The Chargers returned to preseason action with a big 27-13 win over New Orleans at SoFi Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Here are five players who stood out against the Saints:
OLB Caleb Murphy
It’s been hard to miss Murphy through the Bolts first two preseason games.
The 25-year-old outside linebacker has been making splash play after splash play in training camp so far and that held true in Sunday’s preseason game against the Saints.
Murphy filled up the stat sheet with three total tackles, 2.0 sacks, two quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
“I felt really proud of myself,” Murphy said. “You go out there, you work hard and whatever you put at practice tends to show up in the games. That’s all I want to do.”
But if you ask Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, he saw this coming for Murphy because of how he’s been performing and told the team such pregame.
Oh, and he counted three sacks, not two.
“I don’t know what the stat sheet said but I gave him three sacks,” Harbaugh said postgame. “He had a heck of a game.”
Harbaugh later added: “He’s making a good case [for the 53-man roster]. He’s been making it in practice as well. Really happy for his success. I could see it coming. Humility prevents me from saying I predicted that but the facts are that I did.”
Murphy’s first big play of the game was a strip sack early in the second quarter on quarterback Spencer Rattler that was recovered by Justin Eboigbe and set up the first Chargers points of the day. He later added another sack on the Saints next drive.
Even for as strong of a case he’s making for the 53-man roster so far, Murphy said that isn’t at the top of his mind.
He just wants to continue performing the way he has as he feels like things are heading in the right direction for him.
“Nah, that’s not my job. My job is to come out here and perform,” Murphy said. “Just do my job to the best of my ability and that’s that.”
He later added: “Definitely feels like things are clicking [for me].”
Source link
