The scoreboard wasn’t pretty — the Lions got rolled 34-7 by the Chargers in the Hall of Fame Game — but if you looked past the score, Detroit’s defense had some moments worth cheering.
Let’s start with the defensive line. These guys came to work.
Even though most of the starters were watching from the sidelines, the Lions’ front still found ways to disrupt. Rookie Ahmed Hassanein and veteran Rock Ya-Sin made life hard for the Chargers in the run game, both finishing with run-stop rates over 25%. That’s the kind of gritty, down-in-the-trenches play that Dan Campbell lives for.
Then there’s the secondary — yeah, they gave up some plays, but they also made a few of their own. The Lions came away with two interceptions, which is no small feat in a game that saw Detroit’s offense coughing up the ball left and right.
Sure, the defense wasn’t perfect. The Chargers still had a field day through the air, and Detroit’s secondary allowed a sky-high passer rating. But amidst all that, the D-line kept applying pressure, and the secondary showed it can create turnovers — and that’s something to build on.
Bottom line? If the offense can stop giving the ball away like it’s a charity drive, and the defense keeps punching like this, the Lions will be just fine when the games really count.
Lions Defense Shows Grit in Ugly Loss — 2 Picks and Plenty of Pressure
