The Chargers Camp practice report is your one-stop shop for top plays, quotes, notes and more each day throughout the summer.
TOP PLAYS:
Philip Rivers threaded the needle deep to Keenan Allen for the touchdown during one-on-ones. Two plays later he lobbed a perfect rainbow in stride to Tyrell Williams for another score.
Geremy Davis had several highlight-reel grabs on the day while seeing time with the first team-offense. He also showed his ability as a blocker as he sprung Austin Ekeler for a big run. Ekeler broke a tackle on that same play with a vicious juke.
Uchenna Nwosu was a monster off the edge as he came across in blur to sack the QB. He followed that up shortly with another sack as he converged on the quarterback with Corey Liuget.
Brandon Mebane batted a ball down at the line of scrimmage to end a drive.
Mike Williams had a full-extension diving snare over the middle. He also added a sliding touchdown grab later in the day.
Jatavis Brown sniffed out a screen pass in the red zone.
Detrez Newsome broke through the line and then hit the turbo button his way to the end zone.
Patrick Afriyie wasn't fooled on a pitch play, bring the back down for a TFL.
Michael Davis had blanket coverage on Keenan Allen, breaking up a pass intended for KA13 in the end zone. A few plays later he broke up another pass in the end zone while guarding the boundary.
Artavis Scott rose high to haul in a pass over the middle.
Desmond King read the jet sweep to Travis Benjamin early, reacting quickly to bring him down for no gain.
Derwin James also had a strong play on a jet sweep, racing to the sideline to take down Artavis Scott for a minimal gain.
Geno Smith hit Sean Culkin in the end zone as the tight end came down with the ball despite tight coverage.
Nelson Spruce hauled in a contested catch during one-on-ones.
WHO IMPRESSED:
Ricky Henne's Take:
The Chargers' wide receiver corps is stacked, so it takes a really impressive day to stand out. Well, Geremy Davis had one hell of a day. A big-bodied receiver who split last year between the active roster and practice squad, the 26-year-old caught everything in sight. He caught two huge passes from Philip Rivers during the two-minute drill, including an impressive grab to put the Bolts at the goal line. Davis also had a diving grab during seven-on-sevens as well as a toe-tapping snare along the sideline. On defense, Michael Davis caught my eye, particularly when defending the end zone. Playing with the first-team, he had a pair of passes defensed to prevent the offense from scoring.
Hayley Elwood's Take:
We've spent so much time talking about the offense that it's time to give the defense a little love. Uchenna Nwosu had a great day on the field getting to the QB a number of times. Additionally, another linebacker that stood out was Jatavis Brown. He's been very active when on the field, and even Head Coach Anthony Lynn made a point to talk about him after practice. Now healthy again, I expect the JB we saw his rookie season to resurface in 2018.
Chris Hayre's Take:
There's something about Clemson wide receivers performing in Costa Mesa. Mike Williams' promising start to camp has been well-documented in this space; his former college teammate Artavis Scott, too, has put together a productive first week. Scott continued to build his resume in Monday's practice with a couple more impressive grabs. He's one of several players I'm intrigued to see in the team's first preseason game Saturday in Arizona.
ODDS AND ENDS:
Travis Benjamin, J.J. Jones, Artavis Scott and Nelson Spruce saw time at punt returner.
The Chargers hosted 40 athletes from Special Olympics Southern California.
Shawne Merriman was among the special guests in attendance.
BOLTS QUOTEBOOK:
"Defense is looking pretty salty against the run — it has been a big emphasis for us this year, and I can see the improvements." – Head Coach Anthony Lynn
"My plan was to lose some weight. I feel [that] the lighter I am, the faster I can play. Just working on my [man-to-man] techniques are things that I have been focusing on. [I'm] going in watching the film of one-on-ones every day and then coming out here and practicing a new technique every day." – CB Desmond King
"I kind of knew early on in free agency, and I definitely wanted to be back with how we finished last season. We all kind of had that sour taste in our mouths. We felt if we would have made the playoffs that we could have done something special. I think that's big motivation for us this year and I think we could be a special team this year if everyone stays focused." – G/T Michael Schofield
TOP PHOTOS:
Take a look through the top photos from Monday's practice as the Chargers continue into week two of camp.
Chargers Training Camp has kicked off!**Click here**for information on attending one of the several open practices between July 28 and August 23. To celebrate football being back, we're giving away two 2018 season tickets!**Click here**to enter for your chance to win.
