Chargers training camp: Asante Samuel Jr., defense dominates on Day 6

COSTA MESA, Calif. — The Los Angeles Chargers They held their sixth practice of training camp Wednesday at the Jack R. Hammett Sports Complex. This was a practice without pads after the team was in pads for two straight days on Monday and Tuesday.

Here are my notes, observations and conclusions:

defense wins the day

During the first five practices of camp, there was a constant back and forth between Brandon Staley’s defense and Kellen Moore’s offense. No incumbent unit had decisively dominated a practice. It seemed that every time a unit made a move, the opposing unit responded with a move of its own, often in the same period.

That changed on Wednesday. The defense had its best practice of the camp so far and won all three periods of 11v11 live: a move-the-ball period, a red zone period and a two-minute drill.

In the period of motion of the ball, justin herbert and the offense started in their own half. They gained a first down when Herbert hit an open shot thank you austin in flat play action, and Ekeler had room to run down the sideline. But that was the only time the offense moved the chains.

After Keenan Allen screen and an incompletion, the offense faced a third down. There was movement on the right side of the line, and the violation was flagged for a false start, setting up a third and long. On the next play, Herbert took the snap and defensive lineman morgan fox he came free from the right edge on a spin from the inside. The play was blown dead by a sack, ending the unit.

Then the offense actually lost yardage in the live red zone period. The unit started with a first down in the plus-20. Herbert turned over Ekeler, and linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. filled in the hole to stop Ekeler after a 2-yard gain. Murray stopped three runs in practice Wednesday. On the next play, linebacker eric kendricks it came loose quickly, forcing Herbert to throw it away. On third down, the Chargers were called for another false start, moving them back to the 23-yard line. On the last play, Herbert attempted to hit Joshua Palmer on a corner route in the end zone. It was a good shot, but Palmer ran out of space and the ball bounced off his hands on an incompletion shot.

The practice ended with the two-minute exercise. The situation: 1:37 remaining, a timeout for the offense, trailing by four points, starting at the minus 39-yard line.

The offense got off to a fast start. palmer shook michael davis on a lean from the outside, and Herbert struck him with a stride, moving the unit over midfield. After practice, Staley called this route of Palmer’s “incredible.” On the next play, Herbert connected with the rookie. Quentin Johnston on a return route. johnston rhythm Thanks Samuel Jr. on the job

That established the offense in the plus-30. After an incomplete, the clock ticked down to less than a minute. Herbert then hit Palmer again, this time on a run-out route, for yet another series of kills. Davis was in cover again and was in good position. But Palmer made a spectacular catch, securing the ball through the competition from Davis and getting both feet in bounds as he fell to the ground.

A Herbert scramble then moved the offense inside the 10 with 30 seconds remaining. Samuel then stole the show in the deep red zone. On first and goal, Samuel had a diving pass break, jumping a banked route from Johnston. On second down, Murray once again filled the gap with an Ekeler run, limiting the run to a 1-yard gain. On the third try, Herbert tried to hit Johnston again in a slant fashion. Samuel broke this pass. And on fourth down, Samuel pinned Johnston for a third play. Johnston ran a return route. Samuel separated it to win the two-minute exercise.

The offense did pushups after the loss.

“Every time we’ve gone out to practice, both sides have competed well,” Staley said after practice. “Who wins the day has been a bit of a back and forth, but you’re watching the game and you’re seeing the execution.”

news and notes

• Receiver mike williams and left tackle Rashawn Slater seen off the bench during 11-on-11 periods. Williams spoke at the podium after practice, saying “everything’s fine” when asked about his health. The Chargers have a day off on Thursday and practice again on Friday. We will be monitoring both players to see if they practice on Friday. zack bailey he played left tackle in place of Slater.

• Right entrance Trey Pipkins II he sat out his fourth straight practice. Pipkins first sustained the injury from him during individual exercises on Saturday. Staley did not have an update on Pipkins after practice. Foster Sarell he has been playing right tackle in place of Pipkins.

• kicker cameron dicker he took all of the field goal replays on Wednesday. He now he has been the only kicker to attempt field goals in the last three field goal periods. dust hopkins, who is competing with Dicker for the job, hasn’t kicked a field goal since Day 2 last week. Dicker made every field goal attempt on Day 3, Day 4 and now Day 6 on Wednesday. Dicker converted all eight of his field goals. The distances: 52 yards, 48, 45, 42, 40, 36, 33 and 29.

• The fiercest position battle at the moment is between Samuel and Ja’Sir Taylor for the position of the star (or corner of the slot). Taylor was taking most of the reps in that spot early in camp, but the reps evened out as the Chargers entered the second week of practice. In Wednesday’s 7-on-7 period, Samuel slotted in with the starting defense, with Davis and jc jackson abroad. In 11-on-11, Taylor was the first player of the two on Star, with Davis and Jackson sitting out again. Samuel had some ups and downs during the first week of practice, but over the past three practices, the third-year cornerback has been one of the most consistent playmakers on defense. Samuel and Taylor have played on Star and outside with the starting defense.

Staley on Samuel: “Going into this training camp, we’ve been able to see the versatility that we know he has. Because of our depth and quality, we feel like we can put it (in the groove) more. He has improved a lot on the inside because it is a difficult position to master, especially because of our way of playing. We put a lot into that position. It’s not an easy position for us to play. It is a prominent position in our defense. He is playing, from a technical point of view, much better because he is there much more. I think you’ve seen him, throughout these practices, making plays on the outside and inside. He has to cover the tough guys in both places. He has also done a good job supporting the race. He just needs to keep getting better.”

• Kendricks had excellent coverage play during the opening 11-on-11 period. He wasn’t fooled by Herbert’s fake play action and broke up a pass intended for the tight end. Tre’ McKitty.

• Rookie Receiver Terrell Bynum caught a 60-yard touchdown run from the third quarterback Max Duggan in 11 against 11.

• Defensive lineman david moa he had a winless run in the 11-on-11 red zone period. Later in the same period, defensive back kemon hall had a tackle for loss, shed his blocker and got to the rookie Dario Davis on a swing pass.

• Rookie cornerback Amechi Uzodinma ended the second-team offense’s two-minute drill by interspersing stick easton in the end zone.

• Defensive lineman nick williamslinebacker nathan this and receiver pastor darrio I do not practice.

(Photo by Asante Samuel Jr.: Ric Tapia / Associated Press)

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