Chargers collect sloppy win in preseason opener

At this time of year, those of us hungry for football are happy to consume any game put in front of us. Luckily enough for ESPN’s ratings, it didn’t matter that the meal served last night wasn’t very flavorful. It was actually a rather sloppy performance by the Green Bay Packers and the San Diego Chargers, but at least football is back and the beginning of the regular season is less than a month away.

Obviously, the players who are a lock to make the final roster are trying to get in the flow and reach a comfort zone during these exhibitions. Meanwhile, those fighting for roster spots want to make a good impression on the coaching staff and the front office.

There were some positives and negatives during San Diego’s 21-13 triumph over Green Bay last night. The following is a breakdown on the Chargers who stood out, good or bad.

Players who impressed

1.      Antonio Gates: It’s a bit premature to say he’s back to what he was before—inarguably the best tight end in the NFL—but he looked better than he’s been in a very long time. His touchdown reception was reminiscent to his 2004-through-2007 days, before injuries began to slow him down. Let’s all hope he can continue to feel young and refreshed.

2.      Vincent Brown: Although he showed a lot of promise during his rookie season in 2011, he’s been somewhat of an afterthought following general manager A.J. Smith’s free agent acquisitions of Robert Meachem and Eddie Royal this past spring. Brown made some spectacular catches last night, though, most notably a 27-yard touchdown reception. If he keeps this up it may not be a stretch to say he’ll see a lot of action in Week 1 of the regular season.

3.      Melvin Ingram: He didn’t seem overwhelmed at all during his first preseason game at the pro level. He certainly made an impact, forcing Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers into throwing an interception on one play and causing problems in Green Bay’s backfield throughout the game. It’s certainly far too early to state Ingram’s a star in the making right now, but that was definitely a promising beginning to an NFL career.

4.      Mike Harris: He filled in nicely for an injured Jared Gaither at left tackle. Just a rookie, it would be wise to not get carried away with the praise for Harris, but let’s hope he continues to play well as he develops this preseason. And perhaps he’ll eventually push Jeromey Clary out of the starting right tackle spot.

5.      Curtis Brinkley: Many believe he’s a long shot to make the 53-man roster, but he’s not going to make it easy on the coaching staff to release him. Rushing for 25 yards on seven carries, he saw more action and performed better than the other backs he’s competing with.

6.      Jarrett Lee: Clearly, he has immense limits when it comes to the athletic side of the game, but he came through with a good performance while taking the majority of the snaps against the Packers’ defense. He finished with 11 completions out of 17 attempts for 157 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Perhaps he has a future as a career backup.

7.      Shareece Wright: He seemed to be in on nearly every special teams coverage play and showed nice aggression on a blitz. With limited depth at the cornerback position, it was comforting to see him perform the way he did last night.

8.     Darrell Stuckey: Much like Wright, Stuckey was making his presence felt on special teams coverage plays. Although he may not be a starting-caliber safety, he could really help the team by developing into a dominant special teams player.

9.     Atari Bigby: Making the start as he competes with rookie Brandon Taylor for the strong safety spot, Bigby also showed nice aggression. Looking determined to prove he’s not done as a starting safety in the NFL, he recovered a fumble and made two tackles.

 

Players who de-pressed

1.      Ryan Mathews: The man many have projected to break out and become an elite running back this season had one carry for five yards. And now he’s out four-to-six weeks with a shoulder injury. Given his history, Mathews is very close to being labeled an injury-prone player—if not there already. Let’s hope he’s ready for the season-opener in Oakland.

2.     Jeromey Clary: On the first series of the game he was beaten by rookie pass-rusher Nick Perry for a sack. Why exactly does the coaching staff love Clary? It’s amazing that this guy is still in the NFL, let alone starting at right tackle for the Chargers.

3.      Philip Rivers: He completed three of five passes for 37 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. That interception was nasty, a terrible reminder of the struggles he went through during the first 10 games or so of last season. He also missed on a pass to Malcom Floyd that could have been a big play if he had given Floyd a better opportunity to catch the ball. Let’s hope the interception was just an example of working out the kinks as part of the process in preparation for the regular season.

4.      Michael Hayes: After being raved about throughout training camp, he had six carries for 10 yards and a lost fumble. He definitely shouldn’t be ahead of Brinkley on the depth chart. It’s tough to see Hayes making the team now.

5.      Nick Novak: He missed a 35-yard field goal, with the ball clanking off the left upright. Already the underdog in a placekicking duel with Nate Kaeding, missing field goals in preseason games isn’t going to win the job.

6.      Run-blocking: The Chargers’ offensive line has been poor at opening up holes for the running backs in recent years, and last night’s performance didn’t quell any concerns in that area. The backs averaged 2.3 yards on 29 carries. That’s just not going to get it done in the regular season.

The next preseason game is August 18, at home against Dallas. Hopefully we’ll get to see Eddie Royal, Roscoe Parrish, and Jared Gaither in action.