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Keenan Allen is having a great game.
After struggling on the offensive end for most of the first half, the Chargers finally found life with a great drive that was capped with a Keenan Allen touchdown for 29 yards.
Allen ran a great route. Justin Herbert made a great throw. The wideout made a great catch.
what a dot
📺: @nfloncbs pic.twitter.com/G48zjDskJN
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) November 12, 2023
Quentin Johnston has his first touchdown catch as an NFL player.
Quentin Johnston has his first touchdown catch as an NFL player.
After an inauspicious start with three drops in the first two drives, the Chargers put Johnston back in the game in the red zone with time winding down in the first half.
You can probably guess what happened next: a target in the red zone, which the rookie converted for his first NFL touchdown.
Los Angeles will hope that positive note, which should be the end of Johnston’s game against the Rams, puts the first-round pick back on the right track.
first one for one @MrJohnston____ pic.twitter.com/SEwZt6ANSe
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) August 13, 2023
Highlighting everything notable from the Chargers’ Week 5 victory over the Browns.
I have said this before, but it wouldn’t be a Chargers win without doing so in nail-biting fashion. And that’s what happened at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday, as Los Angeles barely squeaked out a victory over the Browns.
To recap the Bolts’ 30-28 win, here is everything to know.
Chase Daniel connected with Joe Reed for the Chargers’ first touchdown vs. Rams.
The Chargers are on the board first in the preseason opener against the Rams.
After driving down the field, with running back Joshua Kelley paving the way, quarterback Chase Daniel found a wide-open wide receiver Joe Reed for a 41-yard touchdown.
Check out the highlight below:
DO U REED ??? @JoeBee_2 | 📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/iJ8Hi4B7UA
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) August 14, 2022
Damon Lloyd has been flashing since the start of Chargers training camp.
Linebacker Damon Lloyd has been making noise at Chargers training camp.
While Kenneth Murray, who is recovering from ankle surgery, and Drue Tranquill, who is dealing with a groin issue, have been out of the action, Lloyd has made the most of his reps.
During Tuesday’s session, Lloyd made back-to-back plays in 11-on-11. First, a sack and then a tackle for loss on running back Larry Rountree.
Lloyd has made positive plays daily since the start of camp, consistently living in the backfield.
With Murray, Tranquill, Troy Reeder, and Kyle Van Noy near locks, Lloyd is competing with second-year players Nick Niemann and Amen Ogbongbemiga to fill out the depth chart.
Even if he does not make the team, Lloyd will be a strong candidate to be kept around on the practice squad this year.
A signee out of The Spring League, Lloyd spent all of the 2021 season on the practice squad.
Lloyd set a record for tackles in a single season from 2017 to 2019 at Indiana (Pennsylvania), racking up more than 110 tackles in all three seasons.
J.C. Jackson’s nose for the football was on display on the first day of Chargers training camp.
The Chargers used the offseason to load up on talent on defense, but arguably their most significant addition was cornerback J.C. Jackson.
Jackson’s 23 passes defended led all defensive players in 2021. His nose for the football was on display on the first day of training camp Wednesday.
On the first play of team drills, quarterback Justin Herbert’s pass intended for wide receiver Mike Williams was broken up by Jackson.
oHHHH SAYY CAN J.C 🫡 pic.twitter.com/ugviv1IDTA
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) July 27, 2022
After spending the first four seasons of his pro career with the Patriots, in which he posted 25 interceptions, Jackson was rewarded by the Chargers with a massive five-year, $82.5 million deal.
Now the No. 1 corner that Brandon Staley needed, the hope is for Jackson to lock down opposing team’s top wideouts and provide a ball-hawk to a secondary that finished with just 11 interceptions in 2021.
If you missed the Chargers’ win over the Eagles on Sunday, catch up on all of the best plays with this highlight reel.
After dropping their last two games, the Chargers bounced back with a victory over the Eagles, led by a phenomenal performance from quarterback Justin Herbert.
Herbert finished 32 of 38 for 356 yards with three touchdowns and a completion percentage of 84.2.
Wide receiver Keenan Allen found his groove after being quiet the past few games, catching 12 of his 13 targets for 104 yards.
It wasn’t the prettiest defensively, but the offense kept Los Angeles alive throughout the game.
Check out highlights from the game in the video player below.
https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=io6sZia9Rs-1603426-7498&autoplay=on&V=2&format=json
Highlighting everything notable from the Los Angeles Chargers’ victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
After losing their last two heading into Week 9, the Chargers went across the map and defeated the Eagles by the score of 27-24.
Here are five quick takeaways from Los Angeles’ shootout victory over Philadelphia in Week 9:
After being neutralized by two of the best defenses, Herbert returned to form. He only had six incomplete passes on the day, throwing for 356 yards, and posting three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). The Eagles’ defense is not of the same caliber as the Ravens or Patriots, but Herbert was much more decisive with his reads and his throws were on the money for the most part. In particular, Herbert favored wide receiver Keenan Allen, who had 12 catches for 104 yards on 13 targets.
The execution in the red zone early on and on fourth down left a lot to be desired. The Chargers had six trips to the red zone but only converted on three of them. One example of a head-scratching play call came in the second quarter when they ran a pitch play with running back Joshua Kelley on 4th-and-2 but came up short. Other than that, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi did an excellent job of protecting Herbert, getting him more on the move and getting the skill players consistently open in the shorter and intermediate parts of the fields, including…
In August, I wrote about the Chargers’ tight ends having the potential to be a real strength, and the group was spotlighted throughout the evening, as Lombardi did a fine job of getting them open in space. Jared Cook finished with four catches for 48 yards. Donald Parham had three receptions for 38 yards and a touchdown. Also a stud in the blocking department, Stephen Anderson posted a season-high four catches for 39 yards and a score. Rookie Tre’ McKitty was not on the field that much, but he made some key blocks.
When you look at the stat sheet, you’ll see that the Chargers gave up 176 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. While not ideal numbers, there weren’t many chunk plays. The front did its job, with Linval Joseph making an assortment of plays on the ball, finishing with nine tackles. Kyzir White and Drue Tranquill cleaned up a lot of plays as well, combining for 17 tackles. Edge defender Joey Bosa, when not being held, generated a good amount of pressure. QB Jalen Hurts did not throw the ball that much, but when he did, it was primarily to WR DeVonta Smith, who had his way against Chris Harris Jr. All in all, not a great but not a bad performance defensively.
The Chargers made investments during the bye week, bringing in returner Andre Roberts and kicker Dustin Hopkins, who had positive impacts on the game. Roberts averaged 24 yards per kick, with a long of 39 yards. He also made something out of nothing on his lone punt return. Despite missing one of his two extra-point attempts, Hopkins had the game-winning field goal. Furthermore, the return units looked a lot better, allowing an average of just 11.5 yards per kick.
Highlighting the most impactful players for the Chargers in their Week 1 victory over Washington.
The Chargers kicked off the 2021 regular season in the win column after downing Washington on the road.
Who had the biggest impact on the game in all three phases?
Here are the players of the game in Week 1:
Either one of wide receiver Keenan Allen or Mike Williams could have been slotted here after their stellar performances but at the end of the day, the engineer of the offense gets the nod.
A stat line of 337 passing yards and a touchdown is seen as pretty normal in today’s NFL, but it is what Herbert did that earned him the award, managing to overcome a fumble into the end zone that resulted in a touchback and a red zone interception.
He led an offense that went 14 of 19 on third down, scoring drives of 75, 76 and 68 yards to close out the game, and a go-ahead touchdown pass to Mike Williams prior to that to make up for the hiccups.
So much for all that talk of a second season regression. Herbert is the real deal.
This would’ve gone to Joey Bosa, Derwin James or Asante Samuel Jr. for their outings as a whole but for today, I’m giving it to the player that made the biggest defensive play of the game.
Following Herbert’s interception in the red zone, all the momentum was on Washington’s side. That was until running back Antonio Gibson took a carry up the middle, only to meet White who was able to punch the ball out and have it recovered by Kenneth Murray.
Herbert followed that up with his lone touchdown pass to Williams which ultimately sealed the deal.
White finished the game with five tackles and the forced fumble.
The coaches made the decision to make Vizcaino the starting kicker over Michael Badgley, and he did not disappoint in his regular season debut for the Chargers. Vizcaino was a perfect 4-of-4 on his field goals of 33 and 27 yards and both extra points.
Highlighting everything notable in the Los Angeles Chargers’ victory over the Washington Football Team.
In a neck-and-neck battle between the Chargers and Washington, Los Angeles came out victorious by the score of 20-16.
To recap the season opener, here is everything we know:
Washington decided to punt with a little less than seven minutes in the fourth-quarter. With the ball back in the hands of quarterback Justin Herbert, the offense put together a 15-play, 72-yard drive to eat up the remainder of the clock.
The Chargers were 14-of-19 on third down.
Washington was held to 133 yards passing.
Los Angeles controlled the time of possession. 36:03 to 23:57.
QB Justin Herbert:Â 31-of-47 for 337 yards, 1 touchdown
WR Keenan Allen:Â 9 catches for 100 yards
WR Mike Williams:Â 8 receptions for 82 yards, 1 touchdown
S Derwin James:Â 7 tackles, 1 pass deflection
Aside from the work in the red zone, Joe Lombardi called a terrific game by letting Herbert do his thing early and often. The blocking scheme and personnel allowed him to stay clean for the most part and receivers were put in optimal positions with a variety of route concepts/combinations.
Keenan Allen and Mike Williams have the makeup of a phenomenal wide receiver duo in this system.
The newly revamped offensive line did a fantastic job of holding their own against a tough Washington front. Rashawn Slater, in particular, swallowed up everything that came his way, including reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year, Chase Young.
While the passing game was the focal point, the run game was not all that efficient, only averaging 3.1 yards per carry. Austin Ekeler was limited to 15 carries and was not used as a receiver. Larry Rountree had more carries than Justin Jackson, finishing with eight to one respectively.
The defense was stronger in the first half than in the second, but against the run was where they struggled throughout the entire game aside from a clutch fumble forced by Kyzir White. Washington finished with 27 carries for 127 yards (4.7 yards per carry).
Generating pressure in a multitude of ways is Brandon Staley’s calling card and it paid off, especially with Joey Bosa and Uchenna Nwosu. Aside from a big play to Terry McLaurin and their only touchdown, the Chargers held Ryan Fitzpatrick and Taylor Heinicke to 133 passing yards.
The two best defensive players were Derwin James and Asante Samuel Jr. Both players consistently flew around the field, making big plays in big moments, both in the passing and run game.
Dropped passes and costly penalties in critical situations could have ultimately costed the Chargers this game. I don’t like to blame NFL officiating, but there were a couple of questionable calls, including the roughing the passer on Joey Bosa late in the game.
The Chargers return home to take on the Cowboys in the first regular season game at SoFi Stadium in front of fans on Sunday, Sept. 19 at 1:25 pm PT.
