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.