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If you missed the Chargers’ win over the Panthers or just want to relive it, here are the highlights.
The Chargers nearly pitched a shutout on Sunday, defeating the Panthers, 26-3.
J.K. Dobbins ran wild. Quentin Johnston had a breakout performance. The defense continued their dominance.
If you missed the game or want to relive it, the full highlight reel can be seen below.
Find out who the five standout performers were in Week 2.
The Chargers improved to 2-0 on Sunday with a 26-3 victory over the Panthers. It was more of the same in Week 2 for Jim Harbaugh’s squad in which they dominated the game in the trenches.
A few players picked up right where they left off from Week 1, while a few others put in a bounce-back performance.
Check out who the standouts were from this week.
WR Quentin Johnston
The second-year wideout is the biggest winner of the week. In perhaps the best game of his short career, he finished the day with five catches, 51 yards, and two touchdowns, all of which led the game. His first touchdown, a 29-yarder, was an impressive one in traffic. It’s nice to see Johnston step up in a big way and hopefully will be a sign of more things to come.
DC Jesse Minter
Do the Chargers finally have a defense? Okay, it’s still too early, but the early signs are promising. The defense, led by Minter, has given up just 13 points through two games. The performances have come against two of the league’s worst offenses, so we should remain cautiously optimistic for now. Still, Minter did a phenomenal job once again in Week 2 by completely blanketing the Panthers offense.
RB J.K. Dobbins
I listed him as a standout last week, and he deserves a shout once again in Week 2. Dobbins finished the contest with 17 carries for 131 yards and a touchdown. His speed and burst look to be back, which was evidenced once again on his 43-yard touchdown. The explosive plays are reasons to believe this success can be maintained, as he now has 266 yards through two weeks. Moreover, Dobbins continues to separate himself as the best back on the team over Gus Edwards.
LB Denzel Perryman
Amidst the defense’s outbreak in the first two weeks, Perryman has led the charge in the middle of the defense. He finished the game with seven total tackles in addition to a huge sack in the first quarter that took the Panthers out of field goal range. His physicality has led the charge in the first two weeks, and the Chargers will need it again from him in Week 3 against the Steelers.
DB Elijah Molden
What a story this guy has become. Molden hasn’t even been with the team for a month and was given a game ball after the game by Harbaugh. He finished the game with seven total tackles in addition to the defense’s lone interception on the day. The takeaway killed any of the Panthers’ potential momentum heading into halftime, and it seems the 2021 third-rounder has earned more playing time moving forward.
Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ 26-3 win over the Panthers.
The Chargers improved to 2-0 after defeating the Panthers, 26-3.
Here’s our recap of the Bolts’ victory in Week 2.
The Chargers scored a touchdown on their opening drive. They held the lead from that point on.
Quentin Johnston’s first of two touchdowns. Johnston did an excellent job working back to the football with Jaycee Horn in coverage.
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The Chargers start the season 2-0 for the first time since 2012.
The Chargers are on the road again to take on the Steelers (1-0) next Sunday, Sept. 22, at 10:00 a.m. PT.
Poona Ford was one of the bright spots for the Chargers defense that held the Raiders to 71 yards rushing in a Week 1 victory.
The Chargers looked like a completely different run defense in the first game of the Jim Harbaugh era, holding the Raiders to just 71 yards on the ground as a team.
Instrumental in that effort was defensive tackle Poona Ford, who signed a one-year contract with Los Angeles in the offseason after playing a depth role for the Bills in 2023. Penciled in as a starter nearly by default because of the Chargers’ struggles on the defensive interior, Ford broke through with one of the best games by any defensive tackle in the NFL in Week 1 to aid Los Angeles’ defensive effort.
Let’s turn to the film to see how Ford made his impact.
Ford started strong on the opening drive of the season, pushing Raiders center Andre James into the backfield and forcing running back Zamir White to funnel his carry back inside on 3rd and 1. White’s cut brings him back into the path of Joey Bosa pursuing on the back side of the play. Bosa makes the play, forcing a Raiders punt.
On the next Raiders drive, Las Vegas lines up to go for a 4th and 1 from their own 41, bringing tight end Michael Mayer into the backfield in a pistol look. Ford beats James instantly off the snap and runs through Mayer, causing a pileup in the backfield that absorbs White and stuffs the Raiders. The field position set up the Chargers for the opening field goal of the game.
Ford initially gets driven off the ball by Raiders guard Cody Whitehair on this toss play in the second quarter as James pulls to support the block, but Ford gets past the double team and helps close the hole alongside cornerback Kristian Fulton to limit White to a gain of 2 on first down. Fulton slips a block from Mayer to help Ford make the tackle.
Coming out of the two-minute warning, the Raiders try to set up a screen to running back Alexander Mattison, but Ford reads the play after getting through the A gap without much resistance from James or Whitehair. Instead of chasing after Gardner Minshew, Ford runs with Mattison and tips the ball. As Mattison tries to corral it, Ford continues to play through his hands, eventually knocking the ball away and forcing the Raiders into a third down.
On a 3rd and 7 in the third quarter with the Chargers leading 9-7, Jesse Minter dials up a sim pressure with Junior Colson, Daiyan Henley, and Derwin James all walked up to the line of scrimmage. All three of them come on the blitz while Ford briefly engages with Andre James before dropping into a zone over the middle. The design prevents the Raiders from sliding the protection to either side. Henley jumps to get in the throwing lane of Minshew and Colson breaks into the pocket for a pressure, forcing a throwaway. Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson missed a 49-yard field goal on the next play, leading to a Chargers touchdown drive.
Zooming out to the field view for this 3rd and 10 from the Chargers 23, the seventh play of a pivotal Raiders drive early in the fourth quarter. Las Vegas runs a screen to wide receiver DJ Turner on the outside and has three blockers, including two offensive linemen, for three Chargers defenders in front of Turner. As he approaches the first down marker, however, Turner is chased down by Ford, stopping him short of the sticks and forcing the Raiders into a field goal attempt to make the game 16-10 rather than setting up a red zone first down to cut the lead to two.
Ford caps off his performance – and the game – with this tip drill interception just after the two-minute warning. Khalil Mack drives right tackle Thayer Munford Jr. back as Minshew tries to swing the ball to Mattison. Mack gets his hands up and bats the ball into the air right as Ford disengages from his blocker. Unlike most defensive tackles who let the ball fall into their chests, Ford extends outside his frame slightly to make the catch and gets to the ground to secure the victory.
Ford continuing his strong play will be instrumental in the Chargers fielding a top defense this season, as his Week 1 tape was some of the best Los Angeles has gotten from a defensive tackle in the last couple of seasons. Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack both looked impressive as well, setting up a potentially dominant Chargers front if all three can sustain their levels of production.
Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ 22-10 win over the Raiders.
The Chargers kicked off the Jim Harbaugh era in the win column, defeating the Raiders by the score of 22-10.
Here’s our recap of the Bolts’ victory in the season opener.
Ladd McConkey found the end zone to put the Chargers up two scores with less than four minutes remaining in the game.
The Chargers’ first touchdown of the season
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Jim Harbaugh improved to 5-0 as a head coach in season openers.
The Chargers are on the road to take on the Panthers (0-1) next Sunday, Sept. 15, at 10:00 a.m. PT.
Breaking down what the Elijah Molden trade means for the Chargers defense under coordinator Jesse Minter.
On Wednesday, the Chargers acquired defensive back Elijah Molden from the Titans, adding another versatile piece to the secondary.
Molden takes the spot vacated by JT Woods, who was waived on Wednesday after Los Angeles claimed Titans running back Hassan Haskins earlier in the day. A player like Molden is likely the ideal outcome the Chargers were hoping for when they moved Woods to corner midway through the preseason – the former Titan played almost the same amount of snaps in the box, at deep safety, and in the slot for Tennessee last season.
For Los Angeles, it also gives them four safeties they can truly rely on. Derwin James and Alohi Gilman have been penned in as the starters ever since Gilman re-signed with the team in March. AJ Finley took a massive step forward in training camp and earned the third safety job over Woods. But beyond that, the Chargers had Woods – who again, moved to corner – and veteran Tony Jefferson, who made the 53 off the back of a stellar performance in the preseason finale.
With Molden on the roster, they can now rotate James, Gilman, Finley, and Molden into different spots depending on matchups and disguises, a hallmark of the Jesse Minter defensive scheme. Molden’s experience as a starter – he started eight games for Tennessee last season – likely propels him into the third safety spot. That also has the consequence of pushing Finley back into a primarily special teams role, where he excelled in 2023. Los Angeles would have relied on Woods, who has struggled on special teams, in that role if the initial 53-man roster stuck.
But Finley has also played well enough to earn a role on defense, and it’s not out of the question that the Chargers could play three or even all four safeties together depending on the package. Dime packages could include Molden and James moving into the slot with Gilman and Finley as the deep safeties. James and Molden both can play in the slot, which will allow the defense to be much more multiple under Minter.
For as little as the Chargers gave up—NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that LA sent late-round draft compensation to the Titans—it may end up being a move that unlocks a new level of this defense.
Here’s one final guess at what the initial Chargers 53-man roster will look like.
Training camp and preseason play are over, so now the Chargers coaching staff will use them as their resources to get the roster from 91 players to 53 ahead of the 2024 regular season.
The team will have until 1 p.m. PT on Tuesday to make their cuts.
With that being said, here is our final projection of what we believe the initial roster will look like.
Quarterback (2): Justin Herbert, Easton Stick
Stick had the opportunity all summer to show he’s a serviceable backup, but he failed to do so. I believe he will make the initial roster, but Joe Hortiz and Jim Harbaugh will see which quarterbacks are available once cuts are made and end up signing one and letting go of Stick.
Running back (4): Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins, Jaret Patterson, Kimani Vidal
No changes from my last projection. Despite being a mainstay on special teams, Isaiah Spiller did not do much on the ground. Patterson was a summer standout. Vidal was productive upon returning from his injury, rushing for 49 yards on 11 carries against the Rams in Week 2.
Wide receiver (6): Josh Palmer, Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, D.J. Chark, Derius Davis, Simi Fehoko
No changes. Fehoko capped off an impressive summer with a 78-yard touchdown against the Cowboys. Brenden Rice stood out in training camp, but the same thing can’t be said about his performances in the preseason, mainly due to the lackluster quarterback play. Rice is worthy of a spot. He is a sharp route runner who blocks his tail off. But I can’t see the Chargers rostering seven wideouts.
Tight end (3): Will Dissly, Hayden Hurst, Stone Smartt
Sometimes the best ability is availability, and that does not apply to Donald Parham, who’s struggled to stay healthy. He has also not improved as a blocker, something the Chargers want from their tight ends. Meanwhile, Smartt has improved in this department. He will also make his money on special teams.
Offensive line (9): Rashawn Slater, Zion Johnson, Bradley Bozeman, Trey Pipkins, Joe Alt, Brenden Jaimes, Jamaree Salyer, Jordan McFadden, Foster Sarell
No changes.
Edge rusher (5): Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, Tuli Tuipulotu, Bud Dupree, Tre’Mon Morris-Brash
I have the Chargers starting the season with five edge rushers. Chris Rumph II would’ve been given the nod after having a great summer. Unfortunately, he is dealing with a foot injury and I believe he will begin the season on the injured reserve. Morris-Brash showed some real juice as a pass rusher in training camp and preseason. He capped off his summer with a pick-six against the Cowboys.
Interior defensive line (6): Poona Ford, Morgan Fox, Teair Tart, Scott Matlock, Otito Ogbonnia, Justin Eboigbe
No changes. Eboigbe was practically nonexistent during camp and preseason. But the team used a fairly high draft pick on him, and playing defensive tackle in this league as a rookie is a learning curve so I believe he is safe.
Linebacker (5): Denzel Perryman, Junior Colson, Daiyan Henley, Nick Niemann, Troy Dye
No changes.
Cornerback (6): Asante Samuel Jr., Kristian Fulton, Ja’Sir Taylor, Deane Leonard, Tarheeb Still, Cam Hart
No changes.
Safety (4): Derwin James, Alohi Gilman, AJ Finley, JT Woods
Tony Jefferson had the best performance of the preseason against the Cowboys, finishing with 14 tackles, two interceptions, a sack and a forced fumble. But I believe it was a little too late to warrant a roster spot. I expect him to land on the practice squad as he is not subject to waivers if he’s released. Finley played his way to being the third safety. Woods makes the squad, as he showed signs of improvement and intrigued as an outside cornerback, the position he transitioned to toward the end of the summer.
Specialists (3): K Cameron Dicker, P J.K. Scott, LS Josh Harris
No changes.
Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ 26-19 win over the Cowboys.
The Chargers picked up a win to close out the preseason, defeating the Cowboys by the score of 26-19.
Here’s our recap of the Bolts’ victory.
Robert Kennedy intercepted Trey Lance in the end zone as time expired.
The Chargers will have until 1 p.m. PT on Tuesday to reduce their roster to 53 players before they open the regular season against the Raiders on Sunday, Sept. 8, at 1:05 p.m. PT.
JT Woods has the tools to excel as an outside cornerback.
The Chargers drafted JT Woods in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft in hopes of him being a play-making deep safety.
That did not materialize, however.
Now, Woods is taking on the cornerback position, with the new coaching staff hoping it will unlock his true potential.
“They wanted to try me out to see how I felt and how I looked,” Woods said about playing cornerback. “I felt pretty good.”
Woods moved to the position last week and has played there since then, including in last weekend’s preseason game against the Rams, where he logged 23 of 28 snaps at outside corner.
Since making the transition, he feels like it’s been smooth.
“Everyone in the organization has shown confidence in me with the position change,” Woods said. “So, I’m just trying to use each day to better myself and my craft.”
Standing at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds and having run a 4.36 40-yard dash, Woods possesses elite traits as a defensive back.
“I think when you do stuff like that, it’s for multiple reasons,” Jesse Minter said on Woods’ profile. “It’s to increase his value and see if that’s a good fit for him. “I’m excited about how he’s developed as a man coverage guy.”
While he has the tools to excel at the position, honing in on the technical aspect of it is even more crucial.
“The technique is completely different,” Woods said. “It’s a whole different world out there. There are going to be plays where you’re on an island, but I’m confident I can handle it.”
If Woods can continue to stack up good days at cornerback, he could be a guy they count on this upcoming season.
“There are a multitude of ways we can use him down the road to help us,” Minter said.
Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ 13-9 loss to the Rams.
The Chargers fell to the Rams in the second of three preseason games on Saturday.
Here’s our recap of the Bolts’ 13-9 loss.
The Chargers failed to capitalize on two offensive possessions after the Rams scored their only touchdown to take the lead in the fourth quarter.
The Chargers close out the preseason next Saturday, Aug. 24, at 1:05 p.m. PT, when they will face the Cowboys at SoFi Stadium.
