The last preseason game isn’t really appealing to viewers because none of the starters will see the field, but there are still intriguing storylines to monitor when the Chargers take on the 49ers Thursday night.
Here are four to take in during the matchup:
Quarterback battle
It all comes down to the last preseason game to determine who will be playing behind Philip Rivers and Tyrod Taylor. Will it be Cardale Jones, who’s been on the roster the past three years or will the rookie Easton Stick have him hunting for a new team?
Through three games, it’s been awfully close. Jones, who’s struggled in past preseasons, is having his best yet. Meanwhile, Stick has shown that he’s playing beyond his first-year status. Coach Anthony Lynn said that Jones will get the start tonight and Stick will come in right after.
In our latest 53-man roster projection, we have Stick over Jones because we believe he’s done enough to warrant investing in his development and we doubt the Chargers would want a player like him to hit waivers, knowing there’s potential to become more than a backup in the future.
Chris Peace vs. Anthony Lanier
Who would’ve thought that the fourth defensive end spot would be one of the most compelling positional battles to watch? Undrafted free agent Chris Peace and Anthony Lanier have made it that way.
Both Lanier and Peace have done enough to warrant a roster slot, but it’s likely that they only keep four, meaning one will be on the practice squad or possibly a new team when the regular season rolls around.
The two edge rushers have contributed to generating pressure on the opposing quarterbacks they’ve faced and have also done some work at stopping the run. Lanier has posted 11 tackles, while Peace only has five tackles along with two sacks.
Nasir Adderley’s debut
Adderley, the Chargers’ second-round selection, will be making his professional preseason debut. A hamstring issue kept Adderley sidelined for nearly a month, but the highly anticipated rookie will finally see the field Thursday night.
The former Delaware product was drafted to become the starting free safety, but because of the setback, it’s unlikely he will enter as the starter right off the bat.
Regardless of his status, Adderley’s debut should have many excited to watch him play. Los Angeles hasn’t had a true free safety in quite sometime and his college tape shows the ingredients of a player that excels at the position.
Adderley played cornerback his first two collegiate seasons, so it’ll be interesting to see if defensive coordinator Gus Bradley uses him other than just the single-high role.
How will offensive line shape up?
The offensive line has been one of the most monitored positional groups this summer. Heading into the final preseason game, there are a few questions to be answered: Who will start Week 1 at left guard, can rookie Trey Pipkins push for a starting job and can Michael Schofield rebound or will he get pushed outside?
Dan Feeney and Forrest Lamp have been neck and neck. While the majority of Feeney’s reps have come from center, he spent a lot of time with the 1’s during the 11-on-11 period at practices. But Lamp has been working hard to get the starting job, showing up in pass protection and in the run blocking department.
Pipkins had his best game yet against the Seahawks, which really drew the attention of the coaching staff. Even though he was expected to be nothing more than a developmental player in Year 1, coach Anthony Lynn didn’t count him out as a potential starter. Will he do enough tonight to land him a job in the starting lineup?
As for Schofield, he has been overshadowed with all the talk surrounding the other members along the offensive line. But through the three games, he hasn’t been as stout as many would hope for, especially in pass protection. If he doesn’t show up, could the coaching staff consider benching him or possibly moving him to a swing tackle?
