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Here are some of the best pictures from the Chargers’ loss to the Saints.
The Chargers fell short in their second preseason game of 2023 to the Saints by the score of 22-17.
To relive some of the action, here are the top photos taken at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
Here are the top 10 Chargers offensive players and what their grades were 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 offense. Here are the top players on that side of the ball, per Pro Football Focus.
The Chargers need to clean some things up in the preseason finale against the 49ers.
The Chargers faced the Saints on Sunday and finished the game with their first pr-season loss, 22-17.
Here are some areas where Los Angeles can improve for the preseason finale this Friday against the 49ers:
Easton Stick struggled heavily in Sunday night’s game, throwing inaccurate passes and interceptions all night. Stick also took sacks and folded under pressure as the game went on. The Chargers left Stick in the driver’s seat for the whole game instead of swapping him out for Max Duggan. This was most likely a test to see just how well the game could go if they played a single backup – and it didn’t go well. Stick threw for 233 yards, zero touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. Only 21 of 41 attempts were complete, meaning Stick was only able to throw a completed pass 51% of the time. After this performance, it will be worth watching to see if Duggan will play the next game. If not, Stick will have to step it up, remain calm under pressure, and replicate a performance like in the preseason opener against the Rams.
The offensive line crumbled around Stick all night, which didn’t help him navigate his shortcomings this game. Offensive tackles Foster Sorell and Austen Pleasants were the main culprits. When it comes to backup tackles on the Chargers, neither player is looking like a good option. Los Angeles will have to keep experimenting with offensive line depth in the next game if they give whoever is under center a chance at success.
The receiving targets struggled with drops all night, two of which came from last week’s star running back Elijah Dotson. Both drops were on the same drive and caused a massive loss of momentum on offense. This eventually led to Stick forcing a bad pass for an interception, which sealed the loss for the Bolts that night.
Tight end Donald Parham also dealt with drops, allowing Stone Smartt to make a great case for staying on the roster. Parham has had an uneven training camp and preseason, so he will have to step it up next game, or he will be in the hot seat come regular season.
Here’s our recap from the Chargers’ 22-17 loss to the Saints.
The Chargers fell to the Saints in the second of three preseason games on Sunday.
Here’s our recap of the Bolts’ 22-17 loss to New Orleans:
Here’s what you should keep an eye on when the game kicks off on Sunday.
Despite the first-ever tropical storm warning in Southern California, the Chargers and Saints will face off on Sunday for the second game of the preseason.
With two days of joint practices behind them, these two teams know each other a bit better than the usual preseason opponents. Here’s what you should keep an eye on when the game kicks off.
Players who flashed in Week 1 will be looking to continue their momentum on Sunday.
The Chargers are still currently scheduled to play their second preseason game against the Saints on Sunday despite potential concerns with Hurricane Hilary.
Joint practices seem to have gone well for both teams. Players who flashed in preseason Week 1 will be looking to continue their momentum on Sunday while others will be looking to get their first quality reps up on the scorecard.
Woods had a good week during joint practices with the Saints. Woods recorded multiple PBUs and even got an interception in the two-day meet between the squads.
Woods didn’t have a bad game against the Rams last week either. He had no missed tackles on the day and gave a clean performance on the field for the most part. There have been signs of improvement. But Woods committed an egregious penalty after he hit Ben Skowronek in the helmet after a 3rd down stop near the goal line. Stetson Bennett would go on to throw a touchdown to Puka Nacua just a few plays later.
Derwin James obviously won’t play in this game and Alohi Gilman is currently dealing with a knee contusion. This would be a great opportunity for the Baylor product to put an authoritative stamp on the 3rd safety role if he’s able to turn in a solid performance. He’s shown improvement in his tackling and in coverage so far.
Hopkins has struggled to stay on the field during this preseason and training camp period. Before Hopkins returned to practice this week, Cameron Dicker handled all of the kicking duties in the Chargers’ Week 1 preseason win.
Hopkins returned to practice but wasn’t as efficient as Dicker by any stretch. He also missed a 48-yarder short. Clearly, his injury isn’t behind him and Staley seemed rather uncertain that he would even play on Sunday at yesterday’s presser.
If Hopkins wants any chance of making this team, preserving his trade value, or landing somewhere else after he’s waived, it’s now or never for 2023.
CJ Okoye’s sack was that was seen around the world. He’s been a star this week after his big play, appearing in a Chargers’ media availability session and “The Rich Eisen Show”.
Okoye is such a raw prospect in that he’s still learning techniques and football basics, but his development curve seems to be going well up to this point. He’ll be a free spot for the Chargers on the practice squad this year with the International Player Program.
Considering the Chargers’ need to keep their top defensive tackles healthy throughout the rest of the month, Okoye should get some decent mileage this week. He could see an even larger snap count next week as the Chargers wind down the preseason in San Francisco.
Hightower suffered a minor injury last week in practice that caused him to have to sit out the Rams’ game. Assuming the game is played Sunday, this will be Hightower’s first chance to do some damage this preseason.
Hightower burst onto the scene early in training camp with a number of touchdowns and big catches. Staley has talked quite a bit about his performances and the overall depth of the receiver room. When asked about keeping five or six wide receivers yesterday, the Chargers’ head coach did say that this wide receiver room is the deepest they’ve had since he’s been with the team.
Jalen Guyton is still on the PUP list and there wasn’t a non-53-man roster receiver who really made his presence felt last week. WR6 is still out there for the taking and Hightower will be able to play Sunday.
Dotson finds himself in the driver’s seat for RB4 if the team does indeed decide to go in that direction on the roster. If not, he’ll likely at the very least have earned a practice squad spot when the time comes.
However, that’s contingent on Dotson staying healthy and finishing out the preseason strong. He doesn’t need to have nearly 100 yards and two touchdowns every week, but the team will still need him to back his Week 1 performance up.
The Chargers waived former 2021 draft pick Larry Rountree earlier in the week. The door is wide open if Dotson wants to run through it.
Brown’s preseason debut did not include flashy highlight reel material, but he kept it simple and efficient. Brown had three tackles, two pass breakups and a run stop while also contributing on special teams.
Kemon Hall was waived earlier in the week with an injury designation after he had surgery. Hall contributed quite a bit on special teams as a practice squad member and rostered player over the years with the Chargers.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that Brown will be the next man up, but he’s certainly competing for a practice squad role. Of note, the Chargers signed Matt Hankins earlier this week at cornerback as well.
Kemp flashed last week against the Rams with five quality pass rush pressures. His speed and bend on the outside were certainly more than most expected to see.
Another good effort from Kemp could earn him some more potential practice squad consideration.
Elijah Dotson raised some eyebrows in his NFL debut.
The Chargers ran wild in their preseason victory over the Rams on Saturday, finishing with 214 yards on the ground.
A key piece of their rushing attack was undrafted free agent Elijah Dotson. Dotson had 92 yards on six carries, including two long touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Dotson was one of Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar’s “Secret Superstars” from the first week of the preseason for his efforts.
Talk about an under-the-radar guy… Dotson spent four seasons as a secondary factor at Sacramento before moving to Northern Colorado and rushing for 935 yards and six touchdowns on 204 carries. That got him a shot with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent, and against the Rams on Saturday night, Dotson made more of that opportunity than anybody had a right to expect. He rushed for 92 yards and two touchdowns… on just six carries and seven total snaps.
Dotson began his career at Sacramento State and was a two-time, first-team All-Big Sky selection. He was a graduate transfer to Northern Colorado last year, where he had 933 yards on the ground, led the team with 48 catches and had an 82-yard punt return touchdown.
As the Bolts build out their backfield, Dotson’s performance helped his cause. It remains to be seen if Los Angeles will roster three or four running backs, but if they’re to have four, Dotson could very well be in consideration for a spot if it keeps stacking up solid showings. At the very least, he should warrant a practice squad spot.
Here are the top 10 Chargers offensive players and what their grades were.
The Chargers defeated the Rams in the preseason opener on Saturday, 34-17.
Along the way, they had some key contributors on offense. Here are the top players on that side of the ball, per Pro Football Focus.
The Chargers’ win over the Rams in Week 1 of the preseason had standout performances from bubble breakouts trying to make the roster.
The Chargers’ 34-17 win over the Rams in Week 1 of the preseason had several standout performances from bubble breakouts trying to make the roster.
There’s still a long way to go for the players toward the end of the roster in this preseason process, but the Rams game could serve as a springboard for some of them.
The Chargers running back room is beginning to take shape.
The Chargers running back room is beginning to take shape.
After a breakout performance from undrafted rookie Elijah Dotson in Saturday’s preseason game against the Rams, Los Angeles waived Larry Rountree III, their sixth-round pick in 2021. Rountree was RB4 on the depth chart behind Austin Ekeler, Joshua Kelley, and Isaiah Spiller. He struggled on Saturday, with five carries for just 9 yards, despite an overall stellar performance by the Chargers on the ground.
Rountree played in 16 games over two seasons in Los Angeles, logging 49 carries for 106 yards and one touchdown. He also added three receptions for 13 yards. The Missouri product was also a key contributor on special teams.
In his absence, Dotson likely takes over as the RB4 and will need to continue to prove himself to convince the Chargers to keep four running backs and fullback Zander Horvath on the 53-man roster.
