The Chargers kicked off preseason play with an impressive 34-7 win over the Lions in the 2025 Hall of Fame Game on Thursday night.

Here are five takeaways from the Bolts preseason opener.

1. A great start

Jim Harbaugh said postgame that he had three goals heading into Thursday night.

The first was for the roster to stay healthy. He also obviously wanted the Bolts to play well. And a win would have been the cherry on top for the Chargers Head Coach.

The Bolts accomplished all three objectives with ease against the Lions as the Chargers raced out to an early 14-0 lead and didn't look back at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

"Been feeling like we got a lot of ascending players that have been ascending in practice and just couldn't wait to see them play in the real game," Harbaugh said.

The Chargers pounced early as safety Kendall Williamson forced and recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff of the game.

"That was tremendous," Harbaugh said.

**Trey Lance** hit Will Dissly for a 5-yard touchdown pass just minutes later and the Bolts led 7-0 before some fans had even settled into their seats.

Kimani Vidal later scored a pair of 2-yard touchdown runs, KeAndre Lambert-Smith caught a 15-yard score and Cameron Dicker hit two field for a balanced performance.

And the Chargers defense, which led the league with just 17.7 points allowed per game in 2024, gave up just a single touchdown by limiting Detroit to 197 yards of total offense.

Chargers Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter's group also forced five takeaways and limited the Lions to just one conversion on 11 total third downs.

"Defense kind of picking up where they left off, seven points and creating turnovers for us," Harbaugh said.

It's just one preseason game, but the Chargers couldn't have asked for a better all-around performance than what transpired in Canton.

"Good start, we'll go back and keep building," Harbaugh said.

2. Lance impresses at QB

The race for the Chargers backup quarterback job is on.

Trey Lance got the start Thursday night and shined through three quarters Canton, completing 13 of 20 passes for 120 yards and two scores.

"I was excited to be able to play and I was excited we got this fourth preseason game. If they told me I could play four full games then I'd be fired up about it," said Lance, who had a passer rating of 114.6.

He later added: "I feel good. I'm excited to watch the tape and learn a lot from it. Always some good and some bad, but just great to be out there. I feel good about it overall. No turnovers so obviously that's a win."

Lance threw touchdowns to Dissly and Lambert-Smith in a turnover-free performance.

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Lance has only appeared in 12 total games with five starts in four years. And he's only thrown 143 NFL passes, completing 81 of them for 1,063 yards and five touchdowns.

As camp continues, Lance said he's taking a day-by-day approach for the backup job with Taylor Heinicke.

"Going into free agency this offseason, my goal was to take a big step in my career," Lance said. "I want to be a starter one day. That's my goal and I believe it will happen.

"I'm just waiting for my opportunity. Coming the Chargers, Justin [Herbert] is obviously a great guy to learn from. Great situation for me to be in," Lance added.

Harbaugh came away impressed with every facet of Lance's game.

"Usually you can predict. If somebody is playing good in practice, they play good in the games pretty much at all positions," Harbaugh said. "Quarterback is no different, until you see them in the game in that 11-on-11. I thought he had the same kind of composure and poise and in control.

"There's a presence that I've been seeing all camp, he's had a heck of a camp, then he went out in the game and did that," Harbaugh added. "Just the feeling of he needs game reps and he's going to get them. It was a great start for him."

3. Nikko Reed shows resolve

Whether it's practice or the first preseason game, Nikko Reed has turned into a playmaker.

"Derwin [James] said it right, Derwin said he's a baller," Harbaugh said. "Really happy for his success tonight."

Reed, an undrafted free agent out of Oregon, got the takeaway party started early with a first-quarter interception on third-and-9 that he returned 60 yards inside the red zone.

"Man, it felt great. First NFL game as a rookie, third down, money down," Reed said. "I felt the route, knew it and just went. Seen the ball, grabbed it and went.

"I read it and I felt like he was going to do that. As soon as I seen him break out, jumped under it and I saw the ball," Reed added. "I'm always hoping to score, but I was thinking about it too much. I should have scored."

Reed has impressed from Day 1 of camp, but what might be more impressive is that Harbaugh said Thursday that he's been working through something physically but has still managed to produce.

"To Nikko's credit, there's a lot of guys who might not be working through something, he's been working through stuff and still playing good," Harbaugh said. "That bodes well. You start thinking about him as a real football player."

Reed shrugged off the praise like a veteran.

"You got to be grateful. Even though I'm hurt, I'm still able to move, still able to play football," Reed said. "I got to give it my all even though I'm battling through stuff."

He later added: "Give it all I got. Control what I can control, because if I do that then I can't say otherwise. I can't have any regrets."

Reed said postgame that every single defensive back on the roster has helped him adjust to the NFL and welcomed him with open arms.

He's seized the opportunity and ran with it, and now hops to keep thriving in order to cement a spot on the roster.

"Of course I want to make the 53[-man roster], but I like to live in the moment," Reed said. "I just take it one day at a time, one foot in front of another. I got to do everything I got to do to make that team, but I got to get through the day first."

4. Johnson gets key reps at center

Zion Johnson started at center in a football game for the first time ever Thursday night.

His assessment?

"I felt good. It was good to get some experience at the position," Johnson said. "My first live reps at center, I think it's valuable experience and good opportunity to learn and build from it."

"It was a little bit different going live for the first time. In practice we have different tempos we try to adhere to because we want everyone to get to the game," Johnson added. "Getting to go live and actually hit somebody as hard as I could, [felt good]."

Johnson started on a line that featured, from left to right, Trey Pipkins III, Karsen Barnhart, Johnson, Jamaree Salyer and Corey Stewart.

The group played two series, which resulted in a touchdown and a missed field goal.

"I thought Zion did good. Great player for us, really had never played center. This has been an offseason project," Harbaugh said. "The way he's attacked it and still doing his guard duties, he's probably our most athletic lineman. Maybe our smartest.

"I don't know if anybody wants it more than him, that's how driven Zion is. Great to see him go out there and display that versatility. I thought he did a heck of a job," Harbaugh added.

5. Chargers take tour of HOF

The Chargers arrived at the Pro Football Hall of Fame a full four hours before kickoff Thursday night.

The reason?

Harbaugh wanted his team to get a tour of the Hall, which took about 45 minutes.

The Bolts had fun with the visit as Cameron Dicker posed with the ball from his fair catch kick and JK Scott donned an old leather helmet and shoulder pads.

Rashawn Slater, ever the student of the game, took in an exhibit featuring Hall of Fame left tackle Joe Thomas.

Players mingled with Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts and also admired the 378 bronze busts on display.

"It's incredible and our guys were riveted," Harbaugh said. "You cherish that. Why? You cherish that opportunity to go through that Hall of Fame.

"It brings you back to when you were a kid and you were playing this game with joy and with passion and you're dreaming," Harbaugh continued. "You're dreaming big, you're dreaming about being like those guys that are in the Hall.

"It replaces some of that anxiety to perform, fear of failure. It just takes you back to being like it was when you were a kid," Harbaugh added. "You start realizing, each guy, they got the ability, they got the license, they got the opportunity to do the same thing as those men that wear the [gold] jacket."