The Chargers’ preseason officially kicked off Saturday, as they fell 29-22 to the crosstown Rams.
Most of the starters did not play, as Brandon Staley has placed an emphasis on keeping their guys healthy and prepared for the regular season.
While overreacting to the preseason is almost always a losing proposition, it’s still important to keep an eye on players who stood out, both in positive and negative ways.
Here are the studs and duds from the preseason opener:
Stud: EDGE Chris Rumph II
Rumph had arguably the best game of anyone on Saturday. The second-year player got the start with Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack both sitting out and displayed the improved strength we’ve heard about all training camp. With a key third-down sack, a dominant day against the run, and another few pressures, Rumph looked like a much-improved player from last season. Chargers fans should be excited about Rumph as the third edge rusher behind Bosa and Mack this season, especially because it gives Kyle Van Noy the ability to play more inside linebacker.
Dud: DL Jerry Tillery
It was a bit of a surprise to see Tillery still listed as a starter on the Chargers’ unofficial depth chart earlier this week, but we pointed out at the time that Morgan Fox hadn’t separated himself in camp. Saturday against the Rams, we got the separation. Tillery got shut out on the box score in 12 snaps, while Fox had two QB hurries, including the brutal bull rush that led to Rumph’s sack of Bryce Perkins. Four other interior defensive linemen had at least one pressure. Tillery also struggled in the run game, consistently getting pushed off the line of scrimmage. While he may still make the roster, it’s looking more and more like his role will be diminished in 2022.
Stud: WR Michael Bandy
Bandy led the team with seven receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown, looking like a legit NFL wide receiver. The offense was lasered in on him all night, as he garnered eleven targets. That’s probably because he was running routes like this:
can we get this man a blue check, @twitter?? @mikeybandz5 📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/cX5IYrFT87
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) August 14, 2022
The former undrafted free agent from San Diego has looked good all training camp and could be pushing for a roster spot at this point. We’ve long assumed the Chargers would only keep five receivers: Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Josh Palmer, DeAndre Carter, and Jalen Guyton. But Bandy – as well as Joe Reed, who had a solid game of his own – could be making the case for a sixth receiver spot on the 53.
Dud: S JT Woods
It was a bit of a rough debut for Woods, whose most notable play was taking out Deane Leonard while Rams WR Lance McCutcheon cruised down the sideline for a 60-yard TD. The rookie struggled to finish plays multiple times on Saturday, which was a concern of mine on his college tape as well. The bright side for Woods: it’s clear his closing speed is elite. His instincts are there but maybe a touch too slow right now. The rest of the preseason will be about fine-tuning his tackling angles and following through to the ground rather than building a new player from scratch. There’s still plenty of reason to be optimistic about Woods, but Saturday was a definite “welcome to the NFL” moment for him.
Stud: RB Joshua Kelley
Kelley looked like the player we’ve heard about in training camp: a transformed body, renewed confidence, hitting holes with explosiveness. Isaiah Spiller also looked good, but Kelley looked like the RB2: not only did he get the first reps of the game, but he stood out while doing so. Kelley also flashed some receiving ability, something of a hidden skill for him, given what his role has been in previous years on this team. Staley said after the game that Kelley did exactly what he’s done all offseason: look “really steady and strong.” For a team that has emphasized consistency in their position battles this offseason, it’s a good sign Kelley has the upper hand as of right now.
Dud: QB Chase Daniel
Daniel led a few long touchdown drives and made the correct decisions, but overall his arm simply looked spent. Out-breaking routes looked tough for the 35-year-old and his accuracy was all over the place. Meanwhile, Easton Stick had his best performance as a pro in the second half. Granted, the offense looked rather simplified for Stick, who had many more opportunities on bootlegs and with designed escape hatches to scramble around. But still, it looks like Stick may be able to grab that QB2 role. It shouldn’t be a huge surprise for Daniel, who was always going to be kept around more for his ability to mentor Justin Herbert as essentially another assistant coach and not for his ability on the field.
Stud: EDGE Emeke Egbule
Egbule led the team with seven pressures on Saturday and overall looked like a more polished player than CFL signee Jamal Davis II. He was also within striking distance of finishing two sacks: on one, Bryce Perkins was able to slither out of his grasp; on the other, a teammate tackled him instead of Perkins and ruined both of their opportunities. Egbule did miss three tackles, per PFF, an indication that his run defense is still a work in progress. But in a tight competition for EDGE4 with Davis, racking up pressures the way he did will certainly endear him to the coaching staff.
Dud: OL Will Clapp
I thought Clapp got outperformed at center by Ryan Hunter, who’s making a real push for a roster spot due to his versatility at guard and center. Hunter has looked better than Brenden Jaimes at guard during camp as well. Clapp and Hunter both gave up one pressure per PFF, but Clapp’s led to a near-instantaneous sack of Chase Daniel. It’s not a great sign for Clapp, who was signed because of his familiarity with new OL coach Brendan Nugent. To struggle with that advantage on his side is a bit nerve-wracking. I’m curious if Hunter starts to get a few second-team reps at center this week in practice.
