Depression kicks in after second preseason game

Vincent Brown being carted off during last night's game

If you ask any NFL head coach what the biggest goal is for a preseason game, he’ll probably tell you to escape without any injuries. Well, among other unsuccessful endeavors so far this summer, the San Diego Chargers have failed to keep several of their key players healthy, particularly on offense.

Nine days after running back Ryan Mathews suffered a broken clavicle in the preseason opener, Vincent Brown, a second-year wide receiver expected to break out this season, fractured his left ankle while making an 18-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter of San Diego’s 28-20 “win” over the Dallas Cowboys last night. Brown is scheduled to have surgery on the ankle today and will most likely be out of action for the next two months.

Although he’s not a household name among NFL fans, Brown’s injury is devastating to us Chargers fans at the moment. Making plays all over the place this preseason, he appeared to be on the verge of becoming a stud in head coach Norv Turner’s offense. Hopefully Brown will return at full strength by Week 6.

San Diego is now 2-0 this preseason, but who really cares? In addition to Brown’s injury, there were other troubling occurrences in last night’s depressing “triumph”, most notably:

 

1.      Philip Rivers threw two more interceptions. One of them really wasn’t his fault, as the ball bounced off Brown’s hands and was juggled by Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr before being hauled in for the pick. The other one, however, was an underthrow on a deep ball to Robert Meachem.

It’s just preseason, but Rivers hasn’t quelled any concerns that he’s over last year’s clumsiness.

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2.      The run-blocking was wretched once again. Combined, the backs rushed for 51 yards on 18 carries, which equates to a putrid 2.8 average. In order for this team to become a serious contender, it needs better balance on offense. Let’s hope Jared Gaither returns soon and makes a BIG difference.

3.      Quentin Jammer doesn’t look any better than he did last season. He failed to defend a few passes last night, the worst coming on a 35-yard reception by Kevin Ogletree. At this point, one has to wonder if Jammer is still worthy of being a starting cornerback in the NFL.

Believe or not, there were some positive signs from last night’s game, including:

1.      Cornerback Shareece Wright’s continued ascension. He had a sack and an interception he returned 73 yards last night. San Diego’s depth at cornerback is pretty thin, but Wright appears as though he’s developing into a good player who could make a strong contribution this season.

    

2.      Inside linebacker Donald Butler finished the night with six tackles and an interception. One could get the feeling that Butler is emerging into a stud.  

The Chargers’ next useless game is this Friday, August 24, on the road against the Minnesota Vikings. Let’s just hope everybody leaves that contest at full health.