After watching pocket-passing god Jared Goff play for so many years, it can be hard to remember one simple, wonderful fact about Detroit Lions quarterbacks.
They are, apparently, allowed to run.
We needed no more proof of that than watching Josh Dobbs and Luke Altmyer dart around the field as they battled it out for the backup job in a 17-13 exhibition victory over the Washington Commanders on Saturday, Aug. 22, at Ford Field.
Dobbs, the fleet-footed veteran who was signed Aug. 9 after Teddy Bridgewater retired, made his preseason starting debut and blew through a huge hole untouched on a run-pass option read for an easy 50-yard run in the first quarter for the Lions’ first touchdown.
Then there was undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer, who bought time while moving outside the pocket to extend plays and drives, including a big fourth down that led to a field goal that sealed the game in the final minutes.
Sure, Goff is as solidly entrenched as the starter as his feet are buried in the mud. Speed is not his thing. Improvising is not his thing. He needs superior protection and elite play from the offensive line to perform at his best. The Lions know this and are willing to take the good with the bad.
But that’s why it was a pleasure to see Dobbs and Altmyer move around so ably and dynamically. Heck, it even made me wistful about the days when Matthew Stafford could make things happen on the ground.
I’m not saying Dobbs and Altmyer are more effective than Goff. But their mobility brought an added element of versatility that allowed them to claw back from early struggles.
Dobbs had it the worst. Even while enjoying the protection of four O-line starters – only left tackle Penei Sewell rested – he was sacked by former Lions cornerback Amik Robertson on the second snap of the game, fumbled and had the ball recovered by the Commanders in the end zone for a touchdown.
Dobbs’ second drive didn’t go much better. He gained one first down and got as far as the Lions’ 45-yard line. On third-and-6, though, the rush came and forced him to scramble to his right. He found receiver Tay Martin down the field, but had to throw across his body, which allowed safety Quan Martin to intercept the ball.
It didn’t take Dobbs long to atone for his first two drives. On the Lions’ next drive, he moved the offense quickly and efficiently. He completed his first two passes, both to Cedrick Wilson, for 4 yards and then 17.
When the Lions faced third-and-3 at midfield, Dobbs was done showing us his arm and flashed his legs on a 50-yard run that tied the score at 7 with 6:38 left in the first quarter.
“So, I was eyeing the nickel, seeing if he was going to come, because we had an option to throw it off of him, but he stayed in coverage,” Dobbs said. “And then from there, the read was just on the end.
“And I think on the plays like that it’s – obviously the pull, go run for myself – but I think the onus is a lot on the running back to still carry out the fake and really influencing the entire defense.”
Dobbs also played in the third quarter. He finished 7-for-12 passing for 74 yards with one sack, one pick and a 41.7 passer rating.
What was just as important as Dobbs' scoring was his ability to gather himself after his early struggles. Because if he’s going to be Goff’s backup – and possibly spell him during a game – there’s a chance he will face some adversity quickly, before he’s able to settle into a rhythm.
“I think it was good to compete, be able to bounce back from the first two plays,” Dobbs said. “The first one, we had to do a better job getting the ball out and then feeling like a little bit too much on the interception.
“But it was good to respond, and the guys supported me and were able to make plays, which I really enjoyed, and good to be able to rally and make plays down the stretch and finish strong, for sure.”
Altmyer faced a different challenge. He didn’t have any turnovers, but he took four sacks, some of which could have been avoided if he’d gotten rid of the ball faster.
He underscored the difference of competing in practices, when he’s protected by a red jersey, and facing real opponents at NFL speed. On his first drive of the game, in the second quarter, Altmyer was sacked three times.
“So getting the field back again, game speed is a real thing,” he said. “So, there were some sacks I could have avoided today that I probably should have to kind of keep us in field-goal range.
“So yeah, constantly learning snap by snap, the play clock’s in play, a new defense is in play. So just learning. Reps, reps, reps is kind of my thing, man. The more reps I get, the more comfortable I get. So felt great.”
What was most impressive about Altmyer taking his sacks, especially as a rookie, is that he didn’t allow them to stall the drives. After he took his first sack, the Lions faced second-and-19 and Altmyer hit Jackson Meeks for 10 yards, followed by an 18-yard completed to Ty Conklin.
On the final drive, with the Lions leading, 14-13, Altmyer was sacked on the first play for a 9-yard loss. He popped right back up and hit Malik Cunningham for 16 yards on the next play.
Then, on fourth-and-3 at the Washington 32 with 5:23 left, Altmyer displayed the mobility he’d shown all game, with the victory riding on it.
He was expecting man coverage but got a deep zone instead. Playing out of the shotgun, he had to drift back, then to his right as left tackle Miles Frazier held off edge rusher D.J. Johnson. That gave him enough time to hit Meeks for a 6-yard gain that led to Jake Bates’ 37-yard field goal that effectively iced the game.
“And luckily my O-line gave me a good amount of time to rush for,” said Altmyer, who was 9-for-13 for 86 yards with four sacks and an 87.3 rating. “I was able to escape a little bit and Meeks kind of just found an open space and I just tried to draw the play out as long as I could to do that. I was like, gotta-have-it fourth down.
“So it was great to see them keep playing, stretch out the play. Like that's what you don't really get in practice a whole lot. So it was a good moment.”
And a good battle by two capable backups who reminded us what a quarterback can do with the added element of mobility, even after he struggles early.
Contact Carlos Monarrez at cmonarrez@freepress.com and follow him on X @cmonarrez.
[ Watch our Lions-Commanders live reactions show and look ahead to the regular season. ]
Next up: Colts
Matchup: Lions (1-1) at Indianapolis (0-1-1); preseason finale.
Kickoff: 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29; Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis.
TV/radio: WJBK-TV (Ch. 2 in Detroit); WXYT-FM (97.1).
Regular-season opener: vs. New Orleans Saints; 1 p.m. Sept. 13; Fox.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Josh Dobbs, Luje Altmyer add extra element to Lions backup QB battle
