Practice Report: Tuesday AM

Posted Jun 19, 2012

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AM Practice Photo Gallery (Photos courtesy Dan Fields)

The San Diego Chargers began minicamp with a one hour walkthrough practice on Tuesday morning. Each of the three 20-minute drills allowed players and coaches to focus on small details which should carry over to better execution during a full practice and ultimately games.

Rich Bisaccia, assistant head coach - special teams coordinator, worked on proper formations and assignments for punts during the first 20 minutes of practice. Long snapper Mike Windt used a tennis ball on the snaps, yet another creative approach by Bisaccia that demands focus. If anyone failed to execute a snap to perfection, Bisaccia blew his whistle and the play was run again.

The offense and defense split up for the second period of practice. Defensive coordinator John Pagano took the defense to the west field while coach Norv Turner stayed on the east side with the offense. Both coaches ran through individual assignments for a series of plays based on various scenarios.

This period allowed potential third-string QB Jarrett Lee (undrafted free agent, LSU) to get in some needed snaps. Lee was relegated to observing through most of the OTA practices.

QB Philip Rivers appeared to have the most fun. With the defense working on the far field, the first-team offense provided a defensive look for the second and third-string offenses. Rivers lined up as a safety, twice he blitzed and reached the rookie quarterback with the ball still in his hands.

The team came together for the final segment of practice. Many of the same plays that were run in the previous period were run again.

The final eight minutes was dedicated to third-down situations.

Third-down defense will likely remain a focus throughout minicamp and into training camp. The Chargers defense allowed opponents to convert 96 of 195 opportunities last season. This has prompted Turner to make third-down defense a top-priority this offseason.