David Blough making a push to be the Lions’ No. 2 quarterback

Not that Tim Boyle is stiff competition, but David Blough seems to be asserting himself as the Lions’ No. 2 quarterback.

Amid a stretch where Jared Goff was awful early last season, the Detroit Lions surely would have benched him if they had a better option to go to. But Tim Boyle was out on IR with a thumb injury, and David Blough was clearly not the answer.

The only action Blough saw all last season was a few snaps (four, to be exact) late in the Lions’ worst loss of the season, a 44-6 blowout at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles on Halloween. When Goff was sidelined by injuries and a bout with COVID-19, Boyle was healthy and started those three games.

The Lions decided to run it back with their top three quarterbacks this offseason, with Goff of course as the unquestioned starter and the least surprising of the three to be back. There was no effort to upgrade on Boyle or Blough, or to at least add someone more interesting behind Goff (an undrafted rookie would qualify).

David Blough making his case to be the Lions’ No. 2 quarterback

Results from minicamp practices, in “shorts and shells”, have to take with some grain of salt. But by all accounts on Day 1 of Lions’ minicamp Tuesday, Blough was the star of the day.

During a “desperation drill”, where the offense has to go 81 yards and score a touchdown on the defense in 29 seconds, here’s what Blough did when it was his turn to lead the drive after the first-team offense went nowhere.

Via Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit:

"That said, David Blough absolutely tore up the defense in this drill. Here’s the play breakdown:37-yard strike to Trinity Benson21-yard post to Cephus in between Mark Gilbert and Kerby Joseph (turkeyhole’d)23-yard touchdown pass up the seam to Cephus for a one-handed grab (Joseph in coverage again)"

Boyle did not look good during OTAs, and Day 1 of minicamp was apparently no different. Blough got his shot to work with the second-team offense, and he shined.

The competition to be the Lions’ No. 2 quarterback may turn out to be no competition at all by the time training camp comes. Blough is well in line to unseat Boyle right now. Boyle has to step up his game in response, or his status on the roster at all may start to come into question.