Despite a late comeback attempt, the Chargers fell short to the Seahawks 23-15 in the third preseason matchup of the year.
There were a few notable things that occurred in the game, and with that, here are our three takeaways from Los Angeles’ loss to Seattle.
First-team struggles
Coach Anthony Lynn elected to bench the majority of the starters in Saturday’s contest, but there were still a handful of key players that saw the field. The players who got the start were underwhelming on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, to say the least.
On offense, the line was arguably the biggest problem. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor was running for his life, running backs Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson only ran for 25 yards on nine carries, and the line’s lack of push led to a trio of failed fourth-down attempts.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Seahawks gashed the Chargers through the air and on the ground. The team allowed 125 rushing yards in the first half alone. Whether it was missed tackles or getting blown off the line of scrimmage, the unit struggled. Meanwhile, the secondary gave up a few big plays, both to wide receiver Tyler Lockett.
Even though L.A. was missing quite a few starters, there wasn’t any reason to feel optimistic with the first team, which had a few players that will be in the starting lineup.
Battle for DE4
Deciding the last defensive end spot on the roster will be one of the toughest decisions general manager Tom Telesco has to make. Chris Peace and Anthony Lanier have both made their cases, and it’s neck-and-neck at the moment.
Lanier followed his stellar performance last weekend against the Saints with another solid outing. He finished the game with a pair of tackles, including a big tackle for loss in the fourth quarter. That play led to a touchdown drive to make it a one-touchdown game.
Peace didn’t play last weekend as he was dealing with a groin injury, but he came out yesterday knowing what was on the line. He posted three tackles, along with a sack that came late in the game. The former Virginia product was consistently in the backfield.
It’s unlikely they keep both since they have Isaac Rochell as the third defensive end, making it a very hard decision. All eyes will be on both players during the next game against the 49ers on Thursday.
Trey Pipkins’ best performance yet
The offensive line has had its struggles as a whole, but no other player faced as many challenges as Pipkins. The third-round selection wasn’t a factor in both pass protection or as a run blocker the first two games, but he displayed drastic improvement last night.
Pipkins played three offensive series — two at left tackle and one at right tackle. Other than two plays where he was beaten, Pipkins fared well in the 15 other snaps he received. Most notably on wide receiver Andre Patton’s touchdown play, Pipkins buried defensive end Jacob Martin to clear a path for quarterback Easton Stick.
Pipkins’ development will continue to take time as he transitions from Division II Sioux Falls to the NFL, but last night he showed some a step forward. He will likely play the majority of the game on Thursday against San Francisco, so seeing him continue to make strides is something we will be watching for.
