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.
Why the Chargers won
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.
Why the Lions lost
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.
Play of the game
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.
Turning point
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.
What’s next
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.
