Tag: austin ekeler fantasy

Watch: Lions vs. Chargers Preview with Bish and Brown

Previewing the Lions vs Chargers with Russell Brown and Scott Bischoff of the Detroit Lions Podcast

On another episode of Bish and Brown for the Detroit Lions Podcast, the boys are back with a preview for the Lions week 10 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Here’s everything the guys discuss in this episode:

  • Props to Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs
  • Landscape of the NFC North at the halfway mark
  • Lions/Chargers Preview

What’s your score prediction for this week Lions fans? Drop your predictions in the comments and be sure to rate, review and subscribe to the show! Also, you can follow the guys on X @RussNFLDraft and @Bischoff_Scott!

Chargers final injury report: 2 doubtful, 3 questionable for Week 6 vs. Cowboys

The Chargers released their final injury report ahead of the Week 6 game against the Cowboys. 

The Chargers released their final injury report ahead of the Week 6 game against the Cowboys.

Austin Ekeler logged three full practices and will play for the first time since sustaining an ankle injury in the season opener against the Dolphins.

Justin Herbert (finger) is also off the injury report.

Alohi Gilman (heel) and Deane Leonard (hamstring) are doubtful.

With Gilman likely out, Los Angeles could resort to Dean Marlowe and Raheem Layne, who were the ones who got the start in place of Gilman and Derwin James in Week 4.

With Leonard sidelined, Essang Bassey will be the primary cornerback off the bench.

Joey Bosa (toe), Donald Parham (wrist) and Nick Williams (back) are questionable.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler optimistic he will play vs. Cowboys

Austin Ekeler’s return gives a big boost to the Chargers’ offense.

The Chargers bye week was used as a way for players to restore their bodies and get up to full health, and one player who benefited from it was running back Austin Ekeler.

On Tuesday, Ekeler said that he expects to play this upcoming Monday against the Cowboys, adding that there is a “99%” chance.

Ekeler has been out since the season opener against the Dolphins when he sustained a sprained ankle. In that contest, he totaled 16 carries for 117 yards and one touchdown and hauled four passes for 47 yards.

Getting Ekeler back is a massive boost for a Chargers offense that has stalled at running the football the past three games after rushing for 233 yards on 40 carries in Week 1.

Additionally, Ekeler gives Justin Herbert another target in the passing game, which should be beneficial after the season-ending loss of Mike Williams in Week 3 against the Vikings.

Corey Linsley ruled out, Austin Ekeler, Derwin James doubtful for Week 4 vs. Raiders

The Chargers have a lengthy final injury report.

The Chargers will be without several key players when they face the Raiders this Sunday.

Corey Linsley (illness) and JT Woods (illness) have all been officially ruled out for the Week 4 game.

With Linsley out, Will Clapp will be the starting center this weekend.

Additionally, they are likely going to be without Austin Ekeler (ankle), Derwin James (hamstring) and Deane Leonard (hamstring/toe), who are listed as doubtful.

This marks the third straight game that Ekeler will miss. Joshua Kelley will resume the role as the primary running back, with Isaiah Spiller and Elijah Dotson serving as the complementary backs.

Without Woods and James, the safety room is thin. Alohi Gilman is questionable with a heel injury. Dean Marlowe and AJ Finley will likely be promoted from the practice squad.

Joey Bosa (hamstring/toe) is also listed as questionable. Rookie Tuli Tuipulotu should see an uptick in snaps.

Chargers HC Brandon Staley: ‘No timeline’ for Austin Ekeler, Eric Kendricks’ return

The Chargers were without Austin Ekeler and Eric Kendricks on Sunday.

Chargers head coach Brandon Staley provided an update on running back Austin Ekeler and linebacker Eric Kendricks on Monday.

After Ekeler and Kendricks missed Week 2 against the Titans, Staley said there is “no timeline” for their return, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.

Ekeler is dealing with an ankle injury that Staley called a “sprain,” while Kendricks is nursing a hamstring issue.

In Week 1 against the Dolphins, Ekeler finished with 16 carries for 117 yards and one touchdown and reeled in four of five targets for 47 yards.

This past Sunday, Joshua Kelley, who served as the primary back, rushed the ball 13 times for 39 yards. While it was an underwhelming performance on the stat sheet, the Titans have a stiff defense against the run.

Still, not having Ekeler, the do-it-all back for an extended period of time, would be a huge blow to the offense.

As for Kendricks, Kenneth Murray would resume the role as the defensive play-caller in his absence.

Joshua Kelley coming on strong as Chargers’ second running back

It was only a matter of time until the Chargers started to feed Joshua Kelley.

It was only a matter of time until the Chargers not only got their running game going but deciphered Austin Ekeler’s running mate in their win over the Browns.

While Ekeler stole the show with his 172-yard rushing performance, Kelley also raised eyebrows with 49 yards and a touchdown on ten carries. He had big runs of 16 and 12 yards.

In addition, Kelley was effective as a pass-catcher, turning two receptions into 33 yards.

On the ground, Kelley looked exactly like he did during training camp and preseason play: confident, decisive, and explosive.

The play below shows outstanding contact balance from Kelley to shake off an attempted tackle and still stay on his feet to pick up positive yardage.

Kelley had been the shadow of Sony Michel, despite outproducing him statistically (4.2 yards per carry to Michel’s 2.5 YPC). Further, he was more efficient as a pass protector and made more extensive contributions on special teams.

But on Sunday, the script was flipped. Kelley tallied 12 touches to Michel’s one, an indicator that Los Angeles finally has the backup backfield situation figured out.

As for rookie Isaiah Spiller, the jury is still out for the fourth-round pick. Spiller has yet to make his regular-season debut. Brandon Staley said he is fully healthy but needs to prove himself on special teams.

Given that Michel did not produce in the backup role and has not taken a special teams snap this season, it’s only suitable to activate Spiller and give him some touches to see what they have in him, right? We shall see.

The bottom line is that Kelley finding his footing in Year 3 is a positive sign for the Chargers as they look to maintain a balance between their passing game and running game.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler comes alive in victory over Texans

Austin Ekeler made his fantasy football owners very happy.

The Chargers’ 34-24 win over the Texans wasn’t exactly pretty. However, there were electrifying moments of eloquence.

Houston kept Los Angeles on its toes in the fourth quarter, but the Bolts were able to close the game with a 14-yard scamper from running back Austin Ekeler into the endzone on a play-action bootleg with less than three minutes remaining. 

“I thought Coach Staley said something pretty cool at the end,” Ekeler said. “He was like, ‘If we would have had a blowout win, it wouldn’t have been as meaningful, and I thought that was true. It came down to getting close in the 4th quarter, only up four like ‘Hey we have to go out there’. 

It showed us a lot like ‘Hey, we have to put a drive together, we got a 4th down’. We got it, and we ended up with points to pretty much seal the game and get up two scores. I agree with him. I’m proud of the offense finishing the game like that.”

Entering Week 4, Ekeler had only 80 rushing yards on 32 carries. He also had not found the end zone. This changed Sunday, as the Ekeler finished with 13 carries for 60 yards and two touchdowns. Additionally, he had six receptions and a receiving touchdown. 

Ekeler’s performance is a shining light for Chargers fans and his fantasy owners since he had been largely absent on the ground in the first three games of the season. 

Quarterback Justin Herbert spoke on the importance of the team’s run game: “It’s huge,” Herbert said. “It all starts with those guys up front, and to have the backs like we do, you got to take advantage of that. We think really highly of our offensive linemen, especially our running  backs, so it was good to see today.”

The run game is a crucial element to a winning team in the NFL, and getting production on the ground going forward will help balance the passing game for Los Angeles. 

“At the end, I thought, I loved our commitment to it,” Staley said on today’s run game. “I thought that that allowed our line to really get into rhythm, which I think helped our passing game. We didn’t get any big splitters today, but I thought we had a lot of productive runs, kind of stayed out of the negative runs, and it felt like we ran the ball really well when we needed to.”

Ekeler is the Bolts’ best asset on the ground, and if he can consistently perform with that sort of firepower he showed today, the Chargers will be one of the most dangerous offenses in the league this season. 

As for the other running back’s performances, Joshua Kelley had four rushes for 15 yards, which came exclusively in the first half. Sony Michel had 11 yards on six carries, all of which came in the second half.

“I feel like we were able to put something together today even though it was still a battle,” Ekeler said. “Ended up getting what I felt like was a team win, so it’s good to get back on the right track. We’re trying to go on a run here, always starts with the first one so now we got one, and we have to do it again.”

RB Austin Ekeler’s rushing touchdown gets Chargers on board first vs. Giants

This marked Austin Ekeler’s 16th touchdown on the season.

With help from the Chargers’ offensive line, Austin Ekeler scored the first touchdown of the game to begin the scoring at SoFi Stadium.

Check out Ekeler’s 16th touchdown of the season:

Los Angeles is tied up with New York at seven apiece.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler due for monstrous performance vs. Ravens

The Ravens have struggled against opposing running backs.

If you own running back Austin Ekeler on one of your fantasy teams, congratulations. There is a strong possibility that he will yet again rack up some points for you this weekend.

Los Angeles is set to square off against a Ravens pass defense that ranks 28th in the league, allowing 296.4 yards per game. Furthermore, Baltimore has specifically been susceptible to opposing running backs.

Most recently, Colts RB Jonathan Taylor took a screen in the flat on 3rd-and-15 and went 76 yards untouched for a touchdown. In addition, Indianapolis ran wild, averaging 8.1 yards per carry.

A combination of poor coverage and missed tackles in the open field has led to the Ravens allowing big plays nearly every week, with linebackers Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison being the primary culprits.

The two have allowed a combined 30 receptions for 347 yards.

Queen and Harrison were expected to take leaps from their rookie seasons, especially while Baltimore has been without veteran L.J. Fort, who is dealing with a knee injury. However, that has not been the case.

Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said the issues are a reflection of the two players giving their best effort, but perhaps trying to do too much.

After a slow start in Week 1, the multi-dimensional Ekeler has averaged close to 19 touches, 121.5 total yards over the last four games.

On top of that, Ekeler has seven total touchdowns, which is tied for the most in the NFL with Titans RB Derrick Henry.

Chargers’ Brandon Staley ‘optimistic’ Austin Ekeler will play in season opener

The Chargers’ lead back is trending towards playing this Sunday.

Chargers running back Austin Ekeler returned to practice Friday after missing the last two with a hamstring issue.

Head coach Brandon Staley said that he is optimistic Ekeler will play this Sunday, adding that he looked good in practice.

On the final injury report, Ekeler was listed as a full participant and he is questionable heading into the season opener against the Washington Football Team.

If whatever reason Ekeler isn’t able to go, Staley said that the load would be split up between Justin Jackson, Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree.

The only other notable on the report is that defensive back Trey Marshall will be unavailable as he’s currently dealing with an ankle injury.