Chargers vs. 49ers preseason Week 2: 5 takeaways from LA's loss

The Chargers dropped their second preseason game on Thursday, falling to the 49ers by a final score of 41-17. Justin Herbert and the starting offense played one series, in which they went three-and-out, and the starting defense technically played one series as well, albeit without Khalil Mack, Derwin James Jr., or first-round pick Akheem Mesidor.

Here's what to take away from the game.

It's becoming increasingly apparent this preseason that the Chargers have a problem behind Justin Herbert. Neither Trey Lance nor DJ Uiagalelei were impressive on Thursday, combining for 17-of-31 passing for 153 yards and a touchdown, which Uiagalelei was credited with after receiver Jerand Bradley was not touched down and jogged into the end zone. Lance did rip off a 37-yard scramble, which accounted for more than half of LA's rushing yards on the night, but neither player looks capable of holding up for long if Herbert has to miss time. Then again, for a team like LA, things will go sideways if Herbert is hurt anyway, so it remains to be seen if the Chargers will address this hole on their roster or if they'll keep the status quo.

Undrafted rookie Avery Smith had his second standout game in a row as he competes with Nikko Reed and Eric Rogers for the last spot in the cornerback room. Smith tied for the team lead with 6 tackles, which included another ferocious run stop at the line of scrimmage, and was sticky in coverage even if San Francisco completed more passes on him than Houston did last week. But his fellow undrafted rookie Rodney Shelley is pushing the envelope, too, breaking up two passes and logging four tackles as he looks to put his name in that competition. Smith did incur a holding penalty in the end zone on fourth-and-goal, and Shelley was around the ball a lot on Thursday because he was frequently targeted, so both still have room to improve, but their stock has to be pointing up after their performances.

If you take out Gregory Desrosiers' 4 carries for 21 yards, all of which came late in the fourth quarter when San Francisco led 41-9, Chargers running backs combined for 10 yards on 13 carries on Thursday. Omarion Hampton lost a yard on his only carry, a toss play to the right. Keaton Mitchell lost a yard on his three carries. Kimani Vidal churned 6 yards in 4 tries. Amar Johnson lost a yard on two carries after scoring twice last week. Jaret Patterson was the least ineffective of the bunch, racking up 7 yards on 3 attempts. Part of that falls on run blocking, which was spottier than it was last week, but it also seemed like LA's running backs were trying to stretch plays rather than look for cutback lanes at times.

What a moment for Colson, who jumped an Adrian Martinez pass in the third quarter and returned it 16 yards for a touchdown, by far the most impactful play he's made in a Chargers uniform. The 2024 third-round pick has struggled with health since being drafted, so making a play like that was pleasant to see even if it came late in a preseason game. Marlowe Wax, Colson's main competition to make the roster, had already left the game by the time Colson scored, but maybe his timing on that play puts him on an upward trajectory and gives him a fighting chance to keep his spot on the team against the Rams next week.

Carter has been a surprising player in two preseason games for the Chargers, to the point where he's closing in on the EDGE5 battle between Kyle Kennard and Nadame Tucker. Kennard did not play on Thursday due to injury, while Tucker had an unblocked pressure and committed a facemask penalty on a play where he got into the backfield against the run. Carter showed some nice flashes as a pass rusher, however, and was one of the few Chargers who seemed to be playing to the whistle as the game got more and more lopsided. Regarded as a bit of a throwaway signing earlier this summer because Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, and Akheem Mesidor were not expected to see much preseason action, Carter is proving he's somebody potentially worth keeping around.

This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers vs. 49ers preseason Week 2: 5 takeaways from LA's loss