Aug 8, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Brad Sorensen (4) looks for a receiver against the Seattle Seahawks at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jody Gomez-USA TODAY Sports
The Seattle, San Diego game was exactly what we expected, nothing too spectacular, but exciting nevertheless because of the new regime and the lack of Chargers football in our diets. It was only the first pre-season game, but after the first team took the field it gave us a small dose of what we can look forward to. Unfortunately, the back-ups didn’t fair quite as promising. Below are a few honorable mentions of those earning their lighting bolts!
First and foremost, the first team defense! The first team D only played two drives, but what an impress two it was. During the first, the Seahawks managed 21 total yards then a punt, the second drive, 23 yards followed by another punt. Shareece Wright and Derek Cox together had three pass deflections or stops with nothing past 10 yards with the help of Dwight Freeney doing what he does best by wreaking havoc to the opposing offense. There are still plenty of kinks to iron out, but with a quarterback like Russell Wilson, the Chargers D earned an honorable mention for holding together, pressuring the QB and sticking close to the receivers.
2013 7th round draft pick, Brad Sorensen may have turned quite a few heads with his above average performance, completing seven out of 10 passes with a passer rating of 128.8. Sorensen connected with Ladarius Green to cap a 5 play, 85 yards touchdown drive. What was impressive about his touchdown pass was that he was already scrambling to the left when he squared his shoulders and gracefully put the ball in Green’s hands. Sorensen showed a lot of confidence and poise while under center and could be an excellent addition to the team. The Chargers would likely not carry only two quarterbacks if the back-up were a rookie, considering Charlie Whitehurst played below average he could be safe mainly for his seniority.
Leading the team in receptions and receiving yards was Dan DePalma. DePalma was targeted eight times, catching five of those balls for 43 yards. It’s too early to say whether he’s captured a spot on the team, but he’s definitely bringing the fight. All wide receivers must know that an opportunity presented itself when Danario Alexander went down with an ACL tear for the season. Robert Meachem was targeted twice, missing both and one intercepted, which could have been avoided if Meach had gone back to get it like a true wide receiver should.
Looking forward to the Chicago Bears game this Thursday, August 15th 5:00 PST, don’t miss it Chargers fans!!