ESPN's Steve Levy and NFL Network's Omar Ruiz were guests on the latest edition of Chargers Weekly to preview Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders on "Monday Night Football."
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Full video episodes are available on Chargers.com and the team's official YouTube channel. Ruiz joins the podcast at 29:11. Levy's interview starts at 45:37.
Highlights from the conversation with Levy are below:
Impressions of the Chargers after last Sunday's road win over the Chiefs:
"I think it's a league, as you guys know, of sort of baby steps. So maybe Herbert doesn't do that a year ago but now he's ready for it. So, a full season of OTAs, the full experience of last year. Not really preseason action, but being in camp – a real camp – and then maybe you're ready to go.
"And listen, it speaks also to the other talent around him I think, and Coach Staley. Coach Staley's got some confidence. Those were some gutty play calls, some gutty decision making down the stretch. But I think we're starting to see it come together. The head coach and the quarterback in step, in agreement, 'How do you want to handle this?' And Staley's showing confidence not just in his quarterback, but in the entire offense that they can make a play there.
"... The Chargers have always been [to me] a fun team. It's the uniforms, it's the high scoring, it's the offense. It's the old AFL, the old AFC – that kind of thing – and that's what makes this cool with the Raiders, too. But the Chargers are one of the stories of the league early on, and that's Herbert. And that's Staley, too."
On Derwin James and Joey Bosa:
"I think with James and Bosa, obviously great talent. We saw James in college and you could just see he was just a different guy. But he falls in line with Bosa in this great talent, superstar potential, and can they stay healthy?
"... I think that's the only question really for both James and Bosa. If they can stay healthy, there's no question they are defensive superstars around the league and the league needs more defensive stars. We're all about the offense. Everyone knows Aaron Donald's name. … Jalen Ramsey, those kind of defensive stars. There aren't that many household name defensive stars, and I think obviously both [Bosa brothers] have that opportunity. Derwin James, just a stud back there."
Take a look at the best photos from the Bolts Saturday practice at Hoag Performance Center.
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