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Highlighting important storylines in the Chargers’ loss to the Rams in the preseason opener.
The Chargers’ first preseason game is officially in the books, as they fell to the Rams on Saturday night.
While most starters sat, this contest was about the players vying for some of the starting spots open and a spot on the 53-man roster.
There was plenty to take away from So-Fi Stadium, and with that, let’s dive into some things that stood out from the Bolts’ 29-22 loss to the Rams.
Highlighting the Chargers players who have shined at training camp up to this point.
Now eleven practices in, the Chargers will begin to ramp things up even further when preseason play begins this weekend against the Rams.
As we approach the first of three games, now is a good time to highlight the players who have shined at training camp up to this point.
Expect big things from Chargers EDGE Chris Rumph II in his second season.
Chargers edge defender Chris Rumph II flashed in his limited opportunities in his rookie season.
Rumph, the 2021 fourth-round pick, played 176 snaps, which he turned into 19 tackles, four quarterback pressures, two hits, and one sack.
Rumph showed off athleticism, lateral quickness, effort and range. However, his lean frame and lack of play strength led to him being engulfed at the point of attack by blockers far more often than not.
That is why Rumph prioritized the weight room and his nutrition to get bigger and stronger this offseason.
Adding weight and strength was essential for Chris Rumph II this offseason.
Joey Bosa said Rumph is not a string bean anymore, he’s an ‘asparagus stalk.’
Rumph is currently listed at 244 pounds, per the team’s website. pic.twitter.com/rNqvWKYviF
— Gavino Borquez (@GavinoBorquez) July 29, 2022
“He’s not a string bean anymore, he’s an asparagus stalk now,” Joey Bosa said on Rumph. “He’s gained some size and some strength. I think he’s going to be a big part of our defense and we’re going to need him.”
Entering the league, Rumph was 235 pounds, but on the team’s website, he’s now listed as 244 pounds.
In Year 2, Rumph will serve as a rotational piece behind Bosa and Khalil Mack while continuing to make the majority of his money on special teams.
With the additional weight and strength, the various pressure packages, and his athletic skillset, expect an uptick in production from Rumph.
Kenneth Murray will start opposite Uchenna Nwosu against the Texans.
The Chargers edge defender group will be short-handed against the Texans this weekend, as Joey Bosa and Chris Rumph II will be out with COVID-19.
Therefore, Kenneth Murray was deemed the starter opposite Uchenna Nwosu this Sunday. With extended playing time in sight, Murray will have the opportunity to show his worth.
Up to this point, the position change from linebacker to pass rusher has not been all sunshine and rainbows for Murray.
Since Week 10, he has accrued just two quarterback pressures and hurries, with the most recent production coming against the Giants when he played a season-high amount of snaps (25).
Murray’s struggles have been a combination of limitations in his counters and strength, lacking a plan of attack when rushing and simply running too wide of the arc.
However, there have been some glimpses of someone who can make an impact in the backfield, as seen in this play below.
Big opportunity for Kenneth Murray this weekend vs. Texans, as he should see an uptick in snaps, with Joey Bosa and potentially Chris Rumph out.
While he's still raw at the position, Murray has flashed on occasion, like here against Andrew Thomas, winning with hesi/inside rip. pic.twitter.com/baDrdW9joU
— Gavino Borquez (@GavinoBorquez) December 23, 2021
The bottom line is that while being down Bosa and Rumph is not ideal, the extended playing time for Murray, who is still new at the position, should be beneficial.
Plus, it helps to have a favorable matchup, facing a Texans offensive line that has allowed the seventh-most sacks this season (37).
The Chargers will be without their star pass rusher this weekend against the Texans.
The Chargers will be without one of their star defenders when they take on the Texans this Sunday, as Joey Bosa was ruled out with COVID-19.
This season, Bosa has been on a tear with 62 pressures, 44 hurries, 27 run stops, and nine sacks.
At Monday’s media availability, Brandon Staley was asked how the team is planning on adjusting without Bosa.
“It’s going to be a team operation. You’re going to be borrowing from a couple of places,” Staley said. “You’re just going to have to have a lot of hybrid-type groupings available.
It’s going to be all hands on deck. That’s what the NFL is showing right now, that you need to have depth this time of year, and you have to be able to figure it out. That’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
This wouldn’t mark the first time without Bosa this season. Three weeks ago, in the victory over the Bengals, the Bolts dominated upfront, minimizing opportunities on the ground while generating consistent pressure.
Uchenna Nwosu, who stepped up big time that game with seven pressures and two sacks, will be tasked with being the group’s engineer.
The starter opposite Nwosu remains to be seen, considering rookie Chris Rumph II is also on the COVID-19 list.
If Rumph is inactive, the Chargers will likely start Kenneth Murray. Murray has struggled since making the position switch from linebacker to edge defender.
Another option is Emeke Egbule, who has appeared in two games this season.
Los Angeles has also succeeded in getting to opposing quarterbacks by utilizing blitz/pressure packages with linebackers and defensive backs and twists/stunts, no matter the personnel.
Nonetheless, while the Bolts’ edge defender group may be thin this weekend, they have a favorable matchup, facing a Texans offensive line that has allowed the seventh-most sacks this season (37).
Chargers edge defender Kyler Fackrell will miss this Sunday’s contest against the Giants.
Chargers edge defender Kyler Fackrell had to undergo a procedure on his knee to clean some stuff up. As a result, he will miss this weekend’s game against the Giants.
At Wednesday’s media availability, head coach Brandon Staley said he is hoping that it isn’t season-ending, and whether or not Fackrell is sent to the injured reserve is up in the air.
Signed this offseason, Fackrell has appeared in 12 games, logging 15 tackles, eight pressures, four quarterback hits, and two tackles for loss.
With Fackrell out at least this weekend, rookie Chris Rumph II should see an uptick in defensive snaps, and Los Angeles could look to promote from within the practice squad with someone like Emeke Egbule.
Chargers edge defender Uchenna Nwosu is coming off the best performance of his career.
Uchenna Nwosu spent the first three seasons with the Chargers in a rotational role behind Melvin Ingram.
Despite averaging just 35% of defensive snaps in 45 games, Nwosu still managed to make the most of his playing time – totaling ten sacks, 13 tackles for loss, 59 quarterback pressures, and 44 hurries.
Entering his fourth season, there were high expectations for Nwosu as the starter opposite Joey Bosa, knowing what Brandon Staley could possibly do with him when factoring in the breakout year of Leonard Floyd he contributed to a season ago.
While he showed flashes, Nwosu did not do anything to raise eyebrows. However, that was until the Week 13 win over the Bengals when the defense posted a season-high six sacks and four turnovers.
With Bosa sidelined with a head injury early on, Nwosu stole the spotlight. He finished with seven pressures, two sacks, a strip-sack which he recovered, and two quarterback hits.
Through 12 games, Nwosu has already topped his pressures (25), hurries (11), and is a sack away from his career-high in a single season (5).
Like Kyzir White, Nwosu is auditioning for a new deal. However, his play as of late is justifying that he’s worthy of garnering an extension, and now he will have to maintain that consistency the rest of the way out for it to come to fruition.
“I was talking to Brandon [Staley] back in OTAs, and he was telling me, ‘You can play in this system. You can do it. I believe in you.’ It’s all starting to come to fruition. I’m starting to trust the process more now, getting into a rhythm. Hopefully, we can keep this thing going,” Nwosu said.
Checking in on the status of a few of the Chargers players.
The Chargers finished up their first of two practices with the 49ers on Thursday.
Los Angeles had the majority of their key players out on the field, but there were still a few that were non-participants.
Here’s a look at some of the notables that did not practice:
RT Bryan Bulaga (hip flexor)
S Nasir Adderley (migraine)
EDGE Chris Rumph II (heel)
OT Rashawn Slater (lower back)
WR Mike Williams (hip)
WR Joe Reed (ankle)
Head coach Brandon Staley said that Bulaga would be able to play if they were preparing for a real game.
Staley said Rumph is dealing with a little bone bruise on his heel. The injury is not considered serious, and they’re hopeful he’s able to back at practice next week.
Staley said Slater is “feeling good” and decided to play it safe by not having him practice today.
Staley said Williams is “trending positive” and the team is hopeful they will have him back soon.
While all of the updates from the non-participants appear to be positive, they’re unclear of the severity of Reed’s injury.
Chris Rumph II is a student of the game.
Upon being drafted by the Chargers, edge defender Chris Rumph II wasted no time to begin working on his craft to make the transition from college to the NFL.
According to head coach Brandon Staley, Rumph turned to Bears star pass rusher Khalil Mack to workout with prior to the start of training camp.
During his time as the outside linebackers coach with Chicago, Staley had a big impact on Mack’s game.
Staley added that he’s been impressed with Rumph, but he wants him to continue to gain weight.
Adding mass will be vital to his development in this league, but despite being undersized to league’s standards at the moment, Rumph’s knack for living in opposing backfields on a consistent basis should still be put to good use.
Rumph has an excellent feel for getting heat on the quarterback with pure athleticism, explosiveness, length and body flexibility.
Rumph won’t surpass Joey Bosa, Uchenna Nwosu or Kyler Fackrell in snaps, but he should still have a role as a situational pass rusher where he will be used on twists and stunts to get home.
Given the success that Staley has had with players at the position coupled with his current skillset and upside, Rumph should see some production in his rookie season.
The Los Angeles Chargers’ edge defender group is led by the imposing presence of Joey Bosa.
Over the next couple of weeks, I will be breaking down the depth chart at each position for the Chargers.
Next up, I project what the edge defender room will look like heading into the 2021 season.
After becoming the highest paid edge defender in the NFL, Bosa showed why he was worth every penny. Despite missing four games due to various injuries, Bosa was a major contributor on the defensive side of the ball, as he logged 41 quarterback pressures, 27 hits and 7.5 sacks. He also came up clutch on multiple occasions against the run. The outcome was him being named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl. This season, Bosa will be an integral piece of head coach Brandon Staley’s defense, where it’s expected that he will play on the edge of the line as an outside pass rusher, and a little bit closer to the ball as an interior defensive lineman because he has the length and strength to anchor, too.
Since entering the league back in 2018, Nwosu had only been used as an off-ball strongside linebacker as well as a situational pass-rusher. Despite having a limited load, with his defensive snaps under 40% in 45 career games, Nwosu still totaled 10 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, 59 quarterback pressures and 44 hurries. Now in a system that favors his skillset and under the guidance of Staley and outside linebackers coach Jay Rodgers, Nwosu could be in for his biggest season in 2021.
Fackrell was among the many additions earlier this offseason after spending last year with the Giants. He brings plenty of experience to the Chargers, having six seasons in the NFL under his belt, both as a starter and a rotational pass-rusher. Fackrell has 20.5 sacks in five seasons, with his most productive season coming in 2018 when he had 10.5 sacks with the Packers. This season, Fackrell will serve as a situational pass-rusher, barring any injury to Bosa or Nwosu. On top of that, he will be a special teams ace.
Rumph II was drafted in the fourth-round of this year’s draft out of Duke. While he’s undersized for the position at 6-foot-5 and 234 pounds, Rumph demonstrated the ability to rush the passer at a high level. Similar to Leonard Floyd, who Staley coached last year with Rams, Rumph has an excellent feel for getting heat on the quarterback with pure athleticism, explosiveness, length and body flexibility. While the traits are there, he isn’t a true edge-setter due to lack of strength and bulk on his frame. Rumph will likely be a third-down pass-rusher and special teamer early on in his career while he continues to get stronger.
