USAT: Lions Wire audio clip

USAT: Lions Wire

Feb 17, 2022

- - - The Detroit Lions will be adding at least one quarterback to the roster this coming offseason. Both players on the 2021 depth chart behind Jared Goff are free agents, and it’s extremely unlikely the Lions bring back both No. 2 Tim Boyle and No. 3 David Blough. - Based on what we saw in 2021, they shouldn’t bring back either one. - Blough played exactly four offensive snaps, didn’t throw a pass but did take a sack. He’s a charismatic and energetic guy, but the lack of usage and underwhelming results whenever he’s been given a chance (five starts in 2019, preseason appearances) almost certainly mean the end of the David Blough experience in Detroit. - Then there’s Boyle. Signed by GM Brad Holmes to a one-year, $2.4 million contract early last offseason, the former Packers backup had a brutal statistical performance in 2021. In three starts for an unavailable Goff, Boyle threw six INTs to three TDs, averaging just 3.4 adjusted yards per attempt on 94 passes. For context, Goff ranked 21st at 5.64 and the league average was 6.37. - To be fair to Boyle, his first start came under suboptimal conditions. He was fresh off the injured reserve with a thumb injury, meaning he got very few practice reps that week and none for over two full months beforehand. The Browns defense dictated a lot of quick passes, and Boyle delivered 23 of them — netting a pathetic 77 passing yards. - He was better, relatively speaking, in his subsequent starts. Boyle showed some semblance of accuracy and did get more aggressive. But the mistakes and misreads remained problematic in losses to Atlanta and Seattle, a Seahawks defense that surrendered more passing first downs on the season than any other team. - The accuracy and game management issues that dogged Boyle in college, both at UConn and Eastern Kentucky (55 percent completions, 12 TDs, 26 INTs) followed him to Detroit. The game still speeds up for him too readily under pressure. - With Goff ensconced as the starter in 2022 but undecided beyond that, having a developmental-type of backup quarterback makes sense for Detroit. They need someone who can learn from Goff, master the offense and then (hopefully) take over in 2023 if Goff’s time is done. Based on what we’ve seen from Boyle, who is two weeks older than Goff, he’s not that guy. There’s no reason to pay a premium for another season of Boyle proving he’s not all over again. - - RelatedListen: Breaking down Ben Johnson as OC and Aubrey Pleasant's fate with Detroit Lions Podcast - - - - - - - - - - - - Email - - - - - Sign up - - - - - - - - Like this article? - Sign up for the Lions Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning - - - - An error has occured - - - Please re-enter your email address. - - - - - - Thanks for signing up! - - - You'll now receive the top Lions Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.

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