There wasn’t much good to take away from the Chargers’ loss to the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon. But the lone bright spot was their rushing offense.
Los Angeles finished with 243 yards on the ground on 40 carries. Austin Ekeler had 117 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, including a 55-yard rush in the first half. Joshua Kelley ran the ball 16 times, gaining 91 yards and scoring a touchdown.
According to NFL Media’s Next Gen Stats, Ekeler and Kelley combined for a league-high +66 rushing yards over expected in Week 1. The Bolts recorded a 70.0% rushing success rate, the 2nd-highest in a game over the last two seasons.
The Chargers brought in offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to improve the rushing attack, which came to fruition on Sunday. Moore’s downhill approach in the running game perfectly suits the skill sets of the offensive linemen, Ekeler and Kelley.
Holes were consistently being opened up at the line of scrimmage and Ekeler and Kelley read and pressed upfield to pick up positive yardage.
Having a revitalized rushing offense is great, as it will keep defenses honest on a weekly basis and allow for plenty more opportunities for Justin Herbert in the downfield passing game.