Chargers vs. Lions: First-half takeaways from Hall of Fame Game

USA Today

6 days ago

The Chargers took a 21-7 lead into halftime of the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday against the Lions, led by backup quarterback Trey Lance.
Here's what to take away from the first half of 2025 Chargers action in a game setting.
Running back hierarchy
It certainly seems like the Chargers are confident in first-round pick Omarion Hampton, who only took 2 carries for 9 yards on Thursday evening. Hampton did have a chance to gain a few more yards, but tried to bounce outside of Lions corner Rock Ya-Sin on a carry to the left side and was cut down.
Behind Hampton, Kimani Vidal and Jaret Patterson worked with the Chargers' offense as the next two backs off the bench. Vidal scored a short rushing touchdown in the first quarter. Nyheim Miller-Hines and Hassan Haskins were the next running backs to take snaps, with Miller-Hines leading the squad with 16 rushing yards at the half. That would seem to suggest Vidal has a safer path to the 53-man roster, with Miller-Hines and Haskins battling for the RB4 and ancillary returner role.
Zion Johnson settles in
After two bad snaps on the first drive of the game, Johnson managed to keep things clean for the rest of the first half as Lance led the offense up and down the field. Thursday was the former first-round pick's first game action at the pivot spot, and it showed early, as Johnson launched a high snap that required Lance to leap up to corral it early in the first quarter. On the next play, Johnson rolled the snap back to Lance, who had to fall on the ball for a loss to keep possession. But after those mishaps, Johnson's snaps were clean for the rest of the half as Los Angeles continues to evaluate his viability at center.
Trey Lance, QB2?
Lance, the former No. 3 overall selection in the 2021 NFL draft, looked better than he's maybe ever looked in a pro setting on Thursday. The former 49er and Cowboy went 9-of-12 for 97 yards and 2 touchdowns - one to Will Dissly on a fourth-down bootleg and one on a slant to KeAndre Lambert-Smith in the second quarter. Lance did hold the ball for a bit too long on a couple of plays, but was otherwise sharp and looks like he could be pushing Taylor Heinicke for the backup job behind Justin Herbert. Heinicke has had an up-and-down training camp and is suited only for an emergency situation on Thursday.
Nikko Reed makes his case
Reed has been one of the stars of training camp for the Chargers, and that momentum carried over into his first NFL action on Thursday. Early on, the UDFA from Oregon jumped a late Kyle Allen pass, returning an interception 60 yards deep into the red zone before running out of steam near the end zone. He continued to be sticky in coverage all half and made a tackle on kickoff coverage as well.
The cornerback depth chart seems rather crowded for LA, with six players presumably set to make the roster. But Benjamin St-Juste has had a rather anonymous training camp and Deane Leonard and Ja'Sir Taylor both struggled a bit in coverage during the first half, which could open a sliver of an opportunity for Reed to make the 53-man roster. At the very least, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Reed will make the Chargers' practice squad.
Otito Ogbonnia making a leap
Ogbonnia looked like the best Chargers defensive lineman that suited up on Thursday, penetrating into the backfield multiple times and limiting Lions running back Craig Reynolds. During the first series without Ogbonnia on the field, the Chargers yielded a 15-play touchdown drive to Detroit. Most of the attention has turned to LA's acquisitions on the defensive line - free agents Da'Shawn Hand and Naquan Jones and draft pick Jamaree Caldwell - but Ogbonnia looks to be the one setting the pace early on.