The Chargers left their second preseason game with a few things to sort through after a 41-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, and special teams gave Jim Harbaugh one moment he clearly wasn’t willing to let slide.
Late in the second quarter, Jacob Cowing took a punt back for a touchdown, and Los Angeles had trouble getting anywhere near him. The one Charger with a clean chance at the play was punter JK Scott, but when Cowing came at him, Scott appeared frozen instead of making a move.
After the game, Harbaugh made it plain that’s not good enough.
“No, he's got to have a plan when he's in that position to make a tackle. Something we need to work on, coach up,” Harbaugh said via Kris Rhim.
On punt returns, the punter is often the last line of defense, the guy who either makes the stop or at least forces a real decision. Scott never really gave himself or the Chargers that chance on this one, and it’s the kind of mistake that will get plenty of attention on film this week.
Beyond that, the bigger picture around Los Angeles still looks relatively calm with the season getting closer. The offense is the unit drawing the most optimism, with Justin Herbert viewed as a player who could take another step. With offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel helping guide that side of the ball, the Chargers have a chance to be one of the league’s best offenses, but it all comes back to how Herbert performs.
In Other News...
Former Chargers Lineman Calls Out A Growing Justin Herbert Concern
Justin Herberts protection is back under the microscope, and this time the criticism is coming from one of his former teammates. Ex-Chargers tackle Breiden Fehoko took aim at the team on social media and on a podcast, arguing that Los Angeles has not done enough to keep its franchise quarterback upright after Herbert was sacked a career-high 54 times last season.
The Chargers have tried to address the issue this offseason by adding center Tyler Biadasz and drafting Jake Slaughter, but the plan has already been complicated by Biadaszs knee injury. With Slaughter now taking first-team center reps, the line still feels like a work in progress, which is exactly why the conversation around Herbert keeps getting louder. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Are Still Sorting One Sneaky Roster Battle Before Week 1
With Week 1 closing in, the Chargers are still using every available look to sharpen the back end of the roster, and that included a round of workouts for five players this week. Wide receivers Elijah Badger, Liam Clifford, Gary Jennings and Brandon Hayes, along with quarterback E.J. Warner, were brought in as part of the teams ongoing preseason evaluation process, another sign that the final roster picture is still being sorted out.
For a team trying to balance depth, competition and developmental upside, these kinds of auditions matter even when they do not lead to immediate moves. None of the five is assured a contract, but each had a chance to put something on tape for a staff still weighing options before the regular season arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Camp Battle Suddenly Has Two Familiar Names In Danger
The Chargers spent the offseason reshaping their offense around Mike McDaniel, then added help with Tyler Biadasz and David Njoku, making training camp a far less forgiving place for players trying to hold onto jobs. As the preseason has worn on, the roster picture has started to sharpen, and that has left a couple of familiar names in a tougher spot than they expected.
Trevor Penning and Junior Colson have both been fighting to stay in the mix as cutdowns draw closer, with each case reflecting how much the team is weighing fit, depth and the overall value of each spot on the roster. For players on the bubble, the next few practices and preseason evaluations matter just as much as the early camp buzz, because the Chargers are clearly still sorting out who best fits what they want to build. [Read more 🡒]