Tag: Keenan Allen

Fantasy Football Targets, Touches & TDs: Week 4

Breaking down the key targets and how those are turning into production for fantasy football teams through the first three weeks of the NFL season.

We are three weeks into NFL 2020, and the fantasy football picture is starting to gain some clarity as to the players we can trust in our fantasy football lineups and those we can’t on a weekly basis.

It’s certainly been an odd but interesting season for fantasy wide receivers so far with a number of key wideouts missing time due to injuries. That list includes the likes of Michael Thomas, Julio Jones, Kenny Golladay, Davante Adams, Courtland Sutton, Chris Godwin, A.J. Brown, D.J. Chark, John Brown, Jamison Crowder, Breshard Perriman, Deebo Samuel, Sterling Shepard and Diontae Johnson.

Usually, that kind of health uncertainty is normally more reserved for running backs, but if 2020 has taught us anything so far, it’s anything but a normal year.

In the meantime, a number of wide receivers – Calvin Ridley, D.K. Metcalf, Terry McLaurin, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Allen Lazard, among others – have stepped up in their place to grab an early high spot on the fantasy wideout leaderboard.

That established, it’s time to take a positional snapshot by breaking down the basic fantasy wide receiver stats and pegging what’s sustainable and what’s not. As usual, all stats are through play Sunday in Week 3.

Total targets leaders (top 15)

Keenan Allen 37, DeAndre Hopkins 37, Amari Cooper 35, Ridley 35, Allen Robinson 31, Tyler Lockett 29, Stefon Diggs 28, A.J. Green 28, Tyler Boyd 26, D.J. Moore 26, McLaurin 25, D. Johnson 25, Robby Anderson 24, Julian Edelman 24, Russell Gage Jr. 24, Jerry Jeudy 24

Surprise inclusion: Anderson, Panthers. The speedy wideout, more renowned as a deep threat, has been targeted at least six times in every contest and is on pace for a career-high 128.

In his four previous seasons with the Jets, Anderson only reached 100 targets once and that was with on a 5-11 team where his chief competition for targets were with the likes of Jermaine Kearse, Jeremy Kerley, tight end Austin Sefarian-Jenkins and aging running back Matt Forte.

Surprise omission: Adam Thielen, Vikings. He does fall just outside the above list, tied for 21st with 21 targets, but much more was expected out of Thielen with Diggs, his long-time wide receiver 1A cohort, traded to the Buffalo Bills this season.

Thielen is on pace for 112 targets, which would fall well below his last two previous full-season totals of 142 and 153.

Surprise omission II: T.Y. Hilton, Colts. He’s only attracted 17 targets so far (tied for 39th overall), and is on pace for a measly 57. His previous low in a season in which he’s played at least 14 games is 90 in his rookie campaign of 2012.

Hilton’s new QB, of course, is check-down master Philip Rivers, but perhaps the receiver’s low target total is more a game-flow situation with Hilton only getting eight targets the last two weeks in games in which they’ve been comfortably ahead throughout. In Week 1’s 27-20 loss to the Jaguars, Hilton had nine targets.

Projected end-of-season top five: Hopkins, Allen, Robinson, Ridley, Adams

Receptions leaders (top 15)

Hopkins 32, Cooper 25, Allen 24, Lockett 24, Ridley 21, Boyd 21, Diggs 20, Anderson 20, Cooper Kupp 18, Robinson 18, Adams 17, Gage 17, Smith-Schuster 17, CeeDee Lamb 16, McLaurin 16

Surprise inclusion: Gage, Falcons. Atlanta has been one of the NFL’s pass-heaviest teams so far with 129 attempts and 90 completions in four games, but the Falcons’ second-leading pass-catcher after three games figured to be Jones, new tight end Hayden Hurst or even RB Todd Gurley. Gage, however has six more receptions than any other Atlanta player aside from Ridley’s 21, and that’s with the wide receiver departing in the first half of Sunday’s game against the Bears with a concussion.

Gage quietly finished his second season a year ago with 49 catches for 449 yards and one TD so perhaps we all should’ve been paying more attention.

Surprise omission: Green is tied for seventh in targets (28) but is way down at 26th in receptions with 13, making for a less-than-optimal 46.4 catch percentage. Those 13 catches also have only gone for 116 yards (8.9 per reception) as the 32-year-old Green has showed rust from his missed season of 2019 and hasn’t been on the same page with rookie QB Joe Burrow so far.

Projected end-of-season top five: Hopkins, Adams, Lockett, Allen, Thomas

Receiving yards leaders (top 15)

Hopkins 356, Ridley 349, Metcalf 297, Diggs 288, Anderson 278, McLaurin 269, Cooper 267, Allen 265, Edelman 259, Lockett 259, Lazard 254, Michael Gallup 246, Justin Jefferson 245, D.J. Moore 239, Boyd 230, Lamb 230, Robinson 230

Surprise inclusion: Edelman, Patriots. It’s no surprise that Edelman is leading the Pats in targets (24) and receptions (15) so far – even with new QB Cam Newton – but his average of 17.3 yards per reception is eye-popping after he entered the season with a career average of 10.9.

However, it largely has been the product of one game – Edelman’s career-best 179 yards on eight catches in a Week 2 shootout in Seattle – so expect his yard-per-reception average regress closer to the mean as the season progresses.

Surprise omission: Mike Evans, Buccaneers. Evans, who has also had health issues this season, ranks ninth with 34.8 fantasy points (standard scoring), thanks largely to four touchdowns, but those four scoring grabs have covered a total of 27 yards as he’s had a 2-yard and two 1-yard TD receptions.

Overall, Evans ranks 61st among wideouts with 108 yards on 10 catches. For reference, Evans entered the season with a career average of 15.7 yards per reception. Perhaps, though, this is simply a function of the new Tom Brady-led offense with shorter passes and fewer receiving yards but more efficiency.

Projected end-of-season top five: Ridley, Hopkins, Diggs, Metcalf, McLaurin

Receiving touchdowns leaders (top 15)

Evans 4, Lockett 4, Ridley 4, Metcalf 3, Smith-Schuster 3, Thielen 3, Adams 2, Braxton Berrios 2, Brown 2, Keelan Cole 2, Diggs 2, Tee Higgins 2, Tyreek Hill 2, Dontrelle Inman 2, Andy Isabella 2, Lazard 2, Anthony Miller 2, Emmanuel Sanders 2, Darius Slayton 2, Cedrick Wilson 2

Surprise inclusion: Wilson, Cowboys. The second-year player out of Boise State reeled in 5-of-7 targets for 107 yards and two scores in Sunday’s (most recent) shootout in Seattle for his first career TDs.

That gives Wilson double the combined TDs of the Cowboys’ top three wideouts (Cooper, Gallup and Lamb) on the season despite 68 fewer targets.

Surprise omission: Cooper, Cowboys. He entered the season with 14 scoring grabs in 25 games with Dallas since coming over in a trade midway through the 2018 season, but he’s only garnered one of the team’s 11 red-zone targets so far and came out of Sunday with the highest target total (35) in the league without a scoring catch.

And that’s also playing on a team which the most passing attempts (145) and completions (96) in the league so far.

Projected end-of-season top five: Lockett, Adams, Ridley, Thielen, Metcalf

Fantasy Football Extra Points

  • With a pair of TDs in each of his three contests so far, Saints RB Alvin Kamara already has matched his touchdown total (six) from his injury-addled 2019 season – and he’s done so on 194 fewer touches. Kamara combined for 31 total TDs in his first two seasons (2017-18) and a career-high 20-TD season appears well within reach at this point, barring another health issue.
  • Kamara only has four fewer receptions (27) than rushing attempts (31) so far, and he trails only Hopkins (32) in total catches. He has eight more targets and 11 more receptions than any other league running back and his 284 yards after the catch are a whopping 110 more than any other pass-catcher in the league. Kamara is the early front-runner to be the Christian McCaffrey of 2020.
  • Speaking of McCaffrey, his injury absence has opened the door for backup Mike Davis who has totaled 16 receptions (trailing only Kamara among RBs for the season) on 17 targets while also carrying the ball 14 times since taking over late in Week 2. Davis scored a pair of TDs on 21 touches Sunday in 21-16 road upset of the Chargers.
  • Over the last two weeks, Darrell Henderson appears to have taken hold of the Rams’ starting running back gig, rushing for 195 yards and a pair of TDs on 32 carries and bringing in three of six targets for 46 yards for a total of 39.1 fantasy points (point-per-reception scoring). Battling injuries, fellow L.A. backs Malcolm Brown and Cam Akers have combined for 79 total yards on 21 touches over the two games for 7.9 PPR points.
  • There are some scary stats for those mining for a fantasy running back option in the Giants’ backfield post-Saquon Barkley. Through three weeks, the Giants not only have totaled the fewest rushing attempts (53) and lowest rushing-play percentage (30.3) in the league but they also own the fewest rushing yards (170) and lowest yard-per-attempt (3.21) average as well. In Sunday’s first game without Barkley, New York rushed for 66 yards on 15 attempts in a 36-9 thumping by the 49ers, but 49 of those yards came on five scrambles by quarterback Daniel Jones, leaving a combined 17 yards on 10 rushes for Devonta Freeman (5-10), Wayne Gallman (4-7) and Dion Lewis (1-0).
  • According to ProFootballReference.com’s advanced receiving stats, Metcalf leads all qualifying players with an average of 19.7 air yards per reception, followed by Gallup (18.2), Miller (17.2), Isabella (16.3) and the Panthers’ D.J. Moore (15.8).
  • Even with fellow Jack Doyle back and playing 53 percent of the Colts’ offensive snaps, Mo Alie-Cox played 60 percent of the snaps and was the only Indy tight end to catch a pass Sunday, bringing in all three of his targets for 50 yards and a TD. Certainly a player in a tight end-friendly offense to keep in mind.

Connection between Chargers’ Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen continues to flourish

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has heavily favored wide receiver Keenan Allen in his first two starts.

Wide receivers of Keenan Allen’s nature don’t come around that often. When you have one, you must take advantage of it.

Chargers rookie quarterback Justin Herbert has wasted no time utilizing Allen to his fullest, and it was on full display in Sunday’s loss to the Panthers.

Doing what he does best by creating separation with his savvy route-running, Allen was targeted 19 times, tying a career-high. He turned does targets into 13 receptions for 132 yard and one touchdown.

In Herbert’s debut, Allen was targeted 10 times which he converted into 96 yards on seven catches.

Sunday was notable for Allen, as he passed Hall of Fame tight end Kellen Winslow for No. 3 on the team’s all-time receptions list, as well as tying the former great for second in team history in 100-yard performances (24).

Allen was Herbert’s number one read on almost every play. That may have bit the rookie a bit, as seen on his interception when he targeted the Pro Bowl wideout when he could have checked the ball down instead.

Allen was surely Herbert’s safety valve on third downs, along with his go-to option in the end zone as he was targeted twice, with one of them that they turned into six late in the game.

Given the fact that Mike Williams is playing banged up and no one has established themselves as the third wide receiver (excluding tight end Hunter Henry and running back Austin Ekeler), we can expect to see the trend of Allen being heavily targeted.

“My job is to get you the ball. I am your assistant,” is what Herbert said to Allen during training camp, which was shown on HBO’s Hard Knocks. That is all coming to fruition.

Chargers QB Justin Herbert continues to show promising potential despite loss to Panthers

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert strung together another strong outing in Sunday’s loss to the Panthers.

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For the second week in a row, rookie quarterback Justin Herbert almost guided the Chargers to victory. Despite the loss to the Panthers, Herbert continued to show why he is capable of being the franchise’s starter for years to come.

Los Angeles’ first-round pick made some mistakes, which included opening the game by getting sacked, then fumbling the ball. Later in the first half when he was trying to lead his team to get some points before halftime, he threw an interception that got returned to the eight-yard line.

Coming out of the locker room, Herbert didn’t let the first half mistakes linger. Instead, he made the necessary adjustments and the flow of the offense was evident because of it.

Since L.A. was forced to play catch-up, they had to resort to the passing game and it was effective, consistently moving the ball down the field in the second half.

Near the end of the game, Herbert hit wide receiver Keenan Allen in the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown, delivering an absolute dart between two defenders.

With a little over a minute to play and no timeouts, he received the ball at the one-yard line, and he drove the Chargers down the field. He got them to the 28-yard line, and they had two plays to try and win it.

If the final play, which was a hook-and-ladder between Allen and running back Austin Ekeler, worked, Los Angeles would have won the game and the rookie would’ve been the hero of the game.

“I thought the young quarterback did a nice job taking his team down the field with no timeouts, (gave us a) chance to win the football game,” coach Anthony Lynn said.

Herbert finished the game 35-of-49 passing for 330 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He is only the third quarterback since the 1970 NFL merger to throw for more than 300 passing yards in their first two career games. Cam Newton and Kyler Murray were the other two.

But Herbert’s performance goes way beyond the box score.

Herbert showed strides in an area that he was knocked for coming out of college, which was having an inconsistent feel for pressure and lacking methodical pocket movements when plays would break down.

Today, Herbert, who was dealing with a rocky offensive line all afternoon, didn’t look rattled at all when facing pressure. He displayed sound footwork with steady rhythm and poise from snap to delivery, inside and outside the pocket.

Following the game, his teammates gave him high praise for Sunday’s showing.

“He had a couple situations where he literally changed the entire play and ended it up making it work. That’s starting to give me some confidence saying that this guy knows what he’s doing,” Ekeler said.

Allen said the one positive from this game was the potential he noticed with Herbert running the offense.

While Herbert has yet to pick up his first NFL win, he has shown that he is more than capable of being Los Angeles’ guy for years to come.

Instant analysis of Chargers’ 21-16 loss to Panthers

Breakdown of the Los Angeles Chargers’ loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 4.

The Chargers were yet again very close to coming away with the win against the Panthers. The contest came down to the last play, and they were unable to prevail, dropping their second consecutive game by the score of 21-16.

Here is our instant analysis from Los Angeles’ loss to Carolina:

Injury Report

The Chargers suffered a few injuries throughout the game.

Wide receiver Mike Williams (hamstring), offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga (back) and cornerback Chris Harris Jr. (foot) all got hurt and never returned to the field.

Play of the Game: Joey Bosa’s clutch sack in fourth quarter

The Chargers have struggled to hold their opponents late in the game. The Panthers were close to sealing the deal in the final minutes, but edge defender Joey Bosa came up huge with a sack on quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to force the Panthers out of field goal range and give the ball back to Los Angeles.

Notable Number

3: Wide receiver Keenan Allen is now third with most receptions in franchise history, surpassing Hall of Fame tight end Kellen Winslow.

Quick Takes

Despite a couple of head-scratching throws, quarterback Justin Herbert had another solid game. Herbert finished 35-of-49 passing for 330 yards, one touchdown and an interception. He became the third quarterback since the 1970 merger to throw for 300 yards in each of his first 2 career games.

Herbert not only showed off his arm and athleticism, but he displayed excellent pocket mobility and poise, navigating well around bodies when being pressured, which is a major sign of improvement from his playing days at Oregon.

Herbert’s favorite targets were wide receiver Keenan Allen, running back Austin Ekeler and tight end Hunter Henry. Allen led the pack with 13 catches for 132 yards and a touchdown.

The key to winning games is to win the turnover battle and the Chargers were unable to do that, turning the ball over four times while not forcing a single one. Three of the four turnovers turned into 13 points.

Not only were the turnovers killers, penalties were, as well. Los Angeles committed eight penalties, including a few of them in crucial moments, such as Jerry Tillery’s neutral zone infraction which led to the Panthers’ lone touchdown.

The defense bended but they didn’t break. While they gave up a handful of big plays through the air, they only managed to give up one touchdown, with the rest of the points being from five field goals. It didn’t help that they were forced to defend from unfavorable field position for a good chunk of the game, either.

The Panthers offensive line held their own for the most part against the Chargers defensive line, only allowing two sacks and giving QB Teddy Bridgewater time to throw the football.

There are always questionable calls, and arguably the biggest one was wide receiver Mike Williams’ offensive pass interference late in the second quarter. Williams barely put a hand on the defensive back, and had it not been called, the Chargers would’ve been on the Panthers’ 19-yard line. Instead, Justin Herbert threw an interception a few plays later.

The running game was efficient yet again, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. But the offense had to disband the ground game because they were forced to play catch-up.

If Austin Ekeler would’ve caught the pitch from Keenan Allen on the last play of the game, the Chargers would be 2-1. Ekeler had plenty of room to squeeze into the corner of the end zone.

The play-calling in crunch time was questionable, leading the offense to lacked urgency and kill a lot of the time off the clock.

Up Next

The Chargers are on the road to take on the Buccaneers. The Week 4 matchup will be played on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 10:00 a.m. PT.

Twitter reacts to Chargers’ loss to Panthers in Week 3

The Los Angeles Chargers were yet again close to coming away with a win.

The Chargers were forced to play catch-up against the Panthers. Los Angeles was close to pulling off the victory on the final play, but they were unable to execute the hook-and-ladder between Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler.

The loss was a very familiar sight for fans of the Bolts, seeing their favorite team come so close to coming away with a win, but failing to prevail in the final seconds.

Here is a look at how social media reacted to the Chargers’ Week 3 loss to the Panthers:

Key takeaways from first half of Chargers vs. Panthers

The Los Angeles Chargers have struggled with turnovers.

The Chargers currently trail the Panthers at the halfway mark by the score of 18-7.

Here are a few things that have stood out:

Losing turnover battle

The team has put a big emphasis on winning the turnover battle this season, and they’re failing up to this point, losing the battle 3-0. The Chargers fumbled the ball twice, threw an interception and the Panthers turned it into 13 points.

Where’s the defense?

The Panthers had great field position for the majority of the first half after forcing three turnovers. While the Chargers defense only allowed one touchdown, the middle of the field and run defense has been suspect. Los Angeles has no answer for the speed of wide receiver Robby Anderson, and the defensive line is getting bullied up front. Another thing that has been crucial is the penalties. Defensive tackle Jerry Tillery was called for neutral zone infraction on a field goal attempt. It led to the lone Carolina touchdown.

Questionable call

Among the head-scratching calls made by the referees was the offensive pass interference on wide receiver Mike Williams late in the second quarter. Williams barely placed a hand on the defensive back, and had it not been called, it would’ve been a 45-yard play to put the Chargers in Panthers territory. Instead, it led to Justin Herbert’s interception.

2 keys to a Panthers win vs. Chargers in Week 3

Here are two keys to an upset win against LA this afternoon.

The Panthers are currently underdogs by about a touchdown for today’s game against the Chargers. To avoid a dreaded 0-3 start to the season, they need to come through in several important areas of the game.

Here are two keys to an upset win against LA this afternoon.

Offense: Don’t let Joey Bosa wreck your day

These Chargers have a tough defensive unit led by their elite, disruptive defensive end Joey Bosa. When Carolina’s not running away from Bosa, they should be double-teaming him. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady might have gotten a bit of luck, though. With Melvin Ingram going on injured reserve Saturday, their defensive line may be more vulnerable on the other side. Brady needs to keep Bosa from wrecking the gameplan in general and see if he can exploit the inexperienced Uchenna Nwosu, who has just six starts in his career.

Defense: Contain Keenan Allen in the slot

Joey Bosa is LA’s top defender. On offense, their most potent playmaker is wide receiver Keenan Allen. While he hasn’t caught a touchdown pass yet this season, he has 34 in his career and has averaged 74.3 yards per game. Allen led the Chargers with 10 targets last week. The highly underrated Allen (6-foot-2, 211 pounds) may do his best work from the slot. There he’ll have a massive size advantage against Corn Elder (5-foot-10, 183 pounds). If that proves too much for Elder to handle, defensive coordinator Phil Snow has to tinker with his rotations until he finds a way to slow Allen down.

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3 keys to victory for the Chargers in Week 3 vs. Panthers

The Los Angeles Chargers look to get back above .500.

The Los Angeles Chargers are looking to bounce back after last Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend against the Carolina Panthers.

Here are Los Angeles’ keys to victory over Carolina on Sunday:

Take advantage of suspect defense

Led by rookie quarterback Justin Herbert, the Chargers will have a favorable matchup against a Panthers defense that has allowed 32.5 points per game through the first two games of the season.

Los Angeles has established themselves as one of the better teams at running the football, averaging 169 yards per game, which ranks No. 6 in the NFL. Meanwhile, Carolina’s defense has allowed six rushing scores already.

While the offense can win solely on the ground, they will have the opportunity to exploit a young secondary.

If L.A. can create some big plays early and often with their plethora of play-makers, they should be able to control the clock the rest of the way out with handing the ball off to running backs Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley.

Pressure, pressure, pressure

The defensive line has been the bright spot for the Chargers, as they are second in the league in quarterback pressures. It was evident last Sunday when Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was suffocated through the first three quarters, struggling to connect with his pass-catchers.

Los Angeles needs to keep the heat turned on against QB Teddy Bridgewater. They will face a Carolina offensive line, which features former Chargers offensive linemen Russell Okung and Michael Schofield, that has allowed six sacks in the first two games of the season.

The line will be without edge defender Melvin Ingram, who was placed on the injured reserve. But they will have the ascending outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu in place of Ingram.

Limit explosive plays

The Chargers’ pass-rush has been key to their defensive success, but they’ve been victims of giving up big plays at crucial moments. Last weekend, they allowed a game-changing 54-yard touchdown to Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

The Panthers will be without their best offensive player, running back Christian McCaffrey, who was used religiously both in the running and passing game. However, Carolina still has a weapon that is bound to make a big play at any given moment.

Wide receiver Robby Anderson, who was signed this past offseason, has recorded back-to-back 100-yard receiving games with his new team. The Panthers also have a couple of other players that can make an impact, D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel.

5 key things to know about Chargers’ Week 3 battle with Panthers

What to know heading into the Los Angeles Chargers’ Week 3 matchup with the Carolina Panthers.

The Chargers will be meeting with the Panthers this Sunday in Week 3 of the 2020 regular season.

Los Angeles is looking to get back to a winning record while Carolina is searching for their first win.

Here are five things to know about this weekend’s contest:

Missing best player

The Panthers will be without a player that would’ve likely been a large factor of the matchup. Running back Christian McCaffrey was placed on the injured reserve after suffering a high-ankle sprain in last Sunday’s loss to the Buccaneers. McCaffrey is not only one of the league’s best running backs, but one of the best receivers. The offense revolved around him, and now they will have to go on without him for the next month or so. Carolina will now rely on Mike Davis to fill the void.

Robby is on the rise

With the Panthers missing McCaffrey, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will look to his other favorite weapon, wide receiver Robby Anderson. Anderson, who was acquired this past offseason, is fourth in the NFL with 223 receiving yards through two weeks. Meanwhile, Bridgewater is fourth in the NFL with 636 passing yards.

Herbert will start

Rookie quarterback Justin Herbert will make his second straight start. This comes after team doctors advised Tyrod Taylor not to play indefinitely due to his punctured lung. In his professional debut, Herbert threw for 311 yards and recorded two total touchdowns and one interception in Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs.

Facing familiar faces

The Panthers boast three players that used to suit up in the blue and gold, offensive tackle Russell Okung, safety Tre Boston and guard Michael Schofield, as well as offensive line coach Pat Meyers. Okung, who was a part of the deal to acquire guard Trai Turner, is the starting left tackle. He was inactive in Week 1, but he started the following week. Boston is the starting free safety. He has amassed 10 total tackles and a forced fumble. Schofield has started two games at left guard.

Struggling to get to the quarterback

This matchup may be in favor of the Chargers’ quarterback and running backs as the Panthers are the only defense in the league to not post a sack in the first two games. They have only posted one quarterback hit, as well. Their run defense ranks below average, giving up 127.5 yards per game.

Instant analysis of Chargers’ loss to Chiefs

A breakdown of the Los Angeles Chargers’ heartbreaking 23-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chargers fought hard throughout the entire game, but they fell to the Chiefs after kicker Harrison Butker won it with a 58-yard field.

Here is our instant analysis from Los Angeles’ loss to Kansas City:

Injury Report

The Chargers suffered a few injuries.

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor was ruled out with a chest injury.

Tackle Bryan Bulaga sustained a knee injury. He never returned.

Safety Rayshawn Jenkins left the game with a groin injury.

Defensive tackle Justin Jones left the contest with a shoulder injury.

Play of the Game: Justin Herbert connects with Keenan Allen for 25 yards

Notable Number

311: Justin Herbert is the eighth quarterback since 2010 to have 300+ yards and a passing TD in his first career start.

Quick Takes

Despite the loss, you couldn’t have asked for a better debut by QB Justin Herbert. The former Oregon product made some rookie mistakes, most notably the interception thrown into triple coverage. However, he was still impressive, nonetheless. Herbert finished the game with 22-of-33 passing for 311 yards, a touchdown and an interception, which included a few “wow” throws.

Herbert’s top targets were wide receiver Keenan Allen and tight end Hunter Henry, who amassed seven receptions for 96 yards and six catches for 83 yards, respectively.

The offensive line deserves a lot of credit, as they handled the Chiefs defensive line for the majority of the game, even without tackle Bryan Bulaga and center Mike Pouncey. The running game combined for 183 yards and a touchdown on 44 carries.

On the other side of the ball, the Chargers defensive line was too much for the Chiefs defensive line for most of the contest. Los Angeles deployed a few blitz packages, which were very effective. Defensive ends Joey Bosa, Uchenna Nwosu and defensive tackle Jerry Tillery combined for a sack and five quarterback hits.

Cornerback Michael Davis had arguably his best game yet. Despite a couple of missed tackles, Davis had two passes defensed, one in coverage against Tyreek Hill and the other against Sammy Watkins.

Coach Anthony Lynn made the decision to go for it twice on fourth-down, but the one he decided not to go for from the Chargers’ 34-yard line in overtime might be the most heavily scrutinized.

The Chargers were flagged six times, but the offsides calls came at the most crucial times.

Prevent defense isn’t going to work against Mahomes.

Up Next

The Chargers will be back at SoFi Stadium to take on the Panthers. The Week 3 matchup will be played on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1:05 p.m. PT