The Chargers played their first preseason game yesterday, and although many were hoping the Jim Harbaugh effect would kick in immediately… that wasn’t the case, as the Chargers lost 16-3 to the Seahawks. It’s a good reminder that these games are about talent evaluation and positional battles, not about wins and losses.

That being said, here are some lessons we can take from the Bolts’ first preseason game.

Biggest Areas of Concern

This is the easiest place to start, as there are plenty of areas of concern after such a poor offensive performance.

Chargers back-up QB position battle is wide open

There’s a bridge-caliber quarterback in Ryan Tannehill available on the free agent market, and Chase Daniel has mentioned he could be ready to sign with the Chargers if the Bolts find themselves in a bind with Justin Herbert’s foot injury. By signing XFL standout Luis Perez, the Chargers signaled that concerns over Herbert’s Week One availability are minimal; rather than signing a known commodity, Hortiz backfilled the QB room with a camp arm to keep practice flowing while one of his QB’s was on the mend.

Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick, Tyrod Taylor, Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley all have one think in common: they all broke out while playing in Greg Roman’s scheme. Smith would go on to have success in Kansas City and Huntley hasn’t solidified himself as anything more than a capable backup, but Roman’s offense deserves credit for getting the most out of these quarterbacks of various talent levels. Many of them benefit from a similar archetype as Easton Stick – an athlete-first, quarterback-second skill set, but Roman’s system is friendly enough to such a quarterback that most of these QB’s had their best seasons under Greg.

The single most concerning thing about Saturday’s game was Easton Stick’s lack of growth as a passer. Whatever his ceiling is, he should reach it under Greg Roman. He has the mobility to benefit from a moving pocket, the ability to run an effective read-option, and ideally can lean on strong and creative run design. If he cannot show improvement in next game or two, reality might sight in that Stick is simply not an NFL-caliber quarterback. If his greatest strengths are his relationship with Justin Herbert and his ability to help Justin break down film and prepare for games, those are roles he can carry on the practice squad or even as a member of the coaching staff. Nothing about his performance Saturday indicated Stick was worth a roster spot that go to a capable veteran sitting in free agency, or rolling the dice on either Max Duggan or Luis Perez.

For what it’s worth, Max Duggan looked decently accurate on his short passes, and his ability as a runner has never been in question. To Perez’s credit, he easy had the best pass from a Chargers QB of the night.

Tight End room is one Stick away from disaster

The tight end room feels like a boom-or-bust position group. Hayden Hurst could return to his first-round pedigree and no one would bat an eye, and the combination of his well-rounded skill set with Will Dissly’s pass blocking is a Roman/Harbaugh match made in heaven. Beyond that, it gets scary. Greg Roman admitted that Donald Parham needs to be much more well-rounded and more than just a big target, and when evaluating his tight ends in a July 30th press conference could only muster “another guy” when describing Stone Smartt.

The reality of this group’s lack of depth set in when Easton Stick threw a sacrificial pass to Hayden Hurst, over his head and in the middle of a group of defenders, which set up safety K’Von Wallace to effectively take Hurst out of the game.

If the Chargers lose Hayden Hurst’s receiving production, a heavy burden will fall on Will Dissly’s shoulders, and the fallout in tight end depth will be significant. Zach Heins might provide the most hope with his NFL-ready frame and blocking ability, but he appears to be more of an insurance policy for Dissly. There just isn’t another well-rounded tight end waiting in the wings. When teams trim down to their final-53, Joe Hortiz may be scouring the waiver wire for a veteran cast-off to fill in.

Isaiah’s previous concerns spill into 2024

Isaiah Spiller is another player that might be playing for his NFL career this preseason. Spiller hasn’t flashed NFL-ready ability in his first two seasons with the Chargers, and his excuse of entering the league younger than most backs has expired. Spiller looked to be the least effective of the three reserve backs to see action yesterday, and the only one who doesn’t seem to offer anything to the offense. Elijah Dotson still has the burst he showed last preseason, and Jaret Patterson actually picked up a respectable 5.4 yards per carry.

Isaiah Spiller isn’t just fighting for his spot on the 53-man roster. If the regular season were to start today, there’s virtually no chance another team would claim him to their active roster, and it’s very likely the Chargers could find more talented backs to fill the practice squad. Spiller is running out of runway for his NFL career to take off.

Reasons for Optimism

Let’s get to some happy notes, and we’re not even going to mention Cameron Dicker… because we already knew that kid was a stud.

Joe Alt look smooth in his first live action

The most important things to remember when discussing Joe Alt’s performances throughout his rookie year are as follows:

• Rashawn Slater was an anomaly, and doesn’t set the bar for Joe Alt.
• Rashawn Slater was an anomaly, and doesn’t set the bar for Joe Alt.
• Rashawn Slater was an anomaly, and doesn’t set the bar for Joe Alt.

With that out of the way, we can honestly critique the rookie’s preseason debut.

Joe Alt wasn’t perfect, and no one should expect him to be. Fundamentally, his footwork was great. There weren’t many clumsy reps were he looked out of sync with his movements, as if his body was begging to be moved back to the left side. His hands were sometimes a tad late, and he lacked a defiant anchor that just stood up would-be pass rushers when they met him at the point of contact.

He’s 21 years old, and 6’8”. Alt will need a couple seasons to fully develop the punishing strength that frame is capable of. His footwork, motor, and pad level showed very promising signs that he will be more than a capable starter as a rookie – just don’t expect him to be an All-Pro from Day One. Besides being an otherworldly tackle-talent, a small part of Slater’s early success may have been attributed to his more compact build and extra year of development going into his rookie year… along with his incredible drive and work ethic.

Defensive front had multiple standout moments

Scott Matlock showed up as advertised, displaying his motor on multiple plays, and awareness to break up a screen pass… despite not cleaning up the tackle.

Otito Ogbonnia flashed some explosion and drive, cleaning up Matlock’s tackle on the screen play.

Jerrod Clark plugged in well as a nose tackle, playing a key role in a goal line standing, soaking up double teams and freeing up the linebackers and safeties to get to Seattle’s ball carriers.

It’s not the best position group on the team, but the interior defensive line doesn’t look like the liability many were concerned it may be throughout the offseason. It should be a capable unit anchored by elite play on the EDGEs.

Third safety/slot corner battles inspire some hope

AJ FInley was all over the field, showing what Brandon Staley saw in him last year to break camp on the 53-man roster as a UDFA. He finished the game with three tackles and a pass defensed, and looked extremely capable as a third safety in Minter’s defense. This will be one of the most interesting camp battle to watch, as JT Woods also had a PBU and didn’t look out of place on an initial watch of the game, and Tony Jefferson even played a role in stuffing the running back on LAC’s goal line stand.

As Ryan Watkins predicted, Tarheeb Still is another player to closely monitor. He had two PBU’s, one coming off a blitz where he deftly got two hands up to bat the ball down. He had flashes playing in the slot, another position in the midst of a camp battle with little certainty over who will break camp as the starter.

StormCloud, what do you all think? What were some of the lessons and takeaways you had from our first playoff game?