The Los Angeles Chargers host their cross-town rival Los Angeles Rams today, giving each team an opportunity to compete against outside competition. Here are five Chargers players on the offensive side of the football fans should keep an eye on today.
Easton Stick's pressure-to-sack rate
Easton Stick's 2023 pressure-to-sack rate of 22.6 percent was 10th-worst among 45 NFL quarterbacks with at least 150 passing attempts. For reference, Justin Herbert's was 15.6 percent, 11th-best in the league. Stick struggled mightily with avoiding sacks and holding onto the ball too long, which led to him being sacked 14 times and fumbling five times in just a little over four games.
The statistic and how Stick plays is already intriguing enough given he has a new (and hopefully improved) offensive system around him. Greg Roman and Jim Harbaugh are a great quarterback-friendly pairing that should help push Stick to becoming one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league. Today, the backup becomes the starter as Herbert is sidelined with a foot injury for about another two weeks. All eyes are on Stick as he has to lead the starting offense against a ferocious Rams defensive line.
Zion Johnson vs Braden Fiske's quick-twitch rush
Zion Johnson, particularly after this offseason, looks and plays like one of the strongest men on the team. Rams' second-round selection Braden Fiske could give Johnson problems as a hyper-athletic, quick-twitch rusher who can win with his first step and be deployed from a variety of starting points.
This year will be the first time Johnson will be playing the same spot he started at the previous season, having flipped from tackle to guard to different sides of the line every year since he got to Boston College in 2019. That consistency, as well as the dynamic coaching brain trust of Harbaugh, offensive line coach Mike Devlin, assistant offensive line coach Nick Hardwick, and coaching intern Mike Iupati, should finally let Johnson play fast and smart. Playing well against one of the most athletic defensive tackle prospects of all time would boost his confidence ahead of the regular season.
Joe Alt vs Jared Verse's power rush
The battle of first-round selections is arguably the most exciting one-on-one battle of training camp. Joe Alt was a more technically refined prospect but will need time to work through playing at right tackle. Jared Verse is naturally very powerful and fast, making him a very difficult draw for someone who has to do a bit more thinking switching sides on the offensive line.
Fortunately for Alt, he's been dealing with Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, and Bud Dupree every day in practice.
DJ Chark winning vertically
Time for DJ Chark to take another step forward in winning the trust of the organization, his quarterbacks, and fans. Chark has been on a tear to start training camp, but facing defensive backs from a different team will be more challenging. Showing off his trademark speed and vertical separation in a mock "live" setting against NFL competition would indicate he is past his injuries and ready to explode with Herbert at quarterback.
Quentin Johnston rebounding from a rough week
It was tempting to putt Ladd McConkey here, but Quentin Johnston has by far more questions to answer after a rollercoaster training camp. The former first-round pick has had over a dozen catches through almost two weeks of training camp, yet the focus has justifiably been on his drops in the worst moments. Media members do seem to buy that Johnston is running better routes and creating more separation. Will that hold up against the Rams' defensive backs? If it does, will it matter, or will Johnston continue to have mental lapses trying to catch the football?
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