Football is back with the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. However, the Detroit Lions likely wish they could have hit the restart button against the Los Angeles Chargers after an incredibly sloppy opening half that included three turnovers in the first quarter. Those miscues helped the Chargers race out to an early 14-0 lead, a 21-7 lead at the half and a 34-7 advantage when the clock hit zero.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell got tricky and let linebacker Grant Stuard return kicks, and Stuard fumbled the opening kickoff at his own 27. Los Angeles jumped on the opening kickoff, and five plays later, they were in the end zone. With Chargers Pro Bowl starting quarterback Justin Herbert on the sideline in street clothes, Los Angeles head coach Jim Harbaugh started Trey Lance, the 2021 third overall pick, and he delivered a clutch touchdown on toss on fourth down-and-2 from the five. He executed a play-action bootleg to perfection, which allowed him to connect with veteran tight end Will Dissly for a five-yard score. Lance bookended his first half with another touchdown toss, hitting rookie fifth-round pick wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith in stride on a slant route that Smith to take and cruise into the end zone for a 15-yard score. That put the Chargers back up 14, 21-7, with 1:51 left in the second quarter.
Lance was far and away the game's MVP. He finished with a sparking stat line: 120 yards passing and two touchdowns while completing 13 of his 20 passes. First-round rookie running back Omarion Hampton took two carries on the Chargers' opening drive for nine yards -- one carry went for eight yards and the other went for just one. Detroit Lions starting Kyle Allen, with Jared Goff in chilling in sweats on the sideline, couldn't have played much worse. He threw two interceptions in the first quarter and finished with 91 yards on 9 of 14 passing.
Los Angeles took care of the football, and Detroit didn't Plain and simple. The Chargers played a clean game while the Lions turned the ball over five times (three interceptions and two fumbles lost). Lance was in clear control all night long while Allen appeared unprepared for the majority of his night.
They couldn't find any consistent offense thanks to the aforementioned turnovers. It probably didn't help that Thursday night served as the first game with new offensive coordinator John Morton at the controls after three seasons of a high-flying attack under the departed Ben Johnson.
Lance's play-action touchdown toss to Dissly on the opening drive. The Chargers could have bungled away their early momentum after the Lions fumbled on the game's opening kickoff, but instead Lance calmly executed a perfect toss to Dissley off a play-action bootleg. That play set the tone for what was to come the rest of the night.
Undrafted rookie cornerback Nikko Reed's interception of Allen. Reed, an undrafted rookie cornerback out of Oregon, undercut veteran Detroit Lions quarterback Kyle Allen's late throw to the right after Detroit marched to the Chargers' 42. He caught the throw at Los Angeles' 34 and hit the gas down the sideline for a 60-yard gain all the way down to Lions' six. Not only did Reed make an early impression in the NFL, but he completed snuffed the early fight out of Detroit.
The Chargers (1-0) return home to host the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 10, and the Lions (0-1) will head east to face the Atlanta Falcons in Georgia.
Hendon Hooker appeared to hit rookie Dominic Lovett for a deep completion, but Purchase, the undrafted rookie out of Iowa State, just wanted the football more. He ripped the football away for the Chargers' fifth takeaway. Emblematic of the night's action.
Second-year sixth-round pick running back Kimani Vidal powers through the Lions defense for his second, two-yard touchdown run of the night. That'll do it. The Chargers race ahead to a 34-7 lead with 3:42 left to play.
Lance checks out with 120 yards passing and two touchdowns on 13 of 20 passing. The former Clemson, Oregon State and Florida State quarterback gets his first taste of NFL action.
Trey Lance hit rookie wide receiver Dalevon Campbell on a goal line fade route on third down, but he was unable to get his feet inbounds. Cameron Dicker knocks through his second field goal of the night, this one from 27 yards, to stretch Los Angeles' lead to 20 points, 27-7, with 2:59 left in the third quarter.
After journeyman veteran Kyle Allen struggled in the first half, 2023 third-round pick Hendon Hooker is now in the game at quarterback for Detroit. With a strong second half, he could apply some pressure on Allen in the race to be Jared Goff's backup in 2025.
Lance's second half didn't begin as strongly as his first half. His two completions near the goal line, with a run for no gain by running back Jaret Patterson sandwiched in between, led to kicker Cameron Dicker making a 23-yard field goal. That extended the Chargers' advantage to a game-high 17 points, 24-7, with 11:29 left in the third quarter.
Lance shredded the Lions in the first half with 97 yards and two touchdowns, and he returns as the team's QB to begin the third quarter.
Lance is making the most of his start in tonight's Hall of Fame game. He hit rookie fifth-round pick wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith in stride on a slant route that Smith to take and cruise into the end zone for a 15-yard score. Los Angeles goes back up 14, 21-7, with 1:51 left in the opening half.
Detroit ground out a 15-play, 65-yard touchdown drive that was capped by a three-yard rumble into the end zone by veteran running back Craig Reynolds for a three-yard score. Los Angeles' lead is cut in half, down to 14-7 with 5:31 left in the half.
Lions veteran quarterback Kyle Allen airmailed rookie third-round pick wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa on a short third down to kill what could have been Detroit's scoring drive. The football floated into the awaiting arms of Chargers veteran safety Tony Jefferson for the Lions' third turnover of the night. Los Angeles leads 14-0 at the tail end of the opening quarter.
Two plays after undrafted corner Nikko Reed set Los Angeles up with a first and goal, running back Kimani Vidal plunged into the end zone for two-yard touchdown. The Chargers now lead 14-0 with 5:13 left in the first quarter
Reed, an undrafted rookie cornerback out of Oregon, undercut veteran Detroit Lions quarterback Kyle Allen's late throw to the right, and he raced down the sideline for a 60-yard gain all the way down to Lions' six. Great way to make an early impression for Reed.
Los Angeles kicker Cameron Dicker was cash money last season, making 39 of his 42 field goals -- a figure that includes a 9 for 11 field goal percentage on attempts of 50 yards or deeper. However, his 52-yard attempt Thursday night doinked off the left upright and out for a miss. Dicker is still shaking off the rust ahead of the 2025 season
Dan Campbell gave Stuard a second chance after an opening drive fumble, and he rewarded his head coach's faith with a 36-yard return out to the Lions' 35.
Los Angeles backup quarterback Trey Lance, the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, perfectly executed a play-action bootleg on fourth-and-2 from the Detroit five to hit veteran tight end Will Dissly for a five-yard touchdown. The Chargers capitalize on the Lions' fumbled kickoff and cash in the good field position for a 7-0 lead.
Detroit head coach Dan Campbell decided to have some fun on the opening kickoff by deciding to let linebacker Grant Stuard return the opening kickoff. He reached the 27 before fumbling the opening kickoff, which may ensure this return is his last. The Chargers take over on the Lions' 28 for their first drive.
The big news outside of this game, but not entirely irrelevant to it, is Terry McLaurin requesting a trade from the Washington Commanders, as ESPN reported. This is almost certainly a leverage play by McLaurin, who said just weeks ago he still hoped to resolve financial differences with Washington. But the Chargers have reason to call Washington: Justin Herbert could still use a proven complement to Ladd McConkey out wide. We've got L.A. as one of the top potential landing spots for the Pro Bowl wide receiver.
