Chargers-Rams Game Recap: D.J. Uiagalelei, Greg DesRosiers Jr. lead inspired effort in loss
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The Chargers fell 20-18 to the Rams in a back-and-forth matchup inside SoFi Stadium.
Justin Herbert and the majority of the starters got four plays on the night, headlined by a 65-yard touchdown pass to Quentin Johnston.
The stars of the night for the Chargers were third-string quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei and running back Greg DesRosiers Jr. “DJU” led the team with 141 passing yards with a completed pass for a two-point conversion. DesRosiers took nine carries for a whopping 118 yards, including a bruising 34-yard touchdown run.
Defensively it was a fine day as the Chargers stood their ground on fourth downs several times, but otherwise got diced up by rookie Ty Simpson who completed 18-of-23 passes. The Rams offense has always looked to get the ball out fast which made it tough for the Chargers pass rush to make plays.
With the preseason now over, final cuts are next. The deadline to cut a roster down to 53 players is this Sunday (August 30th) by 4:00 p.m.
First Quarter
After receiving the opening kickoff, the Rams offense found early momentum with a nine-yard pass to CJ Daniels and a two-yard run by Jordan Waters to move the chains. The Chargers starters then allow just five yards on the next three plays to force the first punt of the game.
Justin Herbert and the Chargers offense got started with a nine-yard pass to Charlie Kolar who authored a similar play to begin last week’s game against the 49ers. Unfortunately the starters’ first drive of the game was cut short after Herbert fumbled a handoff to Omarion Hampton and the Rams recovered.
Chris O’Leary’s unit held strong after the sudden change and held the Rams to a short 27-yard field goal as they took the 3-0 lead.
The second Chargers drive of the game was also just two plays, but the end result was as far as you can get on the other side of the spectrum.
Herbert took the snap, faked a handoff right, and lofted a moonshot to Quentin Johnston who caught it in stride for a 65-yard touchdown.
Simpson took the Rams on a long 17-play drive before the end of the quarter, but the Chargers shut the door on fourth down near the goal line to keep points off the board. Linebacker Marlowe Wax and safety Tony Jefferson each authored big stops on third and fourth down.
Second Quarter
Trey Lance took over for Herbert to begin the second quarter but his opening drive of the night was a three-and-out. Punter JK Scott, who has had a rough preseason thus far, shanked his first punt of the night for only 20 yards. Simpson and the Rams quickly turned it into a five-play drive that ended in an 11-yard touchdown pass to wideout Brennan Presley.
The Chargers offense was more successful on their next drive as they went 10 plays and 50 yards without Lance needing to complete a pass. Unfortunately Lance was sacked on fourth down at the LAR 30-yard line which forced a turnover on downs.
Simpson continued to slice and dice the Chargers defense on another lengthy drive that stretched 13 plays and 61 yards before stalling in the red zone. Harrison Mevis came on again to bang home a 27-yarder to push their lead to 13-7.
With less than 30 seconds remaining in the half, D.J. Uiagalelei stepped in for Lance and immediately brought the Chargers downfield with a pair of throws that went 21 and 20 yards, respectively. With nine seconds left, Uiagalelei was sacked for six yards and Dicker came on to attempt a 49-yard field goal but he pushed it wide right.
Third Quarter
The third quarter was a fast one as both teams leaned on their run games throughout. The Chargers took the second half kickoff and put together a nine-play drive that only went 23 yards due to a facemask penalty on rookie offensive lineman Alex Harkey. Scott’s second punt of the night went just 33 yards, continuing his very poor preseason performance.
The Bolts held the Rams to another punt after a short six-play drive. UDFA running back Greg DesRosiers Jr. then put the team on his back with runs of 15 and 14 yards. After stalling just inside the red zone, Dicker came on and converted from 34 yards out to bring the Chargers within three points.
Fourth Quarter
Rams quarterback Mattew Caldwell helped march their offense down the field on a seven-play, 60-yard drive that spanned over the break. Caldwell capped it off with an eight-yard pass to running back Dean Connors which pushed their lead back to 10 points.
DesRosiers Jr. ripped off a huge 34-yard run touchdown run on the ensuing drive, breaking numerous tackles on the way. Uiagalelei then found tight end Evan Svoboda for the two-point conversion which brought the score to 20-18.
After a short drive ending in a punt for either team, the Rams found their offensive momentum again. Caldwell moved the Rams 44 yards in 12 plays but could not overcome an ill-timed penalty near midfield. Once backed up, the Rams turtled up and the Chargers stuffed several runs before they punted once more. Fortunately for the Rams, their punter pinned the Bolts all the way back to their one-yard line.
But did that matter to Uiagalelei? Apparently not.
DesRosiers started the drive with a three-yard run to create some breathing room. Then, Uiagalelei found wideout Liam Clifford for a gain of 13 before hitting Gary Jennings for 24 yards. With a fresh set of downs and facing a first-and-five at the Rams 40-yard line, things quickly evaporated.
Uiagalelei was sacked for six yards, despite looking as if he pitched the ball before the whistle. On the very next play, DJU was stripped from behind and the Rams recovered to snuff out the final comeback attempt.
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