The Detroit Lions got their first look at second-year quarterback Hendon Hooker in their first preseason game against the New York Giants.
After Nate Sudfeld got the start and played the first half, Hooker was brought into the game early in the third quarter. The plan seemed to be to have the Tennessee product play the entire second half, but that plan was interrupted when Hooker suffered a concussion and had to leave the game.
Hooker played two series against the Giants, completing five of nine passes for 36 yards and running four times for 34 yards. There were some encouraging signs, but the inconsistencies that had plagued him in the early stages of training camp also showed up in terms of accuracy and determination.
Here’s a look back at Hooker’s performance in his first NFL appearance.
Passing by
After getting a first down and a completion on his first series, Hooker got his second completion on a second-and-10 in Detroit’s own territory. The Giants are in man coverage, which makes them vulnerable to short crossing routes.
Undrafted rookie Isaiah Williams lines up in the slot to the left of the formation and wins his route, breaking away as he moves down the field. Hooker does a good job of getting the ball out in time, sending the ball to the Illinois product just as he crosses the hash mark.
This is probably a comfortable throw for the young passer as he is quickly dropped and the spot he is looking for becomes available. The ball goes 14 yards and moves the chains.
Later in the drive, Hooker may have missed a bigger advantage by making a checkdown. After a play-action play, Hooker uses his drop with two downfield options. Jalon Calhoun has a corner post and Maurice Alexander has a crossing route.
Calhoun makes a good run out of the corner and Alexander uses his speed to get behind the linebackers. Alexander is free as Hooker makes his way. Although it is not an easy throw, with some finesse Hooker could throw the ball over the linebacker who has his back turned.
However, the passer instead opts for a checkdown to Zonovan Knight out of the backfield. The pass goes nine yards and puts Detroit in good position, but you also get the feeling that the offense may have left some meat on the bone with this decision.
Confusion and decision making
Hooker fought through four times in Thursday’s game, showing signs of agility Detroit hasn’t seen in a passer before. The first of those attempts came on his second play, the first passing play the Lions called with him in the game.
It’s a play-action concept where he rolls to his right and runs routes down the field. Parker Hesse has a drag route, Tre’Quan Smith has an intermediate cross, and Donovan Peoples-Jones has a comeback on the near sideline.
The comeback is thwarted and neither Hesse nor Smith are fully separated from their coverage as Hooker begins his rollout. Smith has the most distance of the three, but throwing this pass would require perfect positioning as the safety closes in.
Lacking enough leverage to make the throw safely, Hooker relies on his legs and fights his way six yards. A defensive holding penalty on the play allows Detroit to move the chains.
At the start of this second clip, Detroit moves formation. With the cornerback following his receiver, it suggests the offense is in man coverage. Hooker hits his three-step drop and stalls, at which point Williams seemingly breaks free and heads toward the far numbers.
At this point, Hooker can step up and throw the ball to his receiver. He has enough room to drop the ball toward the sideline. None of the options below are open as the linebacker quickly runs toward the tight end and the running back is taken away.
This is an example of timing being important in Detroit’s offense. If Hooker steps up in time and lands a strike, he will be successful. However, he doesn’t do this and chooses to fight for a short gain.
This final clip is the most notable play of Hooker’s outing, as he takes a few hits that Detroit will likely want to spare him in the future. It’s a play-action play where the passer goes left, with routes back to that side of the field.
New York does a good job defensively, taking away his key attacks. With Hooker already on the move, he doesn’t have time to stop, line up and throw as the defense rushes him.
As a result, the Tennessee product is forced to come out of the pocket and try to get down the field. It’s first-and-10, so he’s in a position where the Lions don’t need him to get a big lead, just to stay in front of the chains.
He goes forward and gets a nice lead. Right on the first down marker, he runs into a Giants defender and hits him hard. In the future, Detroit might prefer that he just go down in that situation, especially considering he left the game after that series.
However, by firing a punch at the defender, he can gain extra yards before crashing to the turf. It’s an example of his competitiveness and toughness, two traits the team values.
Overall, Hooker still needs to work on his ability to process and release the ball quickly, but there are definitely traits the Lions can continue to work on as he develops.
