Tag: Ja’Sir Taylor

Chargers vs. Dolphins: 5 storylines to follow in Week 14

Here are five important things to watch during the Chargers’ matchup with the Dolphins.

Here are five Los Angeles Chargers storylines to watch for during the lead-up to the team’s Week 14 matchup against the Miami Dolphins.

Film room: How Chargers’ special teams has been special this season

The special teams department has been a bright spot for the Chargers this season.

The Chargers finally seem to have a competent set of special teams for the first time in what feels like a decade, led by new special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken.

Some things have been working from the beginning, while Ficken has made some in-season changes that have upped the performance of the whole squad. In some areas, there’s still some room for improvement.

In this *special* film room, we’ll cover it all.

Ja’Sir Taylor has been a stud

Taylor has had a flash play in nearly every game, primarily as a gunner on the punt team. It all started in Week 1, where the rookie timed a tackle on Raiders punt returner Hunter Renfrow to perfection:

Taylor’s 4.39 speed is on display here: by working the inside leverage of the double team and burning past both Raiders blockers, Taylor gives himself an open lane to make the tackle on Renfrow. It comes with danger, too, however, as a missed tackle would leave Renfrow with a chance to break the play to the outside for a big return.

Let’s fast forward to the obvious play Taylor has made this season: his forced fumble via shove to a Broncos punt blocker that all but won the Chargers the game in overtime.

Taylor and Ficken said postgame that they had seen this look from Denver and talked about using it to LA’s advantage. The rookie executes this one, leaving Deane Leonard to fall on the fumble.

What I like about this play, beyond the fact that it won the Chargers the Monday night game, is that this same setup occurs in the Jacksonville game, with Taylor just barely failing to convert it into a turnover play.

Taylor’s blocker follows him down the field, coming within a yard or so of Jaguars punt returner Jamal Agnew. Taylor executes one final push as the ball arrives, but the blocker, cornerback Chris Claybrooks, manages to stumble just clear of Agnew as he hauls in the fair catch. This play came on the first Chargers drive of the game, and a turnover play could’ve turned the tide of what ended up being a 38-10 blowout loss for LA. We might’ve also been talking about Taylor’s performance much earlier.

The one (small) thing I’ve had an issue with when it comes to Taylor is that he seems to down the ball too early without giving JK Scott’s punts enough time to bounce further toward the goal line. He did it twice against Seattle, this one being more egregious:

It’s hard to tell from either the wide or end zone angles which way Scott’s punt would’ve bounced had Taylor allowed it to touch the ground, but footage after the play shows Taylor looking frustrated and having a brief conversation with Chris Rumph, who looked like he was ready to see how the ball bounced.

Later in this same game, Taylor and Leonard showed how quickly they learn:

This time, the bounce is perfect from Scott. Leonard is the gunner to the near side (bottom of the screen) and overruns the punt, which is fine because of the field position and returner’s clearout. Taylor arrives at the scene late from the top of the screen (circled), and almost downs it as both he and the ball round their path off. To his credit, he recognizes the bounce and teams up with Leonard to down it at the 2, eventually leading to the Sebastian Joseph-Day safety in this game.

This quarter-to-quarter development got me thinking: is there something from a previous week that made Taylor think the first two punts in the Seattle game were going to take bad bounces? And indeed, I found a clip from Week 2:

On this one, you can see Taylor recognizes that Chiefs punt returner Skyy Moore has no interest in fielding the incoming kick. As a result, Taylor turns towards the goal line, setting up to harness the loose ball before it crosses into the end zone for a touchback. Instead, Scott’s punt bounces backward, forcing Taylor to reverse course and losing the Chargers eight or nine yards of field position. In later weeks, you can see Taylor hesitate to commit to taking the goal line route, instead opting to trust his ability to track the ball on a single bounce to save those yards. Consider if Taylor plays this Chiefs punt the same way he does the ones in Seattle: he probably hauls it in at about the seven instead of Amen Ogbongbemiga downing it at the 14.

Deane Leonard supplants Michael Davis

We’ve mentioned Leonard a couple of times when showcasing these plays from Taylor, and the rookie tandem has by far been the best set of Chargers gunners to date. Before Leonard took over, L.A. had Michael Davis opposite of Taylor, which resulted in plays like this:

Davis doesn’t quite have the field awareness in this clip that the rookies have shown this season, and it hurts the team with a fair catch interference penalty here as Davis bumps into the Texans’ returner.

Davis also overruns a punt against Denver two weeks later, missing an opportunity to recover a muffed punt from Broncos returner Montrell Washington:

Credit to Essang Bassey (I think), who does a good job making sure Davis stays to his outside for this entire play to ensure that Davis can’t make a tackle on a potential return. But film from the Chargers’ other games shows that Taylor and Leonard engage with this blocker as they approach the return man, rarely allowing a play like this to go unpunished. You can even see Taylor get to this loose ball before Davis does, despite starting on the opposite side of the field because of the way he fights through and around his blocker. In the end, L.A. misses an opportunity to generate a turnover as Washington falls back on the ball.

Davis has also had a few issues as a kickoff coverage man, most evident in this same Denver game:

Technically, Davis does his job here. He absorbs a block, forces Washington to make a decision, and stalls for long enough that his teammates rally to the ball and stop Washington short of the 30. But Davis has to finish this tackle. He’s squared up on the rookie and is positioned to force Washington to the inside, but instead can’t quite wrap up and gets beaten by a spin move back to the outside.

Compare this to a play Leonard makes against Seattle in kick coverage:

Leonard perfectly splits two blocks as he runs his lane on the opening kickoff, leaving him free to stop Seahawks returner, Dee Eskridge, at his 19-yard line. Seattle miscommunicates about whose responsibility it is to slow the rookie down. Leonard has had a few plays like this littered on his tape and the Seattle game was his best performance to date. With another week of coaching during the bye week and a full week of work at gunner now that Davis is slated to start at corner, Leonard should round into form as an above-average gunner next to the already above-average Taylor.

Examining DeAndre Carter

Out of kickoff returners with at least eight returns this season, Carter is only 15th in average return yards out of 18 eligible players. This is after Carter was 8th in average return yards out of 38 players with at least ten kickoff returns last season in Washington, while former Chargers returner Andre Roberts was 5th. Something about the return game isn’t working, but is it Carter or something more systemic?

I tend to lean towards the latter. Carter is certainly leaving yards on the table occasionally, but sometimes he has nothing he can do. His primary lead blocker is failing him:

Here, if Zander Horvath sustains this block for even an instant, Carter has a seam between the rookie and Joshua Kelley. Nobody else on the Texans is in position to make a play, meaning Carter would be sprung free with only the kicker to beat on his way up the field. Instead, Horvath instantly gets beat by running back Dare Ogunbowale. Carter tries to cut back to what is now a closing lane, but Horvath’s momentum has brought him into Carter’s path, resulting in a tackle by the fullback that’s cleaned up by the Texans.

Later in this game, we have a similar problem, this time with Joshua Kelley:

Kelley turns his eyes upfield before seeing that Troy Reeder has missed his block on Texans linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin. Instead, the running back skirts past him to pave the way for Carter through what he perceives as a developing path to the sideline and into Texans territory. If he moves his head a few degrees to the right and recognizes Reeves-Maybin slinking past him and throws a block there instead, it gains Carter an extra 10-15 yards, even if he can’t spring it for a huge return. From the end zone angle, it looks like Kelley should see the linebacker – after all, you can see Reeves-Maybin get a bit skinnier as he gets past the running back.

In short: let Ja’Sir Taylor keep doing what he’s doing and get Deane Leonard in there next to him in the punt game. In the kickoff game, let’s not be so quick to blame Carter for the struggles – there’s still work to be done on the blocking front.

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’ reasons for optimism vs. Seahawks in Week 7

Highlighting four reasons why the Los Angeles Chargers should beat the Seattle Seahawks.

The Chargers moved to 4-2 on Monday night with a 19-16 overtime win against the Broncos.

While it may have been ugly, a win is a win, and Los Angeles now has positive momentum, especially in the division, where their victory brought them into a tie for first place with the Chiefs.

On Sunday, that momentum will be tested when the Seahawks come to SoFi Stadium.

Here are four reasons to be optimistic that L.A. hits the bye as a 5-2 football team.

Porous pass defense

Seattle is giving up 245 passing yards per game, 22nd in the league. That number is also helped tremendously by last week’s performance against what looks to be a fundamentally broken Cardinals offense, who the Seahawks held to 171 yards through the air. Rookies Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant are the starters at cornerback for Seattle, who are running a variant of the Vic Fangio defense. That scheme requires a lot of DB talent and a lot of knowledge. Woolen and Bryant have played well this season in stretches, but an elite quarterback like Justin Herbert should be able to exploit their stumbles. If Seattle employs more nickel and dime packages on Sunday, as they did against Arizona, Herbert will be fast enough through his progressions to find an open man against Seattle’s third or fourth corner.

Third down woes

Seattle is also starting two rookies at offensive tackle: top-ten pick Charles Cross and third-rounder Abraham Lucas. Like their teammates at corner, Cross and Lucas have shown flashes, helping Seattle’s offensive line to a sack rate of just 2.2% on 1st down and 1.4% on second down. Both marks are well below the league averages of 5.0% and 5.1%, respectively. However, on third downs, the Seahawks have collapsed. Their sack rate allowed skyrockets to 20.7%, more than twice the league average of 9.8%. Whether that’s because it’s a line full of rookies learning to communicate about blitzes or not is unclear, but we do know Brandon Staley is no stranger to dialing up exotic pressures on third down. Given how well it worked on Monday, I’d expect more of the same from Drue Tranquill and Derwin James on Sunday, with likely the same results.

Special teams trajectories

Pete Carroll said on Monday that Seattle’s special teams are “bugging the heck out of all of us” after another week of miscues against Arizona. Perhaps the most costly was punter Michael Dickson losing control of the ball in the end zone, leading to a fumble recovered for a touchdown by the Cardinals. Seattle has had one mistake of this nature seemingly every game, a contributing factor in their special teams being ranked 23rd by DVOA. Compare that to the Chargers, whose special teams are the number one reason they won the game on Monday. When’s the last time fans of this team could say that? The Chargers are 15th in special teams DVOA, buoyed by the steady presence of Dustin Hopkins (when he’s played) and rookie gunners Ja’Sir Taylor and Deane Leonard, who combined to finish the muffed punt play that put LA in field goal range in overtime against Denver. Hopkins will miss this week, but backup kicker Taylor Bertolet was perfect on six kicks in Week 5 when he filled in for the veteran. All this to say: Los Angeles is getting their special teams unit in sync, while Seattle is still searching for answers.

Failure to capitalize

Seattle has forced ten turnovers in their six games and turned their opponent over on downs four times. That’s a pretty good clip! The Seahawks are tied for 5th in takeaways per game. But when the defense gives their offense the ball back, Seattle has struggled to turn it into points. Of those fourteen occurrences, Seattle has scored on the following drive just three times, four if you count Tariq Woolen’s pick 6. After receiving the ball due to a big play by their defense, Seattle has turned it right back over four times, punted five times, and gone to halftime once if they’re unable to score. LA only turns the ball over 0.8 times per game, the second-best mark in the league. If Seattle can’t capitalize on their likely only shot at a turnover on Sunday, there’s reason to believe the Chargers will be able to right the ship.

Chargers show why not to underestimate importance of special teams

The Chargers special teams units pushed them to victory over the Broncos.

In what was considered the most exciting yet boring game of the week, the Chargers didn’t beat the Broncos with their offense. Their defense? Yes, in the second half. However, their special teams play through all four quarters ultimately pushed them to victory.

Dustin Hopkins battled a hamstring injury to make four field goals, including the tying one in the fourth quarter and the winner in overtime. Hopkins, who missed last week’s win over the Browns with a quad injury, tweaked his hamstring on a PAT attempt in the second quarter.

Instead of being sidelined, Hopkins knew the game’s trajectory, and how Denver was stifling Los Angeles from finding the end zone, so he pushed through the pain to connect his field goals from 37, 31, 35, and 39 yards outs.

To take some of the pressure off of Hopkins’ leg, punter JK Scott handled the kickoff duties. His five kickoffs all went for touchbacks.

But arguably, the play of the game was made by two rookies, sixth-rounders Ja’Sir Taylor and Deane Leonard. Taylor lined up as a gunner on the outside as the Chargers punted the ball with the score tied at 16 apiece with under five minutes left in overtime.

Taylor beat his man on the outside, sprinting toward punt returner Montrell Washington, who was calling for a fair catch. As he got to Washington, safety P.J. Locke stood between himself and Taylor. Taylor pushed Locke into Washington right before he could make the fair catch.

The block knocked Locke into Washington, and he fell to the ground, unable to haul in the hanging punt from Scott. The football deflected off of Washington, and Leonard was there to recover the ball at Denver’s 29. That led to Hopkins, the hurt hero, making the game-winner.

After years of having special teams be the reason for some of their losses, the Bolts finally found a way to flip the script.

This speaks to Brandon Staley’s moves in this department by signing Hopkins halfway through last season, hiring special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken, adding All-Pro long snapper Josh Harris and Scott via free agency, and drafting and developing contributors on coverage units.

As the saying goes, defense wins championships.

However, if the offense stalls, like it did yesterday, special teams play can and will impact the final score of the game.

Everything to know from Chargers’ overtime win over Broncos

Highlighting all the important stuff from the Chargers’ Week 6 victory over the Broncos.

The Chargers defeated the Broncos in overtime on Monday night, 19-16.

To recap the game, here is everything to know about Los Angeles’ victory.

Chargers’ causes for concern vs. Raiders in Week 1

A look at some causes for concern as the Los Angeles Chargers gear up to face the Las Vegas Raiders.

There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the Chargers’ season, set to kick off on Sunday with a home game against the Raiders.

We know both teams will bring the energy for a heated rivalry game, though, and there are a few reasons to be concerned about the matchup with Vegas.

Here are four of them:

J.C. Jackson injury

Jackson hasn’t yet returned to practice after undergoing ankle surgery two weeks ago, which seems to suggest he’ll be out on Sunday. That leaves Michael Davis and Asante Samuel Jr. as the two starting corners on the outside. One of them will have to cover Davante Adams for the majority of this game, with Bryce Callahan in the slot against Hunter Renfrow and Derwin James likely manning up Darren Waller. The Chargers should be confident in Callahan and James to get their jobs done, but Davis and/or Samuel on Adams could be a bit of a pain point. The injury to Jackson also weakens the depth in the secondary – if anyone else goes down, rookies Ja’Sir Taylor and Deane Leonard are next up in the rotation.

Unclear running back rotation

Isaiah Spiller continues to nurse an ankle injury, leaving his role in Week 1 a bit unclear. Joshua Kelley and newly signed Sony Michel will likely split the second running back duties, but there are reasons to be cautious about both. While Kelley has looked much improved this offseason, he has yet to prove he can be a high-impact player in games that count. Michel has struggled with his health, which has partially contributed to a declining yards per carry average over the past few seasons that led to him getting cut by the Dolphins earlier this offseason. If the Raiders can limit Ekeler, one of the three other options will have to step up. But will any of them get consistent enough reps to get into a groove?

Offensive line chemistry

Rashawn Slater and Matt Feiler return on the left side. They’re not the issue here. What could be one, especially for Week 1, is the chemistry between rookie Zion Johnson and his compatriots. Center Corey Linsley didn’t play a single snap of preseason action as one of the Chargers’ many bubble-wrapped veterans, but he’s also had a series of mysterious vet rest days in practice. That leaves him and Johnson without a full complement of reps in practice and zero live opportunities to work out the kinks. On the other side, Johnson has had to build chemistry with both right tackles: Trey Pipkins and Storm Norton. Pipkins eventually won the job, and his chemistry did look better with Johnson. But again, it’s only half the number of reps the rookie could’ve had with his right tackle. Those hiccups could lead to pressure on Justin Herbert or rapidly closing holes for Ekeler and the running game.

Return game threats

Maybe it’s just because my childhood is marred with memories of the Raiders blocking multiple Mike Scifres punts back in 2010, but special teams is always one of my focus areas whenever these two teams meet. This year, I think the biggest concern is in the return game, especially after watching Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin torch the Chargers for a kick and punt return touchdown. Raiders kick returner Ameer Abdullah is tied for third among active NFL players in kick return average with 25.4 yards per return, behind only Cordarrelle Patterson and former Charger Andre Roberts. Abdullah is also fourth in total kick return yardage among active players behind Patterson, Roberts, and Tyler Lockett. Hunter Renfrow is a lesser threat as a punt returner, but his shiftiness is not to be underestimated. If Los Angeles hasn’t patched the holes that led to Turpin’s huge preseason game, it could be a rough afternoon for them.

5 matchups to watch in Chargers’ preseason finale vs Saints

Highlighting five matchups to watch as the Chargers take on the Saints on Friday night.

The Chargers wrap up their preseason against the Saints.

With the roster taking shape, this will be the last stand for many players trying to make the team.

Here are five key matchups to watch Friday night:

Chargers EDGE Jamal Davis II vs. Saints OT Trevor Penning

Penning was the favorite choice of many a Chargers fan leading up to April’s draft because of his ability to play right tackle, but LA ended up going with Zion Johnson. Penning is now at left tackle in New Orleans, where he’s been the second-highest graded offensive player on the team through two preseason games. Davis, meanwhile, is still fighting for a roster spot in an EDGE room that may or may not carry four dedicated players with Kyle Van Noy’s role unclear. The stakes will be slightly higher as Davis and Chris Rumph will be out to prove their teammate was the right choice over Penning.

Chargers IOL Ryan Hunter vs. Saints DT Malcolm Roach

Both Hunter and Roach will be fighting for their football lives on Friday. For Hunter, he’s out to prove he’s worth a roster spot over the likes of Will Clapp and Brenden Jaimes. All three have had an up-and-down offseason. Roach is attempting to fend off rookies Jordan Jackson and Josh Black to retain his spot on the Saints. The winner of this battle, likely to take place deep into the game, could cement a place on the 53. The loser could be hoping for waivers to be favorable to them.

Chargers CB Ja’Sir Taylor vs. Saints WR Chris Olave

Rookie on rookie here, as Taylor has been the starting slot corner this preseason with Bryce Callahan getting his veteran rest. Olave, meanwhile, has rotated between the outside and in the slot. The Southern California native was another popular choice for the Chargers’ first-round pick and has lived up to the billing thus far. Taylor likely has a roster spot secured, especially with the injuries piling up at cornerback, but holding his own against Olave will undoubtedly help.

Chargers RB Joshua Kelley vs. Saints LB Kaden Elliss

Elliss has been the Saints’ best defender this preseason, per PFF, and is tied for the third-most defensive stops on the team. He’ll be the primary backer tasked with handling Joshua Kelley, who will be looking to bounce back from a poor performance against the Cowboys. A lot of the struggles as a rusher can be chalked up to subpar blocking, but Kelley also dropped his only target. With Isaiah Spiller nursing an ankle injury, Kelley has a shot to firm up his role as RB2 to start the season with a good performance.

Chargers WR Michael Bandy vs. Saints CB DaMarcus Fields

Fields is the closest allegory to Bandy on the Saints’ defense, as the UDFA has played more than 100 snaps this preseason while looking like a potentially solid depth piece at corner. Bandy has been the star of LA’s preseason, hauling in 15 receptions for 142 yards and 2 TDs in two games. Both he and Fields are battling for roster spots that may not even exist – Bandy is LA’s WR6, while Fields is NOLA’s fifth corner. However, a strong performance from either of them against the other could force their respective team to keep them rather than risk waivers.

Chargers expecting good things from rookie CB Ja’Sir Taylor

Chargers rookie cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor is making his case to make the 53-man roster.

The battle in the back end of the cornerback continues to heat up as the Chargers are in the thick of training camp.

Raising plenty of eyebrows as of late is sixth-round pick, Ja’Sir Taylor.

On Tuesday, during the team’s two-minute drill, Taylor was tasked with covering star wide receiver Keenan Allen. Allen ran an out-route, Taylor read the route perfectly, and secured an interception for a touchdown off quarterback Justin Herbert.

“You see a lot of growth with him, sitting right next to Bryce Callahan picking his brain every day in meetings,” defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill said on Taylor. “His growth potential is really high right now. We expect good things from him once those bright lights come on.”

Taylor has primarily been working in the slot with the second team, but he saw extensive time with the first team during this session. He has also been playing gunner with the punt team on special teams.

Head coach Brandon Staley talked about how important it was to add cornerback depth this offseason, which he accomplished with Taylor and another summer standout, seventh-rounder Deane Leonard.

This will be one of the most monitored competitions heading into preseason play. Leonard and Taylor will be vying for one or maybe two final spots with returners Tevaughn Campbell and Kemon Hall.

At Wake Forest, Taylor logged 184 tackles, six interceptions, 24 passes defended, one sack, one forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries in 62 career games.

Taylor also returned kicks in his final season, averaging 26.3 yards per attempt, including one touchdown, on eight attempts.

8 takeaways from start of Chargers training camp

Highlighting what stood out during the first week of Chargers training camp.

The Chargers’ preparation for the 2022 season began this past week, as they opened up training camp.

Within the four sessions, we gathered a few notable things from head coach Brandon Staley’s squad.

Before the pads come on Monday, here’s a recap of what stood out from the first few days of camp.