Week 2 of the preseason is almost at an end. The Chargers ended their second game of the preseason with a loss to the New Orlean Saints. Like with every preseason game, there were some good things and some bad things to take away from the Chargers game against the Saints. Some players gave the coaching staff a reason to stay on the team, while others may have lowered their chance of earning a spot. Here are a few takeaways from last night’s game.
Chargers WR Quentin Johnston (1), OLB/DE Tuli Tuipulotu (45), LB Daiyan Henley (0) – Omar Navarro/Chargers Staff
Draft Picks Contribute
When the draft night was over back in April, many analysts and fans said the same thing about the Chargers: No starters, just rotational players. The one who many predicted to make the biggest impact in their rookie season was 4th-round pick WR Darius Davis for his return skills on special teams. 1st rounder WR Quentin Johnston is considered the 4th receiver on the depth chart, though he should play as much as Joshua Palmer. 2nd rounder Tuli Tuipulotu will rotate with Kahlil Mack and Joey Bosa. We don’t use linebackers a lot so Daiyan Henley wasn’t expected to see a lot of playing time. Our other three picks would be lucky to make the 53-man roster.
Well, most of the Chargers 2023 draft picks contributed a lot during their limited playing time. Johnston showed great route running with his three receptions for 37 yards. We already know he’s a burner and big catch guy; now we know he can run routes like a pro as well. He could prove to be the Chargers’ biggest addition this year.
Tuli had two tackles, one of them being for a loss. While he had no sacks or QB hits, he did pressure Jameis Winston a couple of times. He will be good both as a pass rusher and run stopper.
Henley was the one who shone the brightest, in my opinion. He had nine total tackles, six of them solo and half a sack. Even when he didn’t make the tackle. Henley was always around the football.
Davis didn’t have a great night as a punt returner like he did in week 1. He made up for it as a pass catcher for Easton Stick in the final drive, catching all three of his targets. He showed he could be a good slot receiver with more development.
Finally, 6th-rounder Scott Matlock looked great on the D-Line. He only had two tackles but one of them was for a loss in a run-stuff, and the other was a hustle-play to keep a screen pass to a short game. He showed great awareness in reading that screen and was able to get through the line multiple times.
5th-round pick Darren McFadden is hard to evaluate because the line as a whole is underwhelmed, which I will get into later. I personally think he was the best offensive lineman that night, but that’s not really saying much. He still needs to develop. Duggan didn’t even play, so he still only has three passes in the two weeks of preseason. Still, five out of seven picks contributing as much as they did is a great sign for this year’s draft. One of the good takeaways from this game.
Chargers DT CJ Okoye (67) – Grant Gordon/ NFL
CJ Okoye Shines Again
Everyone loves a story about someone overcoming adversity. That’s why everyone loved CJ Okoye’s sack from week 1. While he didn’t get a sack this week, he still showed he’s a natural football player with three total tackles. It may not seem like a lot, but his tackles kept the runs to short gains. One was for a first down, but it was a one-yard gain on a 3rd and 1. He still gave great effort and was the reason it was for a short gain. He’ll be vital to the D-Line rotation with Austin Johnson and Otito Ogbonnia recovering from serious injuries. Okoye and Mattlock could be great gems hidden in the rough additions.
Chargers QB Easton Stick (2) – Chargers Staff
Easton Stick Shows Grit Despite Loss
Some takeaways can be both good and bad. You take it as you will. Easton Stick has been our number three QB since he was drafted. Now he is finally the actual backup and has to prove he has earned it. Even though he lost the game and made a LOT of mistakes, he showed one thing that makes me believe he is the right man for the backup job. He showed grit and competitiveness. You can’t teach those things.
I won’t lie; he was inaccurate and had two interceptions. He also had a fumble lost and held on to the ball too long on many occasions. He also led the team in rushing, bought time to make some huge plays, and did great with hurry-up offense overall. His accuracy and habit of holding onto the ball too long are his biggest issues, but he plays hard and gives it his all. That’s who you want as a backup.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert (10) – Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports
Offensive Line Depth Still An Issue
All the takeaways before this have been good overall. Now to address the elephant in the room. The depth behind our starters is not where it has to be. The Chargers’ five starters, from left to right, are Rashawn Slater, Zion Johnson, Corey Linsley, Jamaree Salyer, and Trey Pipkins. This could arguably be a top-five unit. Behind them are players I wouldn’t want starting a game. Not a single backup at any of the O-line spots seems able to step in if someone gets injured.
Stick was constantly running for his life on the field the whole game. There was no push on any of the runs. Every yard gained was well earned by our back last night. While I don’t have a takeaway for him because it was just one play, Spiller deserves some credit for his big run because that was all him. There were no open lanes tonight.
This just shows how great of a job Salyer did as a 6th round pick last year and filling Slater’s shoes. I am 99.99% sure that none of them could do the same this year. I would fear for Herbert’s health if Foster Sarell, Brenden Jaimes, Bailey Zapp, Will Clapp, Jordan McFadden, or Isaac Weaver had to start a game. I hope they are able to develop some more during the season because, as of right now, it is a mountain-size drop from our starting lineup to these guys.
Conclusion
Chargers fans, myself included, were so happy with how week 1 ended. It seemed like our depth issue was finally gone. The Raiders beating the Rams on Saturday showed it may have been more because of the team we faced than the depth of the team. Still, I think, for the most part, the team is really good on depth. Other than the offensive line and maybe safety, every other position seems loaded now. With the Chargers one of the most injury-cursed teams in the past decade-plus, that is a good thing to have. One more preseason game to see who earns a spot.
