Corey Liuget
It’s taken awhile for him to grow up, but it sure looks as if he has arrived.
NFL preseason games are all about individual performances in matchups, not so much about the win or the loss.
Such the case yesterday in the Chargers (21-7) loss to the NFC-West power 49ers.
The storyline was more than just the (9-for-10) passing day of QB Philip Rivers, or the improvement on defense due to the return to health of Jarrett Johnson and Dwight Freeney.
No, the big story was the dominance of one player, at a very hard position to dominate, defensive end.
That was Corey Liuget’s calling card all over the field.
When it was 1st team vs-1st team, when it was the Bolts-Niners’ best going against each other, it was Liuget whom the spotlight shined on. In the first four possessions of the game, Liuget had 4-solo tackles, 2-quarterback pressures, 2-tackles behind the line of scrimmage, a forced fumble and a quarterback sack.
And he did it against the top two left side lineman the Niners have, Pro Bowler’s Joe Staley and Mike Iupati.
It has taken Liuget awhile to arrive. A lst round pick out of Illinois, he was undersized at 298 pounds on a 6-2 frame. He got overwhelmed by massive left tackles as a rookie. He played better in his second year, more explosive and was moved around from outside to inside on rushes. He was nicked up some but he always plays hard, and he started to make plays..
This preseason he looks like an experienced old hand, something to see after just two full seasons in the NFL trenches. I watch him off the ball and I see a quicker version of a pretty good pass rusher, Jared Allen, the longtime Chief-Viking defensive end.
He is for real; and he now may be the most important person on that defensive front. Just ask the Niners left side of the offensive line.
Liuget has been building towards this. It looks like he has arrived. You’ll find him in the backfield of opposing quarterbacks this year. Number 94-likely now Number 1-if the Chargers defense is going to have a good season.
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