(by Ross Jacobs)
Another mostly dull watch involving almost all backups. This entire preseason has been a drag since it’s just guys that are soon to be cut playing every week, particularly for the good teams that don’t want to risk their stars getting injured. The bad teams that don’t even know who their starters are due to lack of talent are the ones throwing everyone out there to see who sticks. Personally, I think changes will have to be made to the preseason soon because it is starting to head the same direction as the Pro Bowl. Nobody watches, nobody cares. Not when the stars aren’t playing.
As for the game, it was all backups from the Rams and the Chargers starters played a smattering of plays on each side of the ball, just getting their feet wet. But they were going up against the Rams backups (good as they might be), so it’s hard to draw any definite conclusions there, especially in such a small sample size.
Player Notes...
-- One thing that does stand out to me, something I have noticed several times now, there are going to be some hiccups from the Chargers offense occasionally. Justin Herbert seemingly randomly fumbled a ball on a handoff and the Rams picked it up to set themselves up for a short FG that would prove to be the difference in the game.
At first glance it seems like Herbert just loses the ball for no reason, but after watching it closely, the motion he was using was clearly unfamiliar to him, the footwork and ball handling. It’s a new design implemented by Mike McDaniel and there are lots of new motions, shifts, alignments, and footwork that everyone is currently learning. It is going to take some time before everyone is fully comfortable with all the creative things McDaniel is adding in, so of course there are going to be some gaffes along the way. Those gaffes are going to cause drive stalling penalties and occasional turnovers. It likely won’t be a major issue but it is something to be aware of.
-- The Rams by contrast are impeccably well-trained, a precision machine on offense, even the newcomers. That doesn’t necessarily mean they will be uber effective, but it can’t hurt.
-- I’m sure everyone saw the biggest highlight from this game, Justin Herbert dropping back off of playaction and throwing a laser beam 50+ yards down the field perfectly hitting Quentin Johnston streaking unopposed down the middle of the defense for a TD.
Tua could never, and you just know Mike McDaniel is doing cartwheels in his sleep thinking about all the insane things he can cook up with a specimen like Herbert back there throwing the ball. That won’t be the last time we see this offense do something unreal.
-- Ty Simpson capped off a nice preseason with another solid performance. Every time I watch him he looks capable, controlled, and respectable. He can run an NFL offense like a point guard. What I haven’t seen is anything crazy impressive. He did have a TD pass here rolling to his left away from pressure, and at first it looks like he makes the tight window throw ripping it across his body but he actually half stops and squares his shoulders up before making the throw. Still a nice throw but not quite as impressive. He can be an ok starting QB in the league. What I still remain unconvinced about is whether he can get to another level. We may not know for a few years…
-- Once again Dean Connors has a nice game, shows a little wiggle as a runner and some nice receiving skills out of the backfield and he’s rewarded by getting cut. I know it’s the Rams but is he really worse than Ronnie Rivers? I don’t believe that. And of course nobody claimed him, so the Rams just signed him back to the practice squad.
-- Rookie receiver CJ Daniels did impress enough to make the 53 man roster. Of course he’s still buried behind six other guys, so he won’t be seeing the field anytime soon. He’s a capable pro the same way Xavier Smith and Konata Mumpfield are but not a future star.
-- There isn’t much to say about the Chargers other than that Charlie Kolar was the first TE in the game and caught the first pass among the group as expected. He won’t be a big part of the passing attack, but the point is that he and David Njoku are running ahead of Oronde Gadsden because of their blocking ability. That’s not to say Gadsden won’t be used at all as a receiver, but he won’t be on the field very often to start.
-- And my final note concerns Aaron Donald coming out of retirement to play for one more championship run. To anyone thinking of drafting the Rams defense early…don’t. Don’t waste a middle round pick like that. You can stream defenses very easily, and there’s no guarantee this defense will even be good for fantasy. You need sacks and turnovers for fantasy, and that has not been a hallmark of this defense.
But even beyond all that, assuming the defense is elite simply because Donald is back and will play on the same line as Myles Garrett (assuming his foot injury isn’t bad), is foolish. Donald is 35 years old and hasn’t played football in two years. Yes, he’s stayed in good shape because he’s a maniac. But there’s a massive difference between in shape and football shape for one, and again…he hasn’t played in years and he’s 35 years old. He’s undoubtedly lost a good portion of his abilities at this point. Let’s say he’s 75% of the player he was…that’s still a pretty good player, but maybe he can only manage 30-35 snaps a game. What if he’s only 50% of the player he was?
What we know is that he is not the same Aaron Donald that walked away two years ago, and anyone expecting that same guy is going to be disappointed. Maybe he’s still pretty good, but there’s a decent chance he’s just a little better than some of the other guys out there at this point. Do not buy the narrative that Donald plus Garrett is going to form some unblockable Ulton defensive line. Maybe two or three years ago. Not today.
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