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Lions preparing for both Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance in opener vs. 49ers
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Kyle Shanahan's magic has finally started to hit the NFL.
After last week's preseason finale against the Raiders, where Shanahan employed the veteran Jimmy Garoppolo and rookie Trey Lance on the same drive, there has been buzz about whether that strategy could be seen in the regular season.
And, it seems like teams are preparing for it, as the two quarterbacks have vastly different play styles, which will only stress out defenses more.
The Detroit Lions, San Francisco's Week 1 matchup, are one of those teams.
When asked about the quarterbacks, new Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that his team is planning for both quarterbacks, per
Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire, just because of the threat Lance poses as a quality-level backup.
"I think you've got to prepare for both," Campbell said before Monday's practice session in Allen Park. "You have to assume that they may try to mix (Lance) in there and use him a little bit. We'll make sure that we've taken care of some of that."
Lance recently fractured his index finger in the game against Las Vegas, causing him to wear a splint over the finger during all of last week. While the splint was no longer on his finger Monday, Lance has yet to throw, so the rookie may not even see action in Week 1.
Regardless, the mere threat he possesses to other teams is forcing them to account for him, which is likely what Shanahan was eyeing when drafting the North Dakota State product with the third overall pick.
While Lance likely won't see action in Week 1, look for teams to continue preparing for him in their gameplans as he progresses back to full strength.
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