The NFL chain gang is no more.
Jim Harbaugh‘s Los Angeles Chargers smashed the Detroit Lions 34-7 in the Hall of Fame Game.
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Campbell patiently waits for a first-down callCredit: X @NFL
A stellar performance from Trey Lance earned the infamous NFL Draft flop plenty of plaudits, but it was the new rules on display that captured the attention of fans.
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Early in the second quarter, officials called for a first-down measurement.
But instead of the chain gang — first used in 1906 — running onto the field, coaches, players and fans instead turned their eyes to a screen.
An AI system implemented for the 2025 season made the call and displayed a virtual rendering which showed that Detroit had made it past the line to gain.
Harbaugh and Lions opposite number Dan Campbell looked bemused.
“They probably knew that it was a first down on the field, but it’s preseason, you want to make sure the new technology is ready to go for the season, and the answer is yes,” explained Mike Tirico in the booth.
Fans were not impressed with the trial run and vented their fury on social media, branding it ‘lame’ and ‘garbage.’
“Gonna be wild the 1st time we see the Chiefs benefit from a clear BS AI measurement,” wrote one.
“And they said Ai wasn’t gonna take people’s jobs,” a second added.
“Nope. Don’t like it,” a third blasted.
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The Chargers were too good for an under-strength Lions teamCredit: Getty
“Is this still based on the refs spot? If so I’ve got something to say,” a fourth wrote.
“We’re tennis now, great,” a fifth bemoaned in reference to tennis’ Hawk-Eye line calls.
The game also saw new kickoff rules implemented with touchbacks starting at the 35 in a bid to encourage more returns.
Lions linebacker Grant Stuard fumbled the first play of the game as he ran out to the 26-yard line — the story of the night for Detroit.
“It’s the first one out of the gate,” Campbell said.
“We turned it over five times and had zero takeaways. That’s hard.
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“Can’t put the defense in that kind of a position. It’s hard to get a rhythm when you turn the ball over.”
When trailing, the Lions could have tried an onside kick at any point after the NFL changed rules that limited attempts to the fourth quarter.
Lance cost the San Francisco 49ers four draft picks in 2021 and he failed to live up to the hype.
But after serving as a backup for the Dallas Cowboys, he will have a chance to shine behind Justin Herbert.
“Big night for Trey. Just played calm, cool, collected, ran the operation, threw the ball really well,” Harbaugh said after a two-touchdown display.
Herbert sat out of the contest, as did Lions stars Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, and Penei Sewell.
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