Detroit Lions David Blough blah versus Vikings; Next man up?

After a poor second start by Detroit Lions rookie quarterback David Blough, should the Pride turn to the next passer on their depth chart?

Unable to recapture the magic from his professional debut on Thanksgiving in a 24-20 loss to the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions rookie quarterback David Blough struggled against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Blough impressed a massive holiday audience in Week 13, completing 22 of his 38 passes for 280 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception against the Bears, posting a respectable 87.6 passer rating in his first NFL start. The 24-year old’s performance in the four-point defeat gave fans a glimmer of hope as the hapless Lions must finish out the rest of their season already out of playoff contention.

Against the Vikings in Minnesota, Blough’s play was blah. The Vikes held a 20-0 lead until the 2:14 point in the fourth quarter when the Lions posted their first and only score of the game. The undrafted passer out of Purdue looked like a shell of himself. Under immense pressure, Blough struggled with accuracy and often held the ball too long.

Sacked five times, Blough completed 24 of his 40 passes for 205 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions against a stingy Vikings defense. Although Detroit could look to further grow Blough for a possible backup role by starting him in their final three games, there is also an opportunity for the Lions to evaluate the remaining talent on their depth chart.

Namely, fellow rookie quarterback Kyle Sloter. The Lions signed the 2017 undrafted passer out of Northern Colorado off the Arizona Cardinals practice squad late last month after the team placed backup Jeff Driskel on Injured Reserve.

Sloter was an intriguing pick up for Detroit. This is a third-year veteran who was a raw prospect coming out of college. A developmental player whose athleticism (played wide receiver) and size (6-foot-5, 218-pounds) had the Cardinals, Vikings, and the Denver Broncos interested in the past, Sloter, who is now 25-years old, simply lacked experience.

Yet to get any regular-season snaps, Sloter has posted some epic preseason performances. Over the past three years, he’s recorded a total of 1,222 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and only one interception in 12 games (but only two starts). For the Vikings this past preseason, Sloter completed 39 of his 51 passes (76.5) for 443 yards, four scores and one pick with a 120.0 passer rating.

The Detroit Lions likely know what they have in David Blough after two games. Perhaps Blough will even continue to get the starts moving forward. But don’t be surprised to see Kyle Sloter on the field before December is over as this would be a perfect time to evaluate his possible future in the Motor City.