The Los Angeles Chargers just played their best preseason game by far in the Brandon Staley era.
This performance featured a lot of positives, with only a few things that need to be improved. In the Staley era, the Chargers were 1-6 with a points game high at 22. Of course, the scores do not matter too much in preseason, but it can show a glimpse of how the team played overall. It is one of the first times the Chargers have played well in all three phases in quite a while, let alone the first game of the year.
Elijah Dotson and the Kellen Moore led offense: A+
Dotson was not one of the guys expected to shine for the Bolts, but oh did he ever. While the runs might have just been schemed to perfection, the outcome was beautiful.
In his limited reps, he did just about as good as anyone could possibly do. The small school talent out of Northern Colorado made the most of his opportunities with two 30+ yard touchdown runs. It is hard to not see a young Austin Ekeler in Dotson, as they both had similar starts to their careers. With no guaranteed backup running back spot and Ekeler on his way out, it will be interesting to see how well Dotson can continue to play.
Derius Davis: A+
To be honest, I was the most excited to see Davis play in this game over anyone else, and he did not disappoint.
Tyreek Hill has dominated the league since being a fifth round pick in the 2016 NFL draft. Chargers fans had to watch in terror when he would torch defenders all over the AFC west. What made it hurt more was how the Chargers would never invest in a talented deep threat receiver with a breakaway speed… until now.
Davis dominated as a punt returner in college, which is why the Chargers possibly reached for him in the fourth round. The reach is looking much more like a steal with how he performed. The hope was that he could be a good returner and maybe be able to play on offense a little. He made the most of every touch in his limited snaps. He played great as a receiver, and his returning skills look the best the Chargers have had since Eddie Royal over a decade ago.
Easton Stick: B
Stick has just barely managed to keep a roster spot the past few seasons. While he was basically guaranteed a roster spot with the 3rd QB rule, there was no guarantee on his spot in the depth chart. While Kellen Moore is the brightest spot of the game, the deep ball made everyone look good. Stick showed impressive arm strength with his dual threat ability, finishing 14/21 for 109 passing yards and a touchdown. He still does not look like the most comfortable quarterback, but the improvement is massive since being drafted.
Quentin Johnston: B-
There is definitely an argument for Johnston having a very bad performance, however his good made up for the bad. Johnston had three pretty bad dropped passes, with one being on a 50-yard catch attempt coming from a perfect pass from Stick. While that was bad, his athleticism and ability to get open was on full display. While his hands and short route running could use some improvement, his size and height were as advertised with his first NFL touchdown to end the half.
Offensive and defensive line: B+
There were a handful of great performers on both sides of the ball on the line. The main reason they do not deem a higher grade is for the amount of penalties. The offensive line in the first half gave Stick all day to throw, with the biggest star being Zion Johnson. The penalty that brought back Isaiah Spillers’ 80-yard touchdown hurt, but it’s to be expected in the preseason. Rookie Tuli Tuipulotu and Jordan McFadden both made plays. Chris Rumph is dominating the preseason once again, generating tons of pressure. The great performance was encapsulated when rookie CJ Okoye got a sack in his first ever football game in his life, being from Africa.
Not much is needed to be said here, as there was so much good. Quentin Johnston will have to continue to improve, and the penalties need to be cleaned up on all three phases. Max Duggan needs to get rid of the ball faster, but he is a 7th round pick with all due respect. Overall, outstanding performance from the 2023 Los Angeles Chargers.
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Featured image courtesy of Chargers.com
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