Tag: Chargers Seahawks

Chargers PFF grades: Best, worst performers in preseason loss to Seahawks

Find out who Pro Football Focus tabbed as their winners and losers from the Chargers’ preseason opener.

In the first preseason game, the Chargers fell short to the Seahawks, 16-3.

The starters remained sidelined, while the majority of the playing time went to those at the middle to the back end of the depth chart who are vying for a role or a spot on the 53-man roster.

With that being said, here are the best and worst performers from Saturday’s game, according to Pro Football Focus’ player grades.

Top 5 Offense

TE Donald Parham Jr. — 85.0

WR Jaylen Johnson — 73.8

WR Simi Fehoko — 68.4

RB Jaret Patterson — 67.0

OL Karsen Barnhart — 60.8

Top 5 Defense

DT Micheal Mason — 88.5

LB Nick Niemann — 78.4

DT Otito Ogbonnia — 77.5

LB Troy Dye — 77.1

EDGE Chris Collins — 72.1

Bottom 5 Offense

OT Alex Leatherwood — 29.6

QB Easton Stick — 32.7

OT Foster Sarell — 39.5

IOL Bucky Williams — 47.9

OT Tyler McLellan — 48.6

Bottom 5 Defense

CB Zamari Walton — 45.4

LB Daiyan Henley — 50.7

CB Chris Wilcox — 52.9

CB Deane Leonard — 53.0

EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu — 53.1

Takeaways from Chargers’ 16-3 preseason loss to Seahawks

Los Angeles fell in their first preseason game, losing 16-3 to the Seahawks at SoFi Stadium.

The Chargers dropped their first game of the preseason on Saturday in a 16-3 rock fight at home against the Seattle Seahawks.

Los Angeles gained most of their offensive momentum in the second half when both teams had third-stringers in the game, but Seattle’s two first-half touchdowns proved too much to overcome.

What went right

Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s defense looked energized to open the preseason, rife with exotic blitz packages that confused Seahawks quarterbacks Sam Howell and PJ Walker all afternoon. The Chargers played with a renewed aggression, jumping multiple routes and penetrating into the backfield frequently. While that didn’t yield any turnovers on Saturday, it was an encouraging sign that LA will be in position to make plays when games start counting.

On offense, the read option game looked competent, which was about as good as it got for the squad on Saturday. Both Easton Stick and Max Duggan pulled a few handoffs and showcased their running talents. Once Justin Herbert returns from his foot injury in the regular season, that should remain a part of the offense, as Herbert has shown the aptitude to take a few designed runs every week as well.

Special teams also looked good, as has become usual under coordinator Ryan Ficken. Cameron Dicker nailed a 58-yard field goal, his unofficial career-long, for LA’s only points of the evening. Backup returner Jaelen Gill showed some juice with the new kickoff rules. Punter JK Scott sent 8 kicks, an average of 44.5 yards, with a long of 54 and two inside the 20-yard line.

What went wrong

The rest of the offense struggled mightily. The Chargers were missing three running backs – presumed starting rotation Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins, as well as rookie Kimani Vidal – leaving Jaret Patterson, Isaiah Spiller, and Elijah Dotson to shoulder the load for LA. None of the three found much running room against a Seahawks front that played their starters for extended snaps as the Chargers offensive line struggled to generate any push.

Stick looked like he had taken a step backward this offseason, finishing 5 of 13 for 31 yards and an interception. His passes frequently flew too high for their intended targets, leading to an interception off the fingertips of Hayden Hurst and a number of passes that Stick was lucky to fall to the turf.

Los Angeles was also plagued by third- and long-conversions by Seattle’s third-team offense late in the game, allowing conversions on 3rd and 16 and 3rd and 15 on the Seahawks’ fourth-quarter drive. Seattle’s offense was piloted by veteran quarterback PJ Walker at that point, which makes the failure to execute only slightly more excusable.

The bottom line

The pain points for the Chargers were somewhat expected. They elected not to add competition at the backup quarterback spot this offseason – until earlier this week when they signed Luis Perez, who played the last 4:41 of the game. They made a few changes on the interior of the second-team offensive line. Neither of those looked like prudent decisions on Saturday but should be rendered irrelevant when the regular season begins.

Defensively, Los Angeles made clear that the scheme is going to be defined by aggressiveness and plays on the ball. The Chargers narrowly missed a handful of interceptions as they jumped routes all evening, but got their hands on a number of passes to bat them away. Paired with what looked to be a deep and fearsome pass rush, Los Angeles may coalesce into one of the better defenses in the league.

5 Chargers players to watch in preseason opener vs. Seahawks

While several high-profile starters won’t play, there are still plenty of players to follow on Saturday.

We’re just a day out from the Chargers’ 2024 preseason opener against the Seahawks at SoFi Stadium.

While several high-profile starters won’t play, there are still plenty of players to follow on Saturday.

OT Joe Alt

Alt, the team’s first-round pick, has lived up to his draft billing in training camp, holding his own against Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa. While it’s expected that he should perform admirably well in pass protection, I’m curious to see his impact in the run game.

RB Jaret Patterson

Jim Harbaugh said that Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins won’t play, which means that the guys competing for spots on the back end of the positional room will have their opportunities to prove themselves. Among the crop is Patterson, who has had a great training camp. Patterson spent most of last year on the team’s practice squad.

WR Quentin Johnston

A player with the most to prove is Johnston, last year’s first-round pick. His rough rookie season was riddled with struggles to create separation and dropped passes. While he has shown some progress in the route-running department, Johnston has still dealt with drops at times in training camp. How will he look in live-game action?

EDGE Chris Rumph II

Rumph was on the roster bubble coming into training camp. However, he’s been playing his way into making the 53-man roster. Looking noticeably bigger, physique-wise, Rumph has been a force at rushing the passer and defending the run. He must continue to perform at this level to lock up his spot.

CB Tarheeb Still

Still has been a standout in the secondary this summer. He has made multiple plays on the football, something that he did at Maryland as he finished his final season at Maryland with five interceptions. As he looks to beat out Ja’Sir Taylor for the starting slot corner spot, Still needs to keep up this level of play.

Jim Harbaugh reveals plan for first preseason game vs. Seahawks

Here’s who you can expect to be out there when the Chargers play the Seahawks.

The Chargers will host the Seahawks in the preseason opener this Saturday, Aug. 10, at 4:05 p.m. PT.

Like most preseason games, the starters aren’t expected to see the field much, if at all.

On Thursday following practice, Jim Harbaugh said he knows which starters will and won’t play.

“Yeah, I have an idea of what starters will play, what starters won’t play, how much some of the starters will play,’ Harbaugh said. “We have a good plan, we have a good idea of that as of right now. We’re ready to roll.”

Harbaugh added that Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins are among the players who won’t play in the preseason opener.

“There’s a couple on each side of the ball. There’s a few others that won’t be playing,” Harbaugh added.

Harbaugh also confirmed that Easton Stick will start at quarterback and play most of the first half. Stick has been with the first-team offense while Justin Herbert has been out with a plantar fascia injury in his right foot.

7 numbers that tell tale of Chargers’ loss to Seahawks

Here are some key numbers that sum up the Chargers’ loss to the Seahawks in Week 7.

The Chargers fell to 4-3 after a 37-23 loss to the Seahawks.

Here are seven numbers that tell the story of the Bolts’ dropping the Week 7 matchup.

Chargers vs. Seahawks: 5 storylines to follow in Week 7

Here are five important things to watch during the Chargers’ matchup with the Seahawks.

The Chargers are looking to take care of business against the Seahawks and pick up their four-straight win.

Here are five storylines to watch for Sunday’s matchup.

Can J.C. bounce back?

After being benched in the second half of the victory over the Broncos in favor of Michael Davis, J.C. Jackson will resume his starting duties. Through six games, Jackson has allowed 17 catches on 23 targets for 331 yards (19.5 yards per reception) and a passer rating of 155.3 when targeted.

Jackson has struggled to adapt to the nuances of Brandon Staley’s scheme, where he’s played more zone coverage than ever after solely playing and thriving as a press-man corner while he was with the Patriots.

“We’re going to make sure that we stay patient with him because he has all of the tools that we’re looking for,” Staley said on Jackson. “I have to do a better job of coaching him, getting him in a comfort zone.”

Jackson won’t have an easy task as he will draw the dynamic duo of Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. Lockett has 34 catches for 423 yards, while Metcalf has 30 catches for 406 yards. Both players are in the top seven in receiving yards in the NFC.

Revenge game

Uchenna Nwosu returns to Los Angeles, where he played his college ball at USC and the first four seasons of his professional career with the Chargers. The Seahawks picked up Nwosu after his best season, with a career-high 40 tackles, 30 pressures, eight tackles for loss, and five sacks.

The 27-year-old Nwosu has carried his dominant play to Seattle, where he holds team-highs in sacks (three) and quarterback hits (eight) to go along with 19 pressures, 24 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and three passes defended.

Isaiah Spiller’s first regular-season action

The Chargers placed Joshua Kelley, who suffered a sprained MCL, on the injured reserve. The loss of Kelley is big, as he had come on as the No. 2 running back by averaging 4.5 yards per carry this season.

In place of Kelley will be Spiller, the team’s fourth-round pick, who joins Austin Ekeler and Sony Michel as the active backs. This is Spiller’s first game as he works his way back from an ankle injury.

Before getting hurt, Spiller showed flashes in training camp, not just as a runner but as a pass-catcher. With Michel averaging just 2.8 YPC, this will be a good opportunity for the former Texas A&M product to slowly take touches from him.

Wide receiver situation

The Chargers will be without Joshua Palmer, who is out with a concussion. So now we wait and see if Keenan Allen will be active. Allen has slowly worked his way back after sustaining a hamstring injury that kept him out of the past five games. He is a game-time decision.

Currently, there are four active wide receivers: Mike Williams, DeAndre Carter, Jason Moore and Michael Bandy. Bandy was signed to the active roster on Saturday. He has been money in limited action, catching three passes on four targets for 53 yards (17.7 yards per reception).

Even after stifling Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray in Week 6, the Seahawks are 26th in pass-defense DVOA and 30th in defensive EPA per dropback. Therefore, Justin Herbert and company could still have success, even if Allen is held out of the action.

Making plays in the run game

The Seahawks’ offense will predominantly be predicated around Geno Smith, who leads the NFL with a 73.4% completion rate and ranks fourth in QBR (68.3). However, their rookie running back, Kenneth Walker, must also be accounted for.

Walker has rushed 44 times for 243 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. But what’s stood out most about Walker is the ability to make defenders miss. Walker has forced 22 missed tackles, which is tied for the most among NFC running backs.

Most of Walker’s damage has come on the outside, which is where the Chargers have allowed big carries this season; see Jaguars’ James Robinson, Texans’ Dameon Pierce, and Browns’ Nick Chubb.

Therefore, firm edges need to be set, second and third-level defenders need to rally to the football, and most importantly, Walker must be wrapped up at all times, considering open-field tackling has been an issue for the Bolts this season. They are bottom-10 in the league with 31 missed tackles.

Chargers make roster moves ahead of Week 7 vs. Seahawks

Chargers RB Joshua Kelley was placed on the injured reserve.

The Chargers made some roster moves ahead of their matchup with the Seahawks.

Los Angeles has placed running back Joshua Kelley on the injured reserve. In correspondence, wide receiver Michael Bandy was signed to the active roster.

In addition, kicker Taylor Bertolet was elevated from the practice squad. Bertolet will kick in place of Dustin Hopkins, who is out for two to four weeks with a hamstring injury.

Kelley will have to miss a minimum of four games, making him eligible to return in Week 12 when the Bolts play the Cardinals. Rookie Isaiah Spiller will be active on Sunday for the first time this season.

Bandy has three catches on four targets for 53 yards this season.

Mike Williams, DeAndre Carter, Jason Moore and Bandy are the healthy wide receivers heading to tomorrow. Keenan Allen (hamstring) is questionable and Joshua Palmer (concussion) is out.

Chargers injury updates ahead of matchup with Seahawks in Week 7

Keenan Allen is a game-time decision for Week 7 vs. Seahawks.

The Chargers will soon host the Seahawks, looking to pick up their fourth straight win before they head into the bye week.

The good news is that they may be getting back Keenan Allen, who has missed the past five games with a hamstring injury. Allen is questionable and will be a game-time decision, per Brandon Staley.

“He’s closer,” Staley said on Allen.

Sebastian Joseph-Day is listed as questionable with an ankle issue, but Staley said he should play.

The bad news? Los Angeles will be without Dustin Hopkins (hamstring), Joshua Kelley (knee), Josh Palmer (concussion), and Donald Parham Jr. (concussion), who were ruled out.

Hopkins is out for the next two to four weeks. Taylor Bertolet will serve as the team’s kicker in his absence.

With Kelley out, rookie Isaiah Spiller will be active, Staley announced Friday. Spiller has been inactive for each of the first six games.

If Allen can’t go, the Chargers will only have three active wide receivers. If that’s the case, Los Angeles will likely sign Michael Bandy to the active roster and promote John Hightower or Joe Reed from the practice squad.

NFL betting: Point spread, over/under for Chargers vs. Seahawks in Week 7

The Chargers are 5.5-point favorites over the Seahawks.

The Los Angeles Chargers (4-2) meet the Seattle Seahawks (3-3) in Week 7 of the 2022 regular season.

Here are the betting odds for the matchup, per Tipico Sportsbook:

Spread Moneyline Total Points
Los Angeles Chargers -5.5 -230 O 50.5
-105
Seattle Seahawks +5.5 +190 U 50.5
-115

The Chargers are coming off a 19-16 victory over the Broncos this past Monday, making it three straight wins.

Meanwhile, the Seahawks beat the Cardinals, holding them to just 315 yards of total offense and nine points.

The last time Los Angeles and Seattle met was in 2018. L.A. won, 25-17.

Sunday’s contest will begin at 1:25 p.m. PT and be broadcasted on FOX.