Chargers-Saints Winners/Losers
But for now, we're enjoying his brilliance while it's still in Los Angeles.
Here are three winners and two losers from Sunday's preseason victory!
Winners
CB Eric Rogers
After fellow UDFA rookies Nikko Reed and Myles Purchase popped off in the Hall of Fame Game with an interception apiece, Eric Rogers went out against the Saints with something to prove. In arguably the best defensive performance by anyone on Sunday, Rogers picked off two different Saints quarterbacks and returned one for a 43-yard touchdown.
Unfortunately the night did not end well for Rogers who wound up injured on a kickoff and had to be helped off the field by trainers. In the locker room after the game, Rogers was seen using crutches while receiving his well-deserved game ball from head coach Jim Harbaugh.
EDGE Caleb Murphy
Murphy has been on a hot streak through the first two preseason games for the Chargers.
He began the Hall of Fame Game by assisting on the tackle that forced a turnover on the opening kickoff against the Lions and then followed up on Sunday with two sacks and nearly had a third one against the Saints. Being a menace in two of the three phases of football is a quick way to earn yourself a spot on the final 53-man roster and Murphy may have just sealed that outcome with two preseason games left this month.
RB Raheim Sanders
After an injury kept him out of training camp early, including sidelining him during the Hall of Fame Game, Sanders enjoyed a very strong first impression with his 42-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Saints on Sunday.
As the game went on, Sanders and Haskins were the two main backs for the Chargers after Kimani Vidal started the outing. Haskins also ran strong, but it was Sanders who found the end zone when he baited the New Orleans safeties up the middle before bouncing to his right and beating everyone to the pylon.
I'm fully expecting the Chargers to keep four true running backs on the roster, in addition to Scott Matlock if they continue that experiment for another full season. Haskins will make the team due to his special teams contributions which means it's up to Sanders or Vidal to win that final spot.
Right now, I think those two are pretty close to each other with two preseason games to go.
Losers
RB Kimani Vidal
Vidal got the start but did not end up playing all that much throughout the night. With a two-score lead held by the Chargers for most of the day, this was a good opportunity for the young backs to get more playing time. However, Vidal only earned six carries (tied third on the team with Haskins) and managed just 16 yards (2.7 average).
Unless Vidal already has that last spot locked up, it did not make a ton of sense for him to lose out on snaps to both Haskins and Sanders. For that reason, I think Vidal is losing some ground to the aforementioned Sanders.
QB Taylor Heinicke
Heinicke did not play in the Hall of Fame Game in order for the coaching staff to get an extended look at Trey Lance. This past Sunday, Heinicke got the start but turned in a very porous 1-of-5 passing stat line for just eight yards with multiple passes sailing high and away from his targets. He did have one great pass to KeAndre Lambert-Smith over the middle on the opening drive but the rookie receiver dropped it.
Due to his starting experience, I don't know if he's actually losing much ground to Lance. Mainly because Harbaugh may not want to bet the farm on Herbert staying healthy all season long and having the team's playoff hopes resting on Lance's inexperienced shoulders come Week 18. Heinicke's resume may keep him safe in the end, but right now he is definitely not the second best passer on the Chargers.
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Yet the two touchdown throws really stand out as the type of plays that show Sanders' high ceiling as a passer with the anticipation he had and placements he made between defenders. Wooldridge, an undrafted free agent, completed nine of his 12 passes for the Patriots on Friday and was the team's leading passer with 132 yards. His three incompletions: a drop and two batted balls. Unless things go very wrong for New England, Wooldridge won't have much of a chance to play since he's firmly behind Drake Maye on the depth chart. But the zip on his throws and poise in the pocket against Washington will definitely make him a consideration to make the roster out of training camp if he keeps his arrow trending up. Henigan had the best PFF grade of any rookie passer in the first week of the preseason. He completed 11 of his 14 passes for 78 yards and managed to complete a crazy pass to avoid taking a sack with the help of running back LeQuint Allen. PFF also listed two of Henigan's plays as big-time throws, which were tied with Sanders for the lead among all rookie quarterbacks in Week 1 of the preseason. Dart was the rookie quarterback of the week to start the preseason. He was far from perfect, but he did a ton to show why he was worth the Giants' trade up into the first round to draft him. The most notable play of Dart's day was easily his 28-yard touchdown pass to Lil'Jordan Humphrey, executed with perfect touch to hit the receiver on the run despite having a defender crashing down on him. The rookie took a big hit after the throw but was fired up seeing the completion and touchdown. Dart's ability to avoid pressure despite occasional chaos in the pocket was what won him the weekend. The touches he added as a scrambler – his 24 rushing yards led the team – only added to his strong performance. 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