Tag: Stephen Anderson

5 quick takes from Chargers’ victory over Eagles

Highlighting everything notable from the Los Angeles Chargers’ victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

After losing their last two heading into Week 9, the Chargers went across the map and defeated the Eagles by the score of 27-24.

Here are five quick takeaways from Los Angeles’ shootout victory over Philadelphia in Week 9:

The Herbert we all know

After being neutralized by two of the best defenses, Herbert returned to form. He only had six incomplete passes on the day, throwing for 356 yards, and posting three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). The Eagles’ defense is not of the same caliber as the Ravens or Patriots, but Herbert was much more decisive with his reads and his throws were on the money for the most part. In particular, Herbert favored wide receiver Keenan Allen, who had 12 catches for 104 yards on 13 targets.

Play-calling was better, but…

The execution in the red zone early on and on fourth down left a lot to be desired. The Chargers had six trips to the red zone but only converted on three of them. One example of a head-scratching play call came in the second quarter when they ran a pitch play with running back Joshua Kelley on 4th-and-2 but came up short. Other than that, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi did an excellent job of protecting Herbert, getting him more on the move and getting the skill players consistently open in the shorter and intermediate parts of the fields, including…

Big day for the tight ends

In August, I wrote about the Chargers’ tight ends having the potential to be a real strength, and the group was spotlighted throughout the evening, as Lombardi did a fine job of getting them open in space. Jared Cook finished with four catches for 48 yards. Donald Parham had three receptions for 38 yards and a touchdown. Also a stud in the blocking department, Stephen Anderson posted a season-high four catches for 39 yards and a score. Rookie Tre’ McKitty was not on the field that much, but he made some key blocks.

Did enough defensively

When you look at the stat sheet, you’ll see that the Chargers gave up 176 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. While not ideal numbers, there weren’t many chunk plays. The front did its job, with Linval Joseph making an assortment of plays on the ball, finishing with nine tackles. Kyzir White and Drue Tranquill cleaned up a lot of plays as well, combining for 17 tackles. Edge defender Joey Bosa, when not being held, generated a good amount of pressure. QB Jalen Hurts did not throw the ball that much, but when he did, it was primarily to WR DeVonta Smith, who had his way against Chris Harris Jr. All in all, not a great but not a bad performance defensively.

Shoutout to the special teams

The Chargers made investments during the bye week, bringing in returner Andre Roberts and kicker Dustin Hopkins, who had positive impacts on the game. Roberts averaged 24 yards per kick, with a long of 39 yards. He also made something out of nothing on his lone punt return. Despite missing one of his two extra-point attempts, Hopkins had the game-winning field goal. Furthermore, the return units looked a lot better, allowing an average of just 11.5 yards per kick.

Chargers strike first vs. Eagles

Stephen Anderson posted his first touchdown of the season.

Quarterback Justin Herbert connected with tight end Stephen Anderson for a two-yard touchdown with 50 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

After a Jordan Howard rushing touchdown on the following drive, the Bolts and Eagles are now tied up, 7-7.

Check out Anderson’s first touchdown of the season:

9 players who will be the toughest for Chargers to cut

A look at a few of the toughest potential cuts the Los Angeles Chargers might soon have to make.

Now that training camp and preseason has officially come to an end, the Chargers are hard at work to compile the 53-man roster and practice squad ahead of the 2021 regular season.

There are a few players that helped their causes this summer, but there still won’t be enough room for them. With that being said, I predicted the nine toughest cuts as the deadline approaches.

7 toughest cuts from our Chargers 53-man roster prediction

Looking at the toughest cuts from our Chargers 53-man roster projection following the second round of cuts.

We are a little less than a week away until we know how the Chargers 53-man roster for 2021 season will shape up.

With 27 players to cut, that means there will be some tough decisions to make as they fill out their team.

Going off of our latest 53-man roster projection, here were some of the most difficult cuts to make.

QB Easton Stick

I’m a firm believer that Los Angeles should carry two quarterbacks. While Stick has some momentum on his side, I find it difficult to believe that the team will cut Chase Daniel, who brings the knowledge with Joe Lombardi’s offense and mentorship to aide in Herbert’s transition. However, with another strong performance on Saturday against the Seahawks and Stick could have the Chargers considering rolling into the season with three signal-callers.

RB Darius Bradwell

Aside from Larry Rountree, Bradwell has been the most efficient rusher throughout the preseason. He has also made some key plays on special teams. While this may seem like enough to earn the final spot, I still believe that the coaches will roll the dice with the talent of Justin Jackson, despite injury concerns, and the untapped potential of Joshua Kelley. Bradwell should be a strong practice squad candidate, should he not make the roster.

TE Stephen Anderson

I went back and forth with this one, but I kept Anderson off of the 53-man roster for the first time since I started making predictions. The reason for that is because of Gabe Nabers, who has played a similar role. I believe Nabers offers more upside as a blocker, has shown potential as a pass-catcher and most importantly, has been lauded by the coaches for his special teams ability.

DL Joe Gaziano

I’ve always been a fan of Gaziano since he came out of Northwestern, and after making the move inside he has flashed a ton. The one thing that could hurt his chances from earning a spot, however, is that there are a handful of other interior defenders that have performed very well. In this case, I went with the more experienced Cortez Broughton, who has looked like an entirely different player this summer.

NT Forrest Merrill

Like Gaziano, Merrill is in a tough situation because of how great the position group has been as a whole. Merrill, the undrafted free agent, has been a menace in the middle of the defensive line — consistently getting penetration and eating up double teams. Although he’s raised eyebrows, Breiden Fehoko gets the nod for his play and infectious energy he brings to the team.

EDGE Emeke Egbule

I viewed Egbule as a player that would benefit from the defensive switch and while he’s done good things, especially on special teams, he’s recently been sidelined with an injury, which has led to other players flashing like Jessie Lemonier. In this scenario, I have the team rolling with four edge defenders and both players not making the team altogether to save a roster spot for another position group.

CB John Brannon

The defensive backs have benefited from head coach Brandon Staley immensely, which has made it extremely difficult to figure out who will make the squad. While Brannon has led the team in interceptions this summer, players like Tevaughn Campbell and Kemon Hall were given the final spots simply because of their versatility in the secondary and special teams upside.

Chargers tight ends quietly making noise at training camp

The tight end group could be a real strength for the Chargers.

Lost in the spotlight of quarterback Justin Herbert, the battle at the running back and wide receiver positions have been the Chargers tight ends.

Jared Cook, Donald Parham, rookie Tre’ McKitty and Stephen Anderson, who have been working with the first-team offense, depending on the package, have all flown under the radar.

Expected to provide a big frame in the middle of the field and in the red zone, Cook and Herbert have connected a handful of times thus far. His knowledge with offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi’s system is paying dividends to aide with Herbert’s transition.

Known for his mismatch ability down the seam, Parham has steadily improved his game, showing refinement as a route-runner and the strength to be an asset in the blocking department. Like Cook, Parham has been one of Herbert’s favorite targets in practice.

While he’s seen primarily as an in-line blocker, McKitty is showing upside as a pass-catcher, with excellent quickness and agility to get open and reliable hands to get to balls away from his body naturally.

Anderson, on the other hand, was seen as the guy in the group that was likely to be on the outside looking in heading into camp. However, he’s made a few plays and has displayed the versatility to line up at fullback and possesses special teams upside.

The fact that the tight ends are standing out at camp is a good sign. Given the fact that Lombardi incorporates a handful of three- and four-tight end sets to create mismatches, each player should be beneficial in this offense, especially with how they’ve looked at practices.

6 Chargers with the most to lose at training camp

Identifying Chargers players who could lose a starting role or a roster spot altogether at training camp.

As it is with every training camp, the Chargers will have a number of position battles to watch. Every summer, there are always players with more to lose than their teammates on the roster.

That could come in the form of simply losing a starting role or it could result in them losing a roster spot altogether. With training camp less than two weeks away, here are six players with the most to lose.

QB Easton Stick

Drafted in the sixth-round of the 2019 NFL draft, Stick has gotten the short end of the stick (no pun intended), having limited experience after not having a preseason last year due to COVID-19. He will battle it out this year with veteran Chase Daniel for the backup spot, but I would not be surprised if he is on the outside looking in since Daniel’s familiarity with the offense and mentorship is why he was brought in to begin with. Assuming the team rolls with two quarterbacks, Stick is still a practice squad candidate.

RB Justin Jackson

Austin Ekeler enters this season as RB1, but the team will need to find his compliments since he will be deployed as a pass-catcher in the slot in addition to his duties in the backfield. Jackson will have to fend off second-year Joshua Kelley and rookie Larry Rountree III. Even if the team decides to keep four backs on the roster, Jackson will be fighting for his role as RB2. While Jackson has proven to be impactful, his time on the field has been limited due to lingering injuries since entering the league.

WR K.J. Hill

The wide receiver room was already deep prior to the draft, but it only deepened after the Chargers took Josh Palmer in the third-round. Assuming that Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Jalen Guyton, Tyron Johnson and Palmer are locks, that leaves a battle for the sixth spot. Hill flashed in spurts, but he struggled with drops. He will have to fend off Joe Reed, Jason Moore and John Hurst in camp. In my wide receiver projections, I gave the last spot to Reed because of his special teams experience and versatility to work as a receiver and out of the backfield.

DT Cortez Broughton

The Chargers have a solid trio at the top depth chart with Linval Joseph, Justin Jones and Jerry Tillery. However, the rotational pieces have yet to be shaped, and among the players who will be fighting for their job is Broughton. Had the team not signed Christian Covington, Broughton’s seat would likely not be hot. The fifth and likely final spot may ultimately be given to a nose tackle to back up Joseph, whether that be Breiden Fehoko or undrafted free agent Forrest Merrill. Therefore, Broughton will really have to standout to garner a roster spot.

TE Stephen Anderson

The tight end room was as slim as it got after letting go of Hunter Henry earlier this offseason. But in correspondence, the team signed Jared Cook and drafted Tre’ McKitty in the third-round. Anderson was re-signed, but that doesn’t mean his spot is secure. He would like have to beat out Donald Parham, but Anderson doesn’t offer as much upside as a pass-catcher to keep around.

K Michael Badgley

The Chargers steadily improved the special teams department this offseason, but the final piece to the reconstruction could include a new kicker. Badgley struggled last season, missing nine field goals over 45 yards. Heading into camp, he will have to fight off the two guys that the team brought in this offseason, with those being Tristan Vizcaino and undrafted free agent Alex Kessman.

5 Chargers players with roster spot in jeopardy after 2021 NFL draft

There are a few players from last season who might no longer be a part of the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021.

The roster-building process is nearly complete for the Chargers, as players will soon hit the field in preparation for the 2021 regular season.

After the moves that the team made, specifically from the 2021 NFL draft, there are a few players that see their roster spot in early offseason jeopardy.

Here’s a look at those five:

Chargers TE Donald Parham listed among free agency losers

Donald Parham was the Los Angeles Chargers’ TE1 for a brief moment.

With the big-name free agents all but gone for the most, some players will benefit from the new change of scenery or situation, while some won’t be in the most ideal situation, likely due to another player coming in.

For Chargers tight end Donald Parham, he was the No. 1 player on the depth chart for a brief moment after Hunter Henry chose to sign with the Patriots. However, that quickly changed after the signing of veteran Jared Cook.

The Athletic’s Eric Moody listed the winners and losers of free agency, and he believes this offseason was a loss for the former XFL star.

There was a lot of excitement surrounding Parham once Hunter Henry signed with the Patriots. The 6’8″, 23-year-old tight end caught three touchdowns last season in a very limited role for the Chargers. Parham runs a 4.6 40 and has a 36-inch vertical leap. The Chargers, unfortunately, pumped the breaks on the hype train when they signed free-agent tight end Jared Cook. Perhaps Los Angeles isn’t ready to make Parham a full-time player.

Signed last offseason, Parham took advantage of his limited opportunities, as well as the season-ending injury to Virgil Green, where he recorded 10 catches for 159 yards and three touchdowns on 20 targets in 2020.

Even before the signing of Cook, Parham likely wasn’t seen as someone capable of manning the full-time starting role. While he’s an intriguing receiving option and a mismatch in the red zone, his blocking still leaves a lot to be desired.

Cook isn’t known for his blocking prowess either, but he does have plenty of experience as a starter in the league. Stephen Anderson, who was re-signed last week, is the one tight end on the roster who brings the run and pass-blocking chops.

Nonetheless, Parham could see an uptick in production from last season due to the influence that offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi will have from the Sean Payton type of offense, but he isn’t likely going to put up starter-like numbers.

Chargers re-sign TE Stephen Anderson

The Los Angeles Chargers are filling out their tight end room after losing Hunter Henry.

The Chargers are bringing back one of their own players.

Los Angeles is re-signing tight end Stephen Anderson, according to the team’s official website.

The move came a week after Hunter Henry signed with the Patriots. Also in correspondence, L.A. signed Jared Cook to a one-year deal.

Anderson, 28, played all 16 games last season with three starts. He made eight catches for 106 yards.

Even though Anderson played only 139 offensive snaps, he was a key special teams player. He saw playing time on 303 special teams snaps in 2020.

When he was on the field for offensive snaps, Anderson was a plus blocker and yards after the catch asset.

In his career, Anderson has played 45 career games with eight starts, posting 44 catches for 541 yards and two touchdowns.

4 mid, late-round tight ends Chargers could target in 2021 NFL draft

Even if Hunter Henry is re-signed, the Los Angeles Chargers will be in need of a reliable No. 2 option.

The Chargers should and likely will address the tight end position at some point this offseason.

Hunter Henry is set to be a free agent and even if he’s re-signed, Los Angeles needs another player to round out the positional group.

Virgil Green is a free agent and I don’t believe he will be brought back. Donald Parham is primarily a pass-catcher and Stephen Anderson hasn’t proven himself as a reliable blocker to garner consideration for the No. 2 spot.

With that being said, let’s take a look at four tight ends that L.A. can potentially target in this year’s draft, primarily focusing on mid- late-round options.

Noah Gray, Duke

Gray finished his senior season ranked second in the ACC for a tight end with 29 catches for 285 receiving yards and two touchdowns. In total, Gray amassed with 105 catches—the most by a tight end in program history—and eight touchdowns in 48 games. At this year’s Senior Bowl, Gray showed an area of improvement in the blocking department to compliment his combination of short-area quickness, leaping skills and body control, making him an ideal mismatch weapon in the NFL.

Tony Poljan, Virginia

Poljan played quarterback at Central Michigan, before converting to tight end. Upon making the positional change, he amassed 71 catches, 907 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns for the Cavaliers. Poljan has a large catch radius, soft hands, and enough speed to produce as a pass-catcher at the next level. Along with that, he is sound as a pass blocker, showing great technique and awareness, as well as the size, strength and effort in the running game.

Tommy Tremble, Notre Dame

The Chargers are interested in Tremble since it’s been confirmed by The Draft Network’s Justin Melo that the team has already had a pre-draft meeting with him. During two seasons, Tremble only recorded 35 catches for 401 receptions. However, he had a lot of success as a pass and run-blocker for The Fighting Irish. Outside of his outstanding blocking skills, Tremble has good athleticism and agility, with untapped potential as a receiver at the next level.

Tre McKitty, Georgia

McKitty was underutilized both at Florida State and Georgia, which is why the box score doesn’t justify how talented he really is. He proved himself at the Senior Bowl, however. McKitty was stout as a blocker and he was arguably the most athletic tight end in the passing game, showing the ability to separate at the top of routes with great hands to reel in everything thrown his way. With his combination of attitude, athleticism and blocking skills, the best football is still in front of him.