Studs and duds from Chargers’ preseason loss to Saints
The Chargers dropped to 0-3 to finish the preseason after falling to the Saints on Friday night.
Here’s who stood out and who had a quiet night:
Stud: RB Joshua Kelley
What more can we say about Kelley at this point? One of the breakout performers of the offseason, the third-year man looked as smooth as ever against the Saints, including a beautiful hurdle on a 15-yard gain to open the second quarter. Kelley has all but won the second running back job at this point, and the question now is how high his ceiling is this season.
Dud: S JT Woods
Woods looked more decisive on Friday but tackling continued to be an issue for the rookie. We’ve harped on his deficiencies in that area all preseason, but his lack of improvement is beginning to grow more and more concerning. At this point, I don’t see how the Chargers can be comfortable throwing him out there over Alohi Gilman in three safety packages to start the season.
Stud: EDGE Carlo Kemp
Kemp built on his great performance last week against the Cowboys with another consistently disruptive day against the Saints. Last week, we said Kemp had probably earned himself a practice squad spot. After this week, as crazy as it seems, the former USFLer could be in the mix for a roster spot with Jamal Davis II. Kemp looks a bit cleaner as a rusher while providing a similar level of effort against the run as Davis.
Dud: EDGE Emeke Egbule
After missing last week’s game due to injury, Egbule was a bit behind the curve thanks to solid performances from both Davis and Kemp. He was mostly shut out on Friday and missed another sack on a play where Christian Covington forced Saints QB Ian Book into the path of the crashing Egbule. He has consistently struggled to finish plays this preseason, which could be all the Chargers need to justify putting him through waivers.
Stud: QB Chase Daniel
Daniel looked the best he has all preseason, going 10 for 11 for 113 yards in the first half. He also added a seven-yard scramble for a first down on a surprisingly nimble play for the 35-year-old. Easton Stick’s development has been a major talking point all offseason, but Daniel proved Friday that any coronation of Stick as the backup is premature.
Dud: QB Easton Stick
Speaking of Stick, the third-year man struggled tremendously with ball placement in second half. Stick finished 9 for 17 for 74 yards, a paltry performance compared to Daniel’s. We also didn’t see the playmaking ability Stick has flashed in the other two preseason games. Both Brandon Staley and Tom Telesco have indicated 3 quarterbacks will make the opening roster, so Stick isn’t in jeopardy, but Friday’s poor showing is an unfortunate snag in what had otherwise been a decent offseason.
Stud: DL Christian Covington
Going into Friday’s game, the battle between Covington and Breiden Fehoko was the roster spot to watch. There are five defensive linemen locked into the roster, with Covington and Fehoko locked in a deathmatch for the final spot for a second consecutive season. The veteran responded with his best performance of the preseason, consistently generating pressure in the passing game. Which player the Chargers keep will come down to preference: Covington is a pocket pusher who will affect the passing game. Fehoko is a run-stopper with less pass rush upside. Neither one will make it through waivers, making this a key choice.
