Chargers preseason takeaways: Easton Stick struggles again

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Easton Stick was again given the first half to prove himself as the Chargers’ backup to injured quarterback Justin Herbert. While his performance improved over the preseason opener, it fell short of expectations in Saturday’s 13-9 loss against the Rams at SoFi Stadium.

Here are some key takeaways from the Chargers’ loss:

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Stick vs. Perez

Chargers quarterback Easton Stick, left, passes the ball during the first half Saturday.

Stick completed eight of 13 passes for 85 yards, but his play was marred by overthrown balls and costly turnovers — a fumbled snap at the one-yard line and a red-zone interception.

He did flash his athleticism, rushing five times for 22 yards, the bulk of which came from 12 yards on a designed run.

Luis Perez took over in the second half, completing 13 of 20 passes for 78 yards and leading a field-goal drive. Perez looked more comfortable in the pocket than in his preseason debut and found success connecting on short passes. Despite this, he fumbled while being sacked.

For coach Jim Harbaugh, Stick’s performance represented progress from the previous week. Harbaugh highlighted the offense’s ability to move the ball, string together plays and convert first downs. He emphasized, however, that the Chargers need to focus on scoring points and capitalizing on possessions.

Stick will start the Chargers’ preseason finale against the Dallas Cowboys, Harbaugh said.

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Costly errors

Coach Jim Harbaugh leads his Chargers onto the field.

How many ways can a team sabotage itself? The Chargers tried to answer that question in the first half.

Costly errors and turnovers turned promising drives into setbacks. Stick’s goal-line fumble in the second quarter came after a 13-play, 49-yard drive.

“It’s on me,” Stick said about the fumble. “It was a good snap. It hit my hands, and I dropped it.”

The following series, the Chargers squandered a promising drive, highlighted by a 22-yard catch and run by Simi Fehoko. Under pressure from the left side, Stick threw an errant pass intended for Fehoko, which was intercepted by Rams cornerback Jaylen McCollough.

On their next possession, the Chargers moved into scoring position again when Stick connected with Fehoko on a 30-yard pass to the Rams’ 24. But after three carries by running back Elijah Dotson, the drive was derailed by a false start on offensive tackle Foster Sarell, forcing the Chargers to settle for a 37-yard field goal.

“Those are the things you can’t do,” Harbaugh said. “We have to focus on the details and control the things we can control in all phases — offense, defense and special teams.”

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Vidal’s welcome to the NFL

Chargers running back Kimani Vidal, top, tries to avoid a tackle by Rams defensive back Tre Tomlinson on Saturday.

After battling injuries for much of camp, sixth-round rookie running back Kimani Vidal made the most of his preseason debut.

Though Jarrett Patterson started, Vidal entered early in the first quarter and quickly became the focal point of the rushing attack. Vidal broke off a 13-yard run on his first carry, followed by an eight-yard run in which he showcased his physicality by crashing into a defender. He finished as the game’s leading rusher with 49 yards in 11 carries and added two catches.

“Getting a little contact and being able to break tackles felt really good,” Vidal said.

Saturday’s game was confirmation that he belongs in the NFL, Vidal said. Harbaugh singled him out after the game, noting that Vidal’s vision and elusiveness stood out.

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Dicker the Kicker

Cameron Dicker is off to a strong start as he looks to build on his impressive first full season with the Chargers, when he was among the league leaders in field-goal percentage (93.9) and was perfect on extra-point attempts (22 for 22).

After nailing a 58-yard field goal last week, Dicker demonstrated his range and accuracy, connecting on kicks from 55, 37 and 27 yards to account for all of the Chargers’ points.