Studs and duds from Chargers’ 16-3 preseason loss to Seahawks

The Chargers defense was the star of the show on Saturday, while the offense struggled in a 16-3 preseason loss to the Seahawks.

The Chargers came up short on Saturday in their first preseason action of the season, losing 16-3 to the Seahawks at SoFi Stadium.

The defense produced most of the standout plays, while the offense struggled to gain much momentum until third-string quarterback Luis Perez entered the game with less than five minutes remaining. Jim Harbaugh’s squad will regroup before their second preseason contest next week against the Rams.

The rookie undrafted free agent from UCF has been one of the biggest stories of training camp, constantly making plays and drawing praise from defensive coaches. But plenty of those players don’t carry that momentum into game action, which Morris-Brash did on Saturday.

Despite Tuli Tuipulotu and Chris Rumph II both suiting up for the contest, Morris-Brash started the game opposite Tuipulotu on the edge. (Rumph would end up leaving the game with an injury.) The rookie played nearly wire-to-wire, generating a pressure on Seahawks quarterback Sam Howell on the first defensive possession of the game. In the third quarter, he tipped a pass on a free rush on Howell, then forced PJ Walker out of the pocket and into a difficult throw on a fourth quarter rush.

With a potential fifth or even sixth edge rusher spot available on the 53 man roster, Morris-Brash is making a strong push to ensure his is the name in that spot. If things continue at this pace, it may not be long before he starts to nip at Rumph’s heels on the depth chart.

Stick looked as though he’d regressed this offseason, finishing his first half of action 5 of 13 for 31 yards, the lowest total of the five quarterbacks who saw time in Saturday’s game. His passes frequently floated high – Stick’s interception bounced off the fingertips of Hayden Hurst and into the arms of safety Coby Bryant. A number of other passes sailed over receivers’ heads.

Stick didn’t look particularly comfortable under pressure, either, seeming jittery as the rush neared. Despite his rushing talent, he often failed to find the lanes to step up in the pocket.

Harbaugh was fairly blunt about the state of the quarterback room when the team signed Luis Perez earlier this week, saying that he thought Stick hadn’t had enough competition and that Max Duggan and Casey Bauman needed to step it up. With Perez leading the Chargers with 61 passing yards on Saturday, Stick may soon be in danger of yielding the no. 2 quarterback spot if he doesn’t turn it around.

As Ogbonnia puts more and more time between he and a 2022 ruptured patellar tendon, he looks more and more like a key rotational piece on the interior of LA’s defensive line.

The third-year tackle frequently got penetration into the backfield during the first half on Saturday, disrupting rushing lanes and forcing Howell to speed up his reads to get the ball away. While he was only credited with one tackle – a cleanup TFL on a screen to Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh – Ogbonnia’s impact went well beyond the box score.

It’s an important development for the Chargers, who will need players to step up on the interior to match the fearsome presence on the edge with Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, and Tuli Tuipulotu set to rush the passer.

Matlock was the more hyped of the young Chargers defensive tackle duo coming in to Saturday’s contest, as he’s spent more time working with the first team than Ogbonnia in training camp. But the second year player out of Boise State struggled to defend the run on Saturday, frequently being pushed back by Seahawks offensive linemen as Seattle pushed the ball down the field.

Matlock did have one nice play, blowing up the screen to McIntosh that Ogbonnia eventually finished. But it was overall a shaky showing for the former sixth-rounder, one that the Chargers hope is more of an anomaly than the norm due to the aforementioned need for contributors on the defensive line.

Working as the third outside cornerback behind Asante Samuel Jr. and Kristian Fulton, who both only played one series, Leonard looked like a confident player who helped lead the second team defense for much of the first half.

Leonard showed a fast trigger in zone coverage, limiting an out route to Jaxson Smith-Njigba and coming up with a PBU on a third down throw to Jake Bobo in the first half. When the second half opened, Leonard had a clear read on a screen to Laviska Shenault, but his eagerness led to a slip on the turf and the play ended up gaining 13 yards. Still, it was a positive sign for Leonard to be in position to make that play, along with the ones he did make. With rookie Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still primarily working with the third team, Leonard’s emergence as the third outside corner is a key one.

Outside of rookie Joe Alt, who played 20 snaps at right tackle and allowed just one pressure, per Next Gen Stats, the Chargers offensive line struggled pretty heavily on Saturday. Granted, Los Angeles did not have presumed starting center Bradley Bozeman or swing guard Jamaree Salyer, but the depth continued to look like an issue.

Part of Stick’s struggles were due to an offensive line that struggled to protect him, especially once both Rashawn Slater and Alt had left the game. Backup left tackle Alex Leatherwood looked consistently slow off the snap, allowing a couple of instant pressures that prevented Stick from working the pass concept. Backup right tackle Foster Sarell had a false start and was only marginally better in pass protection.

In the run game, the Chargers second team got eaten alive for most of the game. Center Brenden Jaimes gave up a big TFL to Seahawks rookie Byron Murphy II. Guard Jordan McFadden missed a block on an Isaiah Spiller run with the Chargers backed up against their own goal line. Spiller narrowly avoided a safety by extending the ball back across the plane.

Seattle kept expected contributors on the defensive line in the game late, but that doesn’t fully exonerate the performance by LA on Saturday. Spiller and Elijah Dotson, who were the running backs for most of the second half, combined for 8 carries for 12 yards.

Niemann got off to an inauspicious start on Saturday, missing a tackle that allowed Seahawks tight end Brady Russell to get into the end zone nearly as soon as he got into the game to replace Daiyan Henley. But as the game went on, Niemann kept making plays, showing why he’s still a valuable depth piece for the Chargers.

The core special teamer finished the evening with 11 tackles and a sack, which came on a blitz in the second quarter and planted Howell to the turf. Niemann was also among the first ones to the ball when the Chargers, led by UDFA Shane Lee, stuffed Seahawks running back George Holani on a fourth and goal run from the 1. Niemann nearly had a second sack when he got free access to PJ Walker, but Walker got the ball away.

Los Angeles will hope that Niemann doesn’t have to play much actual linebacker once the regular season begins. Denzel Perryman did not suit up on Saturday, nor did Junior Colson, who is still recovering from appendicitis. Henley played a few series but is expected to be a major part of the linebacker rotation as well. But it’s a valuable thing that the fourth linebacker on the depth chart is making plays like Niemann did on Saturday, even in the preseason.

For much of Saturday evening, it looked like the Chargers somehow combined the infuriating passing offense of the 2022 team under Joe Lombardi with the incompetent rushing offense of the 2023 squad under Kellen Moore. Some of this was explained by the struggles of Stick and the offensive line, but it was a somewhat disappointing first look at the Greg Roman era.

Neither Stick or Duggan were able to push the ball downfield very much, although Duggan did have one downfield throw completed to Simi Fehoko. That prevented us from seeing the impacts a player like DJ Chark (two targets, zero receptions) or Brenden Rice (three targets, zero receptions) could have in this offense. It wasn’t until Luis Perez came in the game with 4:41 remaining that the Chargers started to uncork the ball – Perez led all three quarterbacks with 61 yards in large part thanks to a 36 yard lance to Jaylen Johnson down the field.

The run game felt a bit stale when the Chargers went away from the read option, which both Stick and Duggan were able to operate with some success. Jaret Patterson did have 38 yards on only 7 attempts, but Isaiah Spiller and Elijah Dotson were unable to generate any positive momentum. The passing concepts were mostly short, quick routes that were often short of the sticks, even in third down situations.

It’s the preseason, meaning that nothing is a finished product. But it would have been nice to see a few more fireworks on Saturday, especially on the ground, where the Chargers are supposed to be placing a bigger emphasis. It just felt a little flat.

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.

Chargers vs. Seahawks preseason Week 1: How to watch, listen and stream online

Find out how to tune in to watch the Chargers take on the Seahawks in the preseason opener.

The Chargers are set to begin their three-game preseason slate.

On Saturday, they kick it off in a bout against the Seahawks at SoFi Stadium.

Here is everything you need to know so you can tune in:

Game Information

Los Angeles Chargers vs. Seattle Seahawks

Saturday, Aug. 10 — 4:00 p.m. PT

SoFi Stadium — Inglewood, CA


Television

The game will be televised on KCBS-TV in Los Angeles and Orange County. Matt “Money” Smith and Daniel Jeremiah will have the call.


Radio

ALT FM-98.7 (English broadcast)

FM 105.5/94.3 (Spanish broadcast)


Streaming

FuboTV (try it for free).

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 HC Brandon Staley cites CB J.C. Jackson’s injury as ‘significant’

The Chargers are preparing to be without J.C. Jackson for a good chunk of time.

The start of cornerback J.C. Jackson’s tenure with the Chargers wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, and it’s possible that he won’t even get the chance to turn things around for the remainder of the season.

Jackson went to the ground with what appeared to be a non-contact leg injury while covering Marquise Goodwin late in the second quarter of the loss to the Seahawks. He was carted off the field in an air cast and did not return.

Following the game, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Jackson suffered a dislocated kneecap. Rapoport added that he would undergo an MRI on Monday, which should show the full extent of damage sustained.

Head coach Brandon Staley was asked about Jackson during the team’s post-game press conference and called the injury “significant.”

Entering Week 7, Jackson had been targeted 23 times while allowing 17 receptions for 331 yards and three touchdowns. He had yet to intercept a pass and was credited with just a single pass breakup.

In Jackson’s absence will be Michael Davis, who took over in Week 6 when Jackson was benched in the second half and when he went out with the injury on Sunday.

Once we know the diagnosis of the injury, we will post an update.

Everything to know from Chargers’ loss to Seahawks

Highlighting all the important stuff from the Chargers’ Week 7 loss to the Seahawks.

The Chargers were dominated by the Seahawks on Sunday.

To recap the game, here is everything to know about Los Angeles’ 37-23 loss to Seattle.

Studs and duds from Chargers’ Week 7 loss to Seahawks

Here’s who came through and who disappointed in the Chargers’ loss to the Seahawks.

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The Chargers dropped to 4-3 on Sunday following a 37-16 loss to the Seahawks.

Los Angeles mercifully hits their bye week next week, giving them a chance to heal and right the ship.

Here’s who has more work to do than the rest and who can feel good about their performance heading into the off week.

Stud: Asante Samuel Jr.

Apart from a touchdown to Marquise Goodwin, where Samuel slow-played the vertical route, the second-year corner was pretty much lockdown. ASJ got off to a hot start, driving on a Geno Smith pass to Tyler Lockett that resulted in a tip-drill interception for Kenneth Murray. With the game still in the balance, Samuel made a diving play to break up a Smith 3rd down pass and force Seattle into a 50-yard field goal. It looked as though Samuel had converted one of the crazier interceptions of the season, but the replay showed that he once again couldn’t quite bring it in. It’s been the narrative for most of the season: as soon as Samuel can finish those plays, he’ll be a premier corner.

Dud: Justin Herbert

Something is not right with Herbert. I don’t know if it’s the ribs injury, the playcalling, or something else, but Herbert is simply missing throws and making uncharacteristic decisions over the middle of the field. His interception when looking for DeAndre Carter was never open and he was lucky to not throw additional ones because of miscommunications or just plain misses on a few other throws. It’s hard to say things are all on Herbert because of the injuries at wide receiver and on the offensive line, but we’ve talked about this one or two other times this season. When you have a QB that’s in the upper echelon of talent like Herbert is, he needs to be able to elevate the team around him and grit out games like these. Last week, he was able to do that, just barely. This week, not so much.

Stud: Austin Johnson

Johnson has been one of the bright spots on defense this season as one of the more unheralded free agent signings of the offseason. A lot of attention was paid to the additions of JC Jackson, Khalil Mack, and Sebastian Joseph-Day, and rightfully so, but Johnson has been routinely ruining opposing runs up the middle this season. He continued that pace on Sunday, forcing Kenneth Walker into a few carries for loss or no gain. Walker primarily found success when he was able to get to the outside. Johnson also got home for his first sack of the season, a play that was a long time coming given his success as a pass rusher in recent weeks. While the run defense hasn’t looked as improved on paper as fans would’ve liked, we can take solace in knowing that Johnson is bringing the heat every week.

Dud: Wide receiver depth

Outside of Mike Williams and Keenan Allen, this team has no juice at wide receiver right now. Allen was held to 2 receptions for 11 yards as he worked back into the gameplan, but his presence was evident as Seattle allocated extra resources to defending him. Williams garnered nine targets today, tied for second with Gerald Everett behind Austin Ekeler. But beyond that, DeAndre Carter had three catches on seven targets. Jason Moore and Michael Bandy had one catch each. The Chargers need to do their homework during the bye week and find an NFL-caliber receiver to get on the field, especially with Williams going down with an ankle injury late in this game. Whether that’s Josh Palmer returning, one of the practice squad receivers stepping up, or signing a free agent directly to the active roster, the Chargers must make a move.

Stud: Bryce Callahan

Callahan had another standout game today, including two different plays where he was oh-so-close to picking off Geno Smith. The first came in the first quarter, where Callahan tracked the ball and got one hand on it to knock the ball away. If he timed a jump just a touch better, it looked like he could’ve gotten his other hand to the ball to make the play for an interception. The second came later in the game when Callahan just barely couldn’t tap his toes in the end zone as Smith tried to throw the ball away in a goal-line situation. The veteran did pick up a pass interference penalty against Tyler Lockett, but overall, Lockett was held to 7 catches for just 45 yards and Noah Fant had just one catch for 7 yards.

Dud: Run game

Seattle came into this game giving up 165.8 yards per game, second to last in the league, ahead of only Denver. And yet, the Chargers’ offensive line was dominated at the point of attack nearly all game, leading to just 53 yards on 15 attempts. Los Angeles behind nearly all game, forcing them to open up the passing attack early, but a 3.5 yards per carry average is far from what you want. If you subtract Herbert’s 22 yards on scrambles, L.A. took 12 carries for just 31 yards. Something was bound to break the wrong way for this rushing attack after looking improved against a series of terrible run defenses, but it’s a harrowing thought that losing Joshua Kelley brings that phase of the offense down to that extent.

Stud: Punt team

Credit to special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken for getting this unit into tip-top shape. After Ja’Sir Taylor essentially won the Chargers the game on Monday night last week with a heads-up play on Denver’s punt returner, he and fellow rookie Deane Leonard continued their phenomenal showings as gunners on Sunday. JK Scott punted five times for an average of 45.6 yards, downing punts at the nine, seven, and two-yard lines. Taylor’s downing of the punt at the 2 was the catalyst for Los Angeles’ safety that kept them in the game for a few minutes longer. It seems backward based on the Bolts’ historical tendencies, but the special teams unit is shaping up as either the best or second-best unit on this team any given week.

Dud: Injury bug

I wrote in my keys to the game that the main goal of Sunday’s contest, win or loss, was to escape to the bye week as healthy as possible, given the plethora of injuries LA has already suffered. Instead, they likely lost J.C. Jackson for the season to a non-contact knee injury that required an air cast and a cart ride to the locker room. Drue Tranquill and Chris Rumph were injured on punts – Tranquill returned, but Rumph (knee/hip) did not seem to. Mike Williams suffered an ankle injury in the fourth quarter that left him unable to put any weight on his right leg. Tranquill and Rumph’s at least looked like injuries that may heal up in time for the Week 9 showdown with the Falcons. But losing Jackson and Williams for any extended time would be disastrous for a team who has already seen Keenan Allen, Rashawn Slater, and Joey Bosa miss multiple games. SoFi Stadium is unlikely to change the playing surface soon, and I’m not suggesting every injury can be chalked up to the turf field, but it’s part of a larger, league-wide discourse about how unsafe turf is for the health of the players.

Chargers CB J.C. Jackson carted off with knee injury vs. Seahawks

The crown jewel of the Chargers’ free-agent class has gone down.

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The crown jewel of the Chargers’ free-agent class has gone down.

Late in the second quarter, JC Jackson found himself in one on one coverage against Seahawks receiver Marquise Goodwin. Geno Smith targeted Goodwin in the end zone and Jackson went to leap to make a play.

As he did, replays show that his knee buckled, leading to an awkward second jump that made it look like Jackson had been beaten downfield by the speedy Goodwin.

As the veteran hauled in the catch, giving the Seahawks a 24-14 lead, Jackson stayed down on the field.

Jackson would eventually be carted off with the injury, which as of the writing of this article, seems to be a non-contact knee injury, although official word from the team is not yet available.

With Jackson out, Michael Davis will re-enter the starting lineup after playing the entire second half last week.