The Chargers finished the preseason 1-2 after a 20-18 loss to the Rams on Thursday night.
Here's what to take away from the game, which was the final opportunity for players on the roster bubble to prove they deserve a place on the 53-man roster.
Greg Desrosiers Jr. makes his case
Desrosiers was the story of the night, finishing with 9 carries for 118 yards and a 34-yard touchdown on Thursday. It was by far his strongest performance, putting him firmly in the mix for RB4 with Amar Johnson and Jaret Patterson. That title likely does not come with a roster spot - the Chargers have Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell, and Kimani Vidal, plus Alec Ingold at fullback - but Desrosiers might force LA to keep two running backs on the practice squad. Patterson did not play on Thursday. Johnson had
37 yards on 7 carries, all of which came in the second and third quarters.
QB2 battle
DJ Uiagalelei outplayed Trey Lance on Thursday, looking more comfortable throwing the ball and moving the offense, albeit against players further down the Rams' depth chart. But Uiagalelei also took three straight sacks, the first of which was nullified by an offsides call, the last of which resulted in a fumble that lost the Chargers the game. That's not the kind of final impression you want to leave in a competition where Lance has played the first half in all three games. It looks more like the Chargers will be monitoring the external quarterback market this weekend and trying to keep Uiagalelei on the practice squad than keeping either of their options as the primary backup to Justin Herbert.
Special teams woes
Cameron Dicker appeared to tweak something on the opening kickoff of the game, as punter JK Scott took the remainder of kickoffs on Thursday. Dicker came out for one other play, a 49-yard field goal at the end of the first half that slid wide right. He has now missed a kick in all three weeks of the preseason. The Chargers went for 2 after scoring a touchdown in the second half and had Scott taking practice kicks with Dicker holding late in the game to prepare for a potential game-winner as well. Scott did not have a good day punting the ball, with two kicks of 20 and 33 yards, respectively, among his three punts on the night. His roster spot feels the most tenuous it's ever been despite the Chargers not having another punter on the roster.
Glimpses of first-team offense
Justin Herbert uncorking a deep ball to Quentin Johnston in the first quarter was a welcome reminder of what the Chargers offense could look like once the starters take the helm in Week 1. Not only have fans not seen Herbert launch a ball downfield to an open receiver like that in seemingly forever, but Johnston easily made the catch and walked into the end zone. If the vibes remain high early in the year, that deep shot may be the lasting memory of the catalyst, and for now serves as an appetizer of sorts as Chargers fans continue to get excited about the Mike McDaniel offense.
Run defense stands tall
When the starting unit was mixed in on defense, the run defense looked mighty capable. Linebacker Daiyan Henley knifed through the line to stop Jordan Waters for a loss of 2, forcing the Rams to settle for a field goal after Herbert fumbled a handoff with Omarion Hampton. On the next drive, rookie defensive tackle Nick Barrett and second-year linebacker Marlowe Wax stuffed Waters for no gain inside the 5-yard line. The Rams went for it on fourth and 1, but safety Tony Jefferson came off the edge to wrap Waters around the ankles and force a turnover on downs. It was a healthy showing for the Chargers, who held the Rams to an average of 3.8 yards a carry on the night as a whole.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers vs. Rams preseason Week 3: 5 takeaways from LA's loss
