Chargers and Saints: Who to watch in the second preseason game
By Tyler Schoon
Chargers offense
It seems any concerns with the running back rotation were wiped away by impressive performances from Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson, whose 91 total yards were thanks to a solid seven yards per touch. Though Ekeler’s fumble was a concern, it appeared the rushing attack looked just as explosive as it did last year.
The story that rotates in place of the running back situation, then, is the problem at the fourth wide receiver spot. Both Geremy Davis and Artavis Scott needed strong performances to give themselves a boost in the race for a job; instead, the duo netted just three yards on two touches. Will either of them step up moving forward?
The biggest thing to watch are the biggest guys on the team: The offensive line. Now that Forrest Lamp has been given his first preseason start, will the coaching staff give him one more opportunity to join the initial unit at left guard? Dan Feeney looked comfortable enough at center, but will Mike Pouncey’s involvement (if at all) kick him over to left guard in Lamp’s place? Hopefully, the team will continue to keep the veteran center out of games and let Feeney take his place so Lamp can grow in the position he will end up starting at in a month.
Both offensive tackles, Trent Scott and Sam Tevi, were not particularly excellent in their 2019 debut. Fortunately for them, but unfortunately for the coaching staff, Trey Pipkins was even worse. It’s clear the rookie from Sioux Falls has no business starting right now, though that was to be expected given his lack of NFL-level competition in college. Still, it would be nice to see him not fall into the infamous Tom Telesco third-round reach category.