DETROIT: The Lions defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 24–17 at Ford Field on Saturday to wrap up the preseason with their second straight victory. Detroit is lineup featured a long assessment of players vying for the final few roster spots because neither offensive nor defensive starters started the game.
This is my final estimate before the roster cuts, which are scheduled for Tuesday at 4 p.m.
Breakdown: This seems very simple, does not it? After leading two consecutive top-five offenses, Jared Goff was recently rewarded with a four-year contract deal worth $212 million. It is safe to assume that he will start as quarterback for Detroit against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football when the team opens its eagerly awaited campaign.
Nate Sudfeld looks to have won the QB2 position behind him. Some fans who watched Hendon Hooker gallop all over the field throughout the preseason may find it frustrating.
Without a doubt, Hooker possesses a tantalizing dual-threat skill set. During the preseason, he led the Lions to consecutive comeback victories. Against Pittsburgh, Hooker was particularly impressive as he ran for 93 yards on 10 rushes and found Jake Funk for a 2-yard touchdown pass.
HoweHe recovered from an ACL tear for the majority of his rookie season, and in camp, he has displayed all the qualities of a developing quarterback. He is extremely skilled both in the air and on the ground, although he is nevertheless prone to errors. Last week at Kansas City, he mishandled a handoff; the day before, during a scrimmage, he mishandled two snaps with the center; that same day, he took five sacks, three of which were consecutive; and against Pittsburgh, he lost a fumble, Hooker is still a rookie.
He also had a terrible time playing when the Steelers’ starters were on the field, but as the benches cleared, he was able to get into a groove. With a passer rating of 71.7, he completed 12 of 20 passes for 114 yards, one touchdown, and one pick.
Against Pittsburgh, Hooker played three quarters, with Jake Fromm, who was just signed, earning the final quarter of action. With a rating of 110.0 and six completions out of eight passes for 89 yards, Fromm also showed promise and might make the practice squad.
Reversing course (4)
David Montgomery, Craig Reynolds, Sione Vaki, and Jahmyr Gibbs are in.
Jermar Jefferson, Jake Funk, and Zonovan Knight are out.
Not changed
Dissection: This is such an embarrassment of riches. All three of them—Jermar Jefferson, who scored two touchdowns on the ground against Pittsburgh, Jake Funk, who grabbed a 2-yard touchdown throw, and Bam Knight, who shown some pretty great play in training camp, are likely going to be cut. That is how good Detroit is at running back. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are among the best 1-2 tandems in the NFL, veteran Craig Reynolds can contribute all over special teams and blocks well, and rookie Sione Vaki has been so good with both his hands and his feet that Detroit did not even bother to let him touch the field against Pittsburgh.
