Coming off an amazing opening performance, it would be hard to surpass it. This game did not live up to the amount of hype built from the last preseason game for the Chargers. There were plenty of bright spots and no major flaws that could have an effect on the regular season. However, the performance was far from perfect.
Tuli Tuipulotu | A-
Tuli could find himself as a rotational piece to a full-time starter entering his rookie season.
The second round pick made big-time plays in his limited first half action. Tuli had a huge tackle for loss in the run game, as well as generating constant pressure from the edge. He is technically an outside linebacker, so it was interesting to seem play some zone coverage. He will likely find himself on the edge or even in the interior when he gets his chance in the regular season.
C.J. Okoye | B+
The spotlight was on Okoye as his story is what movies are made of. The new to football rookie out of Africa got much more game action on Sunday and made the most out of it. His strength and size were utilized in the run game with multiple tackles for loss with the occasional passing pressure. The expectations for Okoye were low as he has the least experience of anyone in the preseason, however he didn’t play like it.
Daiyan Henley | A-
Henley led the team in tackles with nine against the saints. He was described by head coach Brandon Staley as an instinctual player who finds himself in the right spot at the right time. The converted receiver to linebacker showed great versatility in the pass and run defense. In the one play he got beat in man coverage by the Saint running back, he caught up and didn’t allow more yards which many others would have. His athleticism and high football IQ should give plenty of playing time in the regular season.
Scott Mattlock | B
The sixth round pick became an instant Chargers fan favorite after his unique look and personality. After the Chargers defensive interior got decimated to injuries last year, they brought in many new guys to compete for depth spots, including Mattlock. His size was utilized well in the run game multiple times. His speed might not be the best, but if injuries strike again he could be a key piece in the run game later in the season.
Easton Stick | C+
Stick’s performance was far from terrible, but definitely could use improvement. His mobility is great for any quarterback. His pocket presence and accuracy has made a lot of improvement since being drafted in 2019. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of improvement needed to be an NFL caliber quarterback with players like Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston barely still in the league. It was disappointing to not see Max Duggan get some playing time, but it is more disappointing if the Chargers feel Stick is far better than Duggan.
Playmaking | D+
On all three levels, the Chargers playmakers did not capitalize enough. The Chargers lost the turnover battle three to zero against the Saints. Most notably, the Chargers defense dropped multiple interceptions, just like last week. Some of the defensive backs like Ja’Sir Taylor found themselves in a great position to make a play on the ball but couldn’t locate it in time, allowing big plays. That is a very coachable situation however, as getting in position to make a play on the ball is the hard part for a defensive back.
The most disappointing part was the offensive playmaking. The offensive line struggled mightily, which took away the run game and deep pass potential. However, when there were deep passes, they could not come down with the ball outside the Hail Mary at the end of the game. Too many dropped balls on offense and defense.
At the end of the day, it is preseason, and a flawless preseason will lead to unlearned adversity when the regular season comes around. No starters played, which makes the preseason not much of an outlook for the actual season. While it wasn’t the best performance for the Bolts, many players still shined.
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