Lions' Pedestrian Effort Can Lead to Multiple Improvements

Wins and losses in the preseason don’t hold much significance. However, if the Detroit Lions’ 2025 debut against the Los Angeles Chargers was an indicator of anything, it’s that this team has plenty of rust to shake off. 

Detroit’s performance in its exhibition opener was, in a word, lackluster. It resulted in an ugly 34-7 loss for Dan Campbell’s squad in the NFL’s annual Pro Football Hall of Fame game Thursday night. Yet, more concerning was the lack of effort and execution from the Lions. 

For a team that entered training camp with sky-high expectations coming off a 15-2, NFC North-winning campaign, its showing against the Chargers left much to be desired.

Let’s be clear: no one should overreact to a preseason result. These are glorified scrimmages, and the Lions did sit all of their expected Week 1 starters, including 2025 draft picks Tyleik Williams and Tate Ratledge. 

However, that doesn’t excuse the Lions’ lack of discipline, energy or attention to detail Thursday. 

Detroit committed eight penalties (gifting L.A. with 68 “free” yards) and five total turnovers. Plus, it went a dismal 1-for-11 on third-down conversions. That’s the kind of stat line that gets players cut and coaches irked, even in August.

Quarterback Kyle Allen, making his Detroit debut, didn’t exactly instill confidence with his play, either. He finished the first half nine-of-14 for 91 yards, but threw two interceptions and made several head-scratching decisions. His arm lacked the necessary velocity for some of the throws he attempted, and he repeatedly forced the ball into tight windows that didn’t exist. 

For a veteran fighting for a spot on the Lions’ 53-man roster, it was an ultra uneven performance, and it did little to suggest he's the right man for the team’s backup QB job.

The Lions’ offensive struggles didn’t end there, either. 

Third-year pro Hendon Hooker replaced Allen under center in the second half, and didn’t fare much better. The 2023 third-round pick completed just three-of-six passes for 18 yards, and was responsible for a late-game interception. Additionally, the Tennessee product led the offense to only three first downs in four series, and was sacked twice.

As a whole, offensive coordinator John Morton’s unit mustered just 197 yards and failed to get into a flow. Whether it was a lack of protection from the offensive line, missed throws, or ineffective play-calling, Detroit’s offense looked rather vanilla and unprepared. That can’t be the case for a team with postseason aspirations, no matter who’s under center.

On defense, Detroit wasn’t much better. The unit gave up critical first downs and failed to generate momentum-changing plays. There were flashes of effort, but little consistency. And the inability to force takeaways only added to the frustration.

Campbell, never one to mince words, voiced his frustration in the postgame. 

“You want to play really well,” Campbell said. “And we just, we didn’t do that.” 

He’s right. Detroit didn’t just lose; it underperformed in all three phases. And while Campbell also expressed confidence that the film would provide coaching opportunities, there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it: the Lions failed to play a winning brand of football Thursday.