Trey Lance delivered one of his most efficient outings as a professional, throwing for 120 yards and two touchdowns to guide the Los Angeles Chargers to a 34-7 victory over the Detroit Lions in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday night. The contest at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium marked the start of the NFL preseason and set the stage for this weekend’s Hall of Fame inductions.
Now in his fifth season and on his third team, Lance looked poised in his debut for Los Angeles. He completed 13 of 20 passes and directed three scoring drives, including a first-quarter strike on fourth-and-2 to tight end Will Dissly for a five-yard touchdown. Later, he connected with receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith on a 15-yard scoring pass to give the Chargers a 21-7 halftime lead. Lance, drafted third overall by San Francisco in 2021, competes with Taylor Heinicke for the backup role behind starter Justin Herbert.
The Chargers capitalized on Detroit’s mistakes throughout the night. After recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff, Los Angeles quickly converted for a touchdown. In the second quarter, rookie cornerback Nikko Reed intercepted Kyle Allen’s pass and returned it 60 yards to the Lions’ six-yard line, setting up a short touchdown run by rookie Kimani Vidal. Another interception by Tony Jefferson thwarted a Lions drive in the red zone.
Detroit’s lone score came in the second quarter when Craig Reynolds finished a drive with a three-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 14-7. But turnovers continued to plague the Lions. Quarterbacks Allen and Hendon Hooker combined for three interceptions, and the special teams unit added to the struggles when Jakobie Keeney-James muffed a punt deep in Lions territory. That miscue set up a 23-yard field goal by Cameron Dicker, who finished the game two for three after missing from 50 yards.
The Chargers’ defense recorded five takeaways, keeping the Lions from finding an offensive rhythm. Los Angeles also received a late boost when Vidal scored his second touchdown on a two-yard run in the fourth quarter. Rookie quarterback DJ Uiagalelei took over for Lance in the second half and helped manage the offense to close out the win.
Lions coach Dan Campbell, who rested most of his starters, including quarterback Jared Goff, wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown, and running back Jahmyr Gibbs, said the performance was disappointing. “We turned it over five times and had zero takeaways,” Campbell said. “That’s hard. Can’t put the defense in that kind of a position.”
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, beginning his second season with the team, praised Lance’s composure. “Big night for Trey,” Harbaugh said. “Calm, cool, collected. He ran the operation and threw the ball well.”
Security was heightened for the game after a shooting earlier in the week at NFL headquarters in New York left four dead and one league employee injured. The league observed a moment of silence before kickoff.
Los Angeles covered the 2.5-point spread easily, while the total score of 41 points edged past the over/under line of 38.5. The Chargers improved to 2-0 this preseason after winning the Hall of Fame Game for the first time since 1994.
The Lions, coming off a 15-win season that ended with a playoff loss, will travel to face the Atlanta Falcons on August 8. The Chargers are set to host the New Orleans Saints on August 10. On Saturday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame will induct Eric Allen, Jared Allen, Antonio Gates, and Sterling Sharpe.
