Following the hit the Detroit Lions took against the Los Angeles Chargers in the preseason on Thursday, July 31, there have been a lot of questions about the strength of the team’s backup quarterbacks. Both Hendon Hooker and Kyle Allen had rough games on Thursday, but it’s normal for there to be kinks in the preseason, so it’s very possible that these players are more capable on the field than the Chargers matchup showed.
Now, Lions head coach Dan Campbell has to make a decision about which quarterback he’ll start in the team’s next preseason game, which is Friday, Aug. 8, against the Atlanta Falcons. For the Chargers game, he started Allen and then brought Hooker in later in the game.
So, what will Campbell do on Friday? He’s made a final decision on the team’s quarterback situation.
Who Dan Campbell is Starting for the Detroit Lions
Campbell spoke to the press on Sunday, Aug. 3, and he was asked about the team’s backup quarterback situation. He said that Hooker would be starting the preseason game against Atlanta, and then, he plans to play Allen in the second half of the game. So, Campbell has made his quarterback decision, and it’s pretty much the opposite of what he did against the Chargers.
GettyJared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions celebrates with head coach Dan Campbell after defeating the Minnesota Vikings.
“I see Hooker starting this first half against Atlanta, and then Kyle will take the back half,” Campbell said.
He added that both Allen and Hooker were “frustrated with the way that” their game against the Chargers went and that “they both want to improve and get better, and they will.”
But, Allen has been in the NFL since 2018, and at this point, it seems like he should be seasoned enough to have a good game in the preseason. What happens if the Lions need to rely on him against starting players?
Hendon Hooker Talks About the Lions Preseason
Following Thursday’s game, Hooker also commented on his performance, saying, “A lot of that just comes from repetition of watching film and the reps I’ve had in practice over the past two seasons.”
He added, “Getting those Friday reps down in the red zone and seeing, ‘Oh, (these are) the different ways they get into Cover 0.’ And the Chargers, on fourth-and-short and third-and-short, they were giving a lot of Cover 0, so I was getting to my Cover 0 checks, seven-man (protection). Really just trying to make quick decisions out there on the fly. ”
Hooker added that they’ve discussed “taking more control of the offense, and that’s what I had to do tonight.”
So, how would Hooker rate his performance in that Chargers game? He’s honest about his showing. “A zero out of 10,” the quarterback said after the game. “It wasn’t to my standards, it wasn’t to the team’s standards of just being productive and controlling the huddle and making plays.”
There has been plenty of talk about Hooker possible being traded to benefit the Lions, but Campbell sounds all in on him for now. Hopefully he and Allen both have a better game against the Falcons.
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