Look: Chargers and Rams’ new stadium continues to take shape

The Chargers and Rams’ new stadium in Inglewood, California is really starting to come to life.

No, the Chargers will not be moving to London.

Owner Dean Spanos said Los Angeles is the team’s home, and they’re planning to be there for a long time.

It’s been almost three years since the Chargers moved to the L.A. area. The team has been playing in Dignity Health Sports Park, a 27,000-seat soccer stadium in Carson, as a temporary spot. But in 2020, they and the Rams will have their permanent home: SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

The $5 billion stadium complex is expected to be 3.5 times larger than Disneyland, and the stadium itself will seat 70,000 people. Spanos is hoping those seats will be filled with Chargers fans after failing to draw them to their current stadium, which has been overtaken by supporters of the visiting teams.

The crew that’s been hard at work to ensure that the Chargers and Rams have one of the best-looking stadiums in the league continues to make it all come to life before the grand opening in 2020.

Take a look at some of the most recent photos, courtesy of USA TODAY’s Harrison Hill:

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Chargers’ weakness becoming a strength

There’s one area that the Los Angeles Chargers have really made strides at improving this season.

The Chargers’ strong suit hasn’t always been stopping the run. Just three weeks ago, the team ranked No. 22 in the NFL, allowing 117.1 rushing yards per game.

Since then, the unit has made strides, giving up only 95 yards per game on the ground, which ranks them as the ninth-best in this category the past three weeks. Had they not allowed a couple big carries, this number would be significantly lower.

The running backs that Los Angeles has slowed down happen to be among the best at their position in the NFL — Titans’ Derrick Henry, Packers’ Aaron Jones and Raiders’ Josh Jacobs.

Their success all starts up front in the trenches. Despite missing starting defensive tackles Justin Jones and Brandon Mebane, Damion Square and recently acquired Sylvester Williams have done a phenomenal job filling in.

Williams, the 6-foot-2 and 313 pounder, was picked up to fill the role of Mebane. Whether it’s clogging holes or forcing double teams to allow other members of the front seven to make plays, Williams has shown to be a solid acquisition.

Last year it was Darius Philon who was the unsung hero in the trenches, but this year it’s been Square, who has been a huge contributor to the defense.

Defensive ends Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram have been a dominant force at getting to the opposing quarterback, but running backs as well.

The rest of the front seven and backend of the defense was notorious for missing their assignments and missing tackles in the open field, but the group has really come into their own in those areas.

Whether it’s diagnosing where the football is going, avoiding blocks, or tackling with sound technique, they haven’t allowed many explosive plays like they used to in the past.

The Chargers will have to keep this same energy in this department the rest of the way out, as they will face Vikings’ Dalvin Cook, Jagaurs’ Leonard Fournette and Jacobs once more.

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4 key things to know about Chargers vs. Chiefs

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out the four most important things to know about the matchup between the Chargers and Chiefs.

The Los Angeles Chargers (4-6) and Kansas City Chiefs (6-4) clash in Mexico City on Monday night.

Here are four key things to know about the Week 11 matchup.

Patrick Mahomes is back

After a knee injury sustained in Week 7, it only took Mahomes two weeks to return to live game action. In his return last weekend against the Titans, he managed to put up what would be a typical performance, throwing for 446 passing yards, which was the second-highest passing yardage total of his career. This season, he has amassed 2,686 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and only one interception.

Pressure, pressure, pressure

After making a few key signings to the defensive front, the ability to get after the quarterback skyrocketed for the Chiefs. Through 10 games, Kansas City leads the league in sacks (52). The team suffered a huge loss after defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah suffered a torn pectoral muscle last Sunday. Ogbah led the team with 5.5 sacks. They still have pieces up front that won’t make it an easy task for the Chargers offensive line.

Can’t stop the run

While the Chiefs have a knack for pressuring opposing quarterbacks, they struggle to stop the run immensely. Kansas City ranks as the second-worst team in the league, allowing 148.1 yards per game. For the Chargers, having success running the ball with running backs Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler will be key in order to keep Patrick Mahomes off the field.

Not the same Chiefs everyone is used to

The Chiefs were a trendy pick to reach the Super Bowl, but their play hasn’t suggested that. After starting 4-0, they have lost four of their last six games. Even with Mahomes back last weekend, who was nearly flawless, they still lost. Their offense will put up a plethora of points, but their opponent has been able to match it because the defensive has allowed so many big plays. On top of that, the pass protection has been on a downward spiral. Kansas City allowed only three sacks in the first four games, but they’ve allowed 15 in the last six contests.

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Chargers’ Derwin James, Adrian Phillips working off to side at practice

Chargers safeties Derwin James and Adrian Phillips are eligible to get lifted off the injured reserve.

Chargers safeties Derwin James and Adrian Phillips are now able to come off the injured reserve, but it doesn’t appear that’ll be this week. Despite them not being ready for the Monday night bout against the Chiefs, the two are getting work in to possibly return after the bye week.

According to the Athletic’s Daniel Popper, James and Phillips were on the field doing some agility and speed work, while the rest of the team held their normal practice at Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO.

James has been running pain-free as he recovers from summer foot surgery. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, he is poised to return to the lineup when the Chargers take on the Broncos in Week 13.

Meanwhile, Phillips has been moving around since fracturing his forearm earlier this season. He recently had a cast on his arm and coach Anthony Lynn said once he got the cast off then the team would see where he’s at.

If Los Angeles is able to take care of business against the Chiefs, James and Phillips’ services will be needed to help them go on a winning streak en route to the playoffs. If they lose, it might make more sense to let them rest the remainder of the season instead of risking another injury.

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Chargers’ Russell Okung out of practice while rehabbing groin strain

Chargers offensive tackle Russell Okung did not practice on Tuesday and his status for Week 11 is questionable.

Following Thursday night’s game, Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said that offensive tackle Russell Okung’s status for the Monday night game against the Chiefs would be up in the air. Fast forward five days later, and it appears to be the same way.

Okung left the Week 10 matchup against the Raiders after only playing seven snaps with a groin injury and did not return to the game.

“He’s rehabbing. He’s working on the side. We’ll see where he’s at. .I’d love to see him play, but if he can’t go, he won’t go,” Lynn said, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.

If Okung is forced to miss Week 11, rookie Trey Pipkins will get the start at left tackle, while Trent Scott will fill in at right tackle for Sam Tevi, who underwent a minor surgery on his meniscus last Friday and could miss a couple weeks.

Pipkins and Scott will get a full week to prepare before facing a Chiefs front that leads the league in sacks (52).

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Time, date set for Week 16 matchup between Chargers-Raiders

The time and date has been set for the Week 16 battle between the Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers.

The league announced that the Week 16 battle between the Los Angeles Chargers and Oakland Raiders is set for Sunday, Dec. 22 at 1:05 p.m. PT.

The game from Dignity Health Sports Park will be televised on CBS.

The date and time had not been set yet because there was a possibility that the two teams could have been playing a day before on Saturday night on primetime television.

The Chargers will get their opportunity for revenge after losing to the Raiders last Thursday night by the score of 26-24 before finishing the 2019 season against the Kansas City Chiefs.

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2020 Pro Bowl voting now open

It’s time to cast your vote to send your favorite Charger to the 2020 Pro Bowl.

Voting for the 2020 NFL Pro Bowl is officially open.

Fans can vote on NFL.com/ProBowlVote from Tuesday, Nov. 12 until Sunday Dec. 12. The rosters for the AFC and NFC will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 17 on NFL Network.

During the final two weeks of 2020 Pro Bowl voting — November 28-December 12 — fans will also be able to vote on Twitter. To cast a vote, fans should tweet the first and last name of the player, the player’s official Twitter handle, or a hashtag including the player’s first and last name. It must include the hashtag: #ProBowlVote.

Fans, players and coaches will each account for one-third toward determining the 88 All-Star players who will be selected to the Pro Bowl

Even though it hasn’t been the sunshine and rainbows for the Chargers, the team still has several players worthy of Pro Bowl consideration this season.

Running back Austin Ekeler has been a force as a ball carrier and as a pass-catcher. Ekeler has totaled 899 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns. Wide receiver Keenan Allen has cooled down a little bit the past few weeks, but he has still amassed 62 receptions for 725 yards and three touchdowns.

On the other side of the ball, cornerback Casey Hayward continues to shut down some of the league’s best receivers on a weekly basis. In the trenches, defensive ends Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa remain as one of the top pass-rushing tandems, combining for 13 sacks.

Fullback Derek Watt and linebacker Drue Tranquill have done their fair share of work on special teams. Watt leads the league in special teams tackles with 12, while Tranquill is third with nine.

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Where do Chargers stand in NFL power rankings after Week 10?

After suffering defeat in Week 10, Chargers Wire takes a look how the Bolts stack up in power rankings heading into Week 11.

In one that they needed badly, the Chargers were unable to deliver after suffering defeat to the Raiders on the national stage. The loss dropped Los Angeles to 4-6, but their playoff hopes are still alive.

Let’s see where the Bolts are viewed in power rankings.

USA Today: 19 (Previous: 19)

“Key injuries … Philip Rivers trying to do too much … off-field distractions … we’ve definitely entered “same-old Chargers” territory.”

Touchdown Wire: 22 (Previous: 22)

“Last Thursday night, Oakland rookie Josh Jacobs’ 18-yard touchdown run with 1:02 left in the game gave the Raiders a 26-24 lead over the Chargers. The Raiders then kicked off to the Chargers, who gave the ball to Philip Rivers in the hope that he could engineer a crucial win. What resulted was probably the worst drive of Rivers’ career. The veteran shot-putted the ball all over the field, and only one of his seven passes didn’t fall incomplete — his last pass of the night, which was caught by Oakland safety Karl Joseph.”

NFL: 18 (Previous: 18)

“Philip Rivers is currently on the dark web searching for mind-eraser technology to wipe away a lost Thursday night in Oakland. The Chargers quarterback threw three interceptions and had two more picks nullified by penalty in a 26-24 loss to the Raiders that put Los Angeles’ playoff hopes in serious doubt. Rivers was under constant duress due to a surprisingly meddlesome Oakland front seven, which had its way with an L.A. offensive line missing both starting tackles. The low point for the Chargers came on a final possession that went like this: incompletion, incompletion, incompletion, penalty (first down), incompletion, incompletion, incompletion, interception. Like I said, Philip Rivers is scouring the digital underground in search of mind-eraser hardware. Next up for the Chargers? A showdown against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Mexico City. It’s a virtual must-win for the Bolts.”

ESPN: 19 (Previous: 19)

“At 4-6, the most important game for the Chargers is the next one, a Monday Night Football tilt against the AFC West rival Chiefs. With Kansas City losing over the weekend against the Titans, the Chargers still sit two games back in the division with six left to play. So even though it has been up-and-down year for the Bolts, they could catapult themselves back into the playoff conversation with a win over the Chiefs.”

Sports Illustrated: 19 (Previous: 18)

“Tough one to drop in primetime for a team that had a chance to take more steps away from the brink. The Chargers go as Phillip Rivers goes, and three interceptions were too much to overcome despite Melvin Gordon’s best game of the season (133 total yards, 1 TD).”

CBS Sports: 18 (Previous: 18)

“They can’t turn the ball over the way they did against the Raiders and expect to be a playoff team. That loss to the Raiders was a momentum killer.”

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Chargers open up as 4.5-point underdogs to Chiefs

The Los Angeles Chargers have opened up as home underdogs to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11.

The Los Angeles Chargers (4-6) opened up as 4.5-point underdogs to the Kansas City Chiefs (6-4) heading into their Week 11 matchup.

The Chargers are coming off a loss to the Oakland Raiders (5-4), which was a result of a poor offensive output and lack of execution when the game was on the line.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs also lost their Week 10 bout. After the Tennessee Titans clawed their way back into the contest to take the lead, Kansas City was relying on kicker Harrison Butker to tie up the game and send it to overtime. Unfortunately, his 52-yard field goal was blocked as time expired.

Los Angeles needs to win this game in order to keep their playoff hopes alive, while Kansas City is hoping to dig themselves out of a slump after dropping their last four out of six games.

Monday’s matchup will be played in Mexico City and will begin at 5:15 p.m. PT.

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Chargers travel to Colorado to prepare for Mexico City battle with Chiefs

After having the weekend off, the Chargers are hitting the road to prepare for next Monday’s matchup against the Chiefs in Mexico City.

After having the weekend off, the Chargers are hitting the road to prepare for next Monday’s matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in Mexico City.

The Bolts are traveling to Colorado Springs, Colorado, for a week of practice ahead of the division battle, yet another must-win game in order to stay alive in the playoff race.

The team will have four practices at Air Force Academy in order to acclimate to Mexico City’s altitude. They will be at 6,000 feet above sea level for a few days before being tasked with playing at about 7,200 feet above sea level.

The Chargers don’t do anything like this to get ready for the Denver Broncos, whom they play annually a mile above sea level. But this will be a good trip for L.A. to get away, spend more time together and regroup after a slew of games that got away from them throughout the course of the season.

Sitting at 4-6, Los Angeles will need to be at their best in the final stretch of the season in order to make the playoffs. Realistically, they can’t lose a single game. If they are able to win out, the team would likely capture the AFC West title for the first time since 2009.

It all starts next week against the Chiefs, who have dropped the last four of their six games. Despite the struggles, the Chiefs are still a loaded team on both sides of the ball led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Monday night’s kickoff against Kansas City is slated for 5:15 p.m. PT and will be televised on ESPN.

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