Justin Herbert’s four-play stint provided a tidy summary of what was to follow as the Chargers dropped a 20-18 decision Thursday night to the Rams in their preseason finale at SoFi Stadium. Herbert completed two of three passes, including a 75-yard touchdown, and fumbled once.
The Chargers formally ended their training camp with a mixed bag in dropping to 1-2 in their three preseason games. Herbert showed his human side when the ball slipped from his grasp as he turned to hand the ball to running back Omarion Hampton on the second play of the game.
Herbert’s 75-yard pass to a streaking Quentin Johnston was one of the game’s offensive highlights for the Chargers. Here’s what else we learned, what we heard and what comes next as the Chargers get set for cutdown day Sunday, when rosters must be trimmed to 53 players:
HITS AND MISSES
Aside from Herbert’s very short appearance over the first two possessions, there was some solid quarterbacking from backup DJ Uiagalelei, who completed 11 of 18 passes for 141 yards and also directed one drive that yielded a touchdown and another that set up a field goal.
Coach Jim Harbaugh said earlier in the week that the offensive and defensive starters would play between six and nine snaps before making way for the second- and third-string players on the depth chart, some of whom were likely making their final appearances in powder blue and gold.
“I can’t think of anybody that I’m going to tell their football lives are over,” Harbaugh said. “I just don’t believe that. I can’t think of one guy I would say that to, you know? I’m going to try to put myself in their shoes and try to give them some great advice on what to do next.”
Uiagalelei might be one of them, although he was more productive than Trey Lance while playing the final series of the first half plus the entire second half. Lance misfired on both of his passing attempts and scrambled for 22 yards on four carries after replacing Herbert in the first quarter.
Lance has been expected to win the backup battle over Uiagalelei, as he did last season. But there might be a change after Uiagalelei played with poise and efficiency, especially in directing the Chargers to a three-play, 65-yard drive that ended with running back Greg Desrosiers’ 34-yard TD run.
Desrosiers, an undrafted rookie from the University of Memphis who wasn’t expected to make the Chargers’ 53-man roster going into the game, rushed for a team-leading 118 yards on nine carries, all in the second half. He broke tackles and used his speed to pick up yardage.
“At the end of the day, they’re going to have a big decision,” he said of the Chargers’ pending roster cuts, “and my job was to make it hard for them.”
MISSES AND HITS
Uiagalelei threw a two-point conversion pass to tight end Evan Svoboda that pulled the Chargers to within 20-18 with 12:52 remaining. The former St. John Bosco High star couldn’t complete the comeback, though, as he was hit and fumbled the ball at his own 48-yard line with 42 seconds left.
Had the Chargers moved into field-goal position, punter JK Scott would have filled in for kicker Cameron Dicker, who was dealing with an unspecified injury suffered earlier in the game, according to Harbaugh. Scott would have attempted a late field goal with Dicker holding.
“They’re always kind of fooling around that way, kicking, punting, kicking off,” Harbaugh said of Scott, Dicker and long snapper Josh Harris, who have played together since the 2022 season. “I see him (Dicker) snapping sometimes. But, yeah, that’s what we were going to do.”
Avery Smith, a rookie cornerback, had a fourth-quarter interception called back for defensive pass interference against the Rams’ Tyler Scott. It would have given the Chargers possession deep in Rams territory with 12:05 remaining, with a chance to take the lead.
STAT(S) OF THE GAME
The Chargers held a 7-3 lead by the end of the first quarter despite having a meager 55 seconds with the football. The Rams dominated time of possession throughout the first half, 21:43 to 8:17. It never evened out, and the Rams still led by game’s end by 36:21 to 23:39.
WHAT COMES NEXT
When the Chargers return to the practice field Monday of Week 0, it will be with only 53 players as they prepare for the start of the regular season. They also can establish a practice squad Monday of up to 16 players. Their season-opening game is Sept. 13 against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.