The two Lions competing to be Jared Goff’s backup turned in poor performances in the Hall of Fame Game, and coach Dan Campbell says both want to show they can be better.
Campbell said Hendon Hooker will start this week’s preseason game against the Falcons and play the first half, and Kyle Allen will play the second half. That reverses their roles from the Hall of Fame Game, when Allen started, Hooker entered in the second half, and neither played well.
“I see Hooker starting this first half versus Atlanta, and then Kyle will take the back half,” Campbell said. “Both of those guys are — it goes without saying they’re frustrated with the way that went, and they both want to improve and get better, and they will.”
The Lions have Super Bowl aspirations, and a good season from Goff could get them there. But they’d also like to think they could stay in contention if Goff gets injured and has to miss time, and they’ll need Hooker or Allen to play well to do that. The Lions certainly need a backup quarterback who can play better than Hooker and Allen did in the preseason opener.
