Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker's mom Wendy had a simple message for her son after his preseason debut last week against the Giants: 'We gotta slide.'
Hooker returned to the field Wednesday after missing a couple practices due to a concussion suffered taking a hit on a scramble in last week's preseason opener.
"That's her thing. She's been saying it for years. I'm learning," Hooker said after practice Wednesday. "My mom is a huge fan of sliding. I always get it from her. Now the coaches are on me as well."
Hooker was 5-of-9 passing for 36 yards against the Giants and also had four runs for 34 yards (8.5 average), but he took a couple shots at the end of those runs, one resulting in a concussion.
It's hard to blame Hooker for wanting a little contact after not playing in a game since November 2022 due to a torn ACL, but at this level, it's imperative quarterbacks take as few hits as they can.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell told 97.1 The Ticket in an interview Wednesday morning Hooker has a good chance to play Saturday in Kansas City for the team's second preseason game. Hooker said the same thing after practice and is looking forward to getting back out there. Game speed is different than practice speed, and those reps are invaluable for Hooker, who is competing with Nate Sudfeld and Jake Fromm to be Jared Goff's backup in the regular season.
Hooker did a good job with his decision making against the Giants and controlling the tempo of the offense in his NFL debut. He gave the offense a boost after Sudfeld struggled in the first half.
"Just scoring the ball is the biggest thing," Hooker said of the improvements he hopes to show Saturday in Kansas City. "First down and touchdowns, that's what I'm focused on and orchestrating the offense in a great manner."
Hooker's athleticism and scrambling ability is a weapon, but this time around expect him to listen to his mom and avoid some of the hits he absorbed last week.
PICK-SIX
Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is putting a lot more on the plate of MIKE linebacker Jack Campbell in his second season.
Campbell had a strong rookie season, notching 89 tackles (49 solo), five tackles for loss and two sacks. His 89 tackles were the second most among all NFL rookies in 2023.
One area he needed to improve on was in coverage, which isn't out of the norm for a young linebacker. Running backs and tight ends are a little different level of athlete in this league. Campbell was credited with allowing 25 receptions on 31 targets last year for 289 yards (11.9 avg.) and two touchdowns. Opponents had a 128.2 passer rating when throwing at him last season.
"I will tell you, his ability to drop in coverage has improved tremendously, and that was one thing we're going to ask of him," Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said of Campbell on Wednesday. "His ability to match guys has improved tremendously, and that's going to help us be a better defense. So every day he's chopping wood and getting better and better at those skills."
Making his coordinator look clairvoyant, Campbell intercepted Goff in a team period Wednesday and returned it for a touchdown.
"Just doing my job, honestly," Campbell said of the play after practice. "It's just one of those things where you can't put pressure on yourself. You just have to go out there and do your job every single snap and plays will come to you."
Campbell said it's true that the game has slowed down for him in Year 2 and that comes with experience and film study. The Lions are expecting Campbell to make a big leap and be a really productive player for them this year.
EXTRA POINT
The Lions waived injured cornerback Morice Norris and signed cornerback Javelin Guidry on Wednesday. The team is currently dealing with a number of injuries at cornerback. Guidry has played in 32 career games (five starts) in three seasons with the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders.
