The Detroit Lions' second game of the preseason came to a frightening, premature end on Friday. Defensive back Morice Norris suffered a scary injury in the fourth quarter that landed him in the hospital. The teams understandably ended the game early. Fortunately, we received positive news from Norris, who was in stable condition after the game.
Before the unfortunate injury, the Lions and the Atlanta Falcons played three quarters of football, and the Lions were leading 17-10. All eyes were on the quarterback battle in Detroit, with Lions fans desperate to see whether Kyle Allen or Hendon Hooker would land the QB2 job.
After Friday's performances, it is safe to say that the job is now Allen's to lose.
Lions' QB2 Job Is Kyle Allen's to Lose
Hooker went 7/10 in his passing attempts and had 38 yards. He wasn't looking entirely comfortable stepping up in the pocket. Even though he added 27 rushing yards in three carries, these scrambles also led to two fumbles.
Allen, on the other hand, had a much better night after replacing Hooker with five minutes left before halftime. The veteran quarterback put on an impressive performance, going 7/8 for 120 yards and two touchdowns while adding ten rushing yards. Immediately after subbing in for Hooker, the 29-year-old signal-caller got the Lions on the scoreboard with a 68-yard pass to Jackson Meeks, followed by a TD pass to Isaac TeSlaa.
This is now the second straight preseason game in which Allen outperformed Hooker. Neither quarterback particularly impressed in the Hall of Fame game against the Chargers, but Allen's reps went better than Hooker's. Add his overall NFL experience and Hooker's lack of production in his stints so far, and Allen should be considered the frontrunner to land the backup QB spot.
The Lions have two more preseason games left, giving Hooker an opportunity to make his case. He should still have a chance to make the 53-man roster as the QB3, but if he doesn't show more against the Dolphins on Saturday and the Texans on August 23rd, he will be a cut or trade candidate before the season. Until then, however, Allen should be penciled in as the QB2 in the depth charts.