Break Down the Box Score: Seahawks at Chargers (Preseason)

I didn't get to watch last night's San Diego Chargers preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. I was busy and I have DirecTV (I did, as I do every few days, double check to make sure I still don't get KFMB).

I watched Twitter breathlessly when I started getting texts about Philip Rivers' leaving the field with a trainer, and I was aware of when the game ended, and I later saw the beautiful TD catch-and-run by Branden Oliver. However, outside of that, I haven't a clue what went on.

I will watch the game tonight, when the replay of it is shown on NFL Network (likely with some action cut out for time), but until that time I thought it might be fun to look through the box score and try to see if anything stands out. I'm going to call this "Break Down the Box Score" (or BDBS) and maybe it'll become a fun weekly experiment if it turns out alright.

(Yes, I know I'm showing my age a little bit here, but I grew up checking the box scores in the Sports section of the newspaper every morning. I love box scores, and I'm obsessed with trying to figure out just how much of the game you can figure out by reading through them.)

Box Score Notes:

• Well, Russell Wilson played like shit. Less than 50% passes completed and 3.7 yards per pass attempt? Yikes. Either his receivers are that bad, or Jason Verrett and Brandon Flowers are that good.
• Rivers obviously got knocked around a bit, getting sacked twice, but still completed a high percentage of his passes and put up 140 yards. Not bad.
• Kellen Clemens had great numbers, which would throw me normally, but I know it's because of that 70 yard TD catch that should be credited to Branden Oliver alone.
• Sorensen played terrible. He's not making this team, nor should he.
• Christine Michael might be my favorite preseason running back in the league, and it looks like he had another fine game (including a 29 yard run).
• Between the poor performance of Wilson and Marshawn Lynch, I wonder who started on the defensive line (specifically, at Nose Tackle). I'll have to look for it tonight. They were obviously holding their ground.
• Another night of poor stats for Melvin Gordon. Take out his longest run of 8 yards and he got 26 yards on 13 carries (exactly (2.0 YPC). He really should start the season as a backup and get worked into the offense a little more each week.
• Branden Oliver = BOss.
• According to the ESPN box score, a Carolina Panthers LB named D.J. Smith had a 20 yard carry for the Chargers, which seems odd. I'll have to look for that.
• Seriously, though, how did Dreamius Smith get a 20 yard carry and then not touch the ball again? Was Frank Reich high? Like, really high? I thought the preseason was the land of "That was impressive, let's see if you can do it again." Maybe it was the last play of the game or something...
• Okay, now I'm going through the play-by-play. Dreamius Smith runs up the middle for 20 yards on 1st and 10. That's not easy to do. The next three plays are incomplete passes (!) and then Smith gets taken out for Jahwan Edwards. What the heck? Smith must've gotten injured, or perhaps he morphed into a Carolina Panthers linebacker.
• Jimmy Graham: 2 catches on 5 targets without Manti Te'o or Eric Weddle in the game. That's some solid work by the remaining Inside Linebackers and Safeties.
• Looks like Stevie Johnson finally had that game Chargers fans have been waiting for.
• MY BOY DAVID PAULSON! I like him a lot even though he won't make the team. Happy to see he caught a few passes.
• Austin Pettis not really doing much, but that also doing mean much.
• Hey, an 18 yard catch for Ladarius Green! That's fun! "Good job, Not Gates" is probably what Coach Mike McCoy said to him, afterward.
• Nick Dzubnar is my pick for guy that ends on the practice squad Week 1 and somehow is a regular contributor on Special Teams by Week 10. Looks like he had a solid game.
• Kyle Emanuel sack! That kid is a damn star. I am 100% on board with however often the coaches want to use him this year and years after.
• Crap, I just jinxed Kyle Emanuel, didn't I?
• Looks like Jahleel Addae and Jimmy Wilson both played well, which is about what I expected.
• Wait, Nick Novak made a 52 yard kick and got more FG attempts than Josh Lambo? What?
• I hope Mike Scifres' groin is alright.

Sounds like a pretty entertaining game. I guess I'll find out tonight.

Thanks for reading!