article from the News.


Allen Park — Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell isn't the type to mince words, but at the same time, it's not often that he delivers pointed criticism about one of his players.

He did just that on Tuesday when assessing the preseason performance of quarterback Hendon Hooker. Hooker had a rushing touchdown and was 12-for-15 passing for 150 yards in Saturday's win over the Chiefs before nearly costing his team the game with a red-zone fumble with under three minutes remaining.


While the fumble was an error that nearly proved fatal, it was interesting to see Campbell throw cold water on what was otherwise a strong performance by the numbers.

"Man, there were some real good things in that game and there were some real bad things," Campbell said, "which doesn't surprise me with where he's at."


Campbell is hoping to see Hooker get the start in Saturday's preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Ford Field, depending on his week at practice.

"You'd love to start him this week ... and then it's just a matter of, how much does he play?" Campbell said.



He was also hoping to start Hooker against the Chiefs, but with Hooker missing practice on Sunday and Monday, it was a tough sell.

"It hurts for development a bit because he doesn't get all of those reps. Those were critical reps that he missed last week, which is not his fault, that's just the way it played out and so he only got a handful of reps before we got to play in the game," Campbell said. "That's why we didn't start him. We were going to start him, and I didn't think that was fair to him and really those other guys, that second group that was going to start the game out."



Saturday was Hooker's second career appearance in the NFL. His debut against the New York Giants was cut short when he suffered a concussion on the second drive and was pulled from the game. He started off last week's game with two incompletions — one a terrible miss to a wide-open Daurice Fountain — before settling down to complete 12 of his next 13 passes. He's still only played three quarters of pro football.

It's possible to make the case Hooker has outshined the incumbent second-string quarterback, Nate Sudfeld, through their preseason stints. In two games, Sudfeld has gone 27-for-51 passing (52%) for 292 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, with 61 of those yards coming on a single touchdown pass to Kaden Davis on Saturday on which the coverage busted downfield.


But as it stands, Sudfeld is still the second-string quarterback, Campbell said.

"You have to have conviction that whoever (the backup) is is going to be able to keep this ship afloat and what we know about Hooker is, Hooker is a young, developing quarterback and he needs reps and he needs time. I do know that," Campbell said.

"And Nate right now has the upper hand because he's played more. He's been in it more, he's seen it more."


All that being said, there's a pretty good chance the Lions roll into the season with three quarterbacks on the initial 53-man roster.

"Am I going to say that's 100% right now? No, but that's kind of what you look at," Campbell said.


nbianchi@detroitnews.com

@nolanbianchi

[chemiclord]

I don't know why Campbell loves those "cerebral" guys that simply don't have the arm talent to actually play the position, but here we are. *sigh*