Football Fans Rejoice, The Wait is Over

by Jake Lax, July 31, 2025

After last season ended 173 days ago with the Eagles hoisting the Lombardi, football is finally back. While it is just the preseason, you can start to feel NFL RedZone Sundays coming sooner than ever. The 2025 NFL preseason kicked off with the Los Angeles Chargers facing the Detroit Lions in the Hall of Fame Game, located in Canton, Ohio. I had the chance to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012. I’d recommend every NFL fan from the Midwest check it out at least once in their life.

The NFL gathered on Thursday night for the enshrinement of Eric Allen, Jared Allen, Antonio Gates, and Sterling Sharpe into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As for the Chargers and Lions, many players were able to take advantage of playing in the HOF Game, which offers your team an extra preseason game. Many players who were undrafted free agents or late-round draft picks are fighting in the preseason to make the 53-man active roster or even the practice squad.

All Chargers

The starting quarterbacks in Canton were Kyle Allen for the Lions and Trey Lance for the Chargers. Lance was the former 3rd overall pick in the 2021 draft and was supposed to be the future of the 49ers franchise. He’s someone I always believed never got a real chance, and someone I always root for. After injuries and playing backup in Dallas, Lance got his big chance this Thursday night.

Trey Lance and the Chargers got the scoring started three minutes into the game as Lance threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Will Dissly. The Chargers’ opening touchdown came courtesy of a costly turnover, as Lions linebacker Grant Stuard fumbled the opening kickoff return. Stuard will need a much stronger preseason moving forward if he hopes to secure a spot on the 53-man roster.

After the 7–0 lead by the Chargers, the Lions failed to get any kind of offense going with a three-and-out, quickly followed by another turnover. This time, it was an interception by rookie cornerback Nikko Reed, picking off Kyle Allen. Reed jumped the route and returned it for 60 yards, almost reaching the end zone. This set up Los Angeles to power it in 6 more yards with Kimani Vidal to take a commanding 14–0 lead.

As soon as Detroit was sniffing the red zone on the next drive, Kyle Allen threw another interception. This time, Tony Jefferson had the interception for the Chargers. At this time, I assumed that Detroit would replace Allen with former Tennessee Volunteers QB Hendon Hooker (2022 SEC Offensive Player of the Year), who was drafted by Detroit in 2023. However, Allen goes out with a nice drive of short passes and a promising rushing attack capped off by a 3-yard touchdown by Craig Reynolds.

It’s Just the Preseason

After the touchdown from Reynolds, Detroit went scoreless. The Chargers continued their dominance with Keandre Lambert-Smith, who brought in the pass from Trey Lance for a touchdown. There were plenty of players throughout the game who certainly gained an advantage to make the roster. Of these players, former Colts running back Nyheim Hines contributed in multiple phases by recording 76 all-purpose yards by carrying, catching, and returning kicks. Hines, who had an ACL tear in 2023, has hopefully made his NFL return and found himself a home in the Los Angeles backfield.

The spotlight was on Trey Lance, who completed 13 of 20 passes for 120 yards and two TDs. Even though Lance was facing backups, he demonstrated the accuracy and talent that had originally gotten him selected 3rd overall. He certainly gained the respect of head coach Jim Harbaugh as the backup for Justin Herbert.

On the other side, Detroit struggled all over. The Lions’ night was defined by turnovers, committing five in total—two on special teams (a fumbled kickoff and a muffed punt) and three interceptions. Kyle Allen threw two of the picks, while Hendon Hooker added another. The miscues gave the Chargers great field position and kept Detroit’s offense out of sync all night.

The Countdown Begins

We are officially 35 days away from the regular season kickoff with the Cowboys at the Eagles. This next month will have starters crafting their skills, rookies fighting for playing time, and others fighting for a spot on the team. The Chargers and Lions were both playoff teams last year, and I expect them to do the same this year. However, I can’t see Detroit making it anywhere close to last season’s 15-win mark. The Lions play in arguably the second-toughest division and lost both coordinators this offseason. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them have to sneak in as a 6- or 7-seed playoff team. The Hall of Fame Game certainly didn’t give much confidence to the Detroit team either. Final score from Canton, Ohio: Chargers 34, Lions 7.