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Here are five overarching thoughts on the Chargers’ second preseason game of 2023.
In the shadow of a hurricane and aftermath of an earthquake, the Chargers looked shaken and stirred in their second preseason action of the season. After putting up 34 points with a high-flying offense last week, LA managed just 17 against the Saints, falling 22-17.
Here are my takeaways:
Cameron Dicker and Dustin Hopkins are battling to be the Chargers’ starting kicker.
Most starting spots are secured on the Chargers’ depth chart, but there is one that has yet to be.
Cameron Dicker and Dustin Hopkins are battling for the starting kicker spot. So far, the needle hasn’t moved for either one, which is to be expected this early in training camp.
“Long way to go. There’s no pressure, there’s nobody here, so we don’t know much right now,” Staley said.
Dicker and Hopkins each had eight field goal attempts in the first week of camp. According to team reporter Eric Smith, Dicker made seven, while Hopkins made six. Both players had a long of 47 yards.
Dicker had one of the best rookie seasons by a kicker in NFL history, earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for December and January and two Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
Additionally, Dicker was an All-Rookie selection by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) after making 21-of-22 field goals (95.5%).
On the other hand, Hopkins was limited to five games in 2022, which led to the emergence of Dicker, who closed out the season as the team’s kicker.
Before his injury, Hopkins had hit nine of his ten field-goal attempts and made all 12 extra-point tries.
It’s too early to gauge who has the leg up, and the competition will likely string into the final preseason game to determine who wins the job.
Brandon Staley’s fourth-down decisions have always been a hot topic. What should the Chargers expect in 2023?
Brandon Staley’s fourth-down decisions have always been a hot topic. In 2021, Staley roared onto the scene with a fairly aggressive approach relative to the rest of the league. The Chargers attempted the fourth-most 4th downs in the league.
Los Angeles was also very efficient at converting fourth downs in Staley’s first season. They converted 64.7% of their attempts, which was good enough for fourth in the league. Point blank: Staley’s 2021 Chargers were aggressive, but rightfully so.
However, Staley obviously had his detractors. Despite going 6 for 7 on 4th down in the Chargers’ Week 18 contest with the Raiders with a playoff berth on the line, the one conversion missed was from LA’s territory in the second quarter. It allowed Las Vegas to score a field goal that Staley skeptics would argue was the difference in the game.
In 2022, the Chargers were more conservative on 4th down relative to the Staley standard established in year one. They attempted 29 out of 145 total fourth downs last season. That’s a 20% attempt rate which was down from 2021’s 28.1%. LA also experienced the double-edged sword of season-to-season variance in the league. They converted 51.7% of their 4th downs in 2022 relative to the aforementioned 64.7% in Staley’s first season.
Brandon Staley would go on to explain in his season-ending press conference that the 4th down philosophy change was multipronged:
Brandon Staley pointed to the injuries on offense and the improvement on special teams as factors that led to a more conservative approach on 4th downs in 2022.
— Guilty As Charged Podcast (@GACPodcast17) January 18, 2023
The Chargers dealt with impact injuries on offense, ranging from Justin Herbert to the offensive line and especially the receiver room. It goes without saying that fourth-down attempts are harder to be confident in without the right personnel.
The special teams boost is perhaps the biggest factor. Ryan Ficken turned the most maligned Chargers’ unit into a top 10 group in Rick Gosselin’s annual rankings. JK Scott also might’ve changed the equation on fourth-down decisions with longer hangtime punts that led to fewer return opportunities.
2023 could prove to be the true test of whether “4th and Staley” still holds weight. The Chargers should have their ideal personnel more often. They will certainly have their handpicked offensive coordinator leading the play-calling charge in offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Special teams, in theory, should remain in the top half of the league.
2022’s decrease in 4th down intensity and efficiency came after a period in which Staley received significant pushback as a rookie head coach for his decision-making. 2023 could potentially serve as a sample size in proving whether or not last season was a result of Staley waning in the face of media pressure.
Staley’s fourth-down decisions and the offensive efficiency on those plays in 2023 will be critical to the Chargers’ success.
JK Scott was a key piece of the Chargers special teams last season.
Training camp is nearing, and with a few more weeks of dead time during the quietest part of the NFL offseason, Chargers Wire is endeavoring to document each of Los Angeles’ players before it kicks off.
As the Chargers looked to shore up their special teams last offseason, they signed punter JK Scott, who began his career with the Packers and spent a season with the Jaguars before landing in Los Angeles.
With his monstrous leg, Scott averaged 43.6 yards on 73 punts with a 41.1-yard net average. Only 19 of his punts were returned in 2022, and Los Angeles yielded the fewest punt-return yards in the NFL with 58.
Additionally, Scott won the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week Award for his performance in the Bolts’ 25-24 victory over the Cardinals on Nov. 27.
In March, Scott signed a two-year, $4 million contract.
Contract (2023): Scott signed a 2-year, $4,000,000 contract, including a $820,000 signing bonus, $820,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $2,000,000. In 2023, he will earn a base salary of $1,080,000 and a signing bonus of $820,000 while carrying a cap hit of $1,490,000 and a dead cap value of $820,000.
Acquired: The Chargers signed Scott on Mar. 21, 2022.
Quote: Special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken on Scott:
“I was very excited [for him to come back]. I think the whole organization was, too. We’re very fortunate to be able to bring him back, have the organization support him. He believes in the organization, too. We feel he had a really good year, but he complemented our unit and what we were trying to achieve as a unit. You saw the success that we were able to have.”
Highlight:
Chargers rookie CB Ja'Sir Taylor with an excellent play on punt coverage.
Great release off the snap. Good downfield speed. Excellent open-field tackle.
It also helps when you have JK Scott averaging 5.12 seconds of hang time on his punts. pic.twitter.com/mxkmcpnCfl
— Gavino Borquez (@GavinoBorquez) September 13, 2022
Dustin Hopkins looks to fend off Cameron Dicker for the Chargers’ starting kicker spot.
The 2023 season is just a month away, and with weeks of dead time during the quietest part of the NFL offseason, Chargers Wire is endeavoring to document each of Los Angeles’ players before the start of the team’s training camp.
A hamstring injury limited Dustin Hopkins to five games in 2022, which led to the emergence of Cameron Dicker, who closed out the season as the team’s kicker.
Prior to his injury, Hopkins had hit nine of his 10 field-goal attempts and made all 12 of his extra-point tries.
Meanwhile, Dicker made 19 of his 20 field-goal attempts while connecting on all 22 of his extra-point tries.
Hopkins looks to fend off Dicker for the starting kicker spot as the battle is soon to heat up.
Contract (2023): In 2023, Hopkins will earn a base salary of $2,230,000, while carrying a cap hit of $3,086,045 and a dead cap value of $1,600,000.
Acquired: Hopkins was acquired on Oct. 26, 2021. On Mar. 14, 2022, Hopkins signed a three-year contract extension.
Quote: Special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken on the kicking battle:
“I’m excited. They had a great year, both of them,” Ficken said. “Obviously, Dustin was doing a great job before he went ahead and had the misfortune of getting injured.
Highlight:
Dustin Hopkins wins it for the Chargers! #BoltUp
📺: #DENvsLAC on ESPN
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/mKmqBgUsbz pic.twitter.com/kfFX4Cm6F0— NFL (@NFL) October 18, 2022
Ryan Ficken made it clear that Daiyan Henley’s athleticism could factor into a role on his special teams unit.
Chargers special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken will rely on rookies to fill several holes on his unit in 2023. First-year linebacker Daiyan Henley, a former collegiate receiver, looks particularly poised to play a key role for the team in punt coverage as a gunner next season.
Asked about Henley’s most dominant qualities this week, Ficken pointed to the linebacker’s raw vigor as a trait that could benefit his special teams unit next season.
“I would say his athleticism and then his strength,” he said. “He’s a very good football player. If you’re talking about the specific punt and all of that stuff — punt he’s going to have to learn a little bit more in terms of punt because it’s a little bit of a different system than what he’s coming from in college. This guy is a football player.
“That’s what I try and instill in these guys coming from college. They’re running backs, receivers or whatever position they are — they’re not a running back when they get into the NFL. You’re a football player. That’s what we have to make sure that they understand. How can I increase my value to be able to get onto the field and help this football team win a lot of football games?”
Clearly, Ficken won’t be satisfied if Henley’s only core competency lies in his physical traits. Instead, he needs the rookie to soak up knowledge like a sponge and develop into an all-around special teamer to win a role as one of their go-to players in punt coverage.
Watch for Henley to continue improving his game to that end through rookie minicamp, OTAs, and training camp this summer to hone his skillset ahead of the regular season kickoff in September.
There will be a new voice in the defensive coaching room in 2023.
There will be a new voice in the defensive coaching room in 2023.
Jake Trotter of ESPN was first to report the news on Friday morning, followed a few hours later by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Previously the defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach for the Browns, Howard piloted Cleveland to two consecutive top 5 pass defense finishes before joining the Chargers. Before Cleveland, he spent seven seasons in Minnesota as a defensive assistant, working with the linebackers and defensive backs.
While in Minnesota, Howard crossed paths with Chargers special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken, who said when he was hired that Brandon Staley had “[done] his homework” on him. Ficken said Staley had reached out to a “couple guys in Cleveland” who were familiar with Ficken before deciding to hire him. While there is no concrete connection between Staley and Howard, it seems like the two had talked before.
Howard now takes over a linebacker room in flux. Drue Tranquill is a free agent coming off a career season. A decision has to be made about Kenneth Murray’s fifth-year option. Kyle Van Noy and Troy Reeder are free agents as well.
Howard reportedly also had an offer to join Frank Reich’s staff in Carolina, per Trotter.
The accolades keep coming for Cameron Dicker.
The accolades keep coming for Cameron Dicker.
After being named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for hitting a game-winning kick for the Eagles, then being named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for nailing a game-winner for the Chargers, the rookie was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month on Thursday.
Over six weeks in December and January, Dicker scored the second-most points among AFC kickers with 47. He missed just one kick, a 52-yarder against the Raiders in Week 13. That 96.2 kick percentage between field goals and extra points was the second-best mark by a rookie AFC kicker with at least 20 attempts, behind only Tyler Bass in 2020. He also hit a game-winner against Tennessee in Week 15.
On the season, Dicker is 21 for 22 on field goals, counting his time in Philadelphia, and 24 for 24 on extra points. His field goal percentage of 95.5 is the best by a rookie kicker with at least 15 attempts, regardless of conference, since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.
Dicker becomes the first Charger since Darren Sproles in 2008 to win an AFC Special Teams Player of the Month award, a testament to the job both he and special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken have done turning the special teams unit around this season. Two questions are remaining for Dicker, however.
The first is regarding the playoffs. Chargers fans know better than most that there’s nothing more nerve-wracking than a rookie kicker in the playoffs. (Nate Kaeding’s missed field goal in 2004 against the Jets still haunts me deeply.) Dicker played in some big games at Texas as a collegian, including a 2018 upset of #7 Oklahoma in which he hit the game-winner. Dicker has shown the clutch gene in spades this season, but only time will tell if it shows in the playoffs, as well.
The second is regarding next season and beyond. Los Angeles only signed Dicker as a stopgap after Dustin Hopkins and replacement Taylor Bertolet both were injured. Hopkins still has two more years on the three-year, $9 million extension he signed with the Chargers after impressing in his prolonged audition to end the 2021 season. Before the injury, Hopkins was off to a great start to 2022, going 9 for 10 on field goals and 12 for 12 on extra points, including the game-winner against Denver in overtime. This sets up, for what feels like the umpteenth time in LA, a kicking controversy. The difference this time is that both Hopkins and Dicker are high-end NFL kickers. Despite neither having a 50+ yard make on their resume in 2022, both have a touchback percentage of over 80% this season. Hopkins is 32 years old, due a hefty paycheck as far as kickers go, and coming off a hamstring injury. Dicker is 22, cheaper, and could give the Chargers stability at the position they’ve not had since Nick Novak from 2011-14.
For now, at least, Dicker is a Charger. A decorated one, at that.
Statistically, here is where the Chargers stand on offense, defense and special teams entering the final week of the regular season.
The Chargers are 10-6 following a 31-10 victory over the Rams.
Now that we are nearing the end of the 2022 regular season, let’s see how the Bolts rank statistically compared to the rest of the NFL.
Here here is where L.A. stands.
Scoring: 22.7 points per game (13th)
Total offense: 359.8 yards per game (10th)
Passing offense: 268.2 yards per game (5th)
Rushing offense: 91.6 yards per game (30th)
Third down offense: 43.21% (8th)
Red zone offense: 52.63% (19th)
Scoring defense: 22.1 points per game (18th)
Total defense: 338.3 yards per game (19th)
Passing defense: 196.3 yards per game (6th)
Rushing defense: 142.1 yards per game (27th)
Sacks: 38 (T-12th)
Third down defense: 39.04% (16th)
Red zone defense: 52.27% (9th)
Kickoff return: 19 yards per return (30th)
Punt return: 11.2 yards per return (4th)
Field goal conversion: 93.6% (3rd)
Punts inside the 20-yard line: 26 (T-7th)
Kickoff coverage: 317 yards allowed (4th)
Punt coverage: 58 yards allowed (1st)
Statistically, here is where the Chargers stand on offense, defense and special teams after 12 games.
The Chargers are 6-5 following a 25-24 victory over the Cardinals.
Now that we are nearing the three-quarter mark of the 2022 season, we know how the Bolts rank statistically compared to the rest of the NFL.
Here here is where L.A. stands after 12 games.
Scoring: 22.9 points per game (11th)
Total offense: 348.0 yards per game (14th)
Passing offense: 262.2 yards per game (6th)
Rushing offense: 85.8 yards per game (30th)
Third down offense: 43.03% (9th)
Red zone offense: 53.85% (17th)
Scoring defense: 25.6 points per game (29th)
Total defense: 368.7 yards per game (26th)
Passing defense: 217.4 yards per game (18th)
Rushing defense: 151.4 yards per game (28th)
Sacks: 22 (T-16th)
Third down defense: 44.78% (26th)
Red zone defense: 53.85% (13th)
Kickoff return: 19.3 yards per return (28th)
Punt return: 10.9 yards per return (9th)
Field goal conversion: 95.24% (2nd)
Punts inside the 20-yard line: 19 (7th)
Kickoff coverage: 227 yards allowed (5th)
Punt coverage: 58 yards allowed (1st)
