Bolts From The Blue
The Chargers defense recorded five takeaways and Trey Lance threw two touchdowns to help rout the Lions in the annual Hall of Fame Game.
The first game of the preseason started fast for the Chargers.
After forcing a turnover on the opening kickoff, quarterback Trey Lance got the Bolts on the board with a short touchdown pass to tight end Will Dissly. Lance would later throw a second touchdown to rookie KeAndre Lambert-Smith late in the third quarter before exiting the eventual 34-7 victory over the Detroit Lions in the annual Hall of Fame Game. He finished with 120 passing yards and two score on 13-of-20 passing.
Second-year back Kimani Vidal scored twice on the night and led the backfield with 37 rushing yards. Hassan Haskins and Nyheim Miller-Hines both chipped in 34 yards while first-round pick Omarion Hampton had just two carries for nine yards on the opening drive.
Rookie wideout KeAndre Lambert-Smith led the team with 43 receiving yards and a touchdown on two catches.
Defensively, TeRah Edwards and Tre’Mon Morris-Brash each posted a sack while Nikko Reed, Tony Jefferson, and Myles Purchase each recorded an interception.
For a complete quarter-by-quarter recap of today’s game, keep it right here!
The Chargers won the toss and chose to defer. The defense was up first for the Bolts.
On the opening kickoff, edge rusher Caleb Murphy tackled the Lions kick returner and safety Kendall Williamson punched the ball out to give the Chargers first-and-10 inside the Lions 30-yard line.
Trey Lance hit tight end Will Dissly on a short play-action pass to the right flat for nine yards. After an offsides penalty on the Lions wiped out an Omarion Hampton first-down run, he took his next handoff for eight yards after breaking a would-be tackle attempt.
Several plays later, on fourth-and-goal inside the five-yard line, Lance faked a handoff once again to find Dissly in the end zone for the game’s first touchdown.
The Chargers defense stood tall on their opening drive, forcing a holding call on Detroit and breaking up a great pass (via UDFA cornerback Nikko Reed) en route to forcing a three-and-out.
Lance’s second drive ended in zero points after Cameron Dicker’s 52-yard field goal attempt “doinked” off the left upright. However, rookie wideout KeAndre Lambert-Smith caught his first professional pass on a 28-yard go route up the right sideline.
On the second offensive drive for the Lions, Kyle Allen was picked of by Reed who undercut an out route and nearly housed the interception. Several plays later, running back Kimani Vidal plowed up the middle to score the Chargers’ second touchdown of the night. With more than five minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Bolts were up 14-0.
The rough quarter for Kyle Allen only continued as his third drive ended in another interception thrown, this time to veteran safety Tony Jefferson who hauled it in just inside the boundary of the end zone.
The Lions finally got...
