Chargers preseason takeaways: Easton Stick continues to struggle in loss to Rams

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

Here are some key lessons from the Chargers’ loss:

Stok vs Perez

Stick completed eight of 13 passes for 85 yards, but his game was marred by misfires and costly turnovers — a fumbled snap on the one-yard line and an interception in the red zone.

He showed off his athleticism by rushing five times for 22 yards, most of which came on a designed run of 12 yards.

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, finding 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 emphasized the offense’s ability to move the ball, string plays together and capitalize on first downs. However, he stressed that the Chargers need to focus on scoring points and capitalizing on possessions.

Stick will play in the Chargers’ final exhibition game against the Dallas Cowboys, Harbaugh said.

Costly mistakes

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

Costly mistakes 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 my fault,” Stick said of the fumble. “It was a good snap. It hit my hands and I dropped it.”

On the next 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 that was intercepted by Rams cornerback Jaylen McCollough.

Read more: Injured Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert finally kicks his protective gear

On their next possession, the Chargers got 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 by 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’ve got to focus on the details and control the things we can control in all phases — offense, defense and special teams.”

Vidal’s Welcome to the NFL

After struggling with injuries for much of training camp, rookie running back Kimani Vidal, a sixth-round pick, made the most of his pre-season 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 showed off his physical prowess by crashing into a defender. He finished as the game’s leading rusher with 49 yards in 11 carries and added two catches.

Read more: Luis Perez grew up a fan of the Chargers, who are now big fans of their new quarterback

“It felt really good to make a little bit of contact and be able to break tackles,” Vidal said.

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

Dicker the Kicker

Cameron Dicker is off to a strong start and will be looking to build on his impressive first full season with the Chargers, when he led the league in field-goal percentage (93.9) and was perfect on extra-point attempts (22-of-22).

After making a 58-yard field goal last week, Dicker showed off his reach and accuracy, scoring from 55, 37 and 27 yards to account for all of the Chargers’ points.

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.