Tag: Michael Bandy

Broncos worked out 3 wide receivers before training camp

The Broncos worked out WRs Michael Bandy, Josh Hammond and Justin Marshall on Tuesday. Bandy and Hammond played in the XFL this spring.

The Denver Broncos worked out three wide receivers Tuesday ahead of the start of training camp.

The Broncos brought in Michael Bandy, Josh Hammond and Justin Marshall, according to KPRC-TV’s Aaron Wilson. Two of those receivers — Bandy and Hammond — played in the XFL this spring.

Bandy totaled five receptions for 35 yards in two games with the Houston Roughnecks this spring. He played college football at the University of San Diego and went undrafted in 2020. Bandy then spent 2021-2022 with the Los Angeles Chargers. He dressed for 11 games and caught 10 passes for 89 yards with the Chargers.

Hammond played in 10 games for the DC Defenders this spring and totaled 34 receptions for 331 yards and one touchdown. He signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent out of Florida in 2020. Before playing in the XFL, Hammond spent time with three NFL teams from 2021-2022.

Marshall signed with the Atlanta Falcons this spring as an undrafted free agent out of Buffalo. He was cut by the Falcons on June 16.

At the time of this writing, none of the three WRs who worked out for the Broncos have been signed. They will likely be kept in mind for down the road if any injuries happen during training camp.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Chiefs to host Houston Roughnecks WR Michael Bandy for tryout

The #Chiefs are set to host a former NFL and now-XFL wide receiver for a tryout.

[connatix div_id=”3f8b015acdd24c648befc5d5dac47469″ player_id=”afe1e038-d3c2-49c0-922d-6511a229f69c” cid=”7cbcea0d-4ce2-4c75-9a8d-fbe02a192c24″]

The Kansas City Chiefs continue to take a look at the XFL talent pool as they form their 90-man offseason roster.

Their latest foray into the XFL comes on the offensive side of the ball, with the team reportedly set to host Houston Roughnecks WR Michael Bandy on a tryout. Bandy appeared in just two games for Houston, recording five receptions for 35 yards. Two of his receptions convereted first downs. Only one player on the Roughnecks who caught a pass had less receiving production.

Bandy got his start with the Spring League before earning an opportunity in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers. He played collegiately at San Diego and went undrafted in the 2020 NFL draft. He appeared in 11 games with the Chargers over the past two seasons, registering two starts in 2022. He had 10 receptions on 21 targets for 89 yards. He also plays special teams, both coverage and kick return, with 4 kicks returned for 88 yards with Los Angeles back in 2021.

The Chiefs have already hosted their rookie minicamp, so this will either be an individual tryout taking place or he’ll be invited to work with the team at the onset of organized team activities. OTAs begin for the Chiefs on Monday, May 22.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]

Film room: Chargers QB Justin Herbert is getting healthy

The bye week seems to have done Chargers QB Justin Herbert a lot of good.

The bye week seems to have done Justin Herbert a lot of good.

Good timing, too, because the Chargers have needed him to elevate his supporting cast to even be competitive these past two weeks. With Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Jalen Guyton all out with injuries, L.A. is seemingly on the brink of holding a fan raffle to determine its next starting receiver.

And yet, against one of the best defenses in the league, the Bolts hung tough, eventually losing 22-16 on Sunday Night Football. Herbert was a big reason why spending all game making plays that few others in the league could.

Let’s get into the film.

Early on, many of Herbert’s throws were keyed in on 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga, a breakout star who’s made his money as an aggressive ballhawk and tackler. Here, Hufanga is the read – if he carries Michael Bandy upfield, Herbert hits DeAndre Carter on the crossing route. If Hufanga stays home, as he does, it gives Herbert the option of launching the go route. The only problem is Bandy doesn’t generate any separation on the corner. Knowing the routes have played out, Herbert bails from a clean pocket to generate movement downfield. Tight end Gerald Everett drifts towards the sideline, where Bandy has cleared the field for him and makes a nice catch outside his frame to pick up the first down.

I love everything about this play. I love the design to get Josh Palmer open. I love how Palmer delays his release to set up the first rub from DeAndre Carter. I love Herbert’s throw to hit Palmer and pick up another first down. Everything about this is executed perfectly, which is a credit to Palmer, Carter, and Bandy for getting their timing down. This is the kind of play you can call when you know your QB can hit throws like this. While Herbert makes it look easy, there are a lot of QBs in the league that end up trying this throw and get picked by the safety drifting over.

Tre’ McKitty must still be kicking himself about this one. Corner Charvarius Ward (the red arrow going upfield) has deep half responsibility here, which leads him to carry Richard Rodgers upfield on the seam route. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw has seen this movie before from the Chargers. Half expecting Herbert to swing this out to Austin Ekeler, Greenlaw is caught just flat-footed enough for McKitty to sneak past into the open field. By the time Ward turns around, the ball is already in the air. If McKitty hauls this in, it’s, at minimum, a first down and, more likely, a touchdown. Instead, it bounces off his hands.

Luckily for McKitty, most of the Chargers fans watching live forgot about his drop immediately because this absolute seed was the very next play. Herbert is watching DeAndre Carter on this crossing route the whole way, and he has him open when he throws this ball. The only complication comes when McKitty’s underneath route coincides with the ball placement, which makes for an insanely tight window throw that teleports through the hole and hits Carter in stride. Herbert throws this while the pocket around him dissolves, and he takes a hit. This isn’t a throw he threads into that window earlier this season when the rib injury had a visible impact on his ability to drive the ball.

Similarly, this isn’t a play Herbert makes before the bye week. LA loves to get Herbert moving as an extension of their run game in doses here and there, just enough to remind defenses that their QB has wheels, too. But pre-bye week, Herbert barely ran the ball, instead opting to either take a checkdown or throw the ball away. What I find incredible here is how Herbert navigates this pocket: step up to avoid the pressure coming from both edge rushers, then immediately takes a hop step to avoid running into another oncoming defender. I do think Herbert intended to slide here but ended up being tackled behind by Fred Warner, leading to the nasty hit that put the QB in concussion protocol to end the first half. Still, hit or not, this play is a good process, showing that Herbert is confident enough in his ribs to scramble more often. That’s a great sign.

Joe Lombardi is trying to call plays deeper down the field. Sometimes, like in our first clip today, they simply don’t get open. That’ll happen when you have one of the slowest WR groups in the league. But sometimes, they are getting open, as Carter does here. On most of those occasions, the Chargers’ patchwork offensive line is giving up pressure that forces Herbert off the deep reads. This pressure design by San Francisco is beautiful: not only is their formation overloaded to the right side, but Fred Warner loops around everyone after the linemen have engaged to rush free on Herbert. That forces him to move off his first read (Carter on the deep cross) and get rid of the ball for survival purposes.

All this is to say: I don’t think this offense is broken, at least not systematically. Physically, they’re somewhere between broken and hurting bad. The game plan against San Francisco incorporated way more intermediate and deep routes as Herbert’s primary read than we’re used to from Lombardi. This fell apart once the 49ers could scheme up more pressure in the second half, yes. But it’s an encouraging sign that Lombardi at least has the plays in his arsenal. Now that Herbert is healthy enough to execute them, Lombardi has shown he’s more comfortable calling them. If/when this team gets Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Trey Pipkins back, I’d expect much more productivity and explosiveness from this unit. This is good tape, even in a loss, missing five starters (including Gerald Everett, injured on Sunday) and three skill position contributors.

In short: Justin Herbert is coming soon. Get the popcorn in the microwave.

Chargers’ keys to victory over Falcons in Week 9

Here is how the Chargers beat the Falcons on Sunday.

The Chargers return from the bye on Sunday to face the Falcons, an unlikely first-place team through eight weeks of the season.

Los Angeles’ injury luck has not turned even with an extra rest week, making Sunday’s contest feel much closer than it should, given the preseason expectations of these two teams.

Here’s what L.A. needs to do to come away with a victory.

Find offensive contributors

We know Mike Williams and Joshua Kelley will miss this game. Keenan Allen aggravated his hamstring injury during the bye week, despite contrasting reports from Brandon Staley. Donald Parham Jr. looked set to come back from a concussion, only to be added to the injury report Thursday with a hamstring issue. Even kicker Dustin Hopkins and backup kicker Taylor Bertolet are on the injury report. Someone for Los Angeles has to step up beyond just Justin Herbert and Austin Ekeler. Maybe that’s Josh Palmer putting together his best game of the season as he returns from a Week 7 concussion. But more likely, it’ll need to be an unheralded name. Isaiah Spiller as RB2 behind Ekeler. Michael Bandy or a practice squad receiver like Keelan Doss, who was promoted. Whoever it is, the Chargers need someone to step up and produce because we’ve seen what this offense looks like without Allen. Now without Williams, there’s little reason to be optimistic about moving the ball if nobody answers the call.

Run the ball effectively

Speaking of moving the ball, one of the biggest reasons the Chargers haven’t been able to do so is that the running game is not functioning well. The blame is easy to place on offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi (more on that in a bit), but I think Lombardi’s run game calls have been the most creative and effective part of this offense. The issue is the blocking, especially on the interior. As Daniel Popper of The Athletic pointed out in this week’s mailbag, the Chargers have been at their most effective running the ball when center Corey Linsley has been 100%. That’s been a rarity, but it should be true on Sunday. Combine health, relatively speaking, with the creativity Lombardi has shown as a play-caller, and it should result in a big game on the ground. With the injuries at wide receiver, that’s exactly what the Chargers need.

Call a complete game

Okay, back to Lombardi and the blame game. Multiple things about this offense are true. Lombardi has shied away from dialing up the deep shots we’ve come to expect from Justin Herbert. That’s partly on Lombardi, of course, but it’s also that the Chargers find themselves in a lot of second or third and longs due to their poor run game. It’s also partly because Herbert’s rib injury has affected his ability as a passer. Herbert just wrapped up the worst five game stretch of his career by EPA/play, and not all of that can be waved away by playcalling or injuries to other personnel. He’s fighting every week, and credit to him, but the rib is clearly bothering him.

This, again, brings us back to the offensive coordinator because what is also true about this offense is that it’s falling flat for reasons beyond the injuries. With Herbert’s injury, Lombardi’s playsheet feels like it’s shrunk to just Stick, Hank, and the occasional Austin Ekeler screen. He has to do better, and he’s had the bye week to cook up some new variations. If LA is going to pull this one out even with all the talent missing on offense, it has to be because Lombardi reaches into his bag and produces something new.

Keep Marcus Mariota in the pocket

Atlanta has one M.O. on offense: get Mariota on the move. One of their most effective plays has been running crossers to the right side as Mariota rolls that way off of play action, primarily because it puts any zone defender in that half of the field in conflict as they follow Mariota’s eyes. If that defender crashes down to protect against a scramble, Mariota throws it over their head. If they stay home, Mariota can tuck and run, where he’s proven to be dangerous as well. The Chargers have to protect against this outcome, especially because of how poor the tackling has been this season, by playing outside contain. This has its risks, namely that Atlanta will use Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley as battering rams on the inside as a counter. But it’s a risk worth taking because if Mariota has to shorten his bootleg to remain inside the tackle box, things get much harder. Every single one of his six interceptions this season has come between the numbers.

Limit the explosive play

The Chargers are 31st in plays of 35 or more yards allowed this season with 13, per TruMedia. Again, there are multiple reasons for this, in my opinion. Joey Bosa’s absence has decimated this run defense, especially on the outside. Running backs can direct plays behind the tackle blocking a Chargers defender not named Khalil Mack, at which point defenders in the second and third levels have struggled to make tackles. Kenneth Murray in particular has struggled, logging a 28.4 PFF grade as a run defender on 113 snaps thus far. But the pass defense has given up 8 of these 13 plays as well. Maybe it’s as simple as chalking that up to JC Jackson losing track of his zone responsibilities, and we can close that case. But if it’s not, and I don’t think it is, LA had plenty of time to get their defensive miscommunications ironed out. On Sunday, they need to show their work if the Chargers will come away with the victory.

Generate momentum plays

LA is 4-3 coming into this game and will drop to .500 if they lose, with clashes against the 49ers and Chiefs next up on the schedule. PFF says the Chargers have the 4th hardest remaining schedule in the league. Although they still have a 47% chance to make the playoffs, per PFF, coming away from this game with something to feel positive about is paramount. The offense needs to find some sort of rhythm. The defense could use a turnover or two, especially ones that lead directly to points. A special teams splash play could flip the momentum of this game just as easily as an offensive or defensive one. This will likely be a one-possession game, but it needs to be one that the Chargers a) win and b) feel good about. They’re 3-1 in one-possession games this season, but all three wins came with growing pains. Against the Raiders, the game shouldn’t have been one possession in the first place. The Cleveland game was mired in controversy over Brandon Staley’s decision to go for it on fourth and two and felt more like an escape than a victory. Ditto for the Broncos game, in which the offense could only muster 19 points in an overtime contest. The best possible path to victory, on Sunday and beyond, is for LA to convert on big plays of their own and feel like they went out and took a game for perhaps the first time this season.

Chargers WR Keenan Allen suffers another injury setback

The Chargers’ wide receiver room is thin heading into Week 9.

The bye week was a good time for Chargers players to rest and recover, especially the ones who had injuries.

However, that was not the case for Keenan Allen.

Allen said his hamstring worsened during the bye week when training.

He did not practice Monday or Wednesday, and it’s possible he will miss Sunday’s game against the Falcons, according to Brandon Staley.

After missing five games following the season opener, Allen returned to the lineup in the Week 7 loss against the Seahawks. He only played in the first half.

Allen said he felt great going into Week 7, but not 100%.

Nothing happened in the game,” Allen said on the injury setback. “Taking my time with it and just going through it how we planned it and just through the bye week, kind of hit it again.

“I don’t think it was a restrain or anything. It is just some more scar tissue that is trying to break off and whenever it is ready to heal, just got to let it do its own thing.”

If Allen does not play, the Chargers could be without their top three receivers. Mike Williams is out for weeks with a high ankle sprain. Joshua Palmer is out of concussion protocol, but Staley did not say if he will play.

That would leave DeAndre Carter, Michael Bandy and Jason Moore as the active receivers. Joe Reed or John Hightower would likely be promoted from the practice squad.

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.

[sendtonews_embed video_id=”MWzC37xHi4-2317097-7498″]

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 make roster moves ahead of Week 7 vs. Seahawks

Chargers RB Joshua Kelley was placed on the injured reserve.

The Chargers made some roster moves ahead of their matchup with the Seahawks.

Los Angeles has placed running back Joshua Kelley on the injured reserve. In correspondence, wide receiver Michael Bandy was signed to the active roster.

In addition, kicker Taylor Bertolet was elevated from the practice squad. Bertolet will kick in place of Dustin Hopkins, who is out for two to four weeks with a hamstring injury.

Kelley will have to miss a minimum of four games, making him eligible to return in Week 12 when the Bolts play the Cardinals. Rookie Isaiah Spiller will be active on Sunday for the first time this season.

Bandy has three catches on four targets for 53 yards this season.

Mike Williams, DeAndre Carter, Jason Moore and Bandy are the healthy wide receivers heading to tomorrow. Keenan Allen (hamstring) is questionable and Joshua Palmer (concussion) is out.

Chargers elevate 2 from practice squad ahead of matchup with Browns

The Chargers made a couple of roster moves ahead of their Week 5 matchup with the Browns.

The Chargers made a couple of roster moves ahead of their Week 5 matchup with the Browns.

Los Angeles promoted wide receiver Michael Bandy and kicker Taylor Bertolet from the practice squad.

With Keenan Allen out for the fourth-consecutive week due to a hamstring issue and Joshua Palmer questionable (ankle), Bandy adds depth at the position.

In the Week 4 victory over the Texans, Bandy had two catches for 49 yards.

Dustin Hopkins is battling a quad injury and is questionable for tomorrow’s game. Bertolet being elevated likely indicates that Hopkins will be inactive on Sunday.

Bertolet was signed to the practice squad earlier this week.

Final thoughts on Chargers’ 34-24 victory over Texans

Before shifting gears to Week 5, here are my final takeaways from the Chargers’ victory over the Texans.

The Chargers defeated the Texans on Sunday, improving to 2-2 and snapping their two-game losing streak.

Before shifting gears to Week 5, here are my final takeaways from Los Angeles’ Week 4 victory.

Chargers sign 14 players to 2022 practice squad

The Los Angeles Chargers announced 14 players that will begin the 2022 season on the practice squad.

The Los Angeles Chargers began announcing members of their practice squad on Wednesday, signing the following players:

OL Zack Bailey

WR Michael Bandy

DT Christian Covington

DL Joe Gaziano

CB Kemon Hall

CB Michael Jacquet

TE Hunter Kampmoyer

EDGE Carlo Kemp

S Raheem Layne

LB Tyreek Maddox-Williams

WR Jason Moore

WR Joe Reed

OT Foster Sarell

S Mark Webb Jr.

Teams can have up to 16 players on their practice squad, meaning the Bolts will add two more players in the coming days.

Stay tuned for more information.