The Detroit Lions now have one preseason game behind them after losing the Hall of Fame game to the Los Angeles Chargers. While the defense, particularly the secondary, had its fair share of issues, and special teams made a blunder they’d love to erase, the real concern that emerged for fans was the quarterback situation. What was supposed to be a compelling QB2 battle between Kyle Allen and Hendon Hooker turned out to be anything but.

Allen misfired on several throws in the opening half, tossing two interceptions and never truly getting comfortable within the offense. When Hooker entered for the second half, he barely had any time to throw due to poor protection. He didn’t score through the air and had to depend mostly on his running ability to keep plays alive.

The lack of offensive production from either signal-caller made one thing glaringly obvious: the Lions have a backup quarterback dilemma that remains unresolved, and neither Allen nor Hooker appeared to be the solution in this early showing.

Detroit needs to see a lot more from one or both quarterbacks when they face the Atlanta Falcons in their next preseason game. That’s plain as day. If neither can show signs of growth before the regular season begins, Detroit may find itself in deep trouble if Jared Goff suffers an injury. And no, Teddy Bridgewater isn’t coming to save them.

That said, it’s not yet time to close the book on either player. Reports from training camp have already noted communication breakdowns between the offense and coaching staff. These same issues were visible when Hooker was on the field, including a timeout taken to avoid a delay of game, which ended in a failed series.

Hooker had reportedly drawn trade interest from teams like the Chicago Bears and New York Jets before this game, mainly due to ties with current coaching staffs. But his stock may have dipped after looking uncomfortable in the pocket under pressure on Thursday night.

Still, the Lions will need dependable quarterback depth. If they do decide to move on from Hooker, they’ll have to bring in someone capable of taking over that role. Potential targets could include Malik Willis from Green Bay or Taylor Heinicke, now with the Chargers, if the current backups don’t impress soon.