The Rams and Chargers are currently tied up in the preseason opener by the score of 6-6.
Here are a few quick takeaways from the first half of play:
Short lived, but so good
Rashawn Slater only played in the first drive of the game, but he showed a lot of promise. The majority of his work came against his former Northwestern teammate, Earnest Brown IV and he kept him at bay in pass protection and provided a charge in the running game by clearing lanes with pure strength and physicality.
Josh Palmer has the makings of a PPR monster
If you play fantasy football and you’re in a points per reception league, you just might want to target Palmer in your drafts. The rookie currently has six receptions for 36 yards. While the majority of his work has came in the short parts of the field, Palmer has consistently been open, which mirrors what he’s been showing throughout camp.
The Drue Tranquill and Kyzir White show
On defense, Tranquill and White were lights out. They were let loose, not only serving as defenders to fill holes at the line of scrimmage, but act as blitzers and move freely in space to prevent the pass and run, highlighting their speed.
Special teams coverage is still a work in progress
One of the main priorities was rebuilding the special teams department, including the coverage units, but they have done nothing to provide reason to be optimistic. Returners have had too much space to run. As a result, the Chargers have allowed a 25-yard average on kick returns and 23 on punt returns.