Chargers rookie openly mocks 49ers defense after joint practice: ‘We tore them up’
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Chargers rookie openly mocks 49ers defense after joint practice: ‘We tore them up’
An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey, right, runs against San Francisco 49ers cornerback Jack Jones, Image 2 shows Chargers rookie Brenen Thompson mocked the 49ers after scoring two long touchdowns during a dominant joint practice: “We tore them up.”, Image 3 shows Omarion Hampton #8 of the Los Angeles Chargers is met head on by Malik Mustapha #6 of the San Francisco 49ers
"It was a lot of fun," Thompson said afterward. "We tore them up."
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Asked how many touchdowns the Chargers scored, Thompson added another jab.
"I lost count, honestly."
Chargers receiver Brenen Thompson makes a reception during a joint practice with the 49ers on Tuesday in El Segundo. Getty Images
Thompson may have lost track of the total, but he accounted for two of the scores.
The rookie caught a pair of touchdowns covering more than 50 yards, first beatingDeommodore Lenoirand Ji'Ayir Brown for a deep pass fromJustin Herbertbefore connecting with backupDJ Uiagaleleifor another long score.
Beyond that, Herbert repeatedly attackedSan Francisco's secondary, connecting with receivers downfield and exploiting breakdowns across the middle.Quentin Johnstonmade a one-handed catch along the sideline while Lenoir interfered with him, andLadd McConkeyrepeatedly escaped coverage for touchdowns.
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David Njokualso scored from about 60 yards after the 49ers apparently lost track of him during a coverage bust.
Chargers receiver Ladd McConkey runs past 49ers cornerback Jack Jones during a joint practice on Tuesday. AP Photo/Ryan Sun
The problems extended beyond the secondary.Omarion Hamptonran over Brown on one carry and powered through rookie linebacker Jaden Dugger on another.
San Francisco's pass rush provided one encouraging counterpoint.Osa Odighizuwagenerated four charted pressures, and several Chargers completions might not have survived game conditions because defenders cannot hit quarterbacks during joint practices.
The 49ers' offense fared little better. San Francisco failed to reach the end zone during the closing two-minute period, completing a difficult day on both sides of the ball.
Chargers running back Omarion Hampton is met head on by 49ers safety Malik Mustapha. Getty Images
"Honestly, I don't think it was our best day," quarterbackBrock Purdytold the San Francisco Chronicle. "Feel like fundamentals and stuff were just a little off and whatnot. … Just feel like we could have came out with a little bit more chip on our shoulder offensively."
"I thought we struggled a little bit in the move-the-ball periods," Shanahan said. "Didn't score in the two-minute [drill]. So there were some ups and downs, but I didn't really like how we finished today."
San Francisco will have an opportunity to respond when the teams meet in Thursday night's preseason game.
