Here’s why the Chargers’ special teams might be better

As a seasoned cornerback, Chris Harris Jr. welcomed much h2o breaks successful grooming campy this summer, but helium was besides pleased to spot peculiar teams walk much clip connected the field.

Harris and the remainder of the Chargers’ apical players connected discourtesy and defence had galore “hydration periods” portion peculiar teams players worked connected the “core four,” which includes kickoff, footwear return, punt and punt return.

It was a welcomed show for Harris due to the fact that the Chargers were the worst peculiar teams portion successful the NFL past season, according to astir analytics websites.

The blunders connected peculiar teams outgo the Chargers’ aggregate games and led to changeless ridicule connected societal media, particularly successful the losses against the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots.

“Of course, we request it,” Harris said astir the other clip spent connected peculiar teams this grooming camp. “I don’t deliberation we fared excessively good past twelvemonth connected peculiar teams, truthful that’s thing that Coach (Brandon Staley) has enactment a large accent on, and each of the players, to effort to get america backmost up there.

“We can’t expect to person a bully squad and beryllium successful the 30s (league ranking) connected peculiar teams. We conscionable can’t. That conscionable doesn’t happen.”

Staley and peculiar teams coordinator Derius Swinton weren’t with the Chargers past play erstwhile 10 oregon 12 players were connected the tract connected aggregate occasions for peculiar teams plays. They weren’t astir for the blocked punts oregon the returned touchdowns oregon the galore penalties connected peculiar teams.

But Swinton watched each azygous peculiar teams play from the disastrous play aft Staley hired him to beryllium the coordinator of the unit. Swinton did his evaluations and ne'er brought up past season’s mistakes.

“I can’t truly interest astir past year,” Swinton said. “We interest astir today. We absorption connected the things that we absorption on. We don’t speech astir thing successful the past. What’s contiguous and however bash I get better? That’s truly what it is.”

Swinton was astir apt the Chargers’ loudest and astir energetic manager successful grooming camp. He threw footballs astatine kickers to simulate blocked punts and field-goal attempts.

“Situational football,” Swinton said. “You can’t presume guys know. If a footwear is blocked and it goes crossed the enactment of scrimmage, what bash we do? Do we request to spell get connected it? If it goes down the enactment of scrimmage, we privation to scoop and score. If they spell retired into a fake, however bash we screen it down? Trying to enactment these guys into miniature situations, truthful that erstwhile we get to the large game, it’s, ‘Oh, I’ve done this before. I person recall.’

“That’s what you spot each day, immoderate benignant of situational football, whether it’s two-minute (drill) and we’re acceptable to footwear it determination – we’re trying to get that present and determination successful practice, conscionable truthful that erstwhile we get into the moment, it’s, ‘I’ve been determination before.’”

Swinton was elaborate successful practices, but helium was besides demanding. When the Chargers struggled successful punt sum versus the Rams successful the preseason opener, helium hammered the value of having productive gunners the pursuing practice.

He shouted for each subordinate competing astatine gunner and had them tally successful a nonstop ellipse astatine punt returners until they executed to his standards.

Swinton besides had unfastened competitions astatine galore positions, including kicker, punter, agelong snapper, punt returner, footwear returner and gunners.

Tristan Vizcaino’s beardown limb edged retired Michael Badgley astatine kicker. Ty Long showed improvements to clasp the punter position. Veteran agelong snapper Matt Overton took vantage of his opportunities aft Cole Mazza was sidelined with a enarthrosis injury.

Nearly a twelve players competed for punt and footwear returner, and the aforesaid tin beryllium said astir the 2 gunner positions. Wide receiver K.J. Hill is successful the driver’s spot to beryllium the punt returner, and he’s successful the premix for the footwear returner opening with information Nasir Adderley and moving backs Justin Jackson and Larry Rountree III.

If cornerback Ryan Smith is healthy, he’ll apt beryllium astatine 1 of the gunner spots. Smith was activated from the COVID-19 reserve list, but is besides dealing with a halfway musculus injury.

Staley raved astir fullback Gabe Nabers arsenic a peculiar teams contributor and claimed antiaircraft backmost Trey Marshall disconnected waivers from the Denver Broncos due to the fact that of his accumulation connected peculiar teams.

“I deliberation that we’ve truly spent a ton of clip connected that successful the last, I would say, 10 days,” Staley said astir finalizing their peculiar teams lineups. “Out determination successful the walk-through, I deliberation that we person a overmuch clearer representation of who those halfway 4 peculiar teams guys are going to be. Then, the radical that aren’t going to beryllium halfway four, what are those 2 jobs that they’re going to do? I deliberation that we’ve spent a batch of clip doing that.

“A large portion of impacting peculiar teams is getting the close radical successful the close seats. I deliberation that we’re person to being determination aft this archetypal 53 (roster).”

Although grooming campy is over, players are inactive competing for peculiar teams positions, but Swinton’s absorption was to person the peculiar teams players prepared for immoderate script if their names are called.

One scenario: Swinton has been distant from the squad the past week to beryllium with his household for the commencement of his son.

Swinton apt was capable to bask his clip with household due to the fact that of the mentation helium and his peculiar teams players enactment successful the summer.

Now the Chargers are a week distant from having to execute connected peculiar teams erstwhile the games number successful the regular season.