Bolts From The Blue
The defense won the day yet again for the Chargers as they trounced the New Orleans Saints 27-13 along with several of their former coaches, including Brandon Staley (Saints DC) and Kellen Moore (Saints HC).
Rookie cornerback Eric Rogers balled out with two picks (one returned for a score) while edge rusher Caleb Murphy recorded two sacks and maybe should have even had a third. Add in third-round defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell getting his first sack and it’s tough not to be super excited about all the young defensive talent on this team.
Alright enough talk, let’s jump into the five best and worst Chargers players based on Pro Football Focus grades for either side of the ball against the Saints
Enjoy!
Offense
Best
TE Tucker Fisk – 86.8
WR Dalevon Campbell – 79.7
TE Thomas Yassmin – 75.7
OG Zion Johnson – 69.1
FB Scott Matlock – 67.8
Campbell is not likely to make the final roster but he’s showing enough to be worth a stash on the practice squad. He hauled in the game’s longest pass and led the team in receiving yards, along with a two-point conversion reception.
Worst
C Jacob Kaltenberger – 40.7
OT Ryan Nelson – 41.2
WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith 44.0
QB Taylor Heinicke – 44.4
RB Kimani Vidal – 50.2
Vidal was the lowest-graded back and did not see many snaps alongside Hassan Haskins and Raheim Sanders. It leads one to wonder if he’s losing ground as one of the team’s top four running backs. Will he end up making the team at this rate?
KLS dropped a pass that was right in his hands which led to Heinicke having a pretty bad outing on Sunday. It was a bit of a letdown after he starred in the Hall of Fame Game against the Lions.
Defense
Best
CB Eric Rogers – 96.6
S RJ Mickens – 93.0
DT Jamaree Caldwell – 85.6
EDGE Caleb Murphy – 85.2
S Emany Johnson – 82.6
All these guys stepped up and showed out. Keep an eye on all of them this year, whether they end up on the final roster or not.
Worst
EDGE Kylan Guidry – 32.9
LB Kana’i Mauga – 33.0
CB Trikweze Bridges – 41.3
CB Jordan Oladokun – 45.6
DT TeRah Edwards – 48.9
It’s not great to see your seventh-round pick this year being outplayed by three undrafted free agents. Bridges needs to step it up or else he’ll be left behind in a very competitive group.
