Tag: Nate Sudfeld

Report indicates QB Nate Sudfeld will be released

Reports indicate the Lions are releasing QB Nate Sudfeld at the 53-man cutdown deadline

We have our first true stunner from the Lions at the roster cutdown period. Reports indicate the Lions are releasing backup quarterback Mate Sudfeld.

Sudfeld has been thr No. 2 QB behind Jared Goff all offseason, taking most of the reps ahead of Hendon Hooker. Sudfeld sat out the final preseason game, a move that was widely interpeted as Sudfeld guaranteed to make the 53-man Lions roster.

Instead, Hooker appears to have won the No. 2 QB job. The second-year QB had an up-and-down training camp and preseason but shows far higher potential than Sudfeld.

There is a chance Sudfeld retruns after the roster cutdowns.

Detroit Lions roster cutdown deadline tracker

Detroit Lions roster cutdown deadline tracker ahead of Tuesday’s 53-man limit

The Detroit Lions must reduce the roster down to the 53-man limit before the deadline at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, August 27th. It’s a tough time with a quick turnaround from the final preseason game.

The Lions haven’t made any official transactions yet, but several moves are already reported as of Monday evening.

Most notable among those is the reported release of wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones. He and fellow WR Kaden Davis were the first two cuts to leak out.

We will keep posting reported cuts as we find them. Keep in mind they are unofficial unless posted by the Lions themselves.

No real surprise with either Zylstra or Knight, though Zylstra did have some legit potential to stick as a receiving TE.

We have our first surprise with Mitchell Agude, who was the only backup to Derrick Barnes at the SAM position.

This one comes directly sourced: The Lions are releasing LB Ty Summers.

Also confirmed by me via a team source: Hogan Hatten has won the long snapper battle and the Lions are releasing LS Scott Daly. Hatten keeps the streak of undrafted rookies making the initial 53-man roster rolling to 14 years.

Last year’s UDFA to make it, Steven Gilmore, did not make the cut in 2024.

The biggest surprise thus far…

Beauplan led the Lions in tackles in the preseason win over the Chiefs:

Numerous sources have also reported the Lions are cutting WR Daurice Fountain, who was the leading candidate for the No. 4 WR spot after the first week of training camp.

CFL star Mathieu Betts fell short of making the team.

And now, the official list from the Lions:

Film Review: Hendon Hooker shows plenty of promise in Detroit Lions debut

Film Review: Hendon Hooker shows plenty of promise in Detroit Lions debut in preseason opener

When the Detroit Lions selected Hendon Hooker in the 3rd round of the 2023 NFL Draft, there was some uncertainty on if he’d play at any point of his rookie season. Most of this uncertainty came from the Lions having Jared Goff but also, Hooker, was coming back from a torn ACL. With that, he spent most of last season on the non-football injury list.

As we move onto this season, it’s been evident that the Lions have been searching for a backup quarterback. And not just any type of backup quarterback. They want someone that can help them win, if needed. That’s why they drafted Hooker because there’s starter upside with his skill-set.

Recovering from the torn ACL last season, we weren’t able to see any type of game action from Hooker. Not the preseason nor the regular season. That said, we finally got a chance to see him play for the Lions last week against the Giants. Let’s dive into some tape to see some of what he did for the Lions in the first preseason game!

During the Lions first preseason game, they gave the starting nod to Nate Sudfeld at quarterback. As we saw through the first half and 4th quarter, it wasn’t pretty. However, when the second half opened, we saw Hendon Hooker take the field. From his first drive to his second drive, it felt like the Lions offense was actually able to move the ball down the field.

Starting with one of his five completions on the night, the Lions come out in a shotgun formation with their ’11’ personnel (one running back and one tight end). To the right of the formation, you’ll see a bunched set with two receivers. One of those receivers is undrafted rookie Isaiah Williams from Illinois. Once the ball is snapped, you’ll see Williams run a quick out.

As he runs that route, Hooker takes a quick 3-step drop and flips this pass out to Williams. Certainly, this play wasn’t a big gain but it’s one that gets Hooker and the Lions offense in-rhythm. Meanwhile, it helped jump start a 14-play drive that went 88 yards.

Moving onto the very next play of that 14-play drive, Hooker shows early rapport with Isaiah Williams. From the quick out to this crosser for a first down, it’s an encouraging sign to see this connection.

Looking at the play above, the Lions come out 2×2 with their ’11’ personnel (one running back and one tight end). Aligned in the slot to the left of the quarterback is Williams and he runs a shallow cross over the middle of the field. Staying comfortable in the pocket is Hooker and he gets this pass to Williams with ease.

Moving to the next play, I thought it was important to show Hooker working through progressions before checking down to the running back. That’s exactly what happens on the play above.

The Lions come out with their ’11’ personnel (one running back and one tight) again. However, this time, they’re under center rather than being out of shotgun. Once the ball is snapped, Hooker fakes the hand-off to the running back and begins to look downfield.

Even though it looks like he’s got the dig route open in the middle of the field, Hooker reads the linebacker that’s getting depth towards that route. So rather than forcing the throw, he flips to his left and checks this down to the running back for a 9-yard gain.

Lastly, I want to showcase the mobility from Hooker as it was on display for both drives he had in the 3rd quarter. In fact, he led the team in rushing with 34 yards on four carries. His longest run of the night was for 16 yards and it’s the run highlighted above.

Looking at the play above, the Lions come out under center with their ’12’ personnel (one running back and two tight ends). Faking the hand-off to the running back, Hooker rolls out to his left. As most of the routes downfield are covered or not fully developed yet, he quickly tucks the ball and runs into the open field.

Once he gets into the second level of the defense, he’s quickly surrounded by multiple defenders from the Giants. Rather than sliding or giving himself up on the play, Hooker drops his shoulder and absolutely levels a defensive back. With his momentum, he falls forwards and gains a few additional yards but most importantly, he kept the drive alive and picked up the first down.

If you watched the Giants and Lions game live, it was obvious that Hooker provided a much needed spark to the Lions offense. Sudfeld didn’t make the right decisions with his legs or arm but with Hooker, he provided a different dynamic. His mobility immediately stands out and the ball does jump out of his hands.

He didn’t complete every pass but he did go 5-for-9 with 34 yards passing in his Lions debut. While he did sustain a concussion in this game, we should see him at least one more time this summer before the Lions start the regular season in September. It may only be two drives but it’s starting to look like the Lions may have the viable backup quarterback option they’ve been searching for over the last three seasons.

Look: Nate Sudfeld’s very bad preseason night summed up in one very bad play

Detroit’s first pass play against the Giants perfectly sums up why and how QB Nate Sudfeld had such a bad night in New York

Anyone who watched the Detroit Lions preseason opener against the New York Giants knows that quarterback Nate Sudfeld did not have a good night. Sudfeld, battling with Hendon Hooker for the backup job behind Jared Goff, got the start in New York on Thursday night.

No. 8 was off from the very start of the game. Witness Detroit’s first pass play, the second offensive snap of the game.

The play design is straightforward. It’s 12 personnel, with TE Parker Hesse (No. 43) playing fullback in front of RB Craig Reynolds. It’s a designed play-action bootleg, a scripted play the Lions run in every practice — often on both the opening walkthrough/warmup and then in team drills. This is a Ben Johnson staple scheme, one designed to get an intermediate crossing receiver open and also an option to take a deep shot if the DBs botch the coverage.

The first part of the play is very well-executed by almost everyone, including Sudfeld with the play fake. TE James Mitchell (No. 82) leaves a little early and it tips off safety Dane Belton (No. 24 in blue), but the Lions offensive line, Reynolds and Hesse all do a great job selling the run fake.

Wideout Antoine Green (No. 18) from the bottom of the formation) shows good patience in waiting to cross the field. In the practices we’ve seen, he is the primary option on this play. When the Lions starters run this, it’s Amon-Ra St. Brown in Green’s role and Jameson Williams as the top receiver, which is Daurice Fountain (No. 12) on this rep.

As the play progresses and Sudfeld spins outside to his left (by design) to where he can throw, Green is streaking across at the 24-yard line. Mitchell winds up being effectively covered, but the Giants defender whose responsibility is Green here (No. 31, Tyler Nubin) is still behind the 30 and running around a (legal) pick with Fountain starting to pull away from his coverage up the seam.

This is exactly how the play is supposed to work. Sudfeld has the option here to hit Green on the cross, or hold a half-count and throw it up for Fountain on the deep shot. No defender is within seven yards of Sudfeld. We’ve seen Sudfeld connect on both throwing options here many times in practices, just as Jared Goff and Hendon Hooker routinely do in their reps.

Not this time.

Sudfeld refuses to pull the trigger on either option and eventually gets sacked near the sideline at the 11-yard line. As the play progressed, Hesse also came open in the middle of the field as an emergency outlet, albeit a very risky throwing option, by smartly flowing with the play.

None of the offensive linemen are in place to help Sudfeld because he’s supposed to throw the ball. They’re selling the run fake and did so very well, notably center Kinglsey Eguakun (No. 65) and left tackle Dan Skipper (No. 70). Again–that’s the precise design of the play that we see them practice multiple times in every session. There are some variants off the base formation, too, but this is the primary “choose your best adventure” script for a quarterback in Ben Johnson’s playbook.

This isn’t a coverage sack. Fountain wound up getting 2-3 more yards of separation on his defender. Green remained an open target for another two steps before Nubin finally got within arm’s reach of him. It’s a rapidly closing window but that’s the NFL. Quarterbacks who don’t think they can make that throw typically don’t stick around the NFL very long.

Give the Giants linebackers, notably Dyontae Johnson (No. 54), credit for quick reactions. Johnson bags the sack on Sudfeld, who isn’t unathletic (he’s slightly more mobile than Goff) but is never going to scare a defense with his legs. But this is a money-making play for the Lions offense if Sudfeld decides to write the check and throw the ball.

This one play is a great nutshell of why Lions fans, media and even head coach Dan Campbell were so hard on Sudfeld on Thursday night.

 

Dan Campbell on Nate Sudfeld: ‘I expect better from him’

Lions coach Dan Campbell on QB Nate Sudfeld: ‘I expect better from him’ after Sudfeld’s struggles in the preseason opener

Detroit’s preseason opener against the New York Giants unintentionally morphed into the Nate Sudfeld house of horrors. The reserve quarterback got the start in the game but played quite poorly, especially early on.

Sudfeld misfired on four of his first five throws, and the Lions offense picked up one first down in the first six drives with the erratic, shaky Sudfeld at the helm.

“There’s some decisions in there that I would like to be better. I expect better from him,” Campbell said in his postgame press conference. “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.”

Sudfeld was forced back into the game when Hendon Hooker, who operated the offense far more efficiently and effectively, left the game with a concussion. Campbell was quick to credit Sudfeld for playing better in that circumstance than he had looked earlier in the game.

“But, like I said, I did think when he came back in he played a lot better. I thought he got in a rhythm, kind of got us going there and so that was good to see.”

Sudfeld led the Lions on an 11-play, 60-yard drive after reentering, looking sharper and connecting with multiple receivers before stalling out in the red zone.

For his part, Sudfeld had this to say after the game,

“I just don’t think that we were firing on all cylinders in any of the areas, run game or pass game. It just wasn’t able to quite click tonight, but I’ll have to watch the tape to see really what went wrong on some of it. But hard to say.”

Detroit Lions News, Notes and Thoughts from Preseason Game 1

Detroit Lions News, Notes and Thoughts from Preseason Game 1 from Lions Wire’s Russell Brown

In a wet and rainy game against the New York Giants, the Detroit Lions lost 14-3 in their first preseason game. We can equate this loss to the Lions not playing their starters but the weather was certainly a factor for both teams. We saw the weather cause muffed punts and players slipping on attempted tackles.

But these aren’t excuses and at halftime, Lions head coach Dan Campbell didn’t make excuses. He acknowledged the weather and needing better execution from the offense. Talking with Lions reporter Dannie Rogers  asked about the offense and he said, “Look offensively, we’ve got to make some plays. We’ve got a wet one here but when we need some plays, we need to make some plays.”

Offensive Notes

It was an uneventful night for quarterback Nate Sudfeld. He wasn’t efficient with the ball in his hands and as he extended plays beyond the pocket, he would hold the ball for too long. Rather than checking the ball down, running it or throw it away, he’d get outside of the pocket and still get sacked.

As Campbell said, they needed the offense to make some plays. So he turned the football to quarterback Hendon Hooker in the second half and this led to some plays being made. On his second drive with the offense, Hooker led the Lions 88 yards down the field on a 14-play drive.

This drive stalled when Hooker had a slight overthrow to Donovan Peoples-Jones in the corner of the end zone on the 3rd down. It was great effort by Peoples-Jones, who did his best to replicate an Odell Beckham Jr., one-handed catch in Metlife Stadium but he wasn’t able to secure the pass. Ultimately, this led to the Lions going for it on 4th-and-goal and not getting it.

On both drives that Hooker played in the 3rd quarter, his mobility really stood out. He ran the ball 4 times for 34 yards. His longest run was for 16 yards and he trucked a Giants defender on his way for the first down.

Throwing the ball, Hooker finished 5-for-9 for 36 yards and he showed good rapport with UDFA receiver Isaiah Williams. They connected on consecutive plays during the 14-play drive in the 3rd quarter. After that drive, Hooker came out of the game and was being evaluated for a concussion. This led to Sudfeld coming back into the game and finishing the 4th quarter.

Outside of the quarterbacks, the rest of the offense was a mixed bag. Some players stood out, and others needed a lot of work. On the offensive line, there appeared to be some miscommunications that led to defensive linemen being unblocked, or defensive backs piercing into the backfield to wrap up running backs before they could make a move.

The one running back that looked pretty good was Sione Vaki. His first carry went for 15 yards and he made an impressive cut to gain the additional yardage. He finished with 29 yards rushing on four carries. If he’s able to stack performances like this, he could emerge as the 3rd running back for this offense.

That said, I’d still be surprised if Craig Reynolds doesn’t make the roster. Despite only having 11 yards on four carries, Reynolds had consecutive runs that led to 8 yards during the Lions’ second drive of the game. Despite having three straight carries on that drive, Reynolds played on the punt team and he ran down to make the tackle.

Defensive Notes

While there were only a few bright spots on offense, the Lions defense played well for the most part. Early in the game, the Lions defense saw big plays made from rookie Ennis Rakestraw and free agent acquisition Amik Robertson.

On the opening kickoff, Robertson made the first tackle of the game. In addition to that, he had a pass breakup on that opening drive. To top that off, Ennis Rakestraw made a great tackle on 3rd down and this led to the Giants punting on their opening drive.

For the defensive line, we saw plenty of James Houston in the first half. He did have two tackles and a QB hit. There was a moment in that first half where he got away with hitting Drew Lock late near the sideline. As for other defensive linemen, it was a strong showing for Nate Lynn, Isaac Ukwu and Brodric Martin.

Leading the way, Martin had four total tackles and two pass deflections. He almost had a sack but he let Tommy DeVito slip through his hands. Fortunately, Nate Lynn was there and he made the sack on DeVito.

It was a strong first showing for Lynn as he had two sacks, two QB hits and a sack. The Lions defense only recorded two sacks against the Giants and the other sack was made by Ukwu. He showed decent bend while running the arc to bring down Drew Lock.

Other bright spots on the defense were linebackers DaRon Gilbert and Malik Jefferson. Starting with Jefferson, he had a strong showing in the second half with six tackles and a tackle for loss. He made some tackles on special teams as well.

As for DaRon Gilbert, what a fun story he’d be for the Lions. He’s undrafted out of Northern Illinois but a Detroit native that played at Birmingham Brother Rice High School in Michigan. He started getting in a groove in the second quarter with good positioning and multiple tackles. If he made the Lions 53-man roster, he’d have the entire city behind him.

The Lions do have five linebackers already locked onto the roster. Those players are Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez and Jalen Reeves-Maybin. But if they’re open to having a 6th linebacker on the roster, it feels like it’ll come down to Jefferson or Gilbert.

The last roster spot I want to focus on is the 4th safety spot. As I mentioned in my game one preview, the Lions will have an important decision to make on who the 4th safety will be after Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph and Ifeatu Melifonwu.

The experienced player is C.J. Moore and he recorded three tackles in this game. However, he did slip while attacking downhill during a run by Giants running back Eric Gray. With Moore missing, this gave Gray plenty of running room as he took it to the house. Later in the game, Moore was limping in the end zone on the Giants second touchdown of the game. It looked like a possible knee or ankle injury but nothing has been mentioned of an injury at this time. Either way, it’s still worth monitoring.

As for the competition with Moore, there are two other players to really keep tabs on with Morice Norris and Brandon Joseph. Starting with Norris, he had three tackles but none of the tackles were like the one he made in practice earlier this week.

The standout for the 4th safety spot was Brandon Joseph. He had three tackles, a pass breakup and an interception. On the interception, he jumped a route over the middle of the field and looked like his old self at Notre Dame. If the Lions can get him playing like that again, what an addition that would be for the Lions secondary and special teams.

Final Thoughts + Injury Notes

Overall, it was far from pretty for the Lions but it wasn’t horrible. Again, that’s expected with no starters playing. There were a lot of positives with some skilled players on offense but ultimately, the defense played really well outside of two drives. Improving the defense was important for the Lions this off-season. Despite a quiet three series for first round pick and presumed starter Terrion Arnold, the depth of the defense appears to be taking shape. We’ll see if that carries over to the rest of the season.

The Lions did have a few players get banged up in this game. Offensive lineman Connor Galvin got rolled up on and had to be carted off with a knee injury. Receiver Antoine Green went to block a Giants defender but he essentially got launched to outer space and left the game with a concussion. Earlier, I mentioned that Hendon Hooker is in the concussion protocol. Lastly, we did see defensive tackle David Badda go down with an achilles injury.

After the game, it was confirmed by Dan Campbell that Badda and Galvin probably suffered some long term injuries. Those will be worth monitoring as the Lions still have two preseason games to play. Next Saturday, the Lions will travel to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Kansas City Chiefs.

Oh, and, yes, kicker Jake Bates did hit a 53-yard field goal in the first quarter.

Nate Sudfeld struggled vs the Giants and Lions fans weren’t happy

Detroit QB Nate Sudfeld struggled vs the Giants in the preseason opener and Lions fans weren’t happy

Nate Sudfeld was the starting quarterback for the Detroit Lions in their preseason opener against the New York Giants. Most fans, and many of us in the media, expected Hendon Hooker to make his NFL debut instead.

That context probably didn’t help Sudfeld’s cause on a rough, rainy night in New York. Sudfeld played poorly, missing four of his first five pass attempts–all on inaccurate throws. Detroit failed to convert a single first down in its first four drives. The veteran played the entire first half and finished 7-for-15 for 40 yards and an interception, getting sacked three times. His QB Rating was 25.7 after producing four total first downs in eight drives.

It was not pretty for Sudfeld. Nor was the social media reaction to Sudfeld’s subpar performance. Here are some of the choice posts that are safe enough for a family-friendly publication.

Parting shot…

…and chaser:

Lions training camp preview: A (finally!) settled QB room

Detroit Lions training camp preview: Breaking down the (finally!) settled QB room

The Detroit Lions will open the 2024 training camp with a fully established quarterbacking corps. No newcomers, no battles, no drama.

Yeah, it’s been a while…

The Lions are set with Jared Goff as the firmly entrenched veteran starter, backed up by Hendon Hooker. The No. 3 QB is veteran Nate Sudfeld, who, like Hooker, is in his second season in Detroit. Outside of a major injury or a catastrophic preseason from Hooker, nothing that happens between now and Week 1 will alter any of that.

Jared Goff

Goff enters the 2024 Lions training camp with a hefty new contract extension he earned by leading the Lions to a top-five offense and two playoff victories after last season. Goff’s precision, sharp decisions and willingness to distribute the ball to anyone on the offense are a fantastic fit in Ben Johnson’s offense. The Lions smartly designed the offense around what Goff does well, and their faith in the 2016 No. 1 overall pick has been rewarded handsomely. 

Long gone are the days when fans–not to mention certain media outlets–questioned if the likes of Tim Boyle or David Blough could push Goff into a reserve role. Goff has established himself as a bright passer and field general worthy of his recent Pro Bowl nods. 

The situation behind Goff is a lot more settled and stable, too; at least, that’s the intent. After a decade of having one of the worst backup QB situations in the league, Detroit just might finally have some quality depth. They’ve at least tried to solve the long-running problem with some sense of permanence with Hendon Hooker.

Hendon Hooker

Hooker missed nearly all of his rookie campaign as he recovered from knee surgery. It was a preexisting issue the Lions knew about, one that kept the third-rounder from Tennessee from participating in anything other than mental reps during last year’s training camp.

This year is different. Hooker is the unquestioned No. 2 behind Goff after a healthy offseason. His spring work in OTAs and minicamp was simultaneously encouraging and frustrating, something Hooker himself talked about after an early practice session.

Those camp and preseason reps are definitely needed for Hooker to get more natural. He said it himself in OTAs: Hooker overthinks, and bad things happen, but when he just plays, he’s been quite good. Coaxing the “quite good” more frequently and consistently is the goal for QB coach Mark Brunell and the Lions offensive staff in this training camp and preseason.

Nate Sudfeld

Sudfeld fizzled quickly last summer as the No. 2, but in that process he accomplished a couple of genuine positives. First, he proved to be a reliable, savvy sounding board for Goff — a fellow veteran Goff respects and also isn’t threatened by on the roster. They see football and read defenses in similar ways, and that’s a feedback loop from which Goff benefits.

Secondly, he learned Ben Johnson’s complex, innovative playbook. Even though he struggles to deliver consistently accurate and timely passes, Sudfeld can go right out onto the field and the Lions don’t really have to pare down the playbook.

As a bonus, Sudfeld isn’t going to command much demand if the Lions, as expected, roll with only two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster and ultimately release him. A nice practice squad paycheck should lock up Sudfeld for another season as a No. 3 quarterback without committing any extra resources to it.

Detroit doesn’t have a fourth QB on the roster and none are expected, barring any unfortunate injuries. Hooker is the team’s developmental quarterback and he sorely needs all those reps that might get pilfered by bringing in a “camp arm.”

Nate Sudfeld’s new Lions contract should rule out any talk of another QB

Nate Sudfeld’s new Lions contract should rule out any talk of another QB in Detroit in the 2024 offseason

The details of quarterback Nate Sudfeld’s new contract are now in, and the Lions locked up their No. 3 quarterback with an interesting deal.

Sudfeld, who spent all of 2023 on the Lions’ injured reserve, is back in Detroit on a one-year deal worth $1.21 million, per Spotrac. That’s a pretty inexpensive deal, but it’s one that comes with some extra security built in for Sudfeld.

The Lions guaranteed $300,000 of the deal, which is considerably more than an undrafted rookie or late-round draft pick would get as a guaranteed figure. With Detroit already set at starter with Jared Goff and Hendon Hooker entrenched as Goff’s backup, paying $300,000 to Sudfeld despite the veteran having no realistic chance to ever be active for a regular-season game is a pretty rich commitment.

The long and short of it: Sudfeld might never suit up after the preseason and could spend the 2024 season on the practice squad, but that has value enough for the Lions to merit the contract. And it should effectively preclude nay more moves at quarterback this offseason, barring injury need.

The Lions bring back QB Nate Sudfeld

The Lions bring back QB Nate Sudfeld after he missed the 2023 season with a knee injury

The Detroit Lions have brought back reserve quarterback Nate Sudfeld for the 2024 season. The team announced the signing on Wednesday.

Sudfeld was slated to be the Lions’ backup quarterback last season while rookie Hendon Hooker recovered from knee surgery. After joining the Lions prior to the 2022 season and playing sparingly in his first year in Detroit, the longtime Eagles backup struggled in training camp and preseason enough that the team brought in vet Teddy Bridgewater to compete with Sudfeld.

The competition was rendered moot when Sudfeld, now 30, tore his ACL in a preseason game. He spent the 2023 season on the Lions injured reserve.

Now he’s back, presumably as the No. 3 QB behind Jared Goff and Hooker. The Lions have talked up Hooker’s progress all offseason. Signing Sudfeld now could be a strong indication that the Lions are satisfied with the quarterback room as-is before the 2024 NFL draft.