The Los Angeles Chargers got off to a fast start in their preseason debut, racing out to a 7-3 lead behind the play of the first-team offense and defense. Unfortunately, things unraveled from that point forward.
Stat of the Game:
Philip Rivers was in vintage form in his lone drive, completing 5-of-6 attempts for 56 yards, one TD and a 145.1 passer rating.
Play of the Game:
Kellen Clemens fired a perfect rainbow downfield into the waiting arms of Travis Benjamin, who showed off his patented speed to take it 74 yards to the house.
Turning Point:
The Chargers saw their lead disappear once their starting units were done for the day. The offense scored a touchdown on their lone drive, and the defense limited Seattle to only a field goal on two possessions. However, the Bolts were outscored 45-10 the rest of the way.
Bolt Quotebook
"I thought we started the game well. I definitely didn't like the way the twos came in. We turned the ball over three times. We stopped playing Charger football. (One of the) things we emphasized all training camp and OTAs was turnovers, and we (turned it over) in the first half three times (and) in the game four times." – Head Coach Anthony Lynn
"Considering the way we started, obviously, no matter what the circumstances, you want to win the football game. I think that's the reason for preseason. To be able to go back to the drawing board, to see what you can do better. Next week, I guarantee you we're going to put a better foot forward." – Tight End Antonio Gates
"I thought the first-team offense did a good job. Going out there as a unit to score a touchdown, that's what we think we can do each time. *The sky is the limit for us." – Wide Receiver Travis Benjamin*
"We're going to go back (to the film room), clean up what we did and get back in the lab. We're going to come out ready to dominate. That's the whole mindset. Dominate."* – Defensive End Melvin Ingram*
Odds and Ends
The Chargers scored on their opening drive of the preseason for the third straight season.
Travis Benjamin led the Bolts with 89 receiving yards, and tied for the team lead with a pair of catches along with Sean Culkin, Isaiah Burse and Antonio Gates. His 89 receiving yards are the most in a preseason game by a Charger since Dontrelle Inman had 107 against Dallas in 2014.
Desmond King secured an interception in his first pro game.
Nigel Harris led the team with nine tackles.
Drew Kaser averaged 57.0 yards per punt with a net of 43.0 on a trio of attempts.
Josh Lambo booted a 53-yarder at the end of the first half. It was one-yard shy of his career high.
Denzel Perryman (ankle) and Jerry Attaochu (hamstring) suffered injuries in the first half and were ruled out the remainder of the game.
Brandon Mebane, Russell Okung, Dwight Lowery and Tyrell Williams served as captains for tonight's game.
