Chargers-Cowboys: 5 things to watch
1 -- Malcom Floyd catch passes. The Chargers are intent on knocking off rust Floyd accrued last year while recovering from the Game 2 neck injury that ended his season. In spring practices open to the media, more passes went to him than any other receiver. Floyd, fresh-legged after the year off, has shredded defenders in training camp. He looks headed to a fine season if he can stay healthy.
2 -- Bolts defenders named Williams. With Brandon Flowers out, it's a chance for Steve Williams to combat Cowboys regulars. Fellow Class of 2013 Tom Telesco draftee Tourek Williams moved to strong-side linebacker in May, which means more work versus tight ends. Cagey Jason Witten and SDSU alum Gavin Escobar would be a good test.
3 -- Philip Rivers throw passes. Never take a franchise quarterback for granted, even in exhibitions. Rivers is coming off perhaps his best year of football. Along with leading the Chargers into the playoffs and pacing the NFL with a 69.5-percent completion rate, in the two-game postseason he compiled a 116.9 passer rating and had no turnovers, a career-first. The 32-year-old is having a sharp training camp.
4 --Fundamentals and flow. The last time the Chargers played, at Denver in the Division Playoff, they jumped offside too often. The same bugaboo also cost them in the loss at Miami. It's not too early to get it right. When the Chargers have the ball, watch the play clock to see if the offense is on track. Offensive coordinator Frank Reich and quarterbacks coach Nick Sirianni are new to their jobs. They want to get the play calls to Rivers fast.
5 -- Healthy Chargers. The Chargers employee you don't want to see is head trainer James Collins, because that probably would mean he's examining a player. If the Chargers play a sloppy game and lose but suffer no injuries, the night would be an overall success. Does anyone remember the Chargers won their 2012 exhibition opener? No, but they remember Ryan Mathews broke his collarbone.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/aug ... n-mathews/
I'm pumped for the opening preseason game. But typically I get tired of preseason real quickly since it's so meaningless and it just makes me even more eager for the regular season to start.
