The Chargers narrowly lost out to the team they share SoFi stadium with, the Los Angeles Rams, in their third preseason game of the last month. The game ending was befitting a better game with a last second miracle scoring drive led by Stetson Bennett IV who, if I’m being honest, played well enough to deserve this meaningless win.
The ending has no consequence on either team’s season but the beginning of the game had plenty of talking points as the Chargers starting offense strung together a 9-play drive that earned them 51 yards and 3 points. There were some clues baked into the game script that may indicate what kind of adjustments Greg Roman and his staff have made to the offense ahead of the 2025 season. I therefore broke down each of the plays and highlighted anything that could have season long implications.
1.
Down & Distance: 1st & 10
Personnel: 21
Formation: King Pro Tight
Concept: Spot screen to QJ
Result: Incomplete
Notes: Despite this being botched I’m happy to see this play, using quick game as a way to extend the running game and beat teams who align in Quarters. Tre Harris specialized in this exact concept at Ole Miss; he punished the teams who gave him a cushion by cheating 4 yards to start a drive. Falling forwards is a habit and Harris’ abilities in that department can be a way of both extending the run game and stretching the field horizontally.
2.
Down & Distance: 2nd & 10
Personnel: 11
Formation: Gun Doubles Weak
Concept: Stick
Result: Complete to Ladd McConkey for 17 yards
Notes: Easy read for Herbert after the motion didn’t move the defense so he knew he had either Conklin or Ladd. Big gains won’t come as easily as this too often. Ladd’s cut was absolutely electric though, he is so fast from a standing start it’s almost beyond comprehension.
3.
Down & Distance: 1st & 10
Personnel: 11
Formation: Gun trips
Concept: Shove (Train + Dig)
Result: Incomplete to Quentin Johnston
Notes: The Cover 3 alert call is quick and I like that Herbert was being decisive, this is Herbert trying to trust his receiver’s ability to separate and he was right to hit this early. However he doesn’t trust QJ to catch anything outside of his frame which is unsurprising given their history. With KLS or Tre Harris this ball is coming over their outside shoulder to place the ball somewhere only they can catch it, this type of pass also protects the receiver from the safety’s angle of attack. That said, this was a horrible, scary moment for Johnston and I don’t want to detract from that fact that he’s a human being that works hard for the team, he deserves to be treated as such.
4.
Down & Distance: 2nd & 10
Personnel: 12
Formation: Gun Y Tight
Concept: Split Zone Weak with F insert
Result: Hampton for 3 yards
Notes: I’d like to see Hampton read the flow of the Mike linebacker with a little more patience here so that he can understand that he has the time to cut again back outside if he manipulates the linebacker with subtle movements. My good friend Alister Lloyd, of the Thunder Down Under podcast, asked me whether this was a sign of narrow vision and I drew this up in response to illustrate why he read it the way he did. This screenshot was taken right as Hampton sunk into his knee bend to cut and it shows that the B gap was the right read at the time, the next evolution of his game will be to use this to press the gap and open up the outside lane which will develop if the strong side edge collapses in to squeeze the B gap.
However that is advanced ball carrying details that are not normally present in rookies so that would be grading on an unfair curve. Plus Omarion is so strong between the tackles that he still earned a positive grade by gaining enough yards to keep the offense on schedule, therefore even it’s a correct decision even if it’s not the best one.
5.
Down & Distance: 3rd & 7
Personnel: 11
Formation: Gun Doubles
Concept: Coffin (Circus + Fan)
Result: Keandre Lambert-Smith for 27 yards
Notes: This was just an outrageously confident throw that gets me excited. Romans concepts are kept simple so Herbert can make throws like this, all it takes is a receiver to win the outside leverage and #10 can fit the ball into a postage stamp window to maximize it. I can’t emphasize enough how accurate this ball was, Dre (as he likes to call himself) could have caught it with his eyes shut.
6.
Down & Distance: 1st & 10
Personnel: 12
Formation: Singleback nasty doubles left
Concept: PA TE Tunnel screen
Result: 7 yard loss
Notes: I was confused about why this was such a big loss on the day but after looking at the endzone angle I can see why this failed and what the intentions were. Dissly didn’t sell his block well enough and when you combine that with Pipkins’ lack of grip strength and obvious drop off athletically compared to Alt, the execution cost this well designed play a chance to work. This still would have been considered a success as Herbert knew he could have taken this for a big gain if Roman called it in a meaningful game. He pushed himself to the point where he was about to open up those long legs before he shut it down for a big loss but I have faith this was a positive concept that introduces two concepts the team lacked in last season; screens and built-in quarterback run options.
7.
Down & Distance: 2nd & 17
Personnel: 11
Formation: Gun Trips Y Flex
Concept: Champ (Follow (x2) + Special Post)
Result: Incomplete to Keandre Lambert-Smith
Notes: Herbert’s now using his elite processing speed to take backside shots when he knows he doesn’t have to worry about two high coverage or a bracket by the weak side safety. This was an aggressive decision as he had Conklin open for a big gain if he wanted it, another feather in the cap of Justin’s development. The ball placement was perfect and another day KLS hauls this in for a score. Another positive was that both Zion Johnson and Bradley Bozeman looked very fluid on the stunt pickup to give Herbert the time he needed for a shot.
8.
Down & Distance: 3rd & 17
Personnel: 11
Formation: Gun Spread Y Flex
Concept: Trap
Result: Omarion Hampton for 7 yards
Notes: This was an elite showing of strength as Omarion broke 4(!) square up tacklers which is absurd, the Rams’ defenders were bouncing off his thighs and he was using his upper body so well to keep his chest clean. Yet beyond that it showed his ability to adapt is there even if I think he should have stuck with the read play side read he was given. He read the Mike crashing too hard and understood it would leave a clean backside B gap for him to explode through. This represent in-game learning which is a fantastic attribute to see especially in someone so athletically gifted as Omarion.
The ninth and final play of the opening drive was a 32 yard Field Goal for the automatic Cameron Dicker. The starting offense were shut down after that and it seems like they won’t feature against the 49ers this weekend so that could have been all the clues we get as to what changes the off-season has afforded Greg Roman’s offense.
Overall I thought it was a promising first drive that showed a number of encouraging factors. The pass protection was sound but the ball was out quickly to make it easier on them with Herbert making early reads. He paired those reads with the kind of incredible sideline accuracy that gets me excited, this was an area of his game that needed to improve and so far the returns are positive.
I also made notes on the rest of the game after watching all the rest of the all-22 (I can’t tell you how long preseason games take to evaluate given that the Bolts used a total of 68 players across 82 minutes of game film). These are my raw notes organized by the groups they played in:
Starting defense notes:
- Tart was able to get away with being so aggressive because of how solid Ford was at holding up to double teams but with Otito Ogbonnia it’s just not a good mix and the Rams punished their lack of cohesiveness. I think whilst Tart’s tape wasn’t pretty, the reports from camp is that he has been dominant at times so I doubt his status as a starter is in question.
- Denzel Perryman and Daiyan Henley were both rusty. Their adjustments were a step late against the run and their vision was not wide enough in pass defense. Stetson Bennett was actually brilliant against the Bolts so whilst it was a preseason game he gave a glimpse to what elite QBs will do on early downs if the Linebackers are not up to speed. Expect the pair to play a lot more against the 49ers even if other starters are rested.
- Benjamin St-Juste looked good in run support in the Cam Hart role but to take an outside step with outside leverage in Cover 0 on the goal line is unforgivable. He is certainly a backup but unfortunately with the enforcer role there is a thin depth chart thanks to Trikweze Bridges failing to stake his claim. I think he’ll make the roster unless the Bolts see another big body who gets cut.
Backup offense notes:
- Andre James is by far the pick of the bunch, he looks entrenched as the contingency plan at Center. He picked up stunts well and overall looked stronger than against the Saints.
- The others… woof. David Sharpe, Corey Stewart, Karsen Barnhart and Branson Taylor were all absolutely awful and, as others have pointed out, the Chargers have got to be in mine-sweeping mode ready to scoop up the leftovers from the other 31 teams after cut down days because there just isn’t enough security to handle injuries in this group. The young guys with draft stock attached to them will likely stick and learn but there needs to be some source of stability in front of them.
- Since this game Branson Taylor has apparently kicked back outside to Tackle, his natural position, as a result of the reshuffle forced by Becton’s return. He should play 80% of the snaps vs the 49ers to give him the time he needs to assure the team they don’t need to add another tackle instead of him. His time at guard has been poor to say the least.
- Vidal is slipping down the depth chart both because of the performance of Rocket Sanders and his own failings. He has a bad habit of initially turning down easy yards before realizing he doesn’t have the edge he needs to win the other reads he is seeing. The Chargers will likely take either him or Haskins until Najee is back healthy but I don’t envision a long term future with the team especially if Nyheim Miller-Hines continues showing in pass protection.
- Heineke is simply not showing enough to keep him on the roster. I’d be very disappointed if they keep three quarterbacks based on how poor his time in LA has been to date. The team should instead look to acquire a practice squad level signal caller as extra insurance, if Heineke is in that role then that’s good but with the quality of backups across the league I think he’ll get signed post waivers.
- KLS has looked incredible on the boundary with a wicked release package and elite speed but his in-breaking routes need to be a bit cleaner at the stem break, he’s rounding his cuts a bit to carry speed and it’s throwing off the timing.
- Tre Harris’ use as a Z with KLS at X does seem surprising but with the structure of Greg Roman’s offense it does make sense as there are many interchanging roles.
Backup defense notes:
- Mike Elston deserves all his flowers because a group everyone was worried about is consistently showing its dominance. Da’Shawn Hand flashed with a brilliant TFL on a backdoor move but Naquan Jones was a solid presence. What else can be said about Jamaree Caldwell, the man needs to be tested by some actual competition worthy of his level. Justin Eboigbe had his best game yet too, he had some nice run fits however he also made mental mistakes which led to chunk gains.
- The edge rusher trio of Tremont Morris-Brash, Caleb Murphy and Garmon Randolph were solid but not game changing like they have been in the games. I think Tremont’s athleticism unlocks some coverage concepts more than the others so if the team value that more this season then he could make the roster but I’d find a way to try and keep all three via the PS as Murphy’s flashes as a pass rusher and ST have been brilliant, and Garmon had another couple of disruptive knives in from his 5t spot that spoiled some run concepts McVay drew up.
- TMB looked dominant on the final drive, he looked faster off the edge which is something the team are looking for.
- Colson looked better on the first few drives however it was still far below the teams’ expectations for the second year man. I thought he had some nice moments in coverage but everything is still too keen, he’s like a dog chasing a ball. He still over-pursues in run fits, especially on the backside, and in coverage he can pull himself out of windows by trying to be too close to the first route threatening his zone. However the one area he looks like an asset is when he’s blitzing. Minter is using his off-ball linebackers in a much more free role with dynamic vertical movement patterns on third down. The Fire Zone calls were creative but the quick movements from Dye and Colson made this possible. Colson is a decent blitzer but he still needs to learn ways to channel his initial momentum into explosive force at the contact point, if he does develop that kind of power that could be his path to a starting role as Denzel hasn’t got that kind of range anymore.
- Troy Dye made a brilliant breakup on a third down where he dropped off late into the passing lane.
- RJ Mickens continues to impress with some well timed and explosive drives on routes crossing under him and some fearless work in the box. I really enjoy how early he is with his run/pass keys, he’s already filling the weak side B gap in light box fits that mean there’s less pressure on his lineman to two-gap. He’s a do it all type that can really add value down the stretch of the season, the Bolts will be thankful for his talents as he can fill in for any of the three starting safeties. I was slow to like him after inconsistent tape from his Clemson days but he has come on leaps and bounds to the point where there is a clear succession plan should the Bolts be priced out of retaining the starting trio. I think the team can’t afford for him to hit the waiver wire so they will likely take a chance on Tony Jefferson clearing.
- My word his run Blitz was insanely good to start the second half (shown in the tweet link below) The pass protection was checked to block him up but they still couldn’t stop him, he was like a mini Derwin.
- He may have dropped two easy interceptions chances which he earned but as I always tell my players, you can’t catch it if you’re in the wrong place. That said still you’ve got to take those chances.
Reserve Offense notes:
- Rocket Sanders’ explosive ability is easy to see and should mean he makes the roster proper despite being a UDFA. It was an incredibly deep RB class so in other years he may have gone early on day 3.
- Trey Lance ripped a seam ball to Oronde Gadsden II should have hauled in whether or not he was about to be lit up, Herbert is going to pin those onto you so you better get used to it.
- KLS’ big sideline grab was outstanding and it’s great to see a Charger that understands how to expand the field into the white paint. I don’t think we’ve had any since KA was playing in his prime. The fact that this offensive staff trusted him with multiple iso reads per drive is exciting.
- Then Tre Harris matched the challenge with an attempt of his own, this took immense concentration and core strength to hold off the corner who was in a good position to play this ball. His catch radius isn’t limited to high balls either, he scooped one off the turf that nose dived when Trey Lance over rotated under pressure.
- I see no reason why Ryan Nelson isn’t ahead for both Stewart and Sharpe at OT. His play has been largely solid in comparison. However Ryan Nelson at guard is a revelation so far! He has to be ahead of Nash/Barnhart for the 49ers game based on the way he elevated the offensive line unit when he kicked inside. His limits at Tackle were his lack of length and speed to kick step his way out to wide speed rushers but at guard that’s not an issue and I really liked his tape vs the Rams.
- This is especially relevant if the team is insisting on the Davis Sharpe/Corey Stewart pairing on the outside which it appears they are.
Defensive reserves notes:
- Emany Johnson is once again catching my eye and it’s getting to the point where I’m going to be upset when he gets cut on the 26th. Twice he got backfield penetration despite having to get through traffic, he missed those two tackles but he shouldn’t have been there in the first place so as much as PFF would grade that as negative, I’m encouraged by it.
- Myles Purchase is very undersized for the league but he’s tenacious and brave in the box which is a necessity for a nickel player. He was rewarded for his efforts with a pair of run stuffs but he didn’t looked great out in space, he’s going to have to learn to carry players vertically and nail down small details like contacting the motion man when rushing the quarterback on a roll out.
- Marlowe Wax may look good out in space but he occasionally bounces his feet on inside run fits which allows blockers to climb to him. This may explain why he’s slipping down the depth chart ever so slightly. Minter’s scheme has no room for passive players however as the game went on he showed his worth, I doubt he makes the roster proper but he will almost certainly be someone they will fight to keep on the PS.
- I still maintain that Bridges would benefit from a move to safety, every time he has to play top down from a standing start he nails his assignment and he loves fitting the run yet he struggles in space and can’t mirror receivers so it makes a lot of sense.
- Nikko Reed tracks the ball so well, really like his ability to high point the ball under duress. He had an impressive rep from the slot, maybe he could push his way past Ja’Sir Taylor by playing in this role.
- Kendall Williamson played well up until the final drive of the game where he was at fault for both the big completion and the TD pass. This will not help his case to make the practice squad but the team have invested time into his development so I think he still makes it.
Defensive scheme observations:
Minter threw in some new look pressure packages that more aligns with what Brian Flores is using in Minnesota. He sent three off ball players and dropped one OLB out to create a Palms pressure with a 2 under 4 spread behind it. This is different to how he normally runs his zone pressure looks and it represents a potential shift to his next phase of development after his 3-3 Fire Zone looks started to become a bit predictable on third down. I also like how he has used the preseason to get everyone outside of the corners involved on blitz calls, last season I thought this was indicative of the type of DC he was going to be but it seems like he uses this time to train his attackers in actual game context because you can’t hit your own QB in practice.
Coaching Observations:
I wouldn’t normally do this so early in the season however there is such a stark contrast between the offensive line depth and other positional groups on the team in terms of coaching impact. It’s clear to everyone that watches the Chargers that this is a well coached team in every single room other than the offensive line. None of the depth players have grown into assets and the starters haven’t exactly been the ‘tip of the spear’ that Jim Harbaugh wants so badly to build his offense around. Therefore I’m sorry but Mike Devlin your time needs to be up by the end of the season if you don’t find improvements in at least one player that’s not an all-pro caliber Tackle.
Wow. Thank you. This was an awesome read
This is a fantastic article. Thanks for investing the time it took to research and write it.
Thank you my man! This one actually took less effort than most because a major part of it was just my raw thoughts and I’ve learnt a good chunk of Roman’s staple plays. Although saying that I have no idea how players remember remember the whole thing, it’s 788 pages which is insane.
Hope you’re all good and ready for the season Tau!
Thanks, I am ready. If this is less than most because it was raw thoughts, then you should consider doing more of that. 🙂