Week 3 of the preseason is considered by many to be the “dress rehearsal game.” Starters see about a half’s worth of the game before being rested for the final six quarters of the preseason.
The Chargers, however, are unlikely to take that approach and will choose to not play their starters Saturday against the Seahawks.
Coach Anthony Lynn is still sticking to his guns when he said back in June that he’s likely to take a conservative approach throughout the four-game slate.
Following Thursday’s practice, Lynn said quarterback Philip Rivers has not asked him to play this weekend. The only starter that will play see the field in a limited capacity is cornerback Casey Hayward.
Lynn said that Hayward told him that he wanted to get into the game just for a few plays.
While the decision means fans will have to wait two more weeks until they get to see Rivers among others take the field, the decision to rest his starters is a wise one.
For a team that has been hit with the injury bug for consecutive years, the last thing you want is one of their star players going down in a meaningless game. Mind you, this a team that came up short late in the playoffs because they were diminished due to season-ending injuries.
Los Angeles is already down a few notables in offensive tackle Russell Okung, safety Derwin James, running back Melvin Gordon and wide receiver Keenan Allen, even though Allen should be ready Week 1.
Of course, it’d be nice to see Rivers go 6-of-6 for 82 yards and a touchdown, but they will need the 37-year-old quarterback to guide them from the beginning of September all the way into hopefully February of 2020.
As far as what fans should expect on Saturday, it’s similar to what we have been seeing the past two weeks. With the majority of the starting spots already solidified, we will continue to see the young players vying for depth spots.
Free safety Nasir Adderley is not expected to play this weekend, but Lynn said that Adderley is tracking to play in the preseason finale against the 49ers.
