COSTA MESA — Morgan Fox looked over at the Chargers’ sideline in the fourth quarter of their 22-16 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, more out of habit than anything else. There was no way he was coming out of the game, not with the Chargers down to only three healthy defensive linemen.
After Christian Covington (pectoral) and Otito Ogbonnia (knee) suffered possible season-ending injuries, Fox was one of only three defensive linemen healthy enough to play. Sebastian Joseph-Day and Breiden Fehoko were the others, and they weren’t getting breaks, either.
“It was fun,” Fox said Thursday. “It was definitely fun. You could just see everybody breathing heavily, but it was definitely fun. I think sometimes (you look to the sidelines for a substitution) out of habit, but then you realized, ‘Oh, we don’t have anyone over there.’”
The Chargers, who also lost Austin Johnson to a season-ending knee injury during their victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 6, moved earlier this week to add depth to the position by signing Tyeler Davison off the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad and David Moa to their own practice squad.
Fox, Joseph-Day and Fehoko are likely to form the Chargers’ defensive line against the AFC-leading Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night, with Davison rotating onto the field now and then. It won’t be an easy assignment for Davison, who has practiced but not played in a game this season.
Overall, the 29-year-old Davison has played 105 games during his NFL career with the Falcons and New Orleans Saints. He played with the Falcons for the past three seasons before joining the Browns this season.
“Just a smart guy and, obviously, with a lot of experience, a lot of starts in this league,” Chargers defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill said. “That’s what he brought to the table (in his first practice with the team Wednesday). We’re going to need him to be present this week. Hopefully, we can move the bodies around so we don’t get tired up front. It’s definitely going to be a challenge.
“We’re going to need Tyeler to step in and be ready to roll.”
WHAT ABOUT DERWIN?
Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. played his natural position against the 49ers on Sunday, but he moved around the field like a piece on a chessboard. He lined up as an edge rusher, as a linebacker and as a slot cornerback matched up against San Francisco’s Deebo Samuel.
Could the Chargers deploy him as a defensive lineman against the Chiefs?
Don’t rule it out.
“He wouldn’t blink an eye,” Hill said. “He would be up for the challenge. He always is.”
Hill referred to James as the heartbeat of the Chargers’ defense. Not only does James lead the Chargers with 85 tackles in nine games, but he also leads all NFL defensive backs in tackles. He’s also had five tackles for losses, including three sacks, and four quarterback hits this season.
“We know he’s the Alpha,” Hill said. “We know he sets the tone whether that’s in practice or in the meetings. It’s been similar to last year (using James in a number of positions and roles). We probably used him in different spots a little more (this season because of injuries).”
SUNDAY SETBACK
Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi defended his second-half play-calling against the 49ers, which included five consecutive running plays on first-and-10 situations in the third quarter. The Chargers were shut out in the second half, gaining only 52 total yards and recording just three first downs.
“They were playing a lot of shell (defensive coverage) in the second half, so we were trying to run it effectively against a light box, and we had a few good runs,” Lombardi said. “Any time that you don’t score points, you look back and wish that you called the plays that would have helped you score.”
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Asked if the Chargers should have called more play-action plays to loosen up the 49ers’ stingy run defense, which limited the ground game to a total of 51 yards and an average of 3.2 yards per carry, and keep them off balance, Lombardi said simply, “Yeah, sure. We should have done that.”
INJURY UPDATES
Wide receivers Keenan Allen (hamstring) and Mike Williams (ankle) ran pass routes Thursday during the portion of practice open to reporters, taking an additional step in their anticipated returns to the lineup. Their participation was limited during Wednesday’s practice.