Watch Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker throw his first NFL touchdown pass (video)

As expected, Hendon Hooker got the start under center for the Detroit Lions in Saturday's preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers. It naturally became his clear opportunity to turn around the lingering indications about where he is in the competition to be Jared Goff's primary backup.

Going against Steelers' starters, with backup offensive lineman attempting to block for him, Hooker was sacked five times in the first 20 minutes of Saturday's game.

But Hooker naturally started looking better when Pittsburgh's defensive starters who did play weren't on the field. He finished the first half 7-for-13 for 63 yards along with 38 rushing yards on four attempts.

Oh, and Hooker had his first NFL touchdown pass in the first half, a two-yarder to running back Jake Funk.

Hendon Hooker settles in after rough start vs. Steelers

After the Lions' defense got a takeaway on an Isaac Ukwu strip-sack, Hooker then led a late first half scoring drive as the Lions tied the game at 14. He started things with an 18-yard completion to wide receiver Kaden Davis, then he had a four-yard run after a seven-yard run by Jermar Jefferson. Two Jefferson runs later, and the Lions were in the end zone.

On those last two drives of the first half, which of course paid off in touchdowns, Hooker accounted for 69 of the Lions' 105 total yards.

Dannie Rogers of Lions.com, working the sideline for the telecast on the Lions TV Network, caught up with head coach Dan Campbell going into the locker room at halftime. Hooker was an automatic topic.

"Well, look, he did a good job of hangin' in there", Campbell said. "But he's just, he's progressing a little too slow, there early, and the protection breaks down. What was encouraging is he got in a rhythm, he found it, he didn't get rattled by it, and then to your point he leads up on those two drives there at the end of the (first half). That's big."

Hooker has rebounded from mistakes/adversity and operated with growing confidence in back-to-back preseason games now. If that isn't a enough to push him to usurping Nate Sudfeld in the battle for the backup job, it's hard to know exactly what he has to do to get it done.