SAN DIEGO -- The two share lockers next to each other and are joined at the hip on the practice field.
With the San Diego Chargers losing defensive tackle Brandon Mebane for the season due to a torn biceps, his replacement Damion Square has been working as the Cal product's understudy and is ready to step into the starting role as San Diego's run-stuffing nose tackle.
"I'm sure that my teammates are confident that I will play at a high level, and I will," Square said. "It's unfortunate for my guy [Mebane]. I sit and pick his brain, and I just watch how he goes about being a professional every day.
"I've learned so much from the guy, and to not have a guy of his caliber on the sideline will be different. But I know he'll talk to me about my play, and our performance as a whole. It's a culture. We've built a culture in our room. We go out there and we bring the fight to whoever the opponent is."
The fourth-year pro out of the University of Alabama got a chance to show what he could do last year for the Chargers.
He began the 2015 season on the practice squad the first eight weeks, but was promoted to the active roster during the second half of last year. Square totaled six tackles, three quarterback hits and a fumble recovery, helping to solidify things up front for a San Diego defense that played better in the second half of last season.
Square missed the first four games of this season because he suspended without pay for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Square has played 82 defensive snaps this season, totaling two combined tackles.
However, Square won't be the only player on the defensive line called upon to fill the void left by Mebane, as others like Darius Philon and Tenny Palepoi will be asked to play inside.
"We all just have to play better," Palepoi said. "Brandon brought a lot of experience, a lot of knowledge and just that nastiness to the defensive line. So to not have him out there is a real big blow, but everybody has to pick up their play to fill the void of him not being there."
Another person who could benefit is Ryan Carrethers. A fifth-round selection by the Chargers in the 2014 draft, Carrethers has spent all season on the practice squad working against starting center Matt Slauson as a member of the scout squad defense and learning from an experienced nose tackle in Mebane.
Now, Carrethers said he's more prepared to contribute on game days if the Chargers sign him to the active roster.
"Working against the starting offensive line every day you can't help but get better," Carrethers said. "Hopefully I can transfer that as fast as I can."
Here's a closer look at the snap counts for the Chargers in their 31-24 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 10:
OFFENSE (Based on 77 snaps)
Quarterback -- Philip Rivers 77.
Running back -- Melvin Gordon 70, Kenneth Farrow 5, Derek Watt 6.
Wide receiver -- Tyrell Williams 73, Dontrelle Inman 71, Griff Whalen 55, Isaiah Burse 4.
Tight end -- Antonio Gates 58, Hunter Henry 26, Sean McGrath 10.
Offensive line -- Matt Slauson 77, D.J. Fluker 77, King Dunlap 77, Orlando Franklin 72, Joe Barksdale 58, Chris Hairston 19, Kenny Wiggins 7, Spencer Pulley 5.
Offensive analysis -- Rivers passed for 326 yards in the game, marking his 50th-career 300-yard game. ... Gordon had 132 yards of total offense against the Dolphins to raise his season yards from scrimmage total to 1,184 yards, becoming the 53rd player in franchise history to surpass 1,100 total yards from scrimmage in a season. ... Whalen's 55 snaps on offense was a season high. ... Watt's played 92 snaps on offense this season for an average of about nine plays a game.
DEFENSE (Based on 51 snaps)
Line -- Corey Liuget 36, Joey Bosa 35, Brandon Mebane 31, Tenny Palepoi 24, Damion Square 11, Darius Philon 10.
Linebacker -- Korey Toomer 50, Kyle Emanuel 48, Melvin Ingram 48, Tourek Williams 15, Chris Landrum 11, Jeremiah Attaochu 3, Joshua Perry 1.
Secondary -- Dwight Lowery 51, Casey Hayward 50, Adrian Phillips 47, Craig Mager 35, Brandon Flowers 35, Darrell Stuckey 7, Trevor Williams 7, Dexter McCoil 6.
Defensive analysis -- Toomer leads the team in forced fumbles with three. ... The Chargers 19 takeaways are good enough for No. 3 in the NFL. San Diego and the Philadelphia Eagles are the only teams in the NFL with at least one takeaway in every game this season. ... After totaling four sacks through his first three games, Bosa has been held without a sack the last three games.
