Winners and Losers From Chargers' Preseason Opener

Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei was pretty great Thursday night. The second-year play caller executed pretty well agianst Houston. Registering one touchdown and countless big plays, Uiagalelei surprised many people.

Uiagalelei can make the competition for the second-string quarterback very entertaining if he keeps up the momentum. We should anticipate more showings like this in future games.

Loser: Trey Lance

Trey Lance has been a reliable backup for Justin Herbert, but things might change soon. Lance did not play terrible, but expections were not exceeded, throwing a interception with no touchdowns and 160 passing yards. The athleticism and talent are there, Lance just did not reveal it tonight.

With DJ Uiagalelei right behind him in the competition for the backup position, Lance will have to manifest a couple big preseason performances.

Winner: Amar Johnson

Amar Johnson had himself an excellent performance. He recorded eight total touches, having 85 yards and two touchdowns. The back coming out of South Dakota State made a legit impact in the matchup. He exhibited elite running and receiving skills, showing he can be a multi-tool in the backfield

Johnson had the best performance of the night by far, making every play count. If he keeps this up, the competition in the running back room might get complicated.

Loser: Wide Receiver Depth

Besides Keandre Lambert-Smith and Brenen Thompson, no other wide receiver really showed anything special tonight. What was supposed to be a crowded room in terms of depth, seems to be wide open as of now.

Not one of those guys were bad in particular by any means, however none of them were exceptionally great. There were some nice catches and other plays by many of the players in the room. Would love to see some more production in the next game.

Winner: Chris O'Leary's Defense

Chris O'Leary and the Chargers defense really came to play tonight. The defense totaled two sacks, one forced fumble, seven points, and one interception. and only 209 total yards allowed. An excellent outing for the defense if you ask me.

Many analysts, fans, and others were skeptical about O'Leary after the departure of Jesse Minter. However what he displayed against the Texans was very impressive. It will be interesting to watch how his defense executes in the next couple of contests.