The pass blocking of the Charger's offensive line was improved, with the only sacks coming on all out blitzes with corner backs and the whole kitchen sink. The blocking on screens was phenomenal. Right guard Louis Vasquez seemed especially nasty on the edge. There's still something wrong with the run game. Sproles did have two nice holes, but overall the blocking was inconsistent. Maybe we can just forgo the run and throw screen passes to LT, Bennett, and Sproles all season?
Larry English came out and got to quarterback Matt Ryan right away, but then missed the tackle. He looked a bit uncomfortable and lost out there the rest of the time...like a rookie. The injury has held back his development and he simply needs more time on the field. He has amazing strength and speed though. I have no doubt he'll turn out to be a great long term player for San Diego.
The defensive backs didn't get any picks like last week, but did make some good plays. This unit looks immensely improved and simply more confident than last year. Matt Ryan did complete some passes, but the Chargers were not throwing out crazy blitzes like Atlanta and seemingly everyone else in the NFL this preseason, so the pressure wasn't there. Jammer should have had two picks, but he still has hands like Roberto Duran. Defensive Coordinator Ron Rivera is smart not to reveal his hand. I think he'll have a plethora of surprises of his sleeve for offenses once the regular season starts.
The most promising performance of the night came from Michael Bennett, who just took off on a screen pass, scoring from about fifty yards out. He seems to have his speed and confidence back. Look for him to make a few big plays this season.
Another possible piece of good news was the play of wide receiver Buster Davis. I was as ready as many fans to throw the "bust" label on Buster, but he showed some play making ability in a game, not practice, tonight. He may surprise this season.
The soon-to-be-cut scrubs lost the game at the end.
