The Chargers delivered a comprehensive 27-7 victory over the Houston Texans in their preseason opener on Thursday night at Reliant Stadium in the debuts of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel and defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary, offering glimpses of what could be when the regular season starts.
Here’s what we learned in a game the Chargers dominated on both sides of the ball after the Texans scored their lone touchdown on their opening offensive possession while playing very few starters, showcasing their superior depth in the first of their three preseason contests:
HITS AND MISSES
Quarterback Trey Lance played the first half plus one second-half series and was sharp when he had time to throw and survey the field but less so when he tried to force passes into coverage. It was just what Lance has shown during training camp and, indeed, his tenure with the Chargers.
Lance completed 12 of 20 passes for 164 yards with one interception that derailed a promising drive in the closing moments of the first half. He also scrambled three times for 27 yards, including one run from the pocket that netted a 15-yard gain, showing off one of his best skills.
DJ Uiagalelei took over with the Chargers leading 13-7 in the third quarter, and he completed six of nine passes for 120 yards and one touchdown, a 3-yard strike to Devonte Ross. He also kept alive the competition to become Justin Herbert’s backup when the regular season starts Sept. 13.
Herbert and C.J. Stroud, his Texans’ counterpart, watched from their respective sidelines. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said earlier this week that Herbert was likely to play at least one series and perhaps more in upcoming preseason games on Aug. 20 against the San Francisco 49ers and Aug. 27 against the Rams at SoFi Stadium.
Running back Amar Johnson scored touchdowns on runs of 1 and 7 yards and caught two passes, including a 55-yard catch-and-run down the sideline that set up his 1-yard scoring run. He also ran for a 2-point conversion that gave the Chargers a 21-7 lead in the fourth quarter.
“He looked like he had some burst and some speed,” Harbaugh told reporters in Houston of Johnson, who played two games and had two carries for 8 yards last season with the Chargers. “He’s got that in him, and it was good to see him show that tonight.”
Cameron Dicker kicked field goals of 34 and 48 yards, but he missed an extra-point attempt that would have made it 28-7. JK Scott punted only three times in the game, averaging 49.3 yards, with a 56-yard boot in the first quarter, after the Chargers’ second possession stalled.
Linebacker Emany Johnson led the Chargers with six tackles, including one for a loss, and safety RJ Mickens and linebacker Junior Colson each had five. Colson was playing in a game for the first time since undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery during last year’s training camp.
Rookie safety Genesis Smith, a fourth-round draft pick out of Arizona, was penalized early in the game for pass interference, an obvious call. But on the next play he made a superb breakup of a pass from Houston quarterback Davis Mills, nearly making an interception.
Safety Myles Purchase forced Mills to fumble on a drop-back and Lander Barton recovered in Texans’ territory after the ball landed in his hands after it pinballed off of several players. The turnover set up Uiagalelei’s touchdown pass to Ross, a rollout to the left and a dart into the back of the end zone.
The Chargers’ defense held the Texans to 98 yards passing and 111 yards rushing. Mills was 9 for 15 for 82 yards with one touchdown, a 5-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Jared Wayne that gave Houston an all-too-brief 7-3 lead with 3:51 remaining in the first quarter.
O-LINE ALIGNMENT
The makeup of the Chargers’ offensive line seemed to change on almost every possession, but it started out this way in front of Lance to open the game: Travis Burke was at left tackle, Branson Taylor was at left guard, Jake Slaughter was at center, Kayode Awosika was at right guard and Logan Taylor was at right tackle.
Burke, Slaughter and Logan Taylor are rookies and Branson Taylor is a second-year player. They gave Lance plenty of protection on the opening drive, which produced the first of Dicker’s two field goals, a 34-yard kick that gave the Chargers a 3-0 lead with 9:37 left in the first quarter.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
The Chargers return to the practice field on Saturday to prepare to play host to the 49ers next week. Their preseason finale is Aug. 27 against the Rams, and rosters must be trimmed to an NFL-mandated 53 players by Aug. 30. The regular season begins Sept. 13 against the Arizona Cardinals.