Tag: Chargers vs. 49ers

Everything to know from Chargers’ preseason victory over 49ers

Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ 23-12 victory over the 49ers.

The Chargers defeated the 49ers in the final preseason game on Friday.

Here’s our recap of the Bolts’ 23-12 victory over San Francisco:

5 matchups to watch in Chargers’ preseason finale vs. 49ers

With one final chance to prove themselves, the majority of the roster will be playing as if there’s no tomorrow.

The Chargers head to San Francisco for their lone preseason outside the confines of SoFi Stadium. With one final chance to prove themselves, most of the roster will be playing as if there’s no tomorrow.

With that in mind, here are a few matchups to watch against the 49ers.

Top Twitter reactions from Chargers’ loss to 49ers

How the internet reacted to the Chargers’ loss to the 49ers in Week 10.

The Chargers kept it close against the 49ers on Sunday night, but the injury-riddled team could not prevail.

Here’s how the internet reacted to Week 10 showdown:

Studs and duds from Chargers’ 22-16 loss to 49ers

Here’s who showed up and who disappointed in the Chargers’ loss to the 49ers.

The Chargers fell to the 49ers on Sunday Night Football, dropping to 5-4 after a 22-16 loss. While the first half was an encouraging display, the second half brought disappointment and, ultimately, defeat.

Here’s who encouraged and who disappointed on Sunday.

Stud: Justin Herbert

I don’t care that Herbert threw the game-sealing interception, especially because his arm was hit by 49ers defensive lineman Charles Omenihu as he tried to throw the ball. The fact of the matter is that the face of the franchise built upon his momentum from last week and looked like the quarterback we’re used to seeing in powder blue. I counted no fewer than four spectacular throws in the first half to keep the ball moving downfield. And yes, that performance didn’t carry into the second half. But there are reasons for that, namely that the Chargers couldn’t keep their extra blockers in to chip San Francisco’s rushers as they got into more and more obvious passing situations. Bottom line: Herbert is on the right track, and his showing against one of the league’s best defenses is encouraging.

Dud: Bryce Callahan

Callahan has played well this season, and in fairness to him, this has more to do with how Chargers corners have played coverage this season than anything Callahan is doing in particular. In general, LA has played extremely soft coverage, especially in third-down situations. But of the three main corners (Asante Samuel Jr., Michael Davis, and Callahan), the veteran has struggled the most to click and close on receivers to make stops in those situations, which today resulted in a few extra conversions the Chargers could not afford to give up. Callahan was also in position to make a big tackle for loss in the fourth quarter but got caught just enough by 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk to force him out of the play.

Stud: Khalil Mack

Mack is pushing the pocket and disrupting opponents’ timing even without anyone on the defensive line to help him out. Late in the third quarter, Mack came up with a crucial first down sack to put the 49ers behind the sticks, then followed it up with another pressure on 2nd and 20 to force an incompletion. Earlier in the quarter, the former All-Pro also got to the outside and erased a swing pass before it could get going. It was a microcosm of Mack’s season: elite play after elite play after elite play in the passing game. With his seventh sack of the year, he also climbed into the top ten of the league leaderboard.

Dud: Finishing ability

With 6:42 left in the second quarter, the Chargers led this game 13-3. Herbert and the offense were marching up and down the field while the defense was bending but not breaking, as San Francisco failed to convert. For the rest of the game, LA was outscored 19-3 by the 49ers, who found a rhythm running the ball and had Jimmy Garoppolo and Brandon Aiyuk make enough plays to keep the passing game moving. Even as Los Angeles got into advantageous positions, they couldn’t finish the drive: after Aiyuk fumbled in the first quarter, the Bolts went three and out before kicking a field goal. Later in the second quarter, after L.A. blocked a punt, the Chargers had a nine-play drive stall inside the ten and settled for another field goal. San Francisco simply played a better second half than Los ANgeles did on Sunday night, adding to the theme of the Chargers being unable to put teams away.

Stud: Chippers

Especially in the first half, L.A. seemed to have the answers for San Francisco’s pass rush, mostly around keeping both a tight end and running back in the formation to chip edge rushers and help Jamaree Salyer and Foster Sarell. As the game continued, the Chargers had to spread the formation out, leaving their tackles on an island and resulting in what felt like constant pressure on Herbert in the second half. That difference was palpable, and it speaks to the performance of Austin Ekeler, Isaiah Spiller, Gerald Everett, and Tre’ McKitty as those block and release players early on.

Dud: First down runs

We’ve spoken at length about Joe Lombardi’s creativity or lack thereof this season, but I’ve always been on his side as far as the run game scheme is concerned because there has at least been some semblance of new ideas in that department. Tonight, however, Lombardi dialed up a run on 8 of the Chargers’ 22 first downs, gaining an average of one yard with a long of two yards. To be fair to Lombardi, some of that does fall on personnel: it’s hard to run the ball effectively when you’re down to your backup left and right tackles going up against the best-run defense in the league. But all game, the Chargers could not generate any sort of momentum running the ball on first down, and it put them behind the sticks and forced Herbert to bail drives out with heroic plays on second and third and longs.

Stud: Special teams

If you’ve followed any of my work, you know I’m always the first one to give credit to special teams. The Chargers capitalized on an imperfect snap exchange between Taybor Pepper and Mitch Wishnowsky that resulted in the 49ers’ punter turning the ball over before kicking it, giving Nick Niemann time to block the kick and give the Chargers the ball on the San Francisco 46-yard line. Third-string kicker Cameron Dicker stayed perfect in his NFL career with three field goals and an extra point. I thought JK Scott could have been a bit better, and the kickoff return unit still needs tinkering, but by and large, the special teams unit continues to be the only one getting its job done for all 60 minutes week in and week out. Kudos to them.

Dud: Injury curses

It’s just ridiculous at this point. The Chargers have tried replacing their training staff. They’ve tried to implement carryover policies from Brandon Staley’s time with the Rams when they were one of the healthiest teams in the league. They’ve tried moving the entire team an hour and a half up the 5! Nothing works; this team attracts injuries like a wounded animal attracts vultures. Otito Ogbonnia, the rookie we were so excited about that we cut Jerry Tillery to give him more playing time? Couldn’t put any weight on his knee. Christian Covington, his replacement? Pectoral injury. Gerald Everett, Justin Herbert’s only target who hadn’t been injured yet? Groin problems. LA finished this game missing their RB2, WR1, WR2, WR4, TE1, TE2, LT1, RT1, DL2, DL4, DL5, EDGE1, EDGE3, CB1, K1, and K2. LB2 Kenneth Murray also missed time being evaluated for a concussion. Walk down the street tomorrow and see if anyone you know can name a Chargers player not named Austin Ekeler that hasn’t gotten injured this season. Spoiler: they can’t.

Everything to know from Chargers’ loss to 49ers

Highlighting all the important stuff from the Chargers’ Week 10 loss to the 49ers.

The Chargers lost to the 49ers on Sunday night.

To recap the game, here is everything to know:

Chargers vs. 49ers first-half highlights

Get caught up with all the action from the primetime matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and San Francisco 49ers.

The Chargers lead the 49ers at the half, 16-10.

Here are all of Los Angeles’ notable highlights from the first two quarters.

The Bolts struck blood first when Justin Herbert hit a wide-open DeAndre Carter in the end zone for a 32-yard touchdown.

On the 49ers’ second offensive possession, Jimmy Garoppolo found Brandon Aiyuk for a 19-yard gain on the first play, but Derwin James was there to knock the ball loose with his helmet. Asante Samuel Jr. recovered.

Early in the second quarter, Nick Niemann blocked Mitch Wishnowsky’s punt.

Herbert almost had his second touchdown of the night, as he had a wide-open Tre’ McKitty up the seam but he dropped it.

On the following play, Herbert did what he does best by evading pressure and delivering a dime to Carter, which whistled past Talanoa Hufanga.

Right before the half ended, Herbert took a massive helmet-to-helmet hit by Dre Greenlaw. Greenlaw was ejected. Herbert came off the field to be evaluated for a concussion.

 

Otito Ogbonnia questionable to return vs. 49ers with knee injury

The Chargers’ defensive line is getting thinner.

The Chargers’ defensive line is getting thinner.

Rookie Otito Ogbonnia was injured on Los Angeles’ first defensive drive and has been ruled questionable to return. Ogbonnia appeared to suffer a non-contact injury to his knee while fighting to stop Christian McCaffrey on the goal line. He was eventually carted back to the locker room after being unable to place much weight on the injured leg.

Ogbonnia was starting Sunday in place of Austin Johnson, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last week against the Falcons. L.A. also waived Jerry Tillery on Friday after rumors of locker room tension between the former first-round pick and coaching staff surfaced.

With Ogbonnia injured, the Chargers have Sebastian Joseph-Day, Morgan Fox, Christian Covington, and Breiden Fehoko available on the defensive line for the remainder of this game.

Chargers inactives: See who’s in and who’s out for Week 10 vs. 49ers

The Chargers announced seven inactive players, including Trey Pipkins.

The Chargers are about 90 minutes away from kicking off Week 10 against the 49ers.

Here is a look at their inactive players today:

Easton Stick

Dustin Hopkins

Keenan Allen

Trey Pipkins III

Mike Williams

Keelan Doss

Chris Rumph II

Trey Pipkins is out with a sprained MCL. Foster Sarell will likely get the start at right tackle. Sarrell practiced with the first-team offense this past week.

Chargers’ keys to victory vs. 49ers in Week 10

Here is how the Chargers beat the 49ers on Sunday.

The Chargers travel to San Francisco for a chance to advance to 6-3 on the season against a 49ers team that is much better than their record suggests.

With the primetime matchup looming, here are six keys to victory.

Make Jimmy Garoppolo beat you

With Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle on the opposing offense, it’s easy to write Sunday’s matchup off as a shootout. But San Francisco has scored 24 or more points in just half of their games this season, largely because of the limitations Garoppolo places upon the 49ers’ offense. Both times Garoppolo has gone over 275 passing yards this season, the 49ers have lost: Week 6 against Atlanta and Week 7 against Kansas City. Kyle Shanahan wants to place the ball in his quarterback’s hands as little as possible: the 49ers are 23rd in pass attempts per game this season. Forcing the 49ers into game states where Garoppolo is asked to make plays will be the first step in obtaining a victory on Sunday night.

Get Justin Herbert moving

Even if Trey Pipkins can play on Sunday, it’s likely that he’ll look more like the version we saw against Seattle when he struggled to move as fluidly as normal. Pipkins looked healthy against Atlanta until he reaggravated his MCL injury. If he can’t play, practice squad tackle Foster Sarell has been taking first-team reps in practice over the much-maligned Storm Norton. All three of those options spell disaster for the Chargers, who have to find some way to deal with Nick Bosa rushing off the right side. Herbert looked as healthy as ever last week against the Falcons, and the Chargers used that to their advantage by incorporating him more into the running game. They’ll need to continue that on Sunday by moving the pocket and adding extra chip blockers that can leak out on routes as safety valves.

Carry second-quarter momentum

The Chargers are among the best-scoring teams in the league in the second quarter, averaging 12.5 points per game. That’s all well and good, except that San Francisco’s defense is the best at preventing teams from scoring in the second quarter at just 3.8 per game. However, where the 49ers have faltered all season is in the third quarter, where the defense is 27th in points allowed (6.1) and the offense is 29th in points scored (2.5). If LA can at least get some sort of rhythm going in the second quarter to carry that positive energy into the halftime locker room, the opportunity should be there for them to capitalize early in the second half.

Find Austin Ekeler touches

San Francisco is the best rushing defense in the league, giving up just 86.6 yards per game. The Chargers already only rush for 89.1 yards per game, the fifth-worst figure. In short, running Ekeler, or anyone else for that matter is likely not going to work. However, eliminating him from the game plan is also not an option, considering that Ekeler is the last man standing next to Herbert in this offense. I’d like to see Joe Lombardi utilize the running back as a legit passing option in this game – believe it or not, Ekeler is probably the fastest player on the team right now with a 4.43 40-yard dash. Let him run a bit more vertically, or just use him as the safety valve I talked about earlier, but one way or another, he needs to get his touches and get into a rhythm if LA is going to pull this one out.

Embrace creativity

Speaking of Ekeler, I think Joe Lombardi has a real opportunity to use the running back as a more integral part of the passing game. I mentioned Ekeler’s speed, and I think it’d be prudent to get that speed moving up the field to at least simulate the deep passing game how it would typically function with someone like Jalen Guyton on the field. Lombardi said they don’t have the personnel to push the ball down the field, but Ekeler presents a way for them to hack together a solution instead of throwing their hands up and running Stick again. Speaking of which: this is a physical, punishing 49ers defense. They’re going to be sitting on those short routes like nothing the Chargers have seen this season, and that’s accounting for the fact that every team is already sitting on those short routes. Lombardi needs to dial up a double move, a deep shot out of a quick game look, and catch the San Francisco defense off guard as they creep up to lay the boom. If he doesn’t, it’s going to lead to a lot of frustrating deflections and three-and-outs.

Defensive execution

The Chargers have struggled with the big play this season: it seems like any rushing attempt is liable to go for 20, 30, maybe 40 yards, and the pass defense generally holds together until they give up one backbreaking touchdown a game. San Francisco has generated four offensive touchdowns of more than 30 yards this season, so their ability to hit the big play is certainly there. Three of those have been passing touchdowns, leaving the onus on Asante Samuel Jr. and Michael Davis to step up and prevent the 49ers from creating another one. However, just because the 49ers haven’t generated as many big running plays doesn’t mean the Chargers won’t give one up: LA has been lackluster at fitting the run all season, primarily because of a lack of gap discipline from second-level defenders and loss of contain by edge rushers. Losing Austin Johnson for the season will not help on the interior either. As McCaffrey works his way into a bigger role on the San Francisco offense, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him break one on Sunday night. But to come away victorious, the Chargers need to limit those plays as much as possible.

5 key things to know about Chargers’ Week 10 opponent: 49ers

To get you prepped for the Chargers’ Week 10 matchup with the 49ers, here are some important things to know about them.

After defeating the Falcons, the Chargers meet with the 49ers on Sunday night, Nov. 13, at 5:20 pm PT.

To get you prepped for the Week 10 bout, here are five key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the matchup.

Run CMC

The 49ers made the trade of the season, giving up second-, third- and fourth-round selections in the 2023 NFL draft, along with a fifth-rounder in 2024 to the Panthers, for Christian McCaffrey. After a relatively slow start in his debut for San Francisco, McCaffrey got more comfortable with Kyle Shanahan’s playbook and went off the week after, amassing 183 all-purpose yards in a victory over the Rams in Week 8. In that performance, McCaffrey became the first player since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2005 to have passing, rushing and receiving touchdowns in a single game. While he’s primarily lined up in the backfield, the Niners have been getting the most out of his versatility, as McCaffrey has received snaps in the slot and outside.

Complimentary piece

Given the term “wide-back” to describe his style of play, Samuel was the 49ers’ best receiver and their best running back a season ago. In 2021, Samuel posted a career-high 1,405 yards on 77 receptions in 16 games. He also averaged 18.2 yards per reception and had six touchdowns. Further, Samuel had 365 rushing yards on 59 carries with eight touchdowns. But with the arrival of McCaffrey, the offense won’t have to run through Samuel, and he can focus on playing wide receiver. Samuel was out with a hamstring injury during the 49ers’ game against the Rams, but he is practicing and is expected to play this weekend. This season, Samuel has 31 receptions for 386 yards and two touchdowns and 139 rushing yards and a score on the ground.

But wait, there’s more

The 49ers’ offense also features other skill players needed to be accounted for. Brandon Aiyuk is the leading receiver for a middle-of-the-pack 49ers passing offense with Jimmy Garoppolo at the helm. Aiyuk has 38 receptions for 483 yards and four touchdowns. In his last three games, Aiyuk has gotten 80-plus receiving yards and hauled three touchdown passes during that span. George Kittle has come nowhere near his breakout campaign in 2018, which saw him finish with 1,377 receiving yards, but he’s still one of the most physically imposing tight ends that can’t be forgotten. Kittle has caught 28 passes for 319 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Elijah Mitchell entered the year as the 49ers’ starting running back after a historic rookie campaign with 963 yards (4.7 yards per attempt) and five touchdowns. He then sustained an MCL sprain in the 2022 season opener and hasn’t played since, but Shanahan said Mithcell will be activated from injured reserve before Sunday’s game.

Prolific pass defense

The 49ers have done a good job of making life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. They are 13th in pass defense DVOA and eight in passing yards allowing (199.2) and yards per attempt (6.3). It starts up front, where they’ve amassed 26 sacks, which is fifth-most in the NFL. Nick Bosa, the brother of Joey, has 8.5 sacks (tied for second-most). Samson Ebukam and Charles Omenihu each have three sacks.

Even better against the run

The 49ers rank fourth in run defense, and are averaging just 3.4 yards per carry, which is the least allowed in the league. San Francisco’s front is stout, but the guys at the second and third levels, led by linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga, deserve recognition as each one of them consistently rallies to the football.