By Earl Heath | Contributing Sports Writer
The Los Angeles Chargers struggled in all three phases Thursday night, falling 41-17 to the San Francisco 49ers in a preseason matchup that exposed costly mistakes on offense, defense and special teams.
The Chargers managed just eight first downs and punted eight times. Their most explosive play came from Jacob Cowing, who returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown, helping the 49ers turn a frustrating night into a convincing victory.
“We got outplayed and we beat ourselves in all three phases,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “We have a lot of things to work on.”
Los Angeles, now 1-1 in the preseason, briefly made a push in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 20-9. Junior Colson intercepted a pass from San Francisco quarterback Adrian Martinez and returned it 16 yards for a touchdown. Cameron Dicker’s extra-point attempt went wide left, however.
Dicker later connected on a 21-yard field goal for the Chargers’ first offensive points of the game.
Herbert Gets Brief Look
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert played the opening series in his first preseason appearance. He completed one of two passes, connecting with Charlie Kolar for a 9-yard gain before Los Angeles went three-and-out.
The bulk of the quarterback duties then fell to Trey Lance. The former 49ers first-round pick completed 10 of 16 passes for 73 yards.
Late in the game, Jerand Bradley caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from DJ Uiagalelei. Evan Svoboda then connected with the Chargers’ defense on a 2-point conversion attempt, completing the scoring for Los Angeles.
Penalties Add to Chargers’ Problems
Penalties proved especially costly for Los Angeles. The Chargers were flagged seven times, with four penalties coming on offense.
Early in the second quarter, a 21-yard completion from Lance to Keaton Mitchell was erased by an illegal-formation penalty. An 18-yard pass to Oronde Gadsden was later negated by an illegal-shift call.
A 5-yard Lance run was also wiped out by an illegal-formation penalty, while a Kimani Vidal run was called back because of another illegal shift.
Those mental mistakes contributed to the Chargers’ inability to sustain drives.
Linebacker Competition Continues
The Chargers’ inside linebacker competition remains one of the areas to watch as the preseason winds down.
Daiyan Henley, Denzel Perryman and Troy Dye have emerged as the primary trio, leaving Junior Colson and Marlowe Wax competing for another roster spot.
Wax has continued to impress the coaching staff with his intensity and effort, the same qualities that helped him make the roster as an undrafted free agent last season.
Colson, meanwhile, is working his way back and will need to demonstrate his potential as an athletic linebacker capable of contributing in coverage. His performance against the Rams could be important as the Chargers make their final roster evaluations.
Injury Adds to Concerns
Chargers left tackle Branson Taylor suffered an injury during the second quarter and did not return.
The Chargers will close the preseason against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. The 49ers will travel to Las Vegas next Thursday for their final preseason game.