Instant analysis of Chargers’ 16-13 victory over Bengals

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez drops his thoughts from the Chargers’ season opener against the Bengals.

It wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win.

The Chargers started the 2020 regular season with a 16-13 victory in a very close battle with the Bengals after kicker Randy Bullock failed to make the game-tying field goal from 31 yards out.

Here is our instant analysis from the season opener:

Injury Report

Linebacker Drue Tranquill was carted off the field in the first quarter with an ankle injury. His status for the rest of the season is unknown.

Running back Justin Jackson was ruled out in the fourth quarter with a quad injury.

Play of the Game: Joshua Kelley’s 5-yard rushing TD

The Chargers’ only touchdown came on the ground when the fourth-round pick maneuvered his way into the end zone from five yards out. The score tied up the game, 13-13. That was then followed up with a Michael Badgley field goal to take the lead.

Notable Number

2: The Chargers had two turnovers, which were critical to defeating quarterback Joe Burrow and company. The first came when linebacker Denzel Perryman forced running back Joe Mixon to fumble. That led to Badgley’s 22-yard field goal which gave them the lead. The other one came when defensive end Melvin Ingram picked off Burrow’s shovel pass in a Chargers territory.

Quick Takes

The defense kept the Chargers in the game. While they were stronger in the first half, they came up with two big plays (which is mentioned above) to keep them alive.

It all started up front with their pass rush, led by defensive end Joey Bosa, defensive tackle Jerry Tillery and linebacker Uchenna Nwosu. The three combined for three sacks and six quarterback hits.

Cornerback Casey Hayward led the team in tackles with 12 while rookie linebacker Kenneth Murray had the second-most with eight.

The offense was lackluster in the beginning of the first half, but started to find a groove towards the end of the first and throughout the second half.

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor wasn’t spectacular, struggling with staring his targets down and dealing with pressure, but he did connect with tight end Hunter Henry and wide receiver Mike Williams on big plays.

Henry and Williams combined for 142 yards on nine receptions. Meanwhile, Keenan Allen was fairly quiet, being held to four receptions for 37 yards on eight targets.

Rookie RB Joshua Kelley had a stellar debut, rushing for 60 yards and the team’s only touchdown on 12 carries. Kelley should see an uptick in playing time, especially with Justin Jackson dealing with an injury.

Austin Ekeler was productive on the ground, amassing 84 yards on 19 carries. However, he wasn’t used in the passing game, only receiving one target which he turned into a three-yard gain.

The interior part of the offensive line was subpar, to say the least. Mike Pouncey and Trai Turner’s absences were evident, as the Bengals produced a good chunk of pressure in the middle.

Tackles Bryan Bulaga and Sam Tevi did a fine job at clearing holes in the running game.

Up Next

The Chargers return home to host the Chiefs at their first game played at SoFi Stadium. The Week 2 matchup will be played on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 1:25 p.m. PT.