COSTA MESA, Calif. — The Los Angeles Chargers defense has made a valiant effort to keep Kellen Moore‘s Chargers offense from ‘going off.’ The offense makes their plays, no doubt, but for each big offensive strike, there is a forced turnover, a sack, or a TFL.
Here are my takeaways and observations from the Chargers training camp.
Click to view the Chargers Training Camp: Offense Edition.
Chargers Training Camp Positional Breakdown
Secondary
Asante Samuel Jr. has been a microcosm of the Chargers training camp defense. Some big plays have been made while he was in coverage, but he has also broken up several passes to the town towers of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Although I have yet to witness an interception by the third-year corner. But its not for lack of trying. He read and jumped at least two routes correctly, but couldn’t come up with the ball.
Samuel versus Ja’Sir Taylor had been a hotly watched camp battle, but I’d give Samuel the edge as of the last two practices.
As reported by The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, J.C. Jackson left Chargers training camp early on Friday due to soreness in his recently repaired knee. They have been gingerly working Jackson into action and it seems they are operating out of an abundance of caution. More updates will come shortly.
Cam Brown intercepted a Max Duggan pass and Mike Davis ‘sacked’ Justin Herbert on Friday. Davis struggled on Saturday but forced two back to back to back incompletions on Friday.
Also here is Derwin James covering Mike Williams:
Other Defense News
Joey Bosa missed Saturday due to an illness. He and Khalil Mack both logged a sack on Friday. Scott Matlock also picked up a sack on Easton Stick. There was a plethora of pressure on him but Matlock was the one who ‘took him down’
Sebastian Joseph-Day had two big run stuffs on Friday. Perhaps he worked a little too hard on those plays. He missed practice on Saturday and will be out ‘sometime’ per the Chargers.
Kenneth Murray has been involved in several defensive stops. A couple of pass breakups, a tackle for loss in the running game and snagging an interception off a bobbled pass by Joshua Palmer and running it in for a pick 6.