5 Things to Watch in the Chargers' Second Preseason Game vs. Cowboys

Here are five things to watch for in the Chargers' second preseason contest vs. the Cowboys.

The Chargers have completed 16 days of training camp practices. Evaluations by the  coaching staff and front office personnel remains in progress as roster cuts have already began taking shape.

With another roster reduction set with a hard deadline of Tuesday, players will have another opportunity to prove their worth in the team's second preseason game against the Cowboys. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. PT at SoFi Stadium.

Here are five things to watch:

Right tackle battle remains a fluid situation

The starting right tackle position has been up for grabs since training camp begun. Trey Pipkins and Storm Norton have dueled it out each day – both sharing snaps with the first-team offense during the team period portion of practice.

Pipkins played the first two series in the preseason opener against the Rams last weekend and Norton came in for the following two drives. For their showing against the Rams, the productivity looked to deliver vastly similar results regardless who was in the game.

“My evaluation is that they are both much better football players than they were last season,” head coach Brandon Staley said this week. “That is a fact. Then, where that lies, in terms of the order, we’re not there yet to make a decision. They’re going to play in this football game (Saturday) and we’re going to continue to evaluate it until we feel like we’re ready. But I will tell you that both of them are improved football players.

This week the Chargers hosted the Cowboys for a two-day joint practice at Jack R. Hammett Sports Complex. During the 11-on-11 phase of practice with Dallas, Pipkins and Norton shared the reps at right tackle with the first unit. Similar to the preseason opener, neither of the two looked to outplay the other. 

In fact, both were roughed up by the Cowboys' pass-rush on the first of the two-day joint practice effort. This camp battle remains on-going, but the preseason contests should have a lot to do with who ultimately comes out on top.

Does separation for the second running back spot begin to crystallize?

Like right tackle, the primary backup running back spot is also up for grabs. Joshua Kelley, Isaiah Spiller and Larry Rountree are all in consideration for the role.

Kelley received the starting nod last week followed by a combination of Spiller and Rountree who came in after. 

Kelley totaled 28 yards from scrimmage on the first offensive series. He also broke a tackle on third and long to fight for the first down and keep the chains moving. He finished the contest with 44 scrimmage yards, posting a strong first outing.

Spiller topped the pack of rushers with 10 carries that went for 34 yards. He too had a quality outing in his first look into NFL action. Rountree had three carries for 8 yards.

Staley said for the second preseason game, Kelley, Spiller and Rountree will play in the first half and Leddie Brown and Kevin Marks Jr. will handle the second half.

From what the rushers have shown the last three and a half week of camp and through one preseason game, it appears to be a two-horse race between Kelley and Spiller for the second running back spot.

How the young defensive backs perform

The Chargers have a lot of youth in their secondary. They drafted safety JT Woods in the third-round and scooped up cornerbacks Ja'Sir Taylor and Deane Leonard in the final two rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Taylor didn't participate in any team period stuff on the second day of joint practice with the Cowboys due to a soft tissue injury. But Staley said there's still a chance he sees the field in the preseason game.

Woods and Leonard endured a rough preseason debut last week. While they were responsible for allowing sizable completions to the Rams offense, they weren’t blatantly beat in coverage with receivers blazing right by them. Instead, their miscues came from missed tackles or not being in the right position, such as being turned around while the ball is mid-flight.

"He's a work-in-progress, but there's a lot in his body," Staley said of Woods after his first preseason game. "He's a great guy. We're just going to stay on him about his physicality, his tackling, making sure he's taking good angles."

These are two players still learning the Chargers' defensive scheme but also trying to get acclimated to the speed of the NFL game and everything that comes with it. Certainly, an improved outing would go a long way for their confidence moving forward.

Can Joe Reed and Michael Bandy build on their preseason Week 1 game?

Joe Reed and Michael Bandy, two players who offer contributions in the receiving game and on special teams, were standouts in the first preseason contest. 

Reed caught four passes for 61 yards and one touchdown. He also had three kick returns go for a total of 60 yards (20 yards per return average). Bandy logged seven grabs for 73 yards – both of which were team-highs – and one touchdown. He also had one punt return for five yards.

Reed and Bandy have both delivered strong camps and that has translated into the preseason. However, the Chargers depth at wide receiver is particularly deep, making it difficult for these two players to crack the roster.

But if they continue to stack performances such as last week, the Chargers might not have a choice but to keep an extra receiver who also offers the ability to serve as the deep man on special teams.

"We're really going to try and take a long look at him on special teams and see if he can carve a role for himself on offense," Staley said of Reed after his game against the Rams. "He's improved a lot as a player. He works extremely hard. Coming off the injury last year, I think he's had just a great mindset in terms of coming back and really being the best version of himself."

Do Michael Davis and Asante Samuel see action again?

Michael Davis and Asante Samuel both played in the preseason opener, which was a bit surprising given that these two players figure to be major contributors in the regular season.

But Staley said this week that they're competing for a spot at outside cornerback. Over the last week, Davis has taken more reps with the first-team defense than he was at the start of camp.

The Chargers have voiced their confidence in Samuel since his arrival last season, and he's proven to be a starting-caliber cornerback. But the coaching staff has also said they wanted fierce competition all throughout the roster. It's a good thing when players are having to look over their shoulder because another quality player is right behind them on the depth chart, and that's what’s going on here between Samuel and Davis.

Regardless of how it shakes out among the pecking order in the cornerback room, Samuel and Davis are both expected to play pivotal roles this season.

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• Chargers Training Camp Observations: Offensive Line Gets Tested vs. Cowboys in Joint Practice, Derwin James' Historic Contract and Other Notes From Day 15
• Chargers and Cowboys Joint Practice Preview: What Players, Coaches Are Aiming to Achieve Over the Next Two Days
• Chargers Sign S Derwin James to Record-Breaking Contract Extension

Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Charger Report. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickCothrel for more Chargers coverage.