Tag: Deane Leonard

Chargers injury report: Khalil Mack questionable for Week 11 vs. Bengals

Khalil Mack did not log a single practice this week.

The Chargers had their final practice on Friday before their Sunday night matchup with the Bengals.

Edge defender Khalil Mack is questionable after not logging a single practice this week. Mack is currently dealing with a groin injury that limited him to four defensive snaps in last weekend’s game against the Titans.

If Mack can’t play this weekend, Bud Dupree and Tuli Tuipulotu will continue to see an uptick in playing time.

Cornerback Deane Leonard is also questionable for Week 11. Leonard is dealing with a hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve. He has yet to be activated to the active roster.

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.

Chargers final Week 18 injury report: Keenan Allen, Joey Bosa out vs. Chiefs

Keenan Allen and Joey Bosa have been ruled out.

The Chargers had their final practice on Friday ahead of the Week 18 game against the Chiefs.

Wide receiver Keenan Allen, edge defender Joey Bosa, EDGE Justin Hollins and defensive tackle Nick Williams have been ruled out.

Allen finishes the season with 108 receptions for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns.

Guard Zion Johnson and linebacker Kenneth Murray are doubtful.

Cornerback Deane Leonard, LB Tanner Muse, tight end Stone Smartt and EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu are questionable.

As for the Chiefs, WR Rashee Rice, CB L’Jarius Sneed, WR Kadarius Toney, and offensive tackle Donovan Smith are out.

Chargers Week 17 injury report: Michael Davis, Kenneth Murray did not practice Thursday

Michael Davis and Kenneth Murray were non participants.

The Chargers had their second practice in preparation for Sunday’s game against the Broncos on Thursday.

For a second consecutive day, wide receivers Keenan Allen (heel) and Joshua Palmer (concussion) did not practice.

Cornerback Michael Davis (non-injury related/personal) was added to the injury report. He did not practice.

After being limited on Wednesday, linebacker Kenneth Murray was downgraded to a non-participant with a shoulder injury.

Edge defender Joey Bosa (foot), cornerback Deane Leonard (heel), offensive tackle Trey Pipkins (wrist) and tight end Nick Vannett (back) were limited for a second straight day.

Defensive tackle Nick Williams (shoulder) was upgraded from non-participant to a limited participant.

Chargers final Week 16 injury report: Keenan Allen out vs. Bills

Keenan Allen has been ruled out.

The Chargers had their final practice on Thursday ahead of the Week 16 game against the Bills.

Wide receiver Keenan Allen (heel) and edge defender Joey Bosa (foot) have been ruled out.

This is the second consecutive week that Allen will miss due to the injury.

Los Angeles opened Bosa’s 21-day activation window.

Cornerback Deane Leonard (heel) and linebacker Tanner Muse (knee) are doubtful.

CB Essang Bassey (concussion), tight end Nick Vannett (back) and defensive tackle Nick Williams (shoulder) are questionable.

As for the Bills, safety Micah Hyde (neck stinger) and WR Justin Shorter (hamstring) are out. CB Kair Elam (ankle), defensive end A.J. Epenesa (rib), running back Ty Johnson (shoulder) and DT DaQuan Johnson (pec) are questionable.

Chargers injury report: Joshua Palmer estimated as full participant ahead of Week 15 vs. Raiders

Ahead of their Week 15 matchup against the Raiders, the Chargers released their first practice report.

Ahead of their Week 15 matchup against the Raiders, the Chargers released their first practice report of the week.

Los Angeles did not practice Monday, which means the report is simply an estimation of a player’s participation if they held a practice.

Joshua Palmer (knee) would have been in line for his first full practice since having his 21-day practice window opened. Palmer will need to be activated from injured reserve in order to play.

Keenan Allen (heel), Justin Herbert (right finger) and Deane Leonard (ankle/heel) were estimated as non participants.

Gerald Everett (hip), Zion Johnson (ankle), Sebastian Joseph-Day (ankle), Amen Ogbongbemiga (hamstring), Otito Ogbonnia (knee), Donald Parham (shoulder) and Nick Williams (shoulder) were estimated as limited participants.

Chargers injury report: Alohi Gilman estimated as non-participant ahead of Week 7 vs. Chiefs

Ahead of their Week 7 matchup against the Chiefs, the Chargers released their first practice report of the week.

Ahead of their Week 7 matchup against the Chiefs, the Chargers released their first practice report of the week.

The Bolts only had a walkthrough Wednesday since they are only two days removed from their last game against the Cowboys, which means the report is simply an estimation of a player’s participation if they held a practice.

Aside from Raheem Layne, who was placed on the injured reserve with a torn ACL injury, Alohi Gilman (heel) and Deane Leonard (hamstring) were estimated as non-participants.

Joey Bosa (toe), Sebastian Joseph-Day (knee) and Amen Ogbongbemiga (hamstring) were estimated as limited participants.

Los Angeles will practice on Thursday and Friday before flying out to Kansas City.

Studs and duds from Chargers’ 23-12 win over 49ers

The Chargers concluded their preseason with a 23-12 win over the Niners. Most of the 90-man roster made their last impressions.

The Chargers concluded their preseason with a 23-12 win over the Niners. Most of the 90-man roster got to make their last impressions for roster spots, with cutdowns on Tuesday.

Here are the guys who stood out (positively and negatively) in the preseason finale.

Stud: CB Deane Leonard

Deane Leonard had been pretty solid in the first two preseason games but stood out more against San Francisco. Leonard was active in making pass break-up attempts and was sticky without being grabby in coverage. It also felt like an excellent tackling night for him outside of the first big Brandon Aiyuk play.

On one of the drives in the second quarter, Leonard got beat by Conley after the Niners’ receiver pushed off for a big diving catch. A few plays later, Leonard rebounded and drew an offensive pass interference call that eventually ended the drive for the Niners.

Leonard had been a top defender for the Chargers in the preseason, but seeing him execute while being tested more often was nice.

Dud: QB Max Duggan

Perhaps it was nerves for the rookie, but Max Duggan looked like he was seeing ghosts when throwing the football tonight. He ran some zone-read concepts pretty well, which saved the Chargers’ offense at points. But the erratic, delayed processing on display probably didn’t do much to solidify a QB3 spot.

Duggan should’ve been intercepted on the play above, but it wasn’t the only miscue. Several short to intermediate passes nearly hit the ground for his receivers, and the first drive was a mess. Two dangerous screen passes that were almost picked and a high toss to Elijah Dotson almost ruined his night from the start.

He saved himself with his legs, but I’m just struggling to see what value Duggan brings to the roster besides being the team’s seventh-round pick.

Stud: RB Joshua Kelley

Joshua Kelley had the play of the night with a 75-yard scamper to the house:

It’s been a good training camp and preseason for Kelley. That play felt like his declarative stamp on the RB2 job behind Austin Ekeler. Isaiah Spiller will still get his touches, but Kelley has shown a more refined approach with good balance and speed.

Dud: WR John Hightower

John Hightower was the star of training camp, but he didn’t stand out in a meaningful way in the preseason. Keelan Doss has outplayed him in the last two games, and it felt like Hightower was too easily washed out of routes. On his one target of the game, he got blanketed in coverage after Duggan released the throw.

He’ll still have a role on the practice squad, and his dominance in camp can’t be undersold. The coaching staff certainly values it. But the path towards a 53-man roster spot seems much less feasible than before.

Stud: TE Stone Smartt

Stone Smart has had back-to-back great weeks as a blocker. Last week, it was letting Easton Stick run outside for the score. Against the Niners, he made a block that created the hole for Joshua Kelley’s 75-yard score. On a separate play, he also sprung Max Duggan free on the outside for a 3rd down conversion.

Box score watchers will see one reception for six yards, but Smartt’s impact on the blocking game and the flow of the offense was evident. In a preseason where Tre’ McKitty and Donald Parham have struggled in that capacity, Smartt has strung together some good performances.

PFF: Chargers’ top defensive players in preseason loss vs. Saints

Here are the top 10 Chargers defensive players and what their grades were in the preseason loss to the Saints.

The Chargers lost to the Saints in the second preseason game of 2023 on Sunday, 22-17.

Despite the loss, they still had some key contributors on defense. Here are the top players on that side of the ball, per Pro Football Focus.