Pride of Detroit
Wins and losses don’t matter in the preseason, but the game undoubtedly matter. For players scrapping and fighting to keep their football dreams alive, preseason games are often the separator between landing a spot on a team’s 53-man roster and spending September looking for a new job. It’s a harsh reality of this career, but something that is always important to keep in mind when watching.
On Friday night, several Detroit Lions put their best foot forward against the Atlanta Falcons. The defense was strong all game long, while the offense put together three straight scoring drives to close out the night. So today’s Question of the Day is:
My answer: The layup answer is quarterback Kyle Allen. While many have focused on Hendon Hooker’s failings against the Falcons—fumbling the ball away twice and averaging a mere 3.8 yards per attempt on 10 passes—I think it’s also worth pointing out just how strong of a game Allen had. The veteran backup finished with a perfect 158.3 passer rating after completing 7-of-8 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns.
He flexed his arm strength with the 68-yard bomb to the Jackson Meeks. He displayed touch on his fade toss to Isaac TeSlaa. And, what really separated him from Hooker was his comfort and decisiveness in the pocket. Neither quarterback had great protection on Friday night, but while Hooker flailed in the pocket, struggling to both scramble and keep his eyes downfield, Allen looked poised and comfortable. Allen seemed to know when to tuck and run and when to be patient.
There are certainly others, too. Nate Lynn now has seven pressures in two short preseason stints (per PFF), but it’s a tough numbers game at defensive end with Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, Al-Quadin Muhammad, and Ahmed Hassanein likely ahead of him… not to mention Josh Paschal and potentially Za’Darius Smith. Meeks finally put his strong training camp on tape, but it’s going to be hard for him to climb about WR7 on this team.
Who else do you think improved their roster chances on Friday night? Share your thoughts in the comment section at the bottom of the page.
