The Los Angeles Chargers put their top cornerback, Asante Samuel Jr. on injured/reserve days ahead of their game against the Denver Broncos. A day before, starting nickel back Ja’Sir Taylor was ruled out of the game. And that wasn’t all. Kristian Fulton and Deane Leonard were listed as questionable with injuries. Fulton played about half the defensive snaps and Leonard was downgraded to ‘out’ early in the first half.
The result was the Chargers trotting out with a cornerback starting lineup made up of two late-round rookies, Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still, and a hobbled Fulton.
Chargers Rookies Move Into Starting Roles Due To Injury
Previously to this game, Hart had played four snaps on defense, and Still played his career’s first defensive snaps against the Kansas City Chiefs as Taylor missed that game as well. In that game, he was exclusively in the slot, but this week he moved to the outside, and Derwin James a season-high playing 23 snaps in the slot to help support the secondary.
This is generally a recipe for disaster, but disaster was averted against the Broncos. The Chargers defense held Bo Nix to 216 yards passing and forced a completion percentage of 57.6. The secondary created the game’s only interception when safety Elijah Molden picked off Nix on the Broncos’ first drive.
That passing stat line would have looked better, but by the second half the Chargers were up by 23 and they were forced to abandon the run. If you subtract the scrambles the Broncos ran the ball just three times in the second half, compared to nine in the first.
Even when they went to a super aggressive passing attack, the secondary forced Nix to hold the ball too long. Five of Nix’s six scrambles came after halftime.
The Broncos tested Still and did so deep. His defensive average depth of target was over 25 yards. Nix was able to connect on three of five targets when Still was in coverage. Still gave up 55 yards and a touchdown, but an admirable effort for a guy playing his first snaps as an outside corner.
On the other side, Hart wasn’t targeted once despite playing on every defensive play of the game.
They will face a greater challenge next week in Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrinson Jr and the Arizona Cardinals next, a more explosive offense to say the least. Hopefully, they will get Taylor and Fulton ahead of that game. Samuel will miss at least three more games.
