Category: Latest Chargers news

First injury report for Chargers ahead of matchup vs. Broncos

The Los Angeles Chargers released their first injury report ahead of the Week 13 matchup against the Denver Broncos.

Fresh off their bye, the Los Angeles Chargers started practicing to get ready for their Week 13 matchup against the Denver Broncos.

Here is a look at the first injury report of the week:

Every single player on the roster practiced in some sort of fashion Wednesday. There were four players that were limited participants — linebacker Thomas Davis (knee), wide receiver Mike Williams (knee) and offensive tackles Russell Okung (groin) and Sam Tevi (knee).

It’s promising to see Okung and Tevi back out on the field. Tevi, who had a minor procedure on his knee, has been out since Week 9. Meanwhile, Okung has missed the last two games. Trey Pipkins and Trent Scott have started in place of the two.

Williams dealt with a knee issue earlier this season. It’s likely that he will be good to go for Sunday’s contest, but it’s something worth monitoring throughout the course of the week.

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Chargers QB Philip Rivers talks about criticism of recent play

Philip Rivers addressed the media for the first time since his four-interception performance against the Chiefs.

No other player in the Chargers locker room has received more attention than quarterback Philip Rivers.

After throwing 14 interceptions in 11 games, seven in the past two, the narrative has been that there’s clear signs of regression from the 16-year veteran.

On Wednesday, Rivers addressed the media for the first time since his four-interception performance against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. He spoke on the criticism that has been going on in regards to him and a possible decline.

“I don’t necessarily try to seek it out. But I’m also not naive to it or don’t ignore it completely. I understand it. I know it comes with it. It’s not one of those things that I’m looking for extra motivation, or ‘I’ll show them’ or ‘I can’t believe they think that.’ I get it. You know, if I was in that locker room, I’d be upset with me too. Some of those things, it just comes with it, it comes with the position. And I understand that,” Rivers said.

Rivers acknowledged that while there are few things that can be blamed for the Chargers being 4-7, he knows that his woes are one of the reasons. However, he believ Philies that he can bounce back and has not discounted himself, despite his poor play.

“And again, I’m disappointed that I haven’t made some the plays I need to. I’ve also made some play that helped us be in these games, too. So, it goes both ways. And I’m not trying to sell that I’ll play well. I have not played well. And the turnovers are unacceptable. But also, there’s no lost confidence, no loss belief in myself, can I do this and all that. I don’t even entertain it.”

Rivers and company will travel to Denver, CO this weekend to take on the Broncos in what can be seen as a revenge game after suffering defeat to them earlier this season.

“I’m excited to go to Denver for the 17th time. Like I said, I don’t take for granted any of these. When you go on a road in a division at this point in your career, you never know when it’s going to be the last time you go.”

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Chargers LB Thomas Davis blaming defense for losses

Linebacker Thomas Davis isn’t around to throw anyone under the bus.

Sitting with an unexpected 4-7 record, there’s a lot you can list for the reasons why the Chargers are currently in the position that they’re in heading into the 13th week of the season.

Injuries, a coaching change, bad quarterback play are atop of the list. But one thing that hasn’t been in discussion that linebacker Thomas Davis feels like deserves the blame for the team’s losses is the defense.

“Our record says we haven’t played well enough. That’s the ultimate thing that determines how we’ve played as a defense. The offense has put up enough points for us to be more successful,” Davis said, per Los Angeles Times’ Jeff Miller.

“We just haven’t figured it out for four quarters. We’ve played extremely well at times, and other times we’ve been inconsistent. If we do a better job in certain situations, our record could be much, much better.”

In the 17 years that Davis has been playing in the NFL, he has established himself as a leader, which is something Los Angeles coveted him for when making the decision to bring him onboard.

With the leadership skills that he possesses, Davis isn’t going to go around throwing anyone under the bus. The only person he’s going to blame is himself and the side of the football he plays on.

In reality, the defense hasn’t been the issue for their seven losses. The Chargers defense ranks No. 5 in points allowed, fourth in passing yards given up and tied for fifth in big plays allowed this season.

Meanwhile, on the offensive side of the ball, quarterback Philip Rivers has tossed 14 interceptions through 11 games and has been unable to get his team points on game-winning or tying drives.

Coach Anthony Lynn says it’s not just Rivers’ fault that the team is 4-7. Lynn said he evaluated everyone during the bye week, and said it’s on everyone.

Los Angeles will look to get finish the season on a strong note starting against the Broncos this Sunday. The team is fresh off a bye and will get some reinforcements with safeties Derwin James and Adrian Phillips back, as well as potentially offensive tackles Russell Okung and Sam Tevi.

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4 key things to know about Chargers vs. Broncos

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lists the four most important things to know about the Chargers’ opponent in Week 13.

Fresh off their bye week, the Los Angeles Chargers (4-7) will look to get back on track after losing their past two consecutive games in a matchup against the Denver Broncos (3-8).

Here are four key things to know prior to the Week 13 bout.

Decision on quarterback is up in the air

The last time the Chargers played the Broncos, veteran Joe Flacco was behind center. That won’t be the case this weekend as Flacco is currently nursing an injury, which has put him out for the past few weeks.

In place of Flacco has been Brandon Allen, who is 1-2 since taking over as Denver’s starter. But rookie Drew Lock, who has returned from the injured reserve, could make his professional regular season debut.

Lock has practiced the past three weeks, but the Broncos have continued to roll with Allen to ensure that the first-year player’s thumb is feeling 100%.

“We’re going to up Drew’s reps this week extensively in practice, see how he does with this, and then make a decision prior to the game. The earliest (the decision) would be made would be later in the week, right up until the game,” coach Vic Fangio said.

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Chargers sign CB KeiVarae Russell to practice squad

The Chargers made an acquisition on Tuesday.

After signing linebacker Malik Jefferson to the practice squad on Monday, the Chargers added another player a day later.

Los Angeles signed cornerback KeiVarae Russell after hosting him for a workout on Tuesday, according to Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson.

Russell takes CB Tevaughn Campbell’s spot on the practice squad after he was called up to the active roster yesterday.

Russell was drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs out of Notre Dame. He spent the past three season with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he amassed 22 tackles, two passes defensed and an interception in 20 career games.

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Report: Chargers release WR Dontrelle Inman off IR, goes unclaimed

Wide receiver Dontrelle Inman, who was released off injured reserve on Monday, cleared waivers on Tuesday.

The Los Angeles Chargers released wide receiver Dontrelle Inman off injured reserve on Monday, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.

Inman entered waivers, where teams could claim him. But no one did, which means that he will enter free agency, where he can sign with any NFL team.

Inman went on the IR after sustaining a quad injury in Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins — it marked his biggest game this season as he caught five passes for 76 yards. In his four games played, he posted eight receptions for 132 yards.

The Chargers signed Inman prior to the 2019 regular season to shore up a thin wide receiver group, but he wasn’t able to stay healthy after starting to breakout.

But when he appeared to be ready to go after six weeks of being on the injured reserve, the team was already confident with what they have and elected to go their separate ways.

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Drawing up scenario where Chargers make playoffs

It’s a bit of a long shot, but the Chargers could still make the playoffs. We take a look at a scenario.

Playoffs? Yes, we are talking about the Chargers’ playoff chances.

Just three weeks ago, you could’ve said that Los Angeles was in the clear running for a playoff spot. But after two crucial losses to divisional opponents, their chances are nearly nonexistent.

L.A. is not mathematically eliminated, which means they could still play in January. According to ESPN’s NFL Football Power Index, the Chargers have a 0.4% chance to reach the postseason.

At the moment, the Bolts are three games behind the 7-4 Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West, and they’re only two games back from the 6-5 Pittsburgh Steelers for the No. 6 seed.

Los Angeles is no stranger to going on runs and shocking the world. It seems impossible, but plenty of crazy things happen in the NFL, and they possess the talent on both sides of the ball to make it happen, especially knowing they get an extra boost with safeties Derwin James and Adrian Phillips.

So, how can they continue playing in the month of January? Using ESPN’s Playoff Machine, we ran through a variety of realistic scenarios by predicting each game that involves AFC teams. In this case, the Bolts get the last Wild Card spot.

Note: This involves the Chargers winning their last five games to make this happen.

Here’s how it looks:

Week 13

Bills at Cowboys

Eagles at Dolphins

Browns at Steelers

Raiders at Chiefs

Chargers at Broncos

Titans at Colts

Patriots at Texans

Buccaneers at Jaguars

Week 14

Bengals at Browns

Dolphins at Jets

Ravens at Bills

Chargers at Jaguars

Chiefs at Patriots

Steelers at Cardinals

Broncos at Texans

Titans at Raiders

Colts at Buccaneers

Week 15

Jets at Ravens

Texans at Titans

Browns at Cardinals

Patriots at Bengals

Jaguars at Raiders

Broncos at Chiefs

Vikings at Chargers

Bills at Steelers

Dolphins at Giants

Colts at Saints

Week 16

Texans at Buccaneers

Saints at Titans

Lions at Broncos

Jaguars at Falcons

Bills at Patriots

Raiders at Chargers

Ravens at Browns

Panthers at Colts

Bengals at Dolphins

Chiefs at Bears

Steelers at Jets

Week 17

Dolphins at Patriots

Colts at Jaguars

Steelers at Ravens

Chargers at Chiefs

Jets at Bills

Browns at Bengals

Raiders at Broncos

Titans at Texans

Here’s how the standings would look:

Los Angeles wins tie break over Oakland based on best win percentage in common games.

Here’s how the playoff matchups would look like:

The bottom line is that the Chargers will not only have to run the table, but there is a slew of things that will have to happen in order to clinch a playoff berth.

It’s unfortunate that Los Angeles is in this position after being pegged as a potential Super Bowl contender, but injuries, a coaching change and most importantly, in-game mistakes ultimately cost them.

Coming off a much-needed bye, the Chargers should feel refreshed, physically and mentally and ready to overcome their disappointing losses this season. Their uphill climb all starts this weekend against the Denver Broncos.

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Chargers make pair of roster moves

The Chargers made two roster moves on Monday.

The Los Angeles Chargers made two roster moves on Monday.

The Chargers promoted cornerback Tevaughn Campbell to the active roster. The team also signed linebacker Malik Jefferson to the practice squad, the franchise announced.

The Bolts were in need of filling a roster spot and adding more depth to the cornerback position after Michael Davis was suspended for a violation of the substance abuse policy last week.

Campbell joined the Chargers back in September. This will mark the second time that he’s been called up to the active roster. Prior to signing with L.A., Campbell was with the Jets after four years in the Canadian Football League.

Below is the official team statement:

The Los Angeles Chargers promoted CB Tevaughn Campbell to the active roster, the organization announced on Monday. The Bolts also signed LB Malik Jefferson to the practice squad.

Campbell returns to the active roster for the second time this season. He was originally signed to the Chargers practice squad on Sept. 11, 2019. Jefferson has appeared in 21 games since being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2018 draft. He appeared in 12 games for the Bengals in 2018 and then played in nine games for the Cleveland Browns this season.

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Chargers activate Derwin James off injured reserve

The Chargers got another playmaker back on the defensive side of the ball.

The moment that all Chargers fans have been waiting for finally came as safety Derwin James returned to practice on Monday.

After designating Adrian Phillips to return from the injured reserve on Nov. 14, Los Angeles did the same for James 11 days later.

James has been out since the end of August after suffering a stress fracture in his right foot during training camp. He had surgery immediately after and spent the last three months recovering from it.

The former Florida State product is coming off a phenomenal rookie campaign where he was an All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection after recording 105 tackles, three interceptions, four tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

The burning question that everyone wants to know is if James will be on the field when the Chargers play the Broncos this weekend. Coach Anthony Lynn made it seem like it’s possible, but Phillips is more likely to play.

“At his position, you’d like to see a change of direction, quickness, burst, things like that. Adrian has a better chance of playing this week [than James],” Lynn said.

James and Phillips will provide a talented defense with an extra boost as they look to shake things up in the final stretch of the season.

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NFL executive weighs in on Chargers’ Philip Rivers’ issues

An NFL executive believes Chargers Philip Rivers’ poor play this season has been plagued by his offensive line.

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers has made headlines with his poor play this season. After performing at an MVP level in 2017 and 2018, he hasn’t been at the same tier. What’s going on?

You can make a list of reasons why Rivers has thrown the second-most interceptions (14) this season, but the one that will almost always be brought up is the guys blocking for him.

Like many, an NFL executive believes it’s the offensive line that’s causing him to perform like this.

“Rivers struggles when he doesn’t trust his offensive line. It’s pretty clear he hasn’t trusted his line lately,” the league executive told The Athletic’s Mike Sando.

The past two games, Rivers has been tasked with playing with two backup tackles — Trey Pipkins and Trent Scott, along with second-year center Scott Quessenberry due to injuries to the team’s starters.

In the Week 10 matchup against the Raiders, Rivers was sacked 5 times and was hit a total of 10 times. In that game, the veteran quarterback looked uncomfortable in the pocket.

A week later, Rivers was only sacked twice in what was a solid performance by the offensive line. But he was playing like he had a swarm of defenders trying to get after him, rushing his throws and resorting to the first receiver he saw.

Rivers has always played behind an average offensive line throughout his career. But when it has been decimated in a single season due to injuries, it has seemed to affect his play. The league executive compared this season to 2016 when Rivers tossed 10 touchdown passes with nine interceptions during the five-game losing streak to end the season.

As we know it, Rivers is not a mobile quarterback. He is a pocket passer who thrives under pressure by using his unorthodox arm motion, yet quick release to hook up with his pass-catchers. But that hasn’t been the case this season, and he’s throwing the ball like he’s seeing ghosts, appearing to be reckless and rushed.

Rivers could have his safety blankets back in starting tackles Russell Okung and Sam Tevi back in the starting lineup this weekend. With them back, seeing if the veteran quarterback flourishes or folds will be one of the biggest headlines in what could possibly be the last five games of Rivers in the blue and gold as he’s set to become a free agent after the season.

“That one will be interesting. I don’t know how excited Rivers would be to stay for less money, if that is what it comes to. Would he play elsewhere and move his family,” an executive said.

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