The 2024 NFL preseason has come and gone, and teams across the league will spend the next week and a half assessing what they can improve on, what they can rely on, and everything in between. The Los Angeles Chargers are no exception to that.
The Chargers finished their preseason with a 26-19 win vs. the Dallas Cowboys. This was another dominating performance from the defense, forcing five interceptions off QB Trey Lance. Surprisingly, the offense looked almost as effective. Derius Davis ran 70 yards to the end zone and Simi Fehoko took a deep ball of his own in for six. Finally seeing some life from the offense, the Chargers can have a slightly better idea of what their strengths and weaknesses will be when the season begins.
Jesse Minter Will Run an Elite Defense
Throughout the Brandon Staley era, the Chargers’ Achilles Heel was their defense. Despite star power that could rival any other team in the NFL, Staley’s defenses would blow game after game. Now, Jim Harbaugh has brought in the NCAA’s best defensive coordinator – Jesse Minter. Since his hiring, the difference has been night and day. Their defense was the strong point all preseason and all training camp, being the only reason they stayed close in the first two weeks of preseason. Once Minter can use Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, and Derwin James in his defensive scheme, the Chargers’ defense is slated to be the best in years.
Brenden Rice Should Make the 53-man Roster
To the surprise of many, former USC receiver Brenden Rice fell to the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. While not expected to be a top pick, it was shocking for Rice to fall as far as he did. In the preseason, however, he consistently found himself open and ready to get big receptions. His stats would’ve looked better had Easton Stick not been the one throwing him the ball. His performance in the preseason even earned him reps with the first team in practice.
However, it seems like Rice’s odds to make the roster fall in the front office. He and Simi Fehoko have looked good leading into the season but are still fighting for a spot on the roster. With the receiver issues this roster has, bringing seven WRs into the season may be ideal, and then they can figure out who belongs throughout the year. However, they will make that decision soon, and Brenden Rice surely deserves to make it.
The Chargers need Justin Herbert to Win
The biggest doubt about this current Chargers roster is the offensive weapons. The weapons they have cannot compete with a subpar QB at the helm, which the preseason proved. However, one of the few practices Justin Herbert had during training camp proved that the offense can be competitive in the regular season. When Herbert was quarterbacking the offense, it had a different life and was finally able to overcome the suffocating defense. If Herbert can stay healthy, the Chargers offense shouldn’t be nearly as stagnant as some think it will.
Joe Alt Looks Like the Right Pick
Some fans questioned the Chargers taking Joe Alt with the fifth overall pick in the draft. For a roster that needed receivers, Malik Nabers seemed like a no-brainer pick. However, they took the player they believed could be a perennial All-Pro lineman with Alt. Preseason has shown the NFL world that Alt is what everyone thought he would be. In 55 offensive snaps this preseason, Alt didn’t allow any sacks and only committed two penalties. Going into the season, Alt is seamlessly transitioning to Right Tackle and could be a big piece of the Chargers line this year.
