The Chargers kicked off the preseason with a 34-17 victory over the Rams. Despite the win, there are still some things that players can improve on, as their time to make impressions on the coaching staff is dwindling.
Here are the things I observed from Saturday that Los Angeles needs to improve.
The dropped passes
The first NFL game for Quentin Johnston wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. On the first drive, there was a drop from Johnston. Johnston struggled again on the second drive with another drop off a fantastic deep ball from Easton Stick. Thankfully it is one of the more coachable issues to fix in wide receivers, and drops are to be expected when pressure and nerves kick in during a debut game. After being removed from the game for most of the second quarter, Johnston returned to redeem himself, running a fantastic route out of the slot for a touchdown leaving 17 seconds on the clock. If Johnston can mitigate the earlier drops for the next game, then the Chargers will automatically be in a better position. But as of right now, this is nothing to be concerned about.
Defensive backs' catching abilities
Both cornerbacks Deane Leonard and Ja’Sir Taylor, had great interception opportunities, but the ball bounced off their hands. Most notably, Taylor’s possible interception would have resulted in a pick-six, and both passes should have been easily pulled in. The Chargers currently have several ballhawks starting at CB; J.C Jackson (25 career INT), Asante Samuel Jr. (7 career INT), and Michael Davis (7 career INT). If Leonard and Taylor can start pulling their PBUs in for interceptions, then Los Angeles’ cornerback room will be a frightening sight for any opposing offense – hopefully, we can see this change implemented for the next game.
Staying more disciplined
The Chargers drew penalties all night, 11 too many. The penalties resulted in a total of 106 yards given up, and one of these penalties was for unsportsmanlike conduct – this came from second-year safety JT Woods. Fighting for a starting spot against Alohi Gilman, a penalty like this can set you back weeks of progress, and in the end, it cost the Chargers 15 yards. Guard Jordan McFadden was also being dinged for penalties – the worst one resulting in Isaiah Spiller’s first NFL touchdown being called back. The drive quickly died after that draw, ruining the offense’s momentum. The Bolts will have to lessen this number of penalties in the next game.
Offensive line struggles in second half
The offensive line struggled in the second half, making quarterback Max Duggan’s first NFL start incredibly difficult. Duggan was sacked multiple times and ran around the backfield without much protection. The offensive line, at this point, was made up of third-stringers, so it wasn’t expected that they would be able to keep up protection on all sides of the line. These guys will have to step up for the next preseason game if they are to make any improvements.
