The Chargers suffered their second straight loss of the preseason on Saturday night at home vs. the Dallas Cowboys. In a game in which starters didn’t play for either team, the Chargers struggled to keep pace with Dallas and fell behind 29-10 at the half. The Cowboys never allowed for the game to get much closer and ended up with a 32-18 victory. Here are some takeaways for the Chargers from a game that ultimately won’t mean much for either team.
Defensive depth could be an issue for LA
For the second straight week, the Chargers put up a so-so performance on the defensive side of the ball. While it is obviously important to remember that all of the players on the field were not starters, it could be a sign of lack of depth for the Chargers defensively. Injuries are very much a part of the game in football, and one bad hit to Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, or an injury prone player in Derwin James could prove very costly. The backup defense’s less than stellar play only heightens that concern.
Running game not looking good
The run game has not been productive at all for the Chargers thus far in the preseason. In fact, QB Easton Stick led the Chargers in rush yards with 24 on Saturday evening. Although the run game is missing one of the most productive running backs in football in Austin Ekeler, it is still a concern that the run game hasn’t produced anything positive thus far. Justin Herbert is good enough to carry the Chargers offense with the passing game, but a decent running game will help make the Chargers offense one of the best in the NFL this season if it develops.
Special Teams were a disaster… again
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, special teams was a disaster for the Chargers and pretty much cost them the game. An issue that has plagued the Chargers franchise for years, and especially in recent years, once again reared its ugly head on Saturday night. The Chargers not only gave up a punt return touchdown but also gave up a kick return touchdown in the same game. KaVontae Turpin ran both all the way into the endzone, continuing a special teams nightmare that Chargers’ fans have endured for years. Chargers fans can only hope Ryan Ficken figures out a way to turn around the special teams curse as we near the start of the regular season.
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