The Detroit Lions have been searching for a capable backup quarterback for the last three seasons, and it seemed 2025 was set to be another lost year.
Then, Week 2 of the preseason against the Atlanta Falcons happened. The Lions started Hendon Hooker, attempting to help the former third-round pick state his case as the backup. Unfortunately, Hooker didn't impress with two fumbles, and was quickly taken out of the game.
When Allen came in unexpectedly early and impressed, immediately, that elicited a response from Dan Campbell. The coach was immediately happy with how he led the offense and the command that was shown, even admitting to being "fired up" by the performance.
"I thought Kyle (Allen) played really well. I was fired up. It was outstanding. He wasn't going to play until the second half and we get him in there. It's kind of like, 'Hey, you're up.' 'I got to be ready to go now?' He gets out there and immediately gives us a boost. Runs the offense, makes two huge throws on the first drive. I thought he was on point with the checks, the kills, motion landmarks, the whole thing. He operated the offense at a high level and made big throws. So I was fired up."
If there's anything a coach wants a backup quarterback to do, it's operate the offense seamlessly no matter who's on the field. Allen had a bumpy ride in Week 1 of the preseason, but gained confidence to distribute the ball where it needed to be. He led a pair of scoring drives and impressed with his confident decision making.
While it's far too early to proclaim Allen Detroit's backup, it's clear based on listening to Campbell that he loves the trajectory the veteran has shown in recent days. That matches what Allen himself has felt.
Allen believes he has taken big steps forward running Lions' offense
It isn't just Campbell that has begun to beleive. Allen sees himself having made important strides in a short amout of time. Detroit's offense is complex, which means there's been a lot for Allen to digest. He's been able to persevere and now come out the other side to gain fantastic confidence.
"I do feel really good about it. It's a high volume offense, so it's taken a lot of work, a lot of studying, but I feel like I'm at a really good point with it and it's at a good point where I feel in control. I feel like I know what I'm doing out there. I think it just takes time to learn an offense and to find your comfort in it regardless."
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The more comfortable Allen gets, the more he could be asked to do. If he's able to continue to shine, that might make life uncomfortable for Hooker, especially given how impressed Campbell seems to have been with Allen's most recent performance. That's also true given Allen's experience, given he has played in 31 games with 19 career starts.
This makes Allen's role and subsequent performance in Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins even more fascinating to watch.