Tag: Gus Edwards

Bleacher Report names Chargers’ 3 most likely cap casualties this offseason

It’s a huge offseason ahead for the Chargers, and that includes some decisions within its own roster.

We are at that point of the year when the offseason rumor mill gets fired up. The Chargers have a huge few months ahead of them to try and improve this roster to become legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

The front office will have some big decisions to make within the roster. With that, we will debate whether the Chargers should cut ties with the following players, all potential cap casualties Bleacher Report identified.

EDGE Joey Bosa

This is a controversial one. Bosa has established himself as one of the best Chargers defenders of all time. He’s made four Pro Bowls, yet the last of those appearances came back in 2021. He’s looked like a shell of his old self for three seasons now, and he’s combined to play just 28 games. Bosa combined for just 14 sacks in that timeframe, which is not worth the hefty $135 million contract he signed back in 2020.

In 14 appearances this season, the veteran had just five sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles. At this point, it may be best for the Chargers to move on from him. Khalil Mack is a free agent on the other side, so that’s something to keep in mind. Losing both Mack and Bosa would be detrimental to this pass rush, but regardless, edge rusher is a huge long-term need for this team at this point.

RB Gus Edwards

Edwards’ first season in Los Angeles was disappointing. After a career-best 2023 campaign, he struggled to earn much of a role. Even when J.K. Dobbins fell with an injury, Edwards failed to step up. It was the worst season of his career in rushing yards (365) and yards per carry (3.6). It feels like a no-brainer to move on from him this offseason, which would save the Chargers $3.1 million. Running back remains a massive need for this team, but Edwards doesn’t have much of a future in Los Angeles.

OL Trey Pipkins

The Chargers have done a solid job fortifying their offensive line through the draft. Center and right guard remain the biggest weaknesses amongst the unit, the latter in which Pipkins resides. The Chargers would save $6.8 million by cutting, and quite frankly, he’s just not worth much of a contract at this point. Pipkins was inconsistent throughout this season, and the team could easily find his replacement for a much cheaper price through the draft or free agency. Amongst 135 qualifying offensive guards, Pipkins ranked 86th with a 57.8 overall grade in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus.

Offense nowhere to be found in Chargers’ loss to Texans: Instant analysis of wild-card game

Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ playoff loss to the Texans in a game that saw Justin Herbert have arguably the worst performance of his career.

The Chargers’ season has come to a close after losing to the Texans on Saturday.

Here’s our recap of Los Angeles’ 32-12 loss to Houston.

It was over when…

Justin Herbert’s pass intended for Ladd McConkey was picked off by Eric Murray and taken back for a touchdown to extend the Texans’ lead to two scores late in the third quarter.

Notable number

Herbert is the first player in NFL history to throw more interceptions in a playoff game than in the regular season, according to ESPN’s Kris Rhim. He threw four tonight and only threw three all year.

3 stars of the game

  1. WR Ladd McConkey: 9 catches, 197 yards, touchdown
  2. EDGE Khalil Mack: 2 sacks
  3. CB Deane Leonard: Interception

Quick hits

  • This was arguably the worst game of Herbert’s career, crumbling with the world watching him. He finished 14-32 (43.8%), the worst completion percentage in a playoff game by a Charger since Philip Rivers in 2006, and tied for third worst in franchise history, per ESPN’s Kris Rhim.
  • Herbert had never thrown more than two interceptions in a game in his entire career.
  • The Chargers’ offense was lifeless the entire game. The Texans pressured Herbert 19 times and sacked him four times. There were too many dropped passes. The running game was nonexistent.
  • The Chargers’ defense forced three turnovers, but the offense only turned those takeaways into three points.
  • Los Angeles averaged just 2.8 yards per rush. The Texans dominated at the line of scrimmage, giving the Chargers no rushing lanes.
  • McConkey was the leading receiver with nine catches for 197 yards. The next on the list was Will Dissly, who had two receptions for 16 yards. Quentin Johnston had five targets but failed to record a catch.
  • Los Angeles finished 3-of-11 on third down. They held Houston to 5-of-14 on third down but allowed them to convert on both fourth-down attempts.
  • The momentum shift came late in the second quarter, deep in Texans territory when Stroud fumbled the snap but recovered and found a wide-open Xavier Hutchinson in the middle of the field for a 34-yard gain because of a busted coverage. Houston scored and went on to put up 23 unanswered points.

What’s next?

The Chargers finished the 2024 season with an 11-7 record and a playoff spot in Jim Harbaugh’s first year as head coach. They enter the offseason with plenty of positional needs at running back, wide receiver, tight end, interior offensive line, edge defender and interior defensive line.

Chargers final injury report vs. Raiders: 2 players out, Denzel Perryman doubtful

The Chargers will be without two offensive players this weekend.

The Chargers released their final injury report on Friday ahead of the regular season finale against the Raiders.

Los Angeles will be without running back Gus Edwards and wide receiver Joshua Palmer, who were ruled out.

Edwards is dealing with an ankle injury that kept him sidelined in the Week 17 game against the Patriots.

Palmer is still dealing with a foot injury that forced him out of last weekend’s game against New England late in the third quarter.

Derius Davis and D.J. Chark Jr. will be in line to receive more playing time with Palmer sidelined.

Linebacker Denzel Perryman is listed as doubtful with a groin injury. In his absence, Troy Dye will get the start alongside Daiyan Henley.

Alohi Gilman is questionable with a hamstring injury. Gilman was placed on injured reserve in late November and missed the last five games. He would need to be activated from IR to play on Sunday.

Raiders vs Chargers final injury report for Week 18: Nate Hobbs shows up with illness

Friday the Raiders saw starting cornerback Nate Hobbs miss practice with an illness. He has been ruled Questionable vs the Chargers Week 18.

The final injury report of the season is out. On it are three Raiders starters whose status is either OUT or in doubt.

Raiders, Chargers injury report

RB Ameer Abdullah injury update

Abdullah has officially been ruled OUT with a foot injury. He left in the third quarter last Sunday after putting up the best game of his career, and first ever 100-yard rushing performance.

He will be replaced by the combination of Alexander Mattison, Chris Collier, and Dylan Laube.

G Jordan Meredith injury update

Meredith is officially Questionable with an ankle injury. The past two weeks he was replaced at left guard by Jackson Powers-Johnson with Andre James coming in at center. That is expected to continue this week.

CB Nate Hobbs injury update

Hobbs missed practice Friday with an illness and is officially Questionable for the game.

RB Gus Edwards injury update

Edwards (ankle) has been ruled OUT for the game.

WR Josh Palmer injury update

Palmer (foot) has been ruled OUT for the game.

LB Denzel Perryman injury update

Perryman (groin) has been ruled Doubtful for the game.

S Alohi Gilman injury update

Gilman (hamstring) is officially Questionable for the game. The team opened the 21-day window for his return from injured reserve this week.

Chargers dominate Patriots to clinch playoff berth: Instant analysis of Week 17 win

Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ win over the Patriots in a game that saw Justin Herbert toss three touchdowns and make NFL history.

The Chargers are heading to the playoffs after their win over the Patriots on Saturday afternoon.

Here’s our recap of Los Angeles’ 40-7 win over New England.

It was over when…

Justin Herbert hit Ladd McConkey for a 40-yard touchdown to go up 27-7 in the third quarter.

Notable number

Justin Herbert broke Peyton Manning’s NFL record for most passing yards in a player’s first five seasons (20,618).

3 stars of the game

  1. QB Justin Herbert: 283 passing yards, 3 touchdowns
  2. RB J.K. Dobbins: 19 carries, 76 yards, TD
  3. WR Ladd McConkey: 8 catches, 94 yards, 2 TDs

Quick hits

  • The Chargers are in the playoffs for the third time in 11 seasons.
  • The Chargers’ offense spent most of the game on the field, dominating the time of possession battle, 40:34 to 19:26.
  • The offensive line kept Justin Herbert upright for the entire game, and he took advantage of the clean pockets. When kept clean, Herbert had an 80% adjusted completion percentage with 247 passing yards and three touchdowns.
  • Herbert’s top target was Ladd McConkey, who surpassed Keenan Allen for most receiving yards and receptions by a Chargers rookie. Quentin Johnston finished second in receiving with five catches for 48 yards. Joshua Palmer was next with four grabs for 41 yards.
  • The offense benefited from J.K. Dobbins’ return from injury. Dobbins averaged 4.0 yards per carry and found the end zone. He also set a new season high in rushing yards, shattering his previous best (800) in his rookie campaign.
  • Jesse Minter’s defense made life difficult for rookie Drake Maye. Maye was sacked four times and was held to 112 passing yards on 22 attempts.
  • New England went 2-of-10 on third down and failed to make it to the red zone.
  • Derius Davis had a punt return touchdown, but it was negated by a holding penalty.

What’s next?

The Chargers close out the regular season on the road against the Raiders next Sunday, Jan. 5. The kickoff time is to be determined.

Chargers inactives: See who’s in and who’s out for Week 17 vs. Patriots

The Chargers will be without Denzel Perryman on Saturday.

The Chargers are about 90 minutes away from kicking off Week 17 against the Patriots.

Here is a look at their inactive players today:

QB Easton Stick (emergency 3rd QB)

RB Gus Edwards

LB Denzel Perryman

OL Jordan McFadden

OL Trey Pipkins III

TE Hayden Hurst

DL Justin Eboigbe

RB J.K. Dobbins was activated from injured reserve on Saturday and will play today.

Chargers rule out key offensive contributor vs. Patriots

The Chargers have ruled out RB Gus Edwards ahead of Saturday’s game against the Patriots

The Los Angeles Chargers won’t have running back Gus Edwards when they head to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots.

Along with ruling Edwards out on Thursday, the Chargers also listed running back J.K. Dobbins as questionable for the Week 17 game on Saturday.

Stopping the run has been the Achilles heel for the Patriots defense this season. Things are exceptionally worse along the defensive front with Christian Barmore sidelined. That likely would have meant a heavy dose of Edwards in the run game.

The veteran rusher played a key role in the Chargers’ Week 16 win over the Denver Broncos with 14 carries for 68 rushing yards and two touchdowns. New England is allowing the fourth-most rushing yards per game in their last three outings with opponents averaging 159.7 yards on the ground.

Dobbins’ status will be worth monitoring heading into the matchup. Edwards and Dobbins both being out would be a huge blow for the Chargers.

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Watch highlights from Chargers’ comeback win over Broncos

If you missed the Chargers’ win over the Broncos or just want to relive it, here are the highlights.

The Chargers completed a double-digit comeback on Thursday night, defeating the Broncos, 34-27.

Justin Herbert threw for nearly 300 yards and two touchdowns. Jesse Minter’s defense held Denver to six points in the second half after allowing three TDs in the first half.

If you missed the game or want to relive it, the entire highlight reel can be seen below.

Chargers secure second-half comeback over Broncos: Instant analysis of Week 16 win

Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ loss to the Broncos in a game that saw Los Angeles complete a double-digit comeback.

The Chargers pieced together a double-digit comeback in the second half, taking down the Broncos in a 34-27 battle on Thursday night.

Here’s our recap of Los Angeles’ Week 16 win.

It was over when…

Justin Herbert pitched the ball to Hassan Haskins, who ran for a 34-yard touchdown with 2:27 remaining to go up by 10.

Notable number

The Chargers swept the Broncos for the first time since the 2010 season.

3 stars of the game

  1. QB Justin Herbert: 281 yards, 2 passing touchdowns
  2. RB Gus Edwards: 2 rushing TDs
  3. WR Ladd McConkey: 6 catches, 87 yards

Quick hits

  • Before their win, the Chargers had lost 13 straight games when trailing by double digits, the fifth-longest active streak in the NFL.
  • Credit offensive coordinator Greg Roman for devising a game plan that resulted in 34 points against the league’s best defense.
  • The Chargers totaled 380 yards, 263 passing and 117 rushing, averaging 6.2 yards per play. They went 3 of 4 in the red zone.
  • Justin Herbert connected with ten different pass-catchers.
  • According to Next Gen Stats, Herbert used play action on a career-high 47.2% of his dropbacks against Denver, finishing 12 of 15 for 155 yards with a play fake.
  • Ladd McConkey led all receivers with 87 yards. Joshua Palmer was second with 41 yards on three catches.
  • Before his 43-yard run, Gus Edwards was only averaging 1.9. yards per carry. Still, Edwards found the end zone twice, bringing his touchdown total to four on the season.
  • After giving up three touchdowns in the first half, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter made some adjustments by dialing up and executing more pressure to mitigate the thin defensive backfield.
  • In the second half, Los Angeles forced four punts, two of which were three-and-outs, on five of Denver’s possessions.
  • Ryan Ficken, knowing the free-kick law, paid off as Cameron Dicker’s 57-yard field goal was good right before the half, the first free-kick FG since 1976.
  • The Chargers now have a 97% chance to make the playoffs after the win.

What’s next?

The Chargers are back on the road to face the Patriots (3-11) on Saturday, Dec. 28, at 10:00 am PT.

Studs and duds from Chargers’ poor Week 15 effort vs. Buccaneers

The Chargers had arguably their worst performance of the season in Week 15, which leaves a lot to be desired in this week’s studs and duds.

It was a close game at halftime, but the Chargers got pounded in the second half. There weren’t many positives to take away from this game, particularly from the drubbing in those final 30 minutes.

There were still a few bright spots from the performance as well as the expected duds from such a blowout loss.

Stud: Poona Ford

In a game with very few positives, Ford was quite solid against the Buccaneers’ physical offensive line. Ford has been quite consistent this year on the interior portion of the defensive line. In fact, he was the Chargers’ highest-graded player (79.0) in Week 15 according to Pro Football Focus. Ford has been the sixth-best defensive lineman in all of football in 2024, which includes his ability to stuff the run in the middle of the defense.

Dud: Kristian Fulton

The fifth-year cornerback has shined at times this season, but he struggled mightily on Sunday. Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield targeted Fulton six times and was able to complete each of those for 88 yards and a touchdown to Mike Evans. Evans got the best of Fulton on multiple occasions, and the Chargers secondary as a whole was quite poor in Week 15.

Stud: Quentin Johnston

The Chargers finished the game with just 174 passing yards, but Johnston put in another superb performance. For the second consecutive week, the former TCU product finished with five catches and a touchdown. While his hands remain an issue, he’s at least made a decent amount of plays in his sophomore season. He’s shown a ton of improvement in 2024, and that continued to show in Sunday’s loss.

Dud: Gus Edwards

The Chargers severely miss starting running back J.K. Dobbins. Without him, the team’s ground attack is virtually nonexistent, and that was on full display again on Sunday. Edwards was ineffective once again with just 23 rushing yards on eight carries, a measly 2.9 yards per touch. Rookie Kimani Vidal saw more work than Edwards as the game went on due to his versatility in the passing game. Not only has Edwards been a non-factor on the ground this season, but he only has two total catches as well.

Dud: Run Defense

The Chargers run defense has been middle-of-the-pack in 2024, but they were downright awful on Sunday. Tampa Bay racked up 223 yards on the ground, as each of their top two running backs were effective. There were a few big plays as well, which included a 54-yard scamper from Bucky Irving and a 21-yard scramble from Mayfield. Scrap the tape from this one.