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Preseason football is still preseason football. Preseason is where you work the kinks out of your system and try to perfect your game strategy if you are an NFL team. Preseason is where the blemishes and flaws get get cleaned up and brushed away. No harm. No foul.
But losing 31-10 to the Seattle Seahawks in the first game under coach Mike McCoy could not be what the San Diego Chargers had anticipated.
That’s what happened Thursday evening at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium. However, there is no reason to hit the panic button. The Chargers will be alright. There’s not too much one can really read into the first preseason game of the season. Preseason games are an evaluation process for NFL teams.
What the Chargers are going to do like other teams around the league is look at the game film and keeping working until they get it right before their first regular season game against the Houston Texans on Sept. 9. One obvious area where they need to shore up is on the defensive side of the ball. Giving up 31 points in a ballgame, regardless if it is preseason or the regular season, is a cause for concern.
The Chargers lost super pass-rusher Shaun Phillips to AFC West rivals Denver Broncos in the offseason. Replacing the talents of Phillips will be a task this season. Hopefully, rookie linebacker Manti Te’o can help the Chargers offset the defection of Phillips.
Linebacker Melvin Ingram was supposed to ease the departure of Phillips, but suffered an ACL injury that could keep him out for most or all season. This may be a scenario where the Chargers will have to depend on defensive playmakers by committee to help them have a successful season this year.
Dennis has covered and written about politics, crime, race, sports, and entertainment. Dennis currently covers the NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA, and Olympic sports. Dennis is the editor of News4usonline.com and serves as the publisher of the Compton Bulletin newspaper. He earned a journalism degree from Howard University. Email Dennis at dfreeman@news4usonline.com
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