Preseason football is finally here, and the Los Angeles Chargers showed up and made a statement in their preseason opener.
It came in a convincing win on Thursday night over the Houston Texans, as the Chargers earned a 27-7 victory in a game where the second half was a dominant performance by Los Angeles.
After leading just 10-7 at halftime, the Chargers controlled the game from there, holding the Houston offense scoreless throughout the second half and over the final three quarters overall.
With Justin Herbert not playing, backup quarterback Trey Lance got the start and looked solid. He did have one interception, and taking care of the football is something Lance has struggled with at times over the course of his career, but he ultimately finished 12-of-20 for 164 yards.
It wasn’t a perfect night for Lance, but the Chargers offense was able to move the ball consistently. He orchestrated multiple productive drives and got plenty of help from running back Amar Johnson, who was one of the biggest standouts of the night.
Johnson scored a pair of rushing touchdowns and finished with six carries for 17 yards, but did even more damage as a receiver. He caught two passes for 68 yards, including a 55-yard catch and run that was one of the biggest offensive plays of the game. Overall, Johnson was simply a dynamo when given opportunities and certainly put some good things on film.
Cameron Dicker also did his thing, putting points on the board with his leg, while late in the game DJ Uiagalelei took over at quarterback and made the most of his opportunity. He finished an efficient 5-of-7 passing for 88 yards and a touchdown as the Chargers continued to pull away.
It was also a strong night for the Los Angeles defense, which forced turnovers and continually gave the offense opportunities to capitalize. Houston scored its only touchdown in the opening quarter and wasn’t able to generate much of anything offensively from that point forward.
And while it’s just a preseason opener and the result itself doesn’t necessarily matter, the individual performances were encouraging.
Several players proved they could potentially help this team, especially in depth roles. The Chargers primarily have their starters set in stone, but injuries are inevitable throughout an NFL season, and some of the guys who produced on Thursday night could eventually be called upon in meaningful situations.
There’s still plenty to clean up and plenty more to evaluate over the remainder of the preseason, but this was about as promising of an opening performance as Chargers fans could have asked for.