Tag: Daiyan Henley

Chargers acknowledge Jesse Minter might not be in Los Angeles for long

Jesse Minter has transformed the Chargers’ defense into being one of the best units in the NFL in 2024.

The Chargers have undergone a complete identity change in 2024. It starts with head coach Jim Harbaugh, who has always been known to have physical football teams.

Los Angeles has prioritized winning in the trenches, which was evident when they selected Joe Alt fifth overall over an elite wide receiver talent. Beyond Harbaugh, though, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has also played a large role in the team’s identity change.

The defense has looked much better in 2024 under Minter, who is in his first year in the NFL. Harbaugh acknowledged Minter may not be with the team for long.

“We’re probably gonna have to just enjoy Jesse Minter while we have him because I have a feeling he’s gonna be a head coach next year. We’re gonna be competing against him,” Harbaugh said on The Pat McAfee Show.

If things continue as they are, Minter will undoubtedly be a prime coaching candidate this upcoming offseason. A few obvious spots around the league will have an opening, and the young DC will likely get a few interviews, at minimum.

In 2024, the Chargers are the league’s lowest-scoring defense. In fact, they have allowed 28 fewer points than the next-best defense, the Steelers. Minter’s unit ranks in the top 10 in both run defense (9th) and pass defense (9th).

“He’s just intuitive. He knows offensive football almost as well as defensive football. He knows how an offense is going to try to attack. There’s some playcallers that just have ‘it’ too, he has it,” Harbaugh said of Minter.

Suddenly, the Chargers seem to have one of the best coaching staffs in the league. That’s not something we could have said in past seasons, and it has completely transformed this team.

This stat shows how good Jesse Minter’s defense has been

Jesse Minter has the Chargers’ defense playing at an elite level.

Jesse Minter has the Chargers’ defense playing at an elite level.

Since the start of the season, no team has scored over 20 points on the Bolts. This is the fourth time since 1990 that a defense has limited its opponents to that mark, per NFL Media’s Peter Schrager.

Los Angeles ranks No. 1 in scoring defense, allowing just 13.1 points per game.

Minter’s coaching has the defensive unit firing on all cylinders.

In the trenches, they’ve been stout against the run and the pass rush is finally starting to come alive. The linebackers are rallying to the football. The coverage has been tight, and the scheme has confused opposing quarterbacks.

Minter is just in the first season as the team’s defensive coordinator, but it might be his only stint in this role.

“We’ve gotta enjoy Jesse Minter while we have him because I think he’s gonna be a Head Coach next year,” Jim Harbaugh said in his appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.

Chargers stock watch: Who’s up, who’s down after close loss in Week 7

Despite the Chargers’ close loss in Week 7, there are still plenty of positives to work with moving forward.

In some ways, the Chargers looked like the better team on Monday night against the Cardinals. In other ways though, they were the less disciplined squad and it ended up costing them a potential victory.

The team fell back to .500 at 3-3, but it was one that they let slip away it seems. Per usual, here are some players that boosted and hurt their stock in the Week 7 defeat.

Stock up: QB Justin Herbert

What a performance from #10. Despite Quentin Johnston’s absence, Herbert still put together his best performance of the season with 349 passing yards. His numbers could have been even better too, but his pass catchers dropped a handful of throws on the night. Herbert was phenomenal under pressure in particular and reminded everyone why he’s still an elite quarterback in this league.

Stock down: RB J.K. Dobbins

This was supposed to be a game in which the Chargers imposed their will in the running game. That did not go according to plan, as Dobbins’ longest run on the night was just 11 yards. Those explosive plays from the first two weeks of the season have all but disappeared. Dobbins averaged just 2.9 yards per carry on 14 attempts. That marks his fourth straight game finishing under four yards per carry.

Stock up: TE Will Dissly

With Hayden Hurst inactive, Dissly stepped up in a huge way. The veteran finished with a game-high eight catches and 81 receiving yards, which was the hightest total from a Charger this season. The performance further locks him in as the team’s clear No. 1 tight end even when Hurst returns to action.

Stock down: LB Daiyan Henley

A theme of the night was the Chargers’ missed tackling. While Henley has enjoyed a breakout season, he wasn’t at his best in Week 7. He missed four tackles on the night, which led the team. The linebacker core was poor in this particular department, and Henley stood out in negative way. He finished with four tackles, but still left a lot on the table.

Stock up: K Cameron Dicker

Dicker scored all 15 of the Chargers’ points on Monday evening. Unfortunately, that’s five opportunities squandered and were unable to reach the endzone. On the flip side, Dicker was five-for-five on field goal attempts, which included a 59-yarder in the second quarter. He’s now 15-for-16 on FG tries this season and has proven to be worth every penny of the $22 million extension that he signed back in August.

Everything to know from Chargers’ preseason win over Cowboys

Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ 26-19 win over the Cowboys.

The Chargers picked up a win to close out the preseason, defeating the Cowboys by the score of 26-19.

Here’s our recap of the Bolts’ victory.

It was over when…

Robert Kennedy intercepted Trey Lance in the end zone as time expired.

3 stars of the game

  1. S Tony Jefferson: Jefferson had a pretty quiet summer. But his performance on Saturday raised the eyebrows of the coaching staff to garner serious consideration of making the 53-man roster. The 10-year veteran led the team in tackles (14) and added two interceptions, a sack and a forced fumble.
  2. WR Simi Fehoko: It’s going to be difficult to keep Fehoko off the roster. He showed out every day over the past month and capped it off with a 78-yard touchdown, beating Andrew Booth down the right sideline to haul Easton Stick’s deep pass.
  3. EDGE Tre’Mon Morris-Brash: Morris-Brash is another summer standout who capped off with an impressive showing. He picked off Lance and took it back to the end zone. His Pick 6 extended the Chargers’ lead late in the fourth quarter to put a stamp on the game.

Quick hits

  • Easton Stick played the whole game to try to prove to the coaching staff that he is a serviceable backup. And Stick’s performance left a lot to be desired. Aside from his pass to Fehoko for the 78-yard touchdown, Stick’s accuracy issues were still evident. Aside from that deep throw, he went 11 of 28 with 109 yards and an interception.
  • In the running back battle, Jaret Patterson continued to impress, rushing for 27 yards on six carries (4.5 YPC). Elijah Dotson posted 23 yards on four rushes. Isaiah Spiller was inefficient.
  • I mentioned how Fehoko further made his case to make the roster. The same can’t be said about rookie Brenden Rice, who finished the game with just 11 yards on one catch. Rice was targeted seven times. Stick and Rice could not get on the same page for the third straight week despite Rice consistently getting open.
  • The other seventh-round pick, Cornelius Johnson, finally made his presence felt after being fairly quiet this summer. Johnson had three catches for 34 yards.
  • Derius Davis’ speed is going to be a problem for opposing defenses this season. Davis scored the first touchdown on the Chargers’ first offensive play, scampering 70 yards on an end-around.
  • Jesse Minter’s defense finished with six turnovers, five being interceptions.
  • The unit held the Cowboys to 1-of-4 in the red zone.
  • JT Woods’ tackling in the open has improved tremendously. That was one of his issues since coming out of college.

What’s next?

The Chargers will have until 1 p.m. PT on Tuesday to reduce their roster to 53 players before they open the regular season against the Raiders on Sunday, Sept. 8, at 1:05 p.m. PT.

Everything to know from Chargers’ preseason loss to Rams

Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ 13-9 loss to the Rams.

The Chargers fell to the Rams in the second of three preseason games on Saturday.

Here’s our recap of the Bolts’ 13-9 loss.

It was over when…

The Chargers failed to capitalize on two offensive possessions after the Rams scored their only touchdown to take the lead in the fourth quarter.

3 stars of the game

  1. RB Kimani Vidal: After missing the preseason opener, Vidal made his debut and showed why he deserves a roster spot. He finished with 49 yards on 11 carries (4.5 yards per rush) and two catches.
  2. WR Simi Fehoko: Fehoko led all receivers with 52 yards on two catches. But aside from his work as a pass-catcher, he made a big tackle on kickoff coverage and showed great effort as a blocker on offense.
  3. CB Deane Leonard: The defense continued to make plays, and Leonard led the way, finishing with two passes defended and an interception.

Quick hits

  • For the second straight game, the Chargers did not find the end zone. They were 0-3 in the red zone.
  • The offense turned the ball over three times, including a lost fumble at the Rams’ one-yard line.
  • Quentin Johnston finished the game with one catch for 19 yards. But he still showed some encouraging things. In the first quarter, he ran a double move to draw an illegal contact penalty. He was open down the field, but Easton Stick overthrew him. In the third quarter, he made an eye-popping catch near the sideline, but he came up out of bounds.
  • The defense was consistently around the football, breaking up seven passes.
  • However, the unit struggled to generate pressure throughout most of the game, only recording one sack and a quarterback hit.
  • The linebacker room was a bright spot. NaVorro Bowman’s group has made a handful of plays these past couple of games.
  • Cameron Dicker’s dominance continued as he made all three of his field goal attempts, including one from 55 yards out.

What’s next?

The Chargers close out the preseason next Saturday, Aug. 24, at 1:05 p.m. PT, when they will face the Cowboys at SoFi Stadium.

How Chargers rookies fared in preseason debut

Evaluating Los Angeles Chargers rookies after first week of 2024 NFL preseason.

The preseason is meant to evaluate players, and for a handful of them, this past week marked their first time playing in an NFL game. This included the Chargers’ draft picks in their loss to the Seahawks on Saturday.

Los Angeles was headlined by first-round pick offensive tackle Joe Alt, who had a solid performance. Alt played 21 snaps and only allowed one quarterback pressure. He showed good finesse in pass protection and power and movement skills in the run game to clear some lanes.

“It felt great,” Alt said, per the team’s official website. “It’s always good to get your first live play under your belt with the group you have the most experience with. It was good to be out there will all of them.”

Wide receiver Ladd McConkey and linebacker Junior Colson did not play as they’ve been working through some injuries.

Defensive tackle Justin Eboigbe played 30 snaps. Eboigbe didn’t have much of an impact, logging just one assisted tackle. The rookie out of Alabama has flashed at training camp, however, especially against the run.

Cornerback Tarheeb Still, who has been a summer standout, continued to make his case for the starting nickel spot. Still posted two pass breakups. But along with his cover skills, he flashed as a blitzer.

CB Cam Hart did not play.

Running back Kimani Vidal was in uniform for warmups, but was not suited up for the game.

Wide receiver Brenden Rice played the second-most snaps. He was targeted three times but failed to record a reception. A large part of that was due to inefficient quarterback play. There were many instances of Rice running great routes and being open. He had an aDOT (average depth of target) of 15.3.

WR Cornelius Johnson was on the field for just eight snaps.

Projecting the Chargers’ linebacker depth chart in 2024

Taking a crack at projecting what the Los Angeles Chargers linebacker room will look like entering the 2024 season.

Over the next few weeks ahead of training camp, I will continue to break down the depth chart for each Chargers position.

Quarterback

Running back

Wide receiver

Tight end

Offensive line

Edge rusher

Interior defensive line

Next, I project what the linebacker room will look like heading into the 2024 season.

Denzel Perryman

The Chargers needed a veteran presence in the linebacker room, so they signed Perryman. Perryman donned the powder blue and gold for the first six seasons of his career before playing with the Panthers, Raiders, and Texans. He has dealt with injuries throughout his NFL career, but when he is on the field, he provides the defense with a physical and hard-hitting presence when coming downhill.

Junior Colson

Jim Harbaugh got his guy in the third round of the draft. Colson was one of the leaders of Michigan’s defense last season. Now, given his talent and familiarity with Jesse Minter’s defense, he is expected to be the starting Mike linebacker. Colson is a rangy and explosive linebacker whose coverage skills are high-quality NFL traits. He has the speed to stay in phase with tight ends and running backs and is also effective in the run game.

Daiyan Henley

Henley was selected in the third round of last year’s draft. During his rookie campaign, Henley was primarily a special teamer. Heading into Year 2, he should push for playing time, as he offers reliability in coverage, something that Perryman isn’t equipped to do. The team likely envisions Henley starting alongside Colson.

Nick Niemann

While serving as a core special teamer, Niemann had the opportunity to start three games last season when former Chargers Eric Kendricks and Kenneth Murray were injured. He finished the year with 40 tackles, a tackle for loss, a pass defended and a fumble recovery. Niemann will make his money on special teams this season and can start in a pinch.

Troy Dye

Dye, a fourth-round pick of the 2020 NFL draft, spent the past four seasons with the Vikings. Dye reunites with Ryan Ficken, who was Minnesota’s assistant special teams coach (2020) and special teams coordinator (2021). With the Chargers, Dye will provide a special teams ace and depth at linebacker following the departures of Amen Ogbongbemiga and Tanner Muse.

NaVorro Bowman on Chargers’ linebacker room: ‘There’s no weak point in our room, everyone is hungry’

NaVorro Bowman spoke to the media for the first time.

Linebackers coach NaVorro Bowman spoke to the media for the first time at OTAs on Monday. First, he spoke about what attracted him to the Chargers’ job.

[Head] Coach [Jim] Harbaugh. I mean, I loved playing for him when I was in San Fran. We all were sad when he left. I took a hiatus and took five years away from football. I couldn’t get it out of my head. I didn’t want to jump back into it so fast, so I went to the college level. We had some showings in San Fran where Jim showed up. I would throw it across his ear and see what he says. He was like, ‘Yeah.’ No hesitation. I got myself prepared and started in that year-and-a-half at Maryland, just started really understanding the coaching side and being prepared for when the opportunity presented itself. I’m just blessed, man. Blessed to be here. Blessed for him to believe in me to do this job. I’m attacking it like I should.

Bowman expanded upon his profound respect for Jim Harbaugh and their relationship dating back to the San Francisco days:

I left it all out there on the field for him. Just his pre-game speeches and how he prepared us throughout the week, you just knew who you were coming to work for. Being able to understand his message and get his nod, his approval on how I played, it’s my job to get guys to play that way and do the things that he expects us to do — or the players to do, I should say. I think I’m going to that. I think I fit right in. The guys just enjoy everything that we have going on right now.

The new Chargers’ linebackers coach also spoke extensively about rookie Junior Colson and how he’s fit into the team up to this point:

Let me tell you about Junior (Colson), okay? We’re in meetings and he’s answering every single question. We knew that when we drafted him that he’s going to be familiar with the defense. Just to have a young guy speak so confidently and see the heights that the other young guys can reach, he’s there to settle them down and really say, ‘Hey, Coach is talking fast, but it’s just this.’ Just to have a guy like that who understands the scheme and just really needs to learn how to be a pro — I think that’s where I come in. Just teach them how to be a pro. Teaching him certain things that he can do in certain defensive calls. When you can kind of take a gamble here and there and just off the field. Understanding your body has to last you 17 weeks in the regular season and so forth in the playoffs. Just getting him used to playing so many games, meeting so much and doing the little things. Not assuming that you have it already because you were in the system, but doing the extra work. I think that’s going to be the evolution of his game — learning how to be a pro.

Bowman would go on to say he thinks it’s too early to tell if Colson would be getting the green dot at some point. However, he did say that the rookie obviously has a “step forward” in learning the scheme,

Bowman also had high praise for Denzel Perryman in his return to the Chargers, mentioning that he “plays the right way”. He also noted that he’s set an example for Daiyan Henley and Colson.

He’s a 10-year vet and he’s doing the things that a lot of 10-year guys that I played with wouldn’t do. He’s approaching it the right way and we’re glad to have him.

Previewing Kansas City’s Week 7 game vs. Chargers on Chiefs Wire Podcast

On the latest episode of @TheChiefsWire podcast: @EdEastonJr’s chats w/ #Chargers LB Daiyan Henley & @TheChargersWire’s @GavinoBroquez #LACvsKC

We’re back with an all-new episode of the Chiefs Wire podcast! This week, we’re previewing the Kansas City Chiefs Week 7 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers.

We check in with this past week’s press conferences featuring comments from linebacker Nick Bolton, kicker Harrison Butker, and head coach Andy Reid as they look for back-to-back home victories against an AFC West rival.

We also flashback to Ed Easton Jr.’s NFL Draft Combine conversation with Los Angeles Chargers linebacker and former Washington State star Daiyan Henley. Lastly, Chargers Wire managing editor Gavino Broquez breaks down Los Angeles’ strengths heading into Sunday’s game.

Listeners can look forward to being well-informed about the Chiefs’ mindset heading into another Thursday Night Football game. We check in on Henley’s thoughts on former college teammate Jaylen Watson’s Super Bowl experience and the Chargers’ likely game plan to try and pull off the upset in Kansas City.

Check out the link below to get your fill of Chiefs talk ahead of Sunday’s kickoff:

Chargers Week 3 injury report: Thursday

The Chargers had four non-participants.

The Chargers had their second practice before Sunday’s matchup with the Vikings on Thursday.

Here’s a look at the team’s injury report:

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Game Status
EDGE Joey Bosa Hamstring LP DNP
RB Austin Ekeler Ankle DNP DNP
LB Daiyan Henley Hamstring LP FP
LB Eric Kendricks Hamstring DNP DNP
EDGE Khalil Mack NIR — Rest DNP FP
EDGE Chris Rumph II Hamstring LP FP
WR Mike Williams Ankle FP FP
DT Christopher Hinton Back —– DNP

DNP: Did not practice; LP: Limited participation; FP: Full participation

Austin Ekeler remained out of practice while he continues to nurse an ankle injury.

Joey Bosa did not practice but he worked off to the side. Eric Kendricks was not at practice, according to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.

Daiyan Henley and Chris Rumph, who missed the first two games with a hamstring injury, were full participants.

Christopher Hinton popped up on the injury report with a back issue.