The Los Angeles Chargers open the preseason with a win over the Detroit Lions, but who on the team stood out?
The first final score of the 2025 NFL (pre)season ends in a positive for the Los Angeles Chargers as they defeat the Detroit Lions, 34-7. There were numerous highlights for the Chargers, including five (!) takeaways by the defense, backup quarterback Trey Lance delivering a sharp performance and both running backs and pass-catchers getting in on the action. Here are those who saw their stock rise or fall.
Winners
QB Trey Lance — A brilliant start for the backup quarterback, making smart decisions, executing on the macro and micro scales, and finishing with a respectable stat line. In all, Lance went 13-for-20 passing for 120 yards and two touchdowns, capped off with a 114.6 quarterback rating. He was sacked only once and scrambled for eight yards on three attempts when pressured.
His first touchdown pass was to tight end Will Dissly on 4th & Goal. The second, a good, crisp delivery to the breadbasket of KeAndre Lambert-Smith on a slant route.
Trey Lance finds KeAndre Lambert-Smith for the TD!@ProFootballHOF Game on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/ypV9fC3Ds7— NFL (@NFL) August 1, 2025
What Lance accomplished was give confidence to the Chargers if he must see playing time this season — or give other teams consideration in trading for him if need be.
WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith — With only two receptions in the game, Lambert-Smith didn’t dominate the game. But, he did gash through the Lions’ secondary in the first half for the 15-yard touchdown. He has received buzz in training camp and what tonight showed is he could (or should) be in the game plans for the season.
CB Nikko Reed — Making plays and earning credit in training camp is good, but when the lights are on, can you compete? Reed, an undrafted rookie, showed he can, snaring a decent throw from Lions’ QB Kyle Allen and hauling it 60 yards back the other way. On 26 snaps, Reed was targeted three times and allowed zero receptions, with two forced incompletions and the interception. According to PFF’s Mark Chichester, Reed earned a PFF grade above 90.0 on first review and was the player of the game.
S R.J. Mickens — The sixth-round safety out of Clemson was another player of note. As Lions’ running back Craig Reynolds gashed across the open field, Mickens made a touchdown-saving tackle. When things go awry, having a safety to make surefire tackles and correct angles is critical. Mickens demonstrated many things in that single snap.
RB Kimani Vidal — Second-year Chargers running back didn’t hit a dynamic explosive play, but he did deliver twice in the red zone with a pair of two-yard touchdowns and gashed the Lions on 3rd & 2 for a 16-yard sprint. Though the Chargers have first-round rookie Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris (on NFI), Vidal could be a player to see some depth snaps. Especially if Harris takes longer to return.
Losers
WR Tre Harris — While Harris did nothing inherently wrong, it was disappointing to not see him more active or involved in his 24 snaps. Harris is expected to be much involved in his rookie season after the retirement of Mike Williams. But, there are many factors in why plays do or do not go your way in a preseason game.
C Zion Johnson — The No. 17 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft tested a new position in the preseason, playing at center. At times there were poor snaps and he struggled. However, Head Coach Jim Harbaugh said he excelled.
“I thought Zion did a good job,” Harbaugh said. “Great player for us. Really had never played center… I thought he did a heck of a job.”