Welcome to Part 6 of our 2022 positional recaps, a series that will run through the next few weeks and highlight all 10 Chargers position groups. We'll focus on key stats, big moments and look ahead to the 2023 season.
The Bolts defensive interior looked quite different coming into the season.
In an effort to revamp the group, the Chargers made a couple of moves in free agency including signing Sebastian Joseph-Day, Austin Johnson and Morgan Fox. As the year went on, the unit found itself drastically changing due to injuries, but a next-man-up mentality pushed them through the season.
Joseph-Day led the charge on the interior, as his first year with the Bolts saw him start 16 games. He led the group in tackles and was a consistent anchor in the middle of the line. Above all, however, he was also one of the leaders of the team. Joseph-Day was named one of eight team captains, as he was one of the more vocal leaders of a defensive group that went through adversity throughout the season.
Fox, who was brought in a couple weeks after the 2022 NFL Draft, became another important piece of the D-line as his versatility to line up in different positions became valuable for the Chargers. Fox set a career-high in sacks (6.5) and logged the second-most snaps among the group. He became even more important as the group suffered injuries.
"All of these guys that we've on boarded on this team in free agency … they've helped us," Chargers Head Coach Brandon Staley said about all their free agent acquisitions after their Week 17 win over the Rams. "They've helped us significantly, from their performance, and then adding the type of leadership and that type of toughness — the intangibles — that our team needed to be as good as it can be."
Johnson, another offseason addition, was one of those injuries during the year. He suffered a knee injury in Week 9 that would keep him out for the rest of the season. Christian Covington, Otito Ogbonnia and Joe Gaziano were also lost in the second half of the season, as the injuries started to pile up in the interior.
Given the injuries and other roster moves, this opened the door for Breiden Fehoko, who took advantage of the opportunity and was a key member of the defensive line down the stretch of the season. Fehoko logged a career-high in defensive snaps (279) and made the most of his opportunity. Christopher Hinton, David Moa and Tyeler Davison saw action for the Bolts in the second half of the season.
Take a look at the best photos from the Chargers 2022 campaign through the lens of team photographer, Mike Nowak, manager of photography, Ty Nowell, seasonal photographer, Mackenzie Hudson, and gameday photographer, Noel Vasquez.
WELCOME TO WEEK 1 - After not playing all preseason, here's a very fired up Keenan Allen celebrating with fans after a big catch in Week 1 vs. the Las Vegas Raiders. This overhead angle, taken from Level 6, really gives you perspective as a fan in the stands. - Noel Vasquez/Los Angeles Chargers
FOR THE WIN - The Raiders had a chance to take the lead toward the end of the game, but a familiar face, Khalil Mack, forced a fumble on QB Derek Carr on fourth down to ice the win for his home team. Mack finished with 3.0 sacks that game, and his teammate, Drue Tranquill was doing his best Notre Dame 'Touchdown Jesus' pose after the play. - Mike Nowak/Los Angeles Chargers
NEW ERA, SAME MIKE - Week 2 featured the Chargers vs. Chiefs on the first-ever Thursday Night Football game on Prime Video. One thing that wasn't new? Mike Williams' crazy one-handed catches. Just look at the concentration on his face to steadily corral the ball and get his body inbounds. This touchdown reception set the record for the most-ever by a visiting player at Arrowhead Stadium. - Mike Nowak/Los Angeles Chargers
10 GETS BACK TO .500 - Here's Justin Herbert walking off with a win in Week 4 over the Houston Texans which got the team back to 2-2. The contrast here shows the fans peeking over the railing to get a glimpse of the Bolts' QB, but before he heads off into the dark tunnel, he acknowledges their presence and reciprocates the greeting. - Mike Nowak/Los Angeles Chargers
GRIT - Here's a field-level shot of Derwin James single-handedly taking down Browns RB Nick Chubb. Both players are esteemed at their respective positions so naturally, the field dirt stands no chance when they combine forces. You get a clear view of just how much dirt gets kicked up on this tackle. - Mike Nowak/Los Angeles Chargers
A SIGHT OF SOFI STADIUM - This remote camera was perched to give the high-angle effect of a full view of SoFi Stadium during pregame introductions. Notice the bolt overhang in the foreground which frames the shot nicely. On the field, you can see TE Gerald Everett running onto the field before the Week 6 MNF game vs. the Denver Broncos. Look up, and you'll see the forward facing shot on the Infinity Screen. - Mike Nowak/Los Angeles Chargers
THE ROOKIE STEPS UP - Another shot from the same Week 6 Monday Night Football game that went into overtime. What was a tough, hard-fought battle all game was finally cracked open with just under five minutes remaining after Ja'Sir Taylor made a heads up special teams play to force a muffed punt. Another rookie, Deane Leonard, recovered the ball to give possession back to the Chargers offense to set up a game-winning drive. - Mike Nowak/Los Angeles Chargers
HEROIC HOPKINS - Here's a close up view of kicker Dustin Hopkins' game-winning field goal in Week 6. Hopkins injured his hamstring mid-game and at one point was deemed questionable to return. He went 4-for-4 on field goals, including this game winner. Check out the pain in his face as he boots this through the uprights. - Mackenzie Hudson/Los Angeles Chargers
VIEWS - The navy uniforms add a different color-element when the team dons them once a season and paired with this gold facemask, you can see the contrast. You can also see a reflection of SoFi Stadium on the visor as the team got ready for the Week 7 game vs. Seattle. - Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers
DICKER RISES UP - The Bolts are no strangers to changes at kicker and Cameron Dicker was the team's third of the season. Here he is being carried off the field by Derwin James and Amen Ogbongbemiga after nailing a 37-yard field goal to get the win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9. - Mike Nowak/Los Angeles Chargers
REFLECTION - With no Mike Williams and no Keenan Allen, wide receiver DeAndre Carter was tasked with stepping up in a big way in Week 10. Here he is taking a moment for himself before the Sunday Night Football matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, centered in solitude surrounded by a crowded stadium. He went on to lead the receivers with four catches for 64 yards and a touchdown he scored on the team's first drive. - Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers
DERWIN GOES UP! - Derwin James' athletic prowess was on display in Week 12 after he snatched this pass intended for DeAndre Hopkins. You can't help but notice how Derwin's uniform stands out against the Cardinals' red sideline. - Mike Nowak/Los Angeles Chargers
TWO SIDES TO EVERY PLAY - Here's the aftermath of Austin Ekeler scoring a touchdown with 15 seconds remaining in regulation in Week 12. Pair Ekeler's enthusiasm with Isaiah Simmons' despair and it's a reminder how every play tells two stories. The Bolts successfully made a two-point conversion after this TD to improve to 6-5 and get the team back on track. - Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers
TOE TAPPIN' - As good as Mike Williams' catches are, so too is his ability to always get his feet inbounds to complete the play. Here's another example on a touchdown in Week 14 vs. the Dolphins. No. 81 came alive that night catching all six passes thrown his way for 116 yards and a score, helping his team get the W in primetime and start their push for the postseason. - Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers
FULLY LOADED FIRST DOWN - Through his three years in the league, Justin Herbert has kept it pretty cool, calm, and collected on the field. That changed for a moment in Week 14 when the QB ran for a first down on 3rd-and-8 with just over five minutes to play. He then stood up and gave the definitive first down motion. The play made Chargers fans harken back to when Philip Rivers did a similar celebration in the playoffs against the Baltimore Ravens showing even QBs can get in on the fun every once in a while. - Noel Vasquez/Los Angeles Chargers
A SPIKE to 7 WINS - After the 23-17 victory over Miami, Herbert was given a game ball by the Sunday Night Football crew. Here's a peek into the locker room as No. 10 emphatically spiked the ball in celebration of the victory and gave us another glimpse at the emotions that come with wins, especially, wins that mean more in mid-December. - Mike Nowak/Los Angeles Chargers
SMOKE & SHADOWS - The tunnel is always a great place to shoot given the fact that we add a lot of different elements for pregame introductions. Here we have Mike Williams, in the royal blue uniform, standing in front of the fan with smoke permeating throughout the shot. The colors contrast well despite this being an afternoon game. - Mike Nowak/Los Angeles Chargers
WHO ELSE? MIKE WILLIAMS - The Week 15 Titans game was another hard-fought battle. After Tennessee tied the game with :48 seconds remaining, Justin Herbert, on the run, connected with Mike Williams - of course - for a gain of 35. Here's No. 81 in the process of going to the ground towards the end of the play. He's merely levitating above the field turf at SoFi Stadium. Three plays later, Cameron Dicker kicked the Bolts to another win and an 8-6 record. - Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers
A CLINCH FOR CHRISTMAS - After being 6-6 at one point during the season, the Chargers rallied and had an opportunity to clinch a postseason berth in Week 16 vs. the Colts. Clinched they did after a dominating 20-3 performance. The game came a day after Christmas giving the team the best gift they could ask for. - Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers
LOV3 FOR DAMAR - Week 18 was a reminder that life is bigger than football after what happened to Buffalo's Damar Hamlin the previous Monday night. After kickoff, Derwin James and Russell Wilson, two players and team captains who don No. 3, the same number Hamlin wears, met in the middle of the field to express support and love for the Bills safety. - Mike Nowak/Los Angeles Chargers
PALMER GOES A MILE HIGH - Just look at the hops from Joshua Palmer as he hauled in a two-point conversion in Week 18's game vs. the Broncos. We see guys leap up all the time, but it's always amazing when you see how a photo can capture just how high up they get in the moment. - Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers
WELCOME TO THE WILD CARD - The Chargers were back in the playoffs for the first time since 2018 as they went to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars. Here's the pregame setup as Sebastian Joseph-Day's hands mimic the fireworks on display. - Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers
Notable Number
Joseph-Day made himself a force on the interior. He finished the regular season with nine tackles for loss, which was tied for second-most in the AFC among interior defensive lineman. Joseph-Day also tied for the most tackles for loss in a season by a Chargers interior defensive lineman since at least 2008.
Memorable Moment
The Chargers headed into Week 16 needing a win to secure their first playoff berth since 2018, and the defense came to play.
The Bolts sacked Colts quarterback Nick Foles a total of seven times on the road. Fox led the way that night in Indianapolis with a team-leading 2.0 sacks — both coming in the second half. Like he had done throughout the year, Fox made his presence felt against opposing offenses.
Both of his sacks came on first down and made it harder for the Colts to put together a consistent drive. Week 16 was just another dominant performance on defense, a trend that continued throughout the final stretch of the year.
Fox and the rest of the defensive line shined in primetime, as the win secured the Bolts their first playoff berth in four years.
Regular-Season Statistics
Sebastian Joseph-Day
Recorded 56 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery; made 16 starts and played a career-high 702 defensive snaps (67.05 percent).
Morgan Fox
Recorded 38 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, a career-high 6.5 sacks and 11 QB hits; made 12 starts and played a career-high 576 defensive snaps (55.01 percent).
Austin Johnson
Recorded 22 total tackles, three tackles for loss, three QB hits and a pass defended; made eight starts and played 286 defensive snaps (27.32 percent).
Breiden Fehoko
Recorded 23 total tackles and one tackle for loss; appeared in nine games (three starts) and played 279 defensive snaps (26.65 percent).
Otito Ogbonnia
Recorded 14 total tackles and one tackle for loss; appeared in seven games (one start) and played 138 defensive snaps (13.18 percent) in his rookie season.
Christian Covington
Recorded 12 total tackles and one tackle for loss; appeared in four games and played 124 defensive snaps (11.84 percent).
Joe Gaziano
Recorded eight total tackles, 1.0 sack, one tackle for loss and one QB hit; appeared in five games and played 114 defensive snaps (10.89 percent).
Christopher Hinton
Recorded three total tackles and one QB hit; appeared in four games and played 66 defensive snaps (6.3 percent).
David Moa
Recorded two total tackles; appeared in two games and played 38 defensive snaps (3.63 percent).
Tyeler Davison
Recorded one total tackle; appeared in six games and played 34 defensive snaps (3.25 percent).
Jerry Tillery
Recorded eight tackles, 1.0 sack and two QB hits; appeared in seven games and played 190 defensive snaps (18.15 percent) for the Bolts.
Take a look back at some of the best Chargers photos in monochrome from the 2022 season
2 Questions for 2023
1. Can this group build off a strong finish?
The first half of the 2022 season was filled with ups and downs for this group, both in terms of on-field production and movement in and out of the lineup.
But the group picked up their play down the stretch, including a four-game stretch in December in which the run defense was shored up a bit.
It was tough to get a full read of this group given the moving parts, but a healthy unit in 2023 should look to start the season the same way they played during a playoff push in 2022.
2. Will the Chargers address this position in the early rounds of the draft?
Other than Ogbonnia, the Chargers defensive interior featured a mostly veteran group.
But with mock draft season starting to ramp up, some pundits can see the Chargers getting a bit younger at this position.
ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr., had the Bolts going with USC's defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu in the first round of his most-recent mock draft.
Even if the Bolts don't take an interior defensive lineman on Day 1, it's worth a watch to see if they do so in the first three rounds.
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