Detroit, MI

Burning Question: Do Lions Need New Backup Quarterback?

Published

1 year ago

August 10, 2024

Burning Question: Do Lions Need New Backup Quarterback?

Undoubtedly, Jared Goff is the Detroit Lions’ No. 1 quarterback. He earned that status and then some after leading the Lions to the NFC North division crown and the NFC Championship Game in 2023.

Yet, there is some uncertainty about whether the organization possesses a clear-cut No. 2 passer. That question potentially grew even bigger after Detroit’s preseason tilt with the N.Y. Giants Thursday.

Nate Sudfeld, who played the entirety of the first half against the Giants, looked lost under center for most of the night. His timing and accuracy were consistently off, and there’s no question he hurt his candidacy for the backup job. He ended up finishing the opening half five-of-11 through the air for just 24 yards. It was certainly a performance to forget for Sudfeld.

Meanwhile, Hendon Hooker, the second-year quarterback out of Tennessee, entered the game under center to start the second half. In his first taste of game action as a pro, he definitely looked the part of a dual-threat passer. He appeared confident of his abilities both inside and outside the pocket, and showcased the ability to make a difference with his legs.

The only problem is that Hooker may have been a bit too run-happy Thursday. The Volunteers product suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter, which came on a play in which he scrambled out of the pocket.

Lions head man Dan Campbell would like the young signal-caller to be more cognizant of the potential harm he exposes himself to when he takes off and runs.

“That’s what happens when you run. In this league, at the quarterback position, you are going to take some hits,” Campbell said about Hooker, after Detroit’s preseason opener against New York. “So, you have to be real selective. He’s going to have to learn to be selective. He’s going to need to slide if he is going to use more of his legs. It’s good, it gets you out of trouble. But, that’s the downside of it: You expose yourself to hits.”

Despite suffering the concussion, it was still an all-around solid effort for Hooker. He notably spearheaded a 14-play, 65-yard drive late in the third quarter, on which he recorded runs of 16 yards and six yards while fearlessly taking on multiple defenders. He finished his preseason debut with 36 yards through the air on five-of-nine passing, plus added another 34 yards on the ground.

Hooker is definitely still a work in progress, especially after missing basically an entire year of football in 2023 while recovering from a torn ACL. Among a variety of things, he needs to get better at knowing when and when not to take off and run. It’s an intangible that will help him more easily avoid big hits and subsequently stay in games.

So, Campbell & Co. are likely not going to feel ultra confident if Hooker has to enter a game this upcoming season for a banged-up Goff. However, I’m convinced there isn’t a long list of backup QBs that make teams feel super confident anyways.

Additionally (and most importantly), I believe that Campbell and the Lions’ coaching staff saw enough from the second-year pro Thursday to make the determination that he’s their No. 2 quarterback.

I saw enough, too, to say that the organization doesn’t need to go out and acquire a backup quarterback. It already has its guy in Hooker.

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Detroit, MI

A$AP Rocky to bring ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ tour to Detroit

Published

1 hour ago

January 20, 2026

Press Room

A$AP Rocky to bring ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ tour to Detroit

Rapper’s tour will mark his first Detroit visit since 2017.

A$AP Rocky will bring his “Don’t Be Dumb” tour to Little Caesars Arena on July 8, the artist’s camp announced Tuesday.

Tickets for the show go on sale at 9 a.m. Jan. 27 via Ticketmaster. Presale tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, and signup is available now through 10 p.m. Wednesday through http://livemu.sc/asaprocky. A Cash App presale starts 10 a.m. Wednesday.

The LCA concert is part of a 25-date run of North American shows which kicks off May 27 in Chicago and wraps July 11 in Newark, New Jersey.

The tour follows the recently released “Don’t Be Dumb,” the 37-year-old Harlem rapper’s first album since 2018’s “Testing.” Rocky was a guest on “Saturday Night Live” over the weekend.

The concert will mark A$AP Rocky’s first Detroit performance since a September 2017 concert at the Masonic Temple.

agraham@detroitnews.com

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Detroit, MI

Tobias Harris turns it on as Detroit Pistons fight off Boston Celtics

Published

13 hours ago

January 19, 2026

Press Room

Tobias Harris turns it on as Detroit Pistons fight off Boston Celtics

Hours before Monday’s game, the Detroit Pistons got good news: Cade Cunningham was named an Eastern Conference starter in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game.

The East-leading Pistons followed that national statement with one of their own, pulling off a nail-biting win over the second-best team in the East, defeating the Boston Celtics, 104-103 at Little Caesars Arena. The nationally broadcast game featured 14 ties and nine lead changes, but the Pistons prevailed by holding the Celtics to 39.8% shooting, capped by a game-ending miss by Jaylen Brown.

Tobias Harris (25 points) lifted a Pistons offense that struggled to hit 3-pointers through most of the night. His biggest shot was a corner 3-pointer with 1:32 remaining in the game that gave the Pistons a five-point cushion, 104-99. Brown, who led all scorers with 32 points and 11 rebounds, answered with a pair of jumpers to cut the Pistons’ lead to one with 45 seconds left.

It ended up being the final basket either team hit. Cunningham missed a midrange jumper with 14 seconds left that would’ve given them a 3-point cushion, but Brown’s game-winning attempt from midrange on the other end bounced off the back of the rim, and then the front as the clock expired.

Jalen Duren added 18 points and nine rebounds, and Cunningham tallied 16 points and 14 assists. The Pistons shot just 6-for-25 from 3 through the first three periods but went 5-for-10 in the fourth while holding Boston to 7-for-20 (35%) overall.

The win gives the Pistons a 5½-game lead over the Celtics in the Eastern Conference (as well as a 3-1 season series win against Boston) with 12 games left before the All-Star break. Their next opponent isn’t nearly as competitive, as the Pistons will head to New Orleans to face the Pelicans – currently run by former Pistons execs Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver and sporting the worst record (10-35) in the Western Conference – on Wednesday (8 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit).

Pistons throw block party during second quarter

After shooting just 33.3% in the opening period, the Pistons found their offensive groove in the second — thanks to their defense. They recorded five blocks during the quarter, which got their transition game going and swung momentum in their favor.

Stewart led off the block party by swatting a two-handed poster attempt by Celtics center Neemias Queta. It was one of his most impressive blocks in a season filled with impressive blocks, a good percentage of them on dunk attempts.

It was Cunningham’s turn next, rejecting a dunk attempt by Jordan Walsh in transition. It initially was ruled a foul, but coach J.B. Bickerstaff won an ensuing challenge. The Pistons took their first lead the following possession, with a Javonte Green 3-pointer making it 35-33 with 7:16 before halftime.

Thompson followed, getting a hand on a top-of-the-key 3-point attempt by Pritchard and finishing a fastbreak dunk. The Pistons outscored the Celtics, 33-22, in the second period while holding them to 30% (6-for-20) shooting. At halftime, Boston was just 33.3% from the floor with nine turnovers, off which the Pistons scored 14 points.

After trailing by eight points midway through the first, the Pistons led 59-51 at halftime despite hitting just four of their 18 3-point attempts up to that point.

Duren dominates Celtics’ frontcourt

The fourth-year big man put together his highest-scoring game of 2026, taking advantage of the Celtics’ biggest weakness — frontcourt depth. Other than their starting center, Queta, Boston’s bigs consist of former Pistons second-round pick Luka Garza and former Michigan State big Xavier Tillman.

Duren got going early, leading the Pistons with nine points after the first quarter. Garza checked in at the 7:54 mark and picked up two quick fouls while defending Duren, and subbed back out at the 4:50 mark. The lob connection with Cunningham got going early — he tipped in one from Cunningham and from Robinson in the first, and flushed a powerful two-handed lob from Cunningham late in the third quarter to extend the Pistons’ lead to 76-73.

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Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X @omarisankofa.

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Detroit, MI

How Detroit CBP blocks drug trafficking at border

Published

1 day ago

January 19, 2026

Press Room

How Detroit CBP blocks drug trafficking at border

NEWS

The Detroit Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) intercepted approximately 4,400 pounds of cocaine and about 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine during the past fiscal year, highlighting intensified enforcement efforts at the northern border.
CBP officers use law enforcement intelligence from multiple agencies to select trucks for inspection. They also utilize large-scale X-ray machines to scan vehicles when canine alerts or other indicators arise.

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