Okay, I guess I’m going to fool you Vols fans on this blog every now and then! You can’t get enough of that from me! Seriously, I’m just fascinated by Hendon Hooker getting the backup quarterback job for the Detroit Lions, so I wanted to take the time to rewind some of his game videos to see exactly how he did it.
One of the biggest concerns with Hooker, aside from his age, was his draft year being able to translate Josh Heupel’s Tennessee offense style to what he would likely see in the NFL. Knoxville isn’t exactly professional enough. While we have to admit it was against the Steelers’ backups, I would say Hooker looked pretty confident and owned the offense. He completed 12/20 for 114 yards, one touchdown, one interception, 93 rushing yards, and two fumbles (one lost, one recovered). They had him start with a few simple rhythm throws to the flat, a pitch, and a couple of runs. They lined him up in the shotgun position and under center. It’s like they focused on getting him all the reps possible in this game.
Hooker showed good pocket sense and composure, occasionally dodging pressure to throw well-placed balls. On a few throws down the field — both of which can be seen in the video below — he showed really good anticipation…one time he hit his receiver on the run over the middle after realizing he was free…second down the field to the basket that was dropped. I think there were a couple of times when he got stuck on his first read a little too long (one of those plays ended in a sack). And I’d like to see more speed on some of those intermediate throws. There were a couple of lobs that should have been pretty easy, one of which almost turned into a pick six. Hooker also has a plus with his legs, either extending plays while looking downfield or as a scrambler in the open field. All in all, it was a pretty solid performance from a guy who could one day establish himself as the designated successor to Jared Goff.
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor-in-Chief of The SoBros Network and a connoisseur of dogs playing poker on velvet. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter and “Minds right, asses tight.” Big Natural covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle and a whole lot of nonsense. Follow him on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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