What did we learn on Saturday during the Los Angeles Chargers preseason loss to the Seattle Seahawks? Well, to name a few, the defense and special teams are ready to kick butt and take names. And the offensive struggles, which sprouted during the last few days of camp since Justin Herbert has been out, are in full bloom.
Below is a mix of players from the first preseason game, some that need to step it up and others that stand out and have to keep the momentum going to make the roster.
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Quarterback: Easton Stick
I know that Easton Stick currently is under contract with the Chargers until 2025 and as of now is the #2 behind Herbert. And I also know that the pass blocking wasn’t exactly on point and there were also receiver errors. But, and there is a big BUT here, when Stick did have opportunities, none of them worked.
He tried during the first quarter to connect with wide receiver D.J. Chark on two third downs and couldn’t. On the first, it was probably more Chark’s fault, as he didn’t catch the ball. While on the second, Stick was pressured and hit by Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu.
And on the first drive of the second quarter, Stick made a bizarre throw over the middle, and tight end Hayden Hurst leaped for the pass and was hit midair, where he flipped and folded into himself as he hit the ground, while the tipped ball was picked off by defensive back Coby Bryant.
Finally toward the end of the second Stick had an 11-yard scramble for the first, first down of the half, and kicker Cameron Dicker hit a 58-yard field goal for the Chargers only points shortly after. The game didn’t show Stick’s ability to generate production under pressure. Considering quarterback Luis Perez was showing him up, and he was just signed to the Chargers earlier in the week, Stick has to get his butt in gear to firmly lock in that number two spot.
Safety: J.T. Woods
JT Woods had an okay game. He wasn’t able to stop Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh from getting a first down, as Woods was blocked by wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. And according to Pro Football Focus (PFF) he did miss three tackles out of the large amount of defensive snaps he did play (51). He had a notable moment during the second quarter, on a second-and-12 where he dove in front of wide receiver Jake Bobo for a nice pass breakup. Woods needs to put it all out there this week to keep fighting for that third safety spot.
Cornerback: Matt Hankins
I’ve been talking about cornerbacks Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still but what about Matt Hankins? Though not a perfect performance, he really popped in the fourth quarter, jumping a route for a pass breakup against wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge.
He then had a beautiful breakup on a first-and-10 when quarterback P.J. Walker took a deep shot to wide receiver Ty Scott in the end zone. He played tight in coverage that he was on Scott the whole way, and when Scott turned around and leaped to get the pass, Hankins just stuck his hand right between Scott’s and the ball. At this point, maybe Ja’Sir Taylor has the nickel cornerback spot locked up, but depending on how many defensive backs the Chargers keep on the roster, if Hankins can keep up the production, maybe he can carve out a space.
Running Back: Jaret Patterson
The run game was pretty dismal in the Chargers preseason loss but the one bright spot was Jaret Patterson, who had 38 rushing yards, the highest of the team, despite only playing 19 offensive snaps. There were moments where he was completely stuffed and others where you really saw that sheer determination to just get a small amount of offense going. He had some solid longer runs toward the end of the second quarter.
Chargers Offensive coordinator Greg Roman has said that Patterson belongs and that he hasn’t yet been able to find any flaws in his game.
There’s still some room on the Chargers depth chart for a third running back or maybe even a fourth, and if Patterson keeps being that spark for the run game, he may have a shot.
Wide Receiver: Brenden Rice
Brenden Rice was targeted three times during this game and didn’t make any receptions. He also didn’t have any big splashes on special teams. Perez really tried to get him involved in the later part of the fourth quarter, but nothing was connecting. One of the passes meant for Rice was tipped by safety Marquise Blair. And then on Rice’s last target, Perez dangerously tried to get the ball to Rice between two defenders in the end zone on a fourth-and-3.
Maybe this first game is just a wash for Rice and hopefully the next he can pick it up. The Chargers wide receiver room is only getting more crowded with the signing of wide receiver Isaiah Wooden on Monday. It’s going to take everything these receivers have that are not named Joshua Palmer, Ladd McConkey, and Chark, to make the final roster.