Midway through the preseason ...
By Kevin Acee, UNION-TRIBUNE
Sunday, August 22, 2010 at 7:12 p.m.
The preseason is halfway over. The Chargers play their next two games on the road, beginning Friday in New Orleans in about as highly anticipated a game as any preseason tilt could be.
Of course, they're playing Drew Brees and the defending Super Bowl champions. More important, training camp wraps up Monday, and the Chargers will treat the lead-up to Friday and the game itself as a virtual regular-season game.
They did the same thing to positive effect for last year's third preseason game in Atlanta.
The practice and meeting schedule will be the same as a short game week. Starters and key reserves will play three quarters.
And while not to the extent they would for the regular season, coaches will devise an actual game plan based on their scouting of the Saints. Coaches met Sunday and began that work, in addition to breaking down Saturday's game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Here are some of the things to take out of the 16-14 loss to Dallas and also some insight based on observations and conversations I've had over the past couple days:
• The Chargers can run. Excluding the three carries inside the 5-yard line by Ryan Mathews and Philip Rivers and Legedu Naanee's eight-yard loss on an end around, the Chargers rushed 18 times for 76 yards while the first-team offensive line and the Cowboys' first-team defense was in. That's a 4.2-yard average, almost a full yard improvement over last year's regular-season average.
• Rookie receiver Jeremy Williams has plateaued. Not only has he been underwhelming after impressing everyone all spring and to start training camp, he should have prevented Cletis Gordon's interception of Jonathan Crompton by coming back to break up the underthrown pass. Despite being in a good portion of the game, he didn't have any receptions. While fellow undrafted rookie Seyi Ajirotutu has stepped up in practice and games (3-for-71 Saturday), Williams has leveled off.
• Provided Buster Davis remains healthy, it could a three-man race for the final wide receiver spot -- between veteran Josh Reed, Ajirotutu and Williams. That's right, the Chargers could keep just four receivers. They have pass-catchers and excellent runners in tight ends Antonio Gates, Randy McMichael and Kris Wilson, and they might need to make room for an extra linebacker, defensive back and/or defensive lineman.
• Another place the Chargers could trim is at tailback. Curtis Brinkley didn't get in the game at all. Shawnbrey McNeal and Marcus Mason are not separating themselves. With Mike Tolbert looking so strong as a runner, the Chargers could keep just Mathews, Darren Sproles and fullbacks Jacob Hester and Tolbert.
• You have to like Antonio Garay as the starter at nose tackle. He is strong and quick. Signed off the New York Jets' practice squad late last season, if he can avoid the injuries that have plagued him in his career, he could be one of the big surprises of this season. That said, rookie Cam Thomas performed well again on Saturday. He's just not as experienced as Garay.
• No, the Chargers didn't get any sacks. But Tony Romo got the ball out quick after the first series -- as in, after he got leveled by Stephen Cooper as he let fly a pass that would be intercepted by safety Eric Weddle. Excellent game by Weddle, by the way.
• Rookie safety Darrell Stuckey, playing in the second half, wasn't good and wasn't horrible. He missed almost two weeks. Norv Turner said it wouldn't make a big difference, and it probably won't long-term. But it did on Saturday.
• Don't count on Shawne Merriman being back to work Monday or playing in Friday's game. The Chargers are trying to make sure when he comes back he doesn't have to take a practice off every few days (or worse). So they'll wait until they're convinced the Achilles' that has sidelined him since Wednesday is calmed down enough to
• Inside linebacker James Holt could be out for New Orleans after leaving Saturday's game with what I think was a leg bruise. However, Brandon Siler should be back after X-rays Sunday showed his foot is OK.
• Yes, "senior executive" Randy Mueller was at the Seattle Seahawks' home game against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday. Certainly, he was assessing Seahawks players. But before too many lines are drawn, understand that Mueller lives in Seattle and this game has been on his docket for weeks. Furthermore, unless Jackson's camp comes down in dollars and/or years, that trade is never happening. The Chargers have not even officially given the Seahawks any requirements for trade. The second-round pick I reported is what I heard the Seahawks were floating around league circles.
