The Detroit Lions' backup quarterback competition took center stage in the preseason Week 1 game against the New York Giants, and while second-year quarterback Hendon Hooker helped his cause, veteran signal-caller Nate Sudfeld did not.
Sudfeld completed 13-of-24 passes for 96 yards while also throwing an interception, but a good deal of his success came late in the game after he was re-inserted for an injured Hooker and faced the Giants' third-team defense.
Before that, Sudfeld got the nod to start and was not good early on, as he struggled with accuracy and simply didn't see some open receivers. Detroit didn't get a single first down in the first quarter with Sudfeld under center and the Lions tallied just 24 passing yards in the first half altogether.
After the game, head coach Dan Campbell expressed disappointment with the showing.
“There’s some decisions in there that I would like to be better," Campbell said after the game, according to Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire. "I expect better from him. I’m not as concerned right now or yet about the accuracy with what it is, wet ball, this and that, but there’s just a couple of decisions in there that I know he can be better on.”
As Sudfeld struggled, Hooker was at least able to spark the offense on a 14-play, 88-yard drive that fell just short of the end zone. It was very clear that Hooker has the tools to make something out of nothing, while Sudfeld does not.
Sudfeld had proven to be the more consistent quarterback over Hooker throughout the offseason, which led to him being the favorite for the backup job going into the preseason opener. At the very least, that gap has closed.
