A quick look at the Lions' first-round draft pick in the 2019 NFL draft, Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson. Wochit

It had been a while 315 days to be exact since Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford had thrown a pass to tight end T.J. Hockenson in a game.

Sure, they had gotten some practice during training camp and offseason workouts that Stafford organized. But no one knew how good their chemistry would be in the season opener, given the major irregularities of the offseason.

It would have been understandable if there was some rust. Maybe a little miscommunication. After all, they hadnt played together in a game since Staffords season ended with a back injury Nov. 3. Hockensons season ended with an ankle injury suffered Nov. 28.

ButStafford and Hockenson looked like they were in midseason form Sunday, and their production was one of the highlights in a 27-23 loss to the Chicago Bears.

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Detroit Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson (88) celebrates his touchdown against the Chicago Bears during the third quarter at Ford Field, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020.(Photo: Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press)

Theyve done a good job since weve gotten back at camp, really just working together, coach Matt Patricia said Thursday. Theres a lot of periods during practice where, maybe special teams where theyre not involved, and the two of them will take some of that extra time to go work on the nuances of routes or reads, coverage looks and some game plan stuff that we do in those situations. I think all just those extras that add up through the course of practice and being on the same page help during the game.

Did it ever. The two appeared to be in lockstep throughout the game. Hockenson caught five passes on five targets for 56 yards and a touchdown. And two of his catches were among the Lions 10 longest plays.

Certainly in some of the game plan plays that we had, Patricia said, I thought were well-designed to try to get T.J. the ball, and some of those situations were really good. I think those guys spend a lot of time on them in the meeting room, but on the field during the extra stuff, not just during the team periods.

Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson runs against Bears free safety Eddie Jackson during the first half at Ford Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020.(Photo: Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press)

That chemistry was apparent Sunday. The Bears had a hard time containing Hockenson throughout the game and the creative play-calling certainly helped.

But it was one of Hockensons more mundane plays that exemplified his work with Stafford and the trust theyve developed. With the score tied at 3 in the second quarter, the Lions ran a play-action pass on first down from their 39-yard line. The Bears four-man rush penetrated quickly and Stafford was forced to throw off his back foot. Hockenson was behind the line of scrimmage and the only viable option. He caught Staffords quick pass and ran for an 8-yard gain.

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Hockensons touchdown catch also showed how much trust Stafford had in his second-year tight end. Despite tight coverage, Stafford zipped a hard pass up the middle on second-and-goal from the 4-yard line for a 20-6 lead in the third quarter.

Yeah it was good, Stafford said Wednesday of his chemistry with Hockenson. Coach did a nice job drawing up some play to get him some chances and he capitalized on them. His touchdown, hes probably the most-covered guy on the field. I jammed it in there to him, but it was a nice catch. I was happy for him.

Stafford and the Lions will need as many of their weapons playing well if they want to keep pace with the powerful offenses theyre about to face, starting Sunday with the Green Bay Packers, who have the NFLs top-ranked scoring offense after Week 1.

But Hockenson represents something a little different. As the eighth overall pick last year, he represents a sizable investment from the franchise and a key building block for the future.

Obviously the more guys rolling and playing at a high clip that we can get on offense, the better well be, Stafford said. T.J.s one of those guys thats a weapon for us and weve got to make sure everybody on our offense is getting touches and were going from there.

Contact Carlos Monarrez at cmonarrez@freepress.com and follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez. The Free Press has started a new digital subscription model. Here's how you can gain access to our most exclusive Lionscontent.

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Why Detroit Lions' T.J. Hockenson and Matthew Stafford already have great chemistry - Detroit Free Press