In Thursday’s Hall of Fame game, marking the return of the NFL to screens and streaming devices alike, the Detroit Lions lost to the Los Angeles Chargers, 34-7.
As we’ll do every week throughout the season for this Detroit Lions team, we have some data we can comb through courtesy of various outlets that better help us understand the football the Lions have played thus far—and what to look forward to in the coming weeks. Let’s take a closer look at the Lions by the numbers after their preseason loss
to the Los Angeles Chargers.
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5 turnovers
In a game that felt entirely sloppy from literally start to finish, the Lions performance was largely defined by their inability to protect the football. Grant Stuard’s return on the opening kickoff, Kyle Allen’s bad throws, Jakobie Keeney-James’ muffed punt, and Hendon Hooker’s final toss (and really Dominic Lovett’s giveaway) acted as markers throughout the game for Detroit’s “one step forward, two steps back” approach to their preseason debut.
we see you, rook
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) August 1, 2025
| @nflonnbc pic.twitter.com/KZO2qZ3t6D
33.3% pressure rate
With so much turnover and reshuffling along the offensive line this offseason, it was going to be something worth keeping an eye on during the team’s preseason action. Detroit’s starting five seem to be set, but there’s room for virtually every player beyond those starters to stake their claim to the 53-man roster.
Last Hooker play I'll highlight:
— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) August 1, 2025
Hooker was waiting for Lovett to clear the zone linebacker. Maybe waited a half-second too long, and pressure from Mason Miller's side forced him to pull it down.
Just a tad better protection and/or anticipation and it would've been huge. pic.twitter.com/BHqa75o4uT
Thursday’s contest against the Chargers will hopefully serve as an opportunity for those depth players to go back to the drawing board after they allowed a quarterback pressure on one third of dropbacks. Jamarco Jones (2), Mason Miller (1), Michael Niese (1), Dan Skipper (1), Giovanni Manu (1), Colby Sorsdal (1), Kingsley Eguakun (1), and Netane Muti (1) were charged by PFF with allowing pressures in the preseason opener.
Isaac TeSlaa
The Lions are certainly equipped with plenty of weapons on offense, including one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL, but here comes Isaac TeSlaa.
All the Isaac TeSlaa back-to-back action packed into one (All-22): pic.twitter.com/f8vsEo9xjy
— Al Karsten (@FootballGuy_Al) August 1, 2025
In what amounted to a rather disappointing night for the Lions across the board, TeSlaa was one of the few bright spots—and he proved to be so in a variety of ways. There was this rep from him on special teams as a gunner to showcase how he’ll immediately have an impact at the NFL level. His 2.88 yards per route run across 16 passing snaps was especially explosive and efficient—only two NFL players posted higher marks for yards per route run last season: Puka Nacua (3.56) and A.J. Brown (2.99). A 79.4 run-blocking grade on 16 rushing snaps was the second-best mark on the team (min. nine snaps) behind only Dan Skipper.
28.6% and 25.0% run-stop rate
So much of what the Lions want to do on defense is predicated on their ability to be stout against the run on early downs. Two players on the roster bubble for the Lions showed up in a big way when defending the run: veteran cornerback Rock Ya-Sin and rookie Ahmed Hassanein.
Hell of a tackle by Rock Ya-Sin against Hampton pic.twitter.com/AnY3FuoB4u
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) August 1, 2025
Lions DL Ahmed Hassanein (@A_Hassanein91) squeezes/surfs his gap & makes the tackle! #StopTheRun #OnePride pic.twitter.com/OVsR79oXcg
— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) August 1, 2025
PFF’s defensive stops are considered “tackles that constitute a ‘failure’ for the offense” and Ya-Sin led the way for the Lions in that respect. The veteran corner recorded two stops in run defense on just eight rushing snaps, resulting in a 28.6% run-stop rate. Hassanein had more opportunities against the run, playing on 13 snaps, and he posted three stops in run defense for a 25.0% run-stop rate. Those kind of plays let this coaching staff know you clear the foundational requirements to be a part of this defense.
5 defenders allow passer rating 100.0 or above
The biggest winner from last night’s game was undoubtedly quarterback Trey Lance, the former third overall pick. After his play against the Lions in the preseason opener, he’s squarely in the mix to be the team’s backup, and he picked on a number of Lions defenders.
uncle will for 6
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) August 1, 2025
| @nflonnbc pic.twitter.com/a3Rpow91Pb
Trey Lance dropping it the bucket for KeAndre Lambert-Smith @ProFootballHOF Game on NBC
— NFL (@NFL) August 1, 2025
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/desvgOfDRA
Defensive backs struggled in pass defense, including safeties Dan Jackson (100.0), Morice Norris (118.8), and Loren Strickland (127.1) Cornerback Ennis Rakestraw (118.8) and linebacker Ezekiel Turner (115.3) also had tough starts to their preseason in coverage. Despite some players making tackles, the secondary and linebacker unit’s inability to disrupt passes or generate turnovers contributed to the defense’s overall 122.1 passer rating allowed—a stumble out of the blocks that Detroit will look to clean up for their next preseason game.
More from prideofdetroit.com:
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- Former RB coach: Lions’ Jason Huntley ‘was dynamic wherever we put him’
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