The Chargers-Raiders season opener was called early after the Chargers jumped out to a 28-0 lead, before league officials called the game due to inclement weather. The Chargers will be awarded a week 1 victory. The game had been very sloppy up to that point, with 6 combined turnovers in just over a half of play.
Heading into the draft, the Chargers front office knew it would be a challenge to find the diamonds in a very rough draft class, particularly because their first pick was at the tail end of the first round. In what was clearly a Best Player Available draft for the Bolts, they took a unique DT/DE hybrid, DJ Mayer (6'5", 303 lbs, 21 years old) from LSU at #27. Mayer projects to be the kind of player that needs a year to develop behind the stars already on this DL (Cam Jordan, O'Connor, Jonathan Allen), but he's one of the fastest DTs in the league and has a ceiling as an Aaron-Donald-lite kind of interior pass rusher.
With their second first round pick, they landed a stud RB to backup MG3; RB Marcus Boyd (6'1", 213 lbs, 21 years old), also out of LSU is a little bit raw as a receiver, but extremely explosive with great vision. Boyd is a very similar style of player to MG3, in fact; pretty fast, elusive, and a decent power runner with a chance to develop that.
With two consecutive picks at the end of the 2nd round, the Chargers drafted ROLB Spenser Fatinikun (5'11", 255, 22) out of Georgia and WR Kedrick Benson (5'10", 173, 22) from Missouri. Fatinikun is extremely athletic and very good in coverage (particularly for a rookie LB), but will need time to develop into a run stuffer to fill out his skill-set. Benson was drafted to be an explosive, take-the-top-off guy, but he may not have quite enough speed to fill that role. As such, he projects as just another great routerunner on a team full of them. Like Boyd, Benson will also provide special teams value, as both are fantastic kick returners.
In the third round, the Chargers had only one pick, which they used on TE Ben Hernandez (6'6", 245, 22) from Rhode Island. Hernandez isn't quite as explosive as his infamous brother, but he will fit in very nicely as the TE2 on this team. He's a solid blocker and a good pass catcher, which is all they ask of their TEs. In a very deep TE class, the Chargers knew they'd have opportunities to land some talent, and waited until the end of the 3rd to pull the trigger, winding up with a very solid player.
The 4th round, once again, saw two Chargers draft picks. In the middle of the round, the picke dup interior OL Will Newberry (6'1", 311, 23) from Arizona State. Newberry was drafted as a C, but will likely start at LG for this team. Newberry is very proficient at both pass- and run-blocking without being exceptional at either, but is also an above-average athlete for an OL. Continuing to address the offensive line, they took LT Trevor Maddox at the tail end of the first. Maddox (6'6", 317, 23, Oklahoma) is an excellent pass blocker and may simply play as a swing tackle this year while he learns to improve his run blocking from an NFL coaching staff.
*The Chargers took another RB in the 5th round, but he was cut before the end of training camp.*
After the swing and miss in the 5th, the Bolts went back to defense; CB DeSean Briggs (6'1", 213, 22) from Michigan. Briggs is a little slow for a CB, but may be able to transition to playing S. He's an excellent coverage guy, but doesn't look for contact and as such, isn't a great tackler in space. Fortunately, he'll have plenty of time to develop, as this is arguably the best secondary in the league, and without a doubt, the best safety corps in the league. With their final pick in the draft, the Chargesr selected another offensive lineman; LG Carter Plummer (6'4", 305, 22) from Illinois State. Plummer is another excellent pass blocking specialist, so he'll have a chance to play in sub-packages potentially.
Once the draft ended, the Chargers also added a number of UDFA; C Quinn Cartwright, RG BJ Rainey, LT Reed Jarrett, LOLB AJ Canty, and ROLB Tyson Weeks. These guys all have solid potential, but project as practice squad filler this year. All in all, this Chargers roster doesn't look significantly different on the surface, which makes some sense as they attempt to get back to the Super Bowl this year.
With Free Agency completed, let's take stock of the Bolts recent roster moves: On offense, the "key" addition is FB Danny Vitale who will take over the utility role after Trumaine Edmunds walked. Vitale isn't the athlete that Edmunds is, but he's quick for a guy his size (6'1", 240) and very technically proficient compared to Edmunds, particularly as a blocker but is also a competent ball carrier/catcher. He'll help boost MG3's already fantastic rushing stats while bolstering an offensive line that was wildly inconsistent a year ago.
Moving to the defensive side if the ball, the Chargers were clearly focused on building front 7 depth. First, Olivier Vernon, who will be a utility defensive lineman, able to play as a run stuffing end with the ability to rush the passer as well, keeping Nwosu and Bosa fresh, while also displaying versatility to slot in at DT on passing downs, very much a veteran version of and mentor to Enoch Dean.
Next, the Chargers went and signed LB Travin Howard. They weren't exactly starting a bidding war for his services, signing him to a 3 year deal at the vet minimum. For whatever reason, Chargers execs LOVE this guy, telling us that getting him signed was the impetus to move on from superstar Bobby Wagner. Howard is very raw, but at 25, young enough to develop into a very solid player. He's very athletic, hits hard, isn't a complete liability in coverage, and works his ass off on the field.
Their final free agent move was the headline; former Saints star Cameron Jordan will take on a major role on the inside of the D-line, where he'll complement now-2nd-year stud, Samuel O'Connor (no relation to the recently hired OC). O'Connor finished his rookie year with a team-leading 13 sacks, and now he gets to line up on the interior with Cam Jordan instead of Jonathan Allen. Even at 32, Jordan was one of the most highly touted free agents available. Despite this, the Chargers locked him up to a 2 year, $27m contract with virtually no competition.
On to the draft, the Chargers will likely look to supplement their offense, but the front office is more than comfortable simply taking the Best Player Available every time they're on the clock. The most notable targets for this team are likely OL depth, a solid WR to work on both the outside and from the slot, a spell RB to take some of the burden off MG3, and perhaps some depth to fill out the defense.
Coming off another disappointing finish, the Chargers have made the decision to move on from Offensive Coordinator Ken Whisenhunt. In his second season with his superstar QB, Knorr and the offense took a serious step back; as a rookie, Knorr lit the league on fire, compiling 4112 yards and 41 TDs to 17 picks, plus another 260 yards and 3 TDs on the ground. In his second season, Knorr regressed significantly, to the tune of 3579 yards and 38 TDs (to 23 INTs; still a very good season, but not ideal) and 266 yards and 2 TDs rushing. Notably, not only did their young superstar regress, but the rest of the offense did as well under Whisenhunt; Keenan Allen was the only receiver to even sniff 1000 yards and was also the only player to top 40 receptions on the year. While this is largely attributable to Knorr's propensity for spreading the ball around, it's a little disappointing that Mike Williams (39/796/10), Hunter Henry (37/521/5), and Melvin Gordon (31/374/1) were so sparingly featured in the passing game this year.
Despite the massive step back from the passing game, a marginally improved offensive line did wonders for Melvin Gordon on the ground, as he ran past, over, and around defenses on his way to 1691 yards and 13 TDs on the year. Rookie power back Ben Vinson was expected to pick up a good chunk of the backfield's workload with Austin Ekeler leaving in free agency, but that never really materialized, as Vinson finished his rookie year with a paltry 47 yards and a score on 15 carries.
Of course, this offensive (relative) ineptitude was even more frustrating than it otherwise would be because of the incredible effort this defense put on the field every week, en route to the best run D in the modern era. Newly hired Jason O'Connor will hope to turn around the offense; in his first statement as a member of the Chargesr JOC stressed the importance of maintaining continuity with a young QB, while also expressing his excitement to add new wrinkles to an offense that is already very talented. If O'Connor can get the passing game to the heights they reached during Knorr's rookie year, the sky is the limit for this team. JOC was very clear that his priority for the offense is improved line play, and that everything else will fall in behind them.
As for Jason's background, his most recent job was as the offensive coordinator at Penn State, where he got a good look at Knorr during his college days at Pitt. When asked specifically about the prospect of working with the young gunslinger, JOC told us "Brandon had an incredible career at Pitt, and obviously we're going to try to implement some of the same reads that he had success on there. That said, he's been a pro at a very high level for two seasons now, so we're well aware that he's ready to have more on his plate. This kid is ready to play at an MVP level, year in and year out. It's my job to make sure he's able to reach that target. The sky is the limit for him."
As it is with every team, expectations for this team are sky-high in the offseason, but this is a team that clearly has the ability to compete for a title, after their disappointing loss to the Packers in Tampa. A redesigned offense may be the key to unlocking this team's potential, but only time will tell. Go Charge go!
Coming off two more beatdowns of their AFC West rivals before an high scoring affair in Cleveland, the Chargers have asserted their dominance over the rest of the division. In their six games against the Raiders, Chiefs, and Broncos this year, the Chargers outscored their opponents 228 - 76 en route to a perfect 6-0 division record. They outgained their rivals 2111 (351.8 ypg)-1675 (279.2 ypg) in total offense, and specifically dominated in the running game; compiling 842 yards (140.3 ypg) while allowing only 325 (54.1 ypg).
Despite this outstanding ypg allowed numbers, they were actually worse against the run against their division rivals than the rest of the league; the Chargers run D dominated to the tune of 45.1 yards per game allowed on the ground, which was comfortably better than the record setting '00 Ravens defense (60.6) (However, the 1942 Bears allowed slightly less at 43.2 per game in 12 games). Historically, defense and running the ball have been keys to postseason success; can the Chargers continue that trend this year?
After two straight wins on the back of their explosive offense, the Chargers came into week 3 with an entirely different gameplan: ball control and defense. The Chargers received the ball first in Carolina before quickly facing (and converting) a third on long on their first series, really setting the tone for the game. The inability to get their running game going (MGIII finished with just 44 yards on 16 carries) really dictated the game, forcing a lot of offense's burden onto stud QB Brandon Knorr, who played a conservative, mistake free game all day. Knorr accounted for both of the team's TDs in the 17-7 win, but only passed for 148 yards on 19 attempts. Knorr's legs saved the day more than once, as his 5 carries went for a solid 61 yards.
The Chargers offense did a great job of converting when they needed it, with long scoring drives throughout this game. The Panthers wouldn't touch the ball until the 1st quarter was nearly over, after the Chargers game-opening TD drive concluded with just 1:27 left in the opening quarter. They gave those points right back on the Panthers first drive, but the Panthers wouldn't sniff the end zone again in this game. The Chargers began their second possession with 6:47 left in the half; they would end the drive just outside the 2 minute warning, now up 14-7. This drive featured a number of 3rd down conversions, as the Bolts offense marched the ball down the Panthers throat, heavily utilizing a short passing game to keep the sticks moving.
Inside the 2 minute warning, the Panthers looked like they were driving for an equalizing score, before Derwin James lit up McCaffrey and forced a fumbled, which the Chargers recovered at their own 43, with 1:47 left in the half. This turnover wouldn't lead to any points, as the offense went three and out (largely thanks to a wild throw on what would have been an incredibly easy 3rd down conversion). The defense again did their part, forcing the Panthers to nickel and dime as the first half was drawing to a close before the they decided to just take it to halftime after a big sack.
To start the 3rd quarter, the Panthers offense was marching down the field (aided by a VERY questionable DPI call) before TJ Green showed off his ball skills on a Cam Newton overthrow, prematurely ending the drive, with 0 points. Knorr would continue to march with the ball control offensive philosophy, eating up a ton of game clock before the team added the final score of the game, a chip shot to begin the 4th quarter (this drive accounted for another 4:22 of game time). The Panthers offense was again able to move the ball down the field, but couldn't capitalize against a stingy, focused Chargers defense, with Cam fumbling away a prime scoring opportunity (after getting away with what should have been an easy INT on 2nd down).
With a chance to salt away the game, the Chargers couldn't execute. Two decent runs set up 3rd and medium, but Hunter Henry couldn't hang onto the ball on what would have been a huge 3rd down conversion. After a punt, Cam made an awful read and throw, with second-year corner Charles Cline coming up with a key INT to put this one out of reach. The Panthers wouldn't get the ball back this time, as the Chargers marched down the field while chewing clock, letting it hit triple zeroes while comfortably inside field goal range.
In the end, this game was an ugly defensive struggle, in which the Chargers made just enough plays on both sides to hold on to their undefeated record.Neither QB looked like they were on their A-game, and the Chargers line in particular struggled to do anything in either run or pass blocking. The Chargers get a much more favorable matchup next week, as they host the floundering Dolphins.
Key stats:
QB Brandon Knorr: 11/19, 148 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs ; 5 carries, 61 yards
SS Derwin James: 3 tackles, 1 FF
FS TJ Green: 2 tackles, 1 INT
DT Samuel O'Connor: 1 tackle, 1.0 sacks, 1 FF
DE Uchenna Nwosu: 2.0 sacks
CB Charles Cline: 1 tackle, 1 INT
1. Coming off an emotional, last second win against Houston in week 1, some were wondering if the Chargers would come out flat against division rival Oakland. Instead, the Chargers' defense was dominant from start to finish. Particularly against the Chargers stout run defense, the Raiders could get absolutely nothing done; RB Michael Bell finished with a miserable 3 yards on his 7 carries, while QB Trace McSorely had his only carry stuffed at the line. Amari Cooper was able to make a few plays in the passing game, even breaking 100 yards and scoring the team's only touchdown. Martavis Bryant added some highlight reel catches, but couldn't make anything significant happen after the catch, finishing with 68 yards on his 5 receptions. While McSorely was able to avoid throwing a costly INT, the Raiders did give the ball away twice via fumbles.
2. Superstar RB Melvin Gordon didn't get into the end zone in this game, but he did move the ball incredibly well, finishing with 157 yards on only 12 carries, while adding 6 yards through the air. Brandon Knorr built on the success he found in the second half last week, slicing and dicing through the Raiders defense to the tune of 297 yards and 3 TDs along with 41 yards on his 4 runs. Coming off a career game, Keenan Allen was good but unspectacular; he hauled in 7 of Knorr's 18 completions, going for 82 yards (a respectable 11.8 yards per carry) and a score. With the game essentially out of reach in the 4th quarter, UDFA rookie Vincent Torres was given an opportunity to make a play and took a tipped ball 78 yards to the house for his first career catch and first career touchdown. This offense has playmakers all over the field.
3. In addition to the fumbles, the Chargers defense was able to get pressure with some exotic pass rushes. Trevor Williams was all over the field, tallying a total of SEVEN (7!) tackles from his cornerback position, including 2 sacks and a forced fumble. TJ Green added a sack himself from his FS spot (and another forced fumble), and a more traditional pass rusher, DE Uchenna Nwosu, added the team's final sack.
4. While the Chargers marched up and down the field, the Raiders D did do a good job surviving red zone trips, forcing the Bolts to kick 5 field goals. Johnathan Brown was perfect on the day, as he has been for much of his Chargers career; 5/5 on FGs as well as 3/3 on PATs. The Raiders D did also get to the QB a three times, picking on a young and inexperienced offensive line. Zane Gonzalez was also forced to punt for the first time this season (the kick went just 38 yards, but did set up the Raiders inside the 20).
Next up, the Chargers will face a much greater challenge in the Carolina Panthers (2-0). The position groups exploited by the Raiders will be threatened from start to finish by an explosive set of playmakers on both sides of the ball. This may be the Chargers' most difficult matchup of the first half of the season, and a win would prove that the Chargers have overcome some of their big game hurdles.
While expectations are high for the Chargers, you never really know what you'll get in any given season. After an early playoff exit last season, the Chargers looked like they were going to be a disappointment through the first half against Houston, falling behind early and struggling on both sides of the ball. A huge bounceback from Brandon Knorr in the second half likely saved the day, leading the Chargers to a 30-27 win, including the game-winning field goal converted with 5 seconds left in the game, after a questionable decision from Head Coach Anthony Lynn to accept an offsides penalty after a made field goal with 10 seconds left. Johnathan Brown was on point with the game on the line though, converting the clutch FG a second time to win it.
The Chargers defense came out looking a little rusty, giving up an opening drive TD on an ugly defensive effort, to DeAndre Hopkins. On their first offensive play of the game, Knorr was hit and fumbled, which the Texans recovered. The defense came alive here, allowing only 3 points. After such an expectation killing start, the Chargers were feeling a little low on themselves. Knorr got into a rhythm on his first real drive, both in the passing game and running game, but only managed to lead to a FG (thanks to an untimely 3rd down drop in the end zone by MGIII), cutting the Texans' lead to seven.
The defense capitalized on the momentum built from holding the Texans to 3 on a short field, shutting down the Texans on 1st and 2nd down before Derwin James came up with a pick on a hail mary try on third down. It looked like the Chargers offense had stalled on the following drive, quickly falling behind the sticks for a 3rd and 13, thanks largely to the biggest weakness on the roster, the right side of the OL. On third down though, Brandon Knorr took a shot over the middle for Keenan Allen, and due to a poor pursuit angle from Houston's FS, Keenan was able to take the post route 91 yards to the house to tie it at 10.
The Chargers seemed to fall apart at this point. The Chargers D perhaps got too confident, giving up an easy, long TD drive to give the lead back to Houston, culminating in a terrible read by TJ Green that got him out of position for the TD pass to Will Fuller. For the second time of the game, the Chargers gave up a TD, then a turnover on the first play of the ensuing drive thanks to a terribly off-target pass from Brandon Knorr. And again, the Chargers D survived a short field. Bosa got a huge first down sack, rookie CB Jordan Hearst made a great tackle on a WR screen on second down, and S/LB hybrid Kyzir White dropped a sure pick on third down, forcing a FG that extended the lead back to 10, 20-10.
Shelton Gibson broke a solid return to the 42, setting up the Chargers with great field position. Again faced with a 3rd and long after an incompletion and a sack, Knorr made a throw into a tight window to Hunter Henry, but short of the sticks for 4th and 4. The offense remained on the field to try to draw the D offsides, but liked the defense they saw, went for it, and converted on a slant to Devonta Jordan. The Chargers immdediately got themselves into another 4th and short, and again attempted to draw the defense offsides. Successfully! Except the refs decided that Chargers RT moved first, setting up a 59 (!) yard kick for Johnathan Brown, which took advantage of the strong tailwind to sneak over the bar. The Chargers D held strong thanks to a great 3rd down play by Derwin James to swat the ball away from WR Bruce Ellington on the ensuing drive, forcing a punt to end the half trailing 13-20.
After halftime, more of the same. Brandon Knorr made an awful read, throwing a pick to a lurking Honey Badger. Again the Chargers D survived a short field, this time thanks to a bad read by Deshaun Watson, thrown directly at Jatavis Brown in the flat. Knorr looked rattled on 1st down with a badly off target pass, then on 2nd down, severely underthrew Devonta Jordan after he had roasted Tyrann Mathieu, leading to a tip ball INT by Kavon Webster. The Chargers D forced another 3 and out (again Brown made the clutch play, saving a first down with a great open field tackle) and a punt that set up the Chargers at their own 28 midway through the 3rd. While the Chargers struggled throughout to establish their offense, big plays were not hard to find. Keenan Allen caught another post on first down, made Tyrann Mathieu whiff on an easy tackle, then outran the entire Texans D for another 71 yard TD score (for those keeping track at home, that's 2 catches for 162 yards and 2 TDs; he would finish with a line of 6/223/2) to once again tie it, this time at 20.
As was the theme of this game, big plays changed the tone. Following the second long TD of the day by Allen, it looked like the Texans had flipped the script, quickly marching past midfield. However, on 2nd and 21 (immediately following Bobby Wagner's first sack of his $25m contract), TJ Green made a play only someone with his off-the-charts measurables could have made. He started the play floating left to cover the two stud receivers on that side of the field (Ellington and Hopkins) before spotting Will Fuller streaking deep over the middle, courtesy of a double move to beat his man. Green took off, ripping the ball away from Fuller and making a great catch. The Chargers offense followed this INT with arguably their best drive of the game, marching 60 yards in 11 plays, culminating in a 1 yard Knorr scramble for the go-ahead TD with 4:25 left in regulation (after a drive that started in the third quarter!). The Texans offense sliced and diced the Bolts defense on the next drive, taking it 71 yards in just two minutes to tie the game.
With 2:13 left in regulation, and all three timeouts, the Chargers had plenty of time to put some points on the board. However, it looked like the Texans would come up at the biggest time of the game, forcing the Chargers into a 3rd and 10 on the opening series. Keenan Allen was once again, uncoverable, hauling in what would be his last catch of the game, a 31 yard catch over the middle, on a dime of a throw from Knorr.
Then, disaster nearly struck: Hunter Henry dropped a beautiful pass on 1st down, then Melvin Gordon nearly fumbled the game away on 2nd down. Second year pro (first year starter), LG Evan McDaniel saved the day with a head's up fumble recovery, setting up a huge 3rd down attempt (the Texans used their first timeout here, which would be a crucial decision). Knorr made a great read on the Texans cover 2 and threaded the ball to Devonta Jordan, who likely would have gone for a TD if the momentum from his cut to avoid FS Justin Reid had not carried him out of bounds. This huge play set the Chargers up with 1st down at the 11, leaving just enough room for the Chargers to force the Texans to burn their remaining time outs and run the clock to the wire before kicking the FG. However, the Texans made a great (though controversial, as the Chargers bench was livid that the ball was ruled short of the sticks after a 3rd down scramble) defensive stand, allowing their offense an opportunity to get the ball back after the kick. The Chargers ran the play clock to 0 on 4th down, happily taking the 5 yard penalty to eat up an extra second off the game clock. Johnathan Brown put the kick right down the middle, giving the Chargers a 30-27 lead with just 8 seconds left. However, Texans CB Kevin Johnson jumped offsides attempting to block the kick. Anthony Lynn made an extremely devisive decision, opting to accept the penalty and kick the FG again, thus risking a blocked or bad kick.
Brown made the kick a second time (finishing the day 3/3 on FGs and 3/3 on PATs), giving the Chargers the lead with just five seconds left, and thus enough time for the Texans to try to make something crazy happen. The Chargers opted to kick the ensuing kickoff short (Texans LB Benardrick McKinney fielded the kick and immediately dropped to the ground at the 35). 65 yards is a very difficult range to hit a potential hail mary, and the Chargers defended it well; rookie defensive end Enoch Dean took advantage of the difficult situation for Deshaun Watson to get his first career sack, dragging Watson to the ground and handing the Chargers their first win of the 2020 season.
Next, the Chargers will play host to the Raiders, who are coming off a loss to Carolina. While the Chargers showed a lot of promise, they also showed a lot of areas to improve in. The Raiders defense was victimized by Cam Newton last week, but the Panthers also couldn't slow down the Raiders offense, en route to a 44-37 Panthers win. The Raiders are coming off a miserable season, and would love to build momentum against one of the league's top teams, while the Chargers need a win to keep up with their extremely lofty expectations.
Key week 1 stats:
QB Brandon Knorr: 14/24, 327 yardes, 2 TDs, 3 INTs ; 3 carries, 9 yards, 1 TD
HB Melvin Gordon III: 11 carries, 58 yards ; 2 receptions, 17 yards
WR Keenan Allen: 6 receptions, 223 yards, 2 TDs
S Derwin James: 2 tackles, 1 INT
S TJ Green: 2 tackles, 1 INT
DT Samuel O'Connor: 3 tackles (1 TFL), 1.0 sacks
DE Joey Bosa & Enoch Dean, LB Bobby Wagner: 1.0 sacks each
K Johnathan Brown: 3/3 FGs (59 yard long) ; 3/3 PATs
P Zane Gonzalez: 0 punts
After a disappointingly early post-season exit, the Chargers went into the off-season with their eyes set on a return. This became clear immediately upon Free Agency opening, as they made an offer to superstar LB Bobby Wagner that he couldn't refuse; a 1 year deal worth $25 million. The Chargers brass made a huge decision to give QB money to the QB of the defense. They whiffed on another piece to shore up the run defense in Leonard Williams, but there were reports that the Chargers were happy enough to go to the draft with the players they had, in addition to what they felt was a deep class.
Despite the class widely being panned as extremely top heavy, the Bolts made a draft day trade to move out of the first round, swapping their own 1st and 4th picks (#27 overall and 123 overall) in exchange for the Falcons 2nd and 3rd round picks (#37 and 69 overall), in addition to the Patriots 2021 2nd round pick. After trading back, the Chargers first selection was somewhat surprising, as it's one of the deepest spots on the roster: CB Jordan Hearst. Hearst is a 21 year old stud out of Wyoming with great size and speed. Next, at #59, the Chargers took another prototypically-sized player, Samuel OConnor from Notre Dame. OConnor played LE in college, but the Chargers staff views him as a potential starter at DT. That said, he's very raw and will need some time to develop.
Going to the third round, the Chargers knew their priorities; OL and LB, as it has been for the last three seasons. With that in mind, they took a flier on controversial LB prospect Enoch Dean. Dean had skipped the combine, and as such, was largely a mystery to scouts. After some pre-season evaluation, the coach's felt he'd be a more appropriate fit on the D-line, and he has a chance to see plenty of snaps at DE this season, and perhaps even slot in at DT for passing downs. With a late 3rd round pick, the Chargers took their first OL; LT Aaron Mitchell. The instant draft analysis was that he was a reach, but the Chargers seemed ecstatic with the pick, praising his potential as a future at a position with a past-his-prime but still great starter. And with their final of three 3rd round picks, the Chargers continued to address their deficiencies at LB, taking coverage LB Harmon Davey out of FIU. Davey has the size and speed to develop into an excellent LB in this team's system.
In the later rounds, the Chargers went back to Best Player Available. HB Ben Vinson slipped in the draft despite starring at Cincinnati and having just turned 21 due to a disappointing 40 time. The Chargers took a shot on him, and while the concerns about his top end speed may be justified, he'll get plenty of opportunities all over the field spelling star Melvin Gordon. In addition to a solid, if unspectacular draft, the Chargers continued to address their needs in the UDFA class, adding several more high-ceiling, low-floor prospects, including RG Spencer Novak, C Saul McGrath, and WR/KR/PR Vincent Torres.
Fans and management both have high expectations for this team coming off a great regular season in which a few bad breaks cost them not just the division, but a bye week in the playoffs. The Bolts are back to aspiring for not just LA supremacy (as if it's a competition), but also a deep playoff run. Bolt up!
Coming off a blowout win of the Texans in Houston, the Chargers headed to the Indianapolis to take on the winless Colts. Rookie QB Brandon Knorr continued his monster season, compiling 324 yards and 4 TDs (adding 53 yards on 5 carries), Melvin Gordon finished with 155 all-purpose yards and a TD, and the big three pass catchers (Henry, Williams, Allen) combined for 252 yards and 4 TDs on 14 catches to lead the offense to 41 points. The defense was on their A-game too, with TJ Green and Derwin James picking off Andrew Luck 4 times, while the defense also tallied a total of 6 sacks (and allowed a grand total of 6 yards rushing).
The defensive pressure from the stars commenced immediately in this game; the first drive reads incomplete pass (QB hurried), -1 yard rush, INT by TJ Green, setting a clear tone for the game. Despite holding the Chargers to just 3 on the drive folling the INT, this game was already out of reach. The Bolts certainly didn't look ahead to the huge showdown in Baltimore, dominating the game from start to finish.
QB Brandon Knorr has grown into a legitimate MVP candidate at this point, and a near-lock for AFC OROY, with another strong performance; completing 65.7% of his 35 passes for 324 yards, 4 TDs, and 1 INT in addition to his 5 carries for 53 yards. Melvin Gordon may have closed some of the gap on Sony Michel for RB of the year with his own superb performance. Gordon finished with 125 yards and a score on just 10 carries plus another 30 yards on his 4 receptions. Keenan Allen (5/97/3), Mike Williams (4/54/1), and Hunter Henry (5/101/0) were largely uncoverable by the Colts defense. TJ Green's 3 INTs solidified his own DPOY and DBotY candidacies, while Bosa was benched after picking up a sack to move to 21 on the year. This team has stars at every position group that will make them a legitimate threat in the postseason; before that though, a huge showdown in Baltimore.
It took some outside help, but the Chargers officially have put themselves in position to clinch a bye week. Thanks to a couple losses in the AFC, the most recent to the still undefeated Ravens, the Patriots have dropped to the #3 seed behind the surging Bolts. While the Chargers lost two games, both to the NFC North, by a combined 6 points, the Pats two losses come to AFC opponents, allowing the Chargers to claim the higher position thanks to tiebreakers.
The Chargers have ascended to the two-seed thanks largely to their rookie QB, who has set the league on fire through 12 games. Brandon Knorr leads the league in both passing yards (3,260) and touchdowns (33). While he has turned it over a number of times on the season (11 INTs and 6 total fumbles), he has still managed to guide his team to a 10-2 record in his first twelve games. Knorr has also managed to average 5 yards per carry and punch it into the endzone 4 times.
Knorr has been bolstered by an amzing array of talent on offense as well. Melvin Gordon is once again a legitimate MVP candidate (although he has no chance of winning it this year thanks to some remarkable performances across the league), with nearly 1400 all-purpose yards and 8 TDs. The other pass catches have also been putting up great stats. Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and rookie Devonta Jordan have put up 2000 yards and 19 TDs between them, with Hunter Henry adding 615 yards and 7 TDs himself.
The defense continues to be led by superstar safety TJ Green. Green leads the team with 8 INTs and 11 pass deflections, is second on the team with 50 tackles (32 solo, 5 TFL), and has chipped in with 2 sacks and a forced fumble. Joey Bosa leads the league with 20 sacks. Trevor Williams is second on the team with 7 INTs, Denzel Perryman has added 4, and four more players have combined for another 6 INTs. This team has dangerous playmakers at every level on defense.
With the season moving to the final quarter, expectations for this young and talented squard are as high as ever. The showdown with the undefeated Ravens in week 15 looms large for both potential postseason seeding and as a benchmark for this team (particularly as a potential AFCCG preview). Not only for the teams themselves, but the two QBs in that matchup will define the QB hierarchy this year and likely moving forward. Knorr leads the league in both yards and TDs, while Lamar Jackson is second in both categories (though significantly more efficiently). Both QBs are also threats on the ground (once again, Lamar is significantly more efficient). If nothing else, it will be an incredibly important late-regular-season matchup.
With that in mind, the Chargers can not afford to get complacent at this point. The Broncos are also 10-2 (both losses to the Bolts), and now the Pats have dropped to 10-2 as well. Even a single loss could drop the Chargers from #2 to as far as #5. The Chargers have no room for error, and need to take on the Colts in Indy before the huge showdown in Baltimore. The Colts (0-12) do not look like a team in any shape to compete, but in the NFL, any team can win on any given Sunday.
Heading into their week 10 bye, the Chargers offense has found its footing in a hurry. Three straight games against the NFC North exposed some flaws in the Bolts, namely that their offense has some great potential, but needs to find consistency. Taking two losses in three weaks is never going to feel great for a team, but the Chargers can take solace in the fact they they've completed their divisional sweep already, and they're only two losses are from out-of-conference opponents. Even in the loss to the Packers, the offense came alive after struggling against the Vikings and Bears. The Chargers built on this offensive momentum with back-to-back divisional games to get to the bye week, beating the Raiders and Chiefs by a combined margin of 76-17.
Now heading into the bye, the Chargers seem to have found a great balance in their offense. Rookie QB Brandon Knorr has been spectacular, completing nearly 64% of his passes for 2334 yards and 22 TDs (against just 7 INTs). Knorr is also leading the team in rushing TDs, with 4. Meanwhile, Melvin Gordon has been crushing it in the running game. Gordon is averaging just under 100 yards per game at a staggering 6.5 yards per carry. Gordon has been a more prominent feature of the passing game this season as well; Gordon has 18 receptions for 204 yards and a TD. The balance between run and pass has extended to the passing game itself as well, with 5 receivers over 200 yards on the season, including Mike Williams, Keenan Allen, and Hunter Henry are over six-, five-, and four hundred yards respectively, while combining for 15 of Knorr's passing TDs.
As evidenced by the 41 points allowed against the Packers (and a week after holding the Bears to just 6 points), the defense has been up and down, with some great games and some mediocre ones. For the second straight year, TJ Green has been a major impact player for the defense; he leads the team in tackles, has a sack, a forced fumble, and (easily a team-high) 5 interceptions. Joey Bosa has continued his fantastic start to his career, with 17 sacks in just the first 9 games. These impact players have contributed to a great defense, led by a stifling run defense. In all, the Chargers are giving up just 15 points, 253.9 total yards, and just 47.4 rushing yards per game.
With the initial season awards lists available, this frustrating, but wholly successful first half of the season has put some Chargers at the top of the awards lists. Knorr is among the MVP candidates (as well as, obviously, OPOY, OROY, and Best QB), as is Gordon, though much farther down the list. Bosa and Green are again frontrunners for DPOY (and, again, also their positional awards). Even K Jonathon Brown is among the leaders for his positional award. If this team can continue to be successful down the stretch, the ceiling for this roster seems to have the sky as the limit.
No longer being mistaken for Todd Gurley on the streets of LA, Melvin Gordon has become a perennial MVP candidate for the Chargers. Despite a major injury in the middle of the 2018 season, Melvin Gordon put up MVP numbers for the team: 150 carries for 991 yards (at a 6.6 per carry clip), 21 receptions for 207 yards (9.9 per catch) and 9 total TDs in just 9 games. Over a full season, he'd likely have been right in the middle of the MVP conversation, as he'd have projected to about 2100 all-purpose yards and 16 TDs. This year, he's picked up right where he left off. Over the course of a 4-0 start, Gordon has wracked up 404 yards on just 59 carries (6.8 per carry) and 2 TDs to go with his 5 receptions for 82 yards (on pace for 1616 yards rushing, 8 TDs, 330 yards receiving). While these numbers aren't quite to where they were last season, Gordon and the offense have been learning to play with their star rookie QB.
Even in the week 4 win over KC, Gordon struggled to get going in the first half, whether because of great play by the KC front, or because the coaches were trying to get Knorr going on the ground. Gordon went to halftime with just 4 yards on 4 carries. Coming out of the half, it looked like more of the same; Gordon was stuffed at the line, bringing his tally for the day to 5 carries for a staggering 4 yards. Certainly not what the star set his sights at. However, later on the same drive (that ate four and a half minutes and ended in Knorr's rushing TD on a scramble on 1st and goal), signs of life began to creap through the cracks in the Chiefs defense. Gordon took an end around for 9 yards, and just picked up from there. Gordon finished the game with 80 yards on 13 carries (5.8 per carry) with a good chunk of that on a 32 yard explosion in the 4th quarter. If the passing game can continue to grow, Gordon may actually get MORE opportunities as defenses key on that.
On that subject, Brandon Knorr, the 2nd overall pick in the 2019 draft, has been solid, if unspectacular, in his first 4 NFL starts. Despite pedestrian stats (64/101, 899 yards, 8 TDs, 3 INTs, as well as a rush TD in 3 straight games), Knorr has led the team to four straight division wins to start the year. With such an explosive surrounding cast, Knorr is in the perfect situation to thrive. Even with the offense stuck in neutral at times, Knorr has had a passer rating of 100+ in three of his four games, and is on pace for over 3000 passing yards and 30 TDs.
On the other side of the ball, TJ Green continues his reign of dominance since joining the Chargers. Green has snagged 2 INTs on the year, deflected 6 more passes, and been a menace in the run game. In the big week 4 win over the Chiefs, Green displayed his prowess for making big plays, making a late INT to seal the game. Earlier in the game, he had demonstrated his ability to shut down the running game, stuffing Kareem Hunt in the backfield multiple times, including a hugely important 3rd and short with the score still tight at 3-0. Green had a shot at multiple other TDs, but Mahomes was able to squeeze some throws in windows that TJ was trying to shut. Despite an up-and-down performance this season, Green's impact is felt in more ways than show on the statsheet. More than once, Green has absolutely hammered receivers that thought they were open over the middle, forcing drops in key situations. Additionally, Green has been excellent containing outside runs, allowing his front seven to shut plays down before the ball carrier gets to Green. Several times, Green employed this technique to slow down Kareem Hunt.
Rookie Corner Charles Cline also made some big plays, including a TD-saving swat on the Chiefs' first drive of the second half and an INT as the Chiefs were driving for a garbage time TD. On the second drive of the game, Cline also made the most of being sent on the corner blitz, drilling Mahomes before he even had a chance to look up. Both the INT and the sack were the first of Cline's career, but he certainly has shown that he has the ability to make big plays when given opportunities. For the second straight year, the Chargers found a gem that they truly did not expect to fall to them in the draft; Derwin James in 2018, and now Charles Cline in 2019, as the Bolts have shored up their defensive backs in a hurry.
Despite the revamped secondary, this team still lives and breathes in the pass rush. Everyone knows what Joey Bosa is capable of, as one of the biggest defensive stars in the league. However, across from him, Uchenna Nwosu is quickly turning into a complementary star, as the team hoped when they dealt Melvin Ingram to the Racial Slurs in exchange for interior defensive lineman Jonathan Allen. Bosa is now the only starter still on the defensive line from opening day of last year. The new corp of DL include Allen, run stuffing behemoth Dalvin Tomlinson, and the veteran presence of Mo Wilkerson.
Next up for these revamped Bolts, a trip to Minneapolis to take on the Vikings. Through four games, the Vikings have been as up-and-down as can be; they're sitting at 2-1-1, with victories over the Raiders and Eagles, as well as a tie with the defending #1 seed in the NFC Panthers, but a loss to the middling Lions. This will be an interesting early-season test for the Chargers, as they get their first opportunity to see how they match up with teams outside the division, as well as outside the conference.
Playoffs?! We're talkin' 'bout PLAYOFFS?!
Yeah Jim, we are. Here are your RSML 2019 Playoff Power Rankings!
The Ravens started blazing hot before cooling off down the stretch. If they can get back to their early season play, they’re the clear favorites from the AFC.
Resting your starters for the last 2 weeks is always a good look. Cruising to 13-1 to clinch a bye, the Panthers got to rest their starters and avoid any injuries. MVP Christian McCaffrey is likely to have plenty of touches in the post-season.
Very much the opposite of the Ravens, after a slow start, the Rams crushed everyone they ran into, winning 12 of their last 13 games. Momentum tends to have a strong carry-over to the post-season, so they’re clearly the top threat to the Panthers.
Deshaun Watson guided this team to a season that would have certainly earned him the MVP if not for McCaffrey’s video-game-stats. The bye week will give the Texans plenty of time to rest up to take a shot at a title.
No 13-3 team has ever felt luckier to get a playoff spot. This team has mediocre-d into a three-way tie at 13-3 for the AFC’s top spot. After a hot start, the Chargers collapsed on both sides of the ball down the stretch, including a spectacular choke job against the Titans.
Round 3 with the Pats. Maybe Tom Brady’s last game. What a way to get that monkey off their collective backs. They don’t even have to travel up north!
Despite a low-light tie with the terrible Cowboys, the Skins did a great job in the other 5 games in the division, going undefeated in-division. Unfortunately for them, they won’t see any of their division rivals in the playoffs this year.
In what may be Tom Brady’s last gasp, the Pats lost the division for the first time since 2009. They’ll get a third shot at the Dolphins in the wildcard round.
Despite a fucked schedule, the Raiders managed to win when it mattered to sneak into the playoffs as the sixth seed. Despite needing a week 17 win to make it into the tournament, this team has played better than the average six-seed, and expect to give the Chargers plenty of work in the wildcard.
Thanks to a huge win over the Bears in week 17, the Vikings stole the division crown and knocked the Bears all the way out of the playoffs. Taking on the Falcons in the wildcard instead of a rematch with the Saints? Maybe they’ll be happy to avoid a revenge game.
This owner hates his home city. So of course, they beat the Panthers’ backups in week 17 to steal a playoff spot from the Bears. At least the Racial Slurs don’t have to travel to New Orleans.
Sorry new guy, can’t give you credit for picking a playoff team. Prove me wrong.
Despite a slow start to the season, Philip Rivers has caught fire. On a day when the running game struggled, Rivers picked up the slack, and then some. Finishing with a passer rating over 150 earned Rivers an AFC Offensive Player of the Week award, as he accumulated 372 yards and 3 scores on just 22 attempts (completing 73% at a clip of 16.9 yards per attempt and 23 per completion). The defense continued to dominate in the ground game, as they have all year, despite being gashed on some long passing plays.
As mentioned, the ground game struggled to maintain their pace this week. Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler combined for just 57 yards on 17 carries. This team proved they can win with the passing game when called upon, with Mike Williams and Hunter Henry, in particular, running wild through the Browns secondary, en route to 11 catches, 283 yards, and 1 TD combined. Rivers continues to take advantage of an abundance of weapons, spreading it around in the passing game and making sure to give the ground game plenty of opportunities.
On defense, more of the same. The Browns three RBs combined for just 7 yards on 8 carries (Baker Mayfield accounted for 13 more yards on his 3 scrambles). The suffocating defense extended to the passing game as well, tallying 6 sacks and an INT (by who else, TJ Green). This big play instinct also led to being occastionally gashed for big plays through the air, as David Njoku took advantage of his supreme athleticism to rack up 131 yards on just 5 catches, including a long of 40 yards.
Next up, the Chargers will "host" the TItans in London, hoping to cut down on some of those mistakes. As always, coach Lynn was quick to poinjt out that this team still has room to improve. "We need to be sure to establish the running game early, of course. We know Phil has the ability to carry this team to wins, but we don't want to put it all on him. Getting Melvin going, with a sprinkling of Austin, would go a long way to getting us back to how we want to play."
When asked about the defense, specifically, Lynn continued, "TJ has been a revelation. We knew we were adding a special talent in the draft when Derwin slipped to us, but with Green coming in and anchoring the back end as a ball hawk, we're a much more dangerous defense as a whole. We just gotta stop giving up the chunk plays. We got lucky this week and won despite giving up some monster plays. You better believe that will be a point of emphasis in practice this week, as we prepare for a long trip to London."
Lynn was sure to compliment Philip Rivers for his incredible success through 6 weeks; thanks to his great performance this week, Rivers actually leads the league in passing yards and touchdowns. If Melvin Gordon continuese to struggle to get going on the ground, Rivers may be forced to enter the front-running for MVP.