Who is David Blough? Lions to start undrafted rookie at QB on Thanksgiving
After injuries to starting quarterback Matthew Stafford and back-up Jeff Driskel, the Detroit Lions are turning to David Blough, an undrafted rookie, to start at quarterback against the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving.
David Blough will start at quarterback for Thursday’s game vs. Chicago. Jeff Driskel will serve as the backup quarterback. pic.twitter.com/4CoML7YMuK
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) November 28, 2019
Blough joined the the Lions via a trade with the Cleveland Browns in August for a reported seventh-round pick swap in the 2022 draft.
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The Lions were likely hoping for a speedier recovery for Driskel, who was initially listed as questionable after dealing with a hamstring injury this week. Stafford has been out since Week 10 with fractures in his back. With Driskel listed as the back-up Thursday, there’s a good chance the hamstring is still bothering him, but not enough to force the Lions to resort to an emergency quarterback if they need one.
The Lions also reportedly hoping to get former back-up Josh Johnson onto the roster again, but were blocked from signing the veteran by the XFL.
Such a scramble must be a foreign feeling to Detroit, given that Stafford had previously started every game for the team since 2010.
Who is the Lions’ latest starting QB?
He might be an unknown among NFL fans, but Blough was solid across four years of starting at Purdue.
The 24-year-old passed for 3,705 yards 25 touchdowns against 10 interceptions in head coach Jeff Brohm’s system, completing 66 percent of his passes with 9.0 yards per attempt.
With the Lions, he might be most well-known for his magic tricks.
Blough didn’t exactly blow people away in preseason with the Browns, totaling 271 yards on 25-of-43 passing with two touchdowns, two interceptions and a 72.9 passer rating. The Lions might have liked what they saw from him though, as they acquired him the day after playing him in the fourth preseason game.
Facing Blough will be Khalil Mack and a Bears defense ranked fourth in the league in total defense this season. Getting through that might require some actual magic from the former Boilermaker.
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