COSTA MESA, Calif. -- One thing remains true about preseason play: It’s never as good or as bad as you think. And that’s certainly the case when it comes to the Los Angeles Chargers through two exhibition games.
Other than the first play of the game when rookie running back Alvin Kamara sprinted 50 yards for a touchdown virtually untouched, the defense was pretty solid against the New Orleans Saints last week.
The Chargers' defense limited the Saints to 3-of-14 (21 percent) on third down and held them to 0-of-2 in the red zone.
However, one issue that continues to persist is the team’s struggles defending the run. The Chargers allowed 157 rushing yards on 33 attempts for the Saints, giving up 4.8 yards per carry. Those numbers have to improve.
But as coach Anthony Lynn noted after the game, the Chargers have been very vanilla on both sides of the football.
“We’re running our basic stuff, and we have to be better at our basic principles,” Lynn said. “I’m not going to show you everything in preseason, but we have to be better at what we’re doing.”
In terms of personnel, the Chargers were in base defense about 50 percent of the time, and that number likely will go down when defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is preparing for a specific offense.
On the other side of the football, the Chargers went with three-wide receiver personnel on 51 of 69 plays, and I think that number also will go down during the regular season. So the first two preseason games have been more about player evaluation than wins for Lynn and his coaching staff.
Here’s some things I liked and things that need improvement as the Chargers prepare for the Los Angeles Rams -- the team’s dress rehearsal for the regular season.
THINGS I LIKED
Geremy Davis: With Mike Williams still on the mend, the Chargers need another big-body receiver who can make contested catches, and Davis showed he could do that against the Saints, finishing with three catches for 35 yards.
Isaiah Burse: I thought Burse showed some of what he did successfully in taking over the return job last season. He had returns of 13, 15 and 17 yards but also made some bad decisions, including a muffed punt that he recovered. In addition, he fielded a punt on his own 5-yard line and running backwards for a minus-5-yard return. He gets a mixed bag for this game.
Drew Kaser: The Texas A&M product had another strong game, averaging 47.3 yards-per-punt, including two downed inside the 20-yard line.
Dexter McCoil: Scoring the Chargers’ only touchdown of the game on a 99-yard interception return, McCoil once again showed he’s capable of making plays when given an opportunity. McCoil also played solid on special teams.
Melvin Gordon: The Wisconsin product finished with just 8 yards on five carries, but I like the decisiveness and quick feet he showed on two runs early on.
THINGS I DID NOT LIKE
Starting defense on opening play: You just can’t give up a 50-yard run on the opening defensive play of the game. For a second straight week, the Chargers looked like they didn’t have emotional intensity to start the game on defense.
Chargers have to finish better in the run game: I’m not seeing the line of scrimmage being moved in the run game on offense on the consistent basis, and it’s likely one of the reasons they're averaging just 2.7 yards per carry.
Quarterback accuracy: QBs have completed just 51 percent of their passes in preseason play for two touchdowns and three interceptions. They’ve been sacked 11 times. Yes, Philip Rivers has only played one series in exhibition play, but those numbers are not inspiring.
Turnovers: Six in all through two games, which, for Lynn, is unacceptable -- although the Chargers reduced that number to two against the Saints (a Jamaal Jones’ fumble and a Cardale Jones interception on the final play of the game).