Tag: Keenan Allen

Key takeaways from first half of Chargers vs. Chiefs

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is leaving a good impression in his professional debut.

The Chargers currently lead the Chiefs at the halfway mark by the score of 14-6.

Here are a few things that have stood out:

The stage ain’t too big

In a surprising manner, rookie quarterback Justin Herbert made the start after Tyrod Taylor was ruled out with a chest injury. After two quarters of play, Herbert has played very well. Herbert ran for the first Chargers touchdown in SoFi Stadium history after scampering for four yards. He then followed that up with a 14-yard passing touchdown to wide receiver Jalen Guyton. Herbert is currently 13-of-20 for 195 yards and a touchdown, with the majority of his passes coming in the short-intermediate parts of the field.

Defense is dominating

The Chargers made the point before the start of the season that they needed to blitz more. Los Angeles has been sending out a multitude of blitz packages and the Chiefs have been unable to counter. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has had very little time to throw the ball. As a result, Mahomes has thrown for 60 yards and a touchdown on 8-of-19 passing. Defensive tackle Jerry Tillery continues to be a force, as he’s lived in the backfield and had a blocked extra point.

Offensive line is rolling

Despite missing Bryan Bulaga, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, the Chargers offensive line has been dominant against a stout Chiefs defensive line, giving Herbert an ideal amount of time to throw. But the area that they’ve been strong as ever is in the run-blocking department. Between Herbert, Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley, they’ve amassed 106 yards on 23 carries. They’ve opened up some lanes in the screen game, as well.

Keys for the Chargers offense vs. Chiefs in Week 2

The Chargers need to take advantage of the Chiefs’ depleted linebackers and defensive backs.

The Los Angeles Chargers are looking to pick up a win at their first game played in SoFi Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

The Chargers offense wasn’t particularly inspiring in the season opener, but there is an opportunity to flip the script taking on the Chiefs defense.

Here are three keys for the Chargers offense against the Chiefs defense in Week 2:

Exploit the secondary

The Chargers had a few solid moments in the passing game in Week 1, but it wasn’t particularly their strong suit. Facing an inexperienced Chiefs secondary, quarterback Tyrod Taylor and his pass-catchers have an opportunity to turn it around.

Kansas City will be without their top cornerback, Charvarius Ward, who is out with a hand injury. Rookie L’Jarius Sneed, Rashad Fenton and Antonio Hamilton could have their hands full with wide receivers Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and tight end Hunter Henry.

Allen is looking to have a bounce back performance after struggling to produce against the Bengals. In the two contests with the Chiefs last season, Allen caught 17 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Henry and Williams look to continue their dominance. In the first week, Henry hauled in five of his eight targets for 73 yards while Williams had four receptions for 68 yards.

Pound the rock

While the Chargers will have a good chance at thriving through the air, the chances of them doing the same on the ground are high.

Against the Texans’ running game, Kansas City’s defense allowed 5.4 yards per carry, which was the second-highest rate in the NFL. The reason for that was because of the depleted linebacker group.

Los Angeles ran the ball for 155 yards in the season opener, led by the performances of Austin Ekeler and rookie Joshua Kelley. The group will be the eager to give fits to the positional group.

Limit the pressure

The Chiefs’ linebacker corps and secondary might not be optimal, but the guys up front are more than capable of masking the deficiencies.

Defensive tackle Chris Jones and defensive ends Frank Clark and Tanoh Kpassagnon were a problem in Week 1, combining for 16 total pressures. As a whole, they produced four sacks on Texans QB Deshaun Watson.

Clark has been an issue for L.A. in recent play. He totaled 14 pressures and two sacks in the two games against the Bolts last season, and Jones has 3.5 sacks in his last three meetings with them.

While the Chargers didn’t allow a sack last Sunday, Taylor was pressured on 32.4% of his dropbacks, which is the 10th highest rate in the league.

Los Angeles will be missing center Mike Pouncey, who was placed on the injured reserve. However, Dan Feeney showed promise in place of Pouncey while Forrest Lamp did the same at left guard. The offensive line will also gain Trai Turner, who missed Week 1 with a knee injury.

Here’s how much money Bears aiming to give Allen Robinson in extension

ESPN’s Dan Graziano shared some details regarding the disconnect between the Bears and Allen Robinson about money in a potential extension.

It’s been an eventful week regarding Bears receiver Allen Robinson’s frustrations over contract negotiations with the team.

After Robinson scrubbed his social media accounts of all references to the Bears, things escalated to the point where teammates were calling for the team to sign Robinson to a well-deserved extension and trade rumors were swirling.

But the main question that everyone has been wondering is: What’s gone wrong? Especially considering general manager Ryan Pace has a track record of rewarding players that have earned contract extensions.

Robinson has felt disrespected by the Bears’ contract offers, which have been kept under wraps. But now, it sounds like we have a better understanding of how much the Bears feel Robinson’s services are worth compared to what Robinson is seeking.

According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the Bears have been using Cooper Kupp’s extension with the Los Angeles Rams as a comparison for what they feel they should pay Robinson, which is in the $15-16 million per-year range. But Robinson believes he should be paid in the Tyreek Hill and Odell Beckham Jr. range, which is around $18 million per year.

It certainly doesn’t help that Chargers receiver Keenan Allen just signed a four-year extension worth reportedly $20 million per year. Robinson has been just as good if not better than Allen in terms of production (their numbers are quite similar) and it’s made even more impressive given that Robinson did it in one of the worst offenses with questionable quarterback play.

So what happens now?

Graziano says Robinson’s desire is to sign an extension with the Bears. But if they don’t want to pay him what he believes he’s worth — which sounds like $18 million per year — he’s brought up the idea of being traded to another team that will pay him.

One thing is certain, the longer Pace drags his feet with this contract extension, Robinson’s price tag could certainly rise even higher, given Detroit’s Kenny Golladay and Tampa Bay’s Chris Godwin are looking for big paydays this season.

Recapping Tyrod Taylor’s debut as Chargers’ starting quarterback

Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s first start didn’t leave the most ideal impression.

For the first time in 14 years there was another starter under center for the Chargers, as Tyrod Taylor was the one calling the shots this past Sunday against the Bengals.

Los Angeles pulled away with the victory in a low scoring affair, marking Taylor’s first win as the Bolts’ starting quarterback.

But despite starting the 2020 season win column, it doesn’t necessarily exemplify how Taylor played.

Expected to have more of a polarizing look due to the significant scheme changes, the Chargers offense with Taylor at quarterback wasn’t necessarily dynamic against the Cincinnati defense.

Behind Taylor, Los Angeles moved the ball for spurts but scored only one touchdown and struggled to sustain drives. They finished 6-of-16 on third-down conversions and failed twice on fourth down.

As a passer, Taylor completed 16-of-30 passes for 208 yards.

Taylor’s completions were almost all to wide-open receivers, with the majority of them coming within 15 yards. His longest competition was for 37 yards when he linked up with wide receiver Mike Williams near the right sideline.

Taylor had his woes throwing the football, as he overthrew or completely missed his targets when he had the opportunity to link up with them. Along with that, he would lock onto his first or preferred read, leading to forced throws and staring down receivers with a late trigger.

With his legs, Taylor was nearly nonexistent. He ran the ball six times for only seven carries. Coach Anthony Lynn credited the Bengals for being able to contain his quarterback.

His mobility, though, allowed him to evade pressure on a few occasions. That would have not been the case with Rivers, who was not known for being able to use his legs to his advantage.

Another positive from Taylor’s performance is that he took care of the football. The Chargers made the point that they wanted to win the turnover battle this season, which they did.

Taylor’s outing has some fans concerned moving forward, especially since he connected with star receiver Keenan Allen only four times for 38 yards.

However, Sunday was the first time any of these players played in this offense during a live football game. It will take a little bit for everything to all come together.

Taylor’s a completely different quarterback, stylistically, from Rivers and that’s something his skill players will have to adjust to.

Taylor may not put up performances like Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Lamar Jackson or Deshaun Watson, but I believe we will see improvement with his play translating to more offensive success as the season progresses.

Instant analysis of Chargers’ 16-13 victory over Bengals

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez drops his thoughts from the Chargers’ season opener against the Bengals.

It wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win.

The Chargers started the 2020 regular season with a 16-13 victory in a very close battle with the Bengals after kicker Randy Bullock failed to make the game-tying field goal from 31 yards out.

Here is our instant analysis from the season opener:

Injury Report

Linebacker Drue Tranquill was carted off the field in the first quarter with an ankle injury. His status for the rest of the season is unknown.

Running back Justin Jackson was ruled out in the fourth quarter with a quad injury.

Play of the Game: Joshua Kelley’s 5-yard rushing TD

The Chargers’ only touchdown came on the ground when the fourth-round pick maneuvered his way into the end zone from five yards out. The score tied up the game, 13-13. That was then followed up with a Michael Badgley field goal to take the lead.

Notable Number

2: The Chargers had two turnovers, which were critical to defeating quarterback Joe Burrow and company. The first came when linebacker Denzel Perryman forced running back Joe Mixon to fumble. That led to Badgley’s 22-yard field goal which gave them the lead. The other one came when defensive end Melvin Ingram picked off Burrow’s shovel pass in a Chargers territory.

Quick Takes

The defense kept the Chargers in the game. While they were stronger in the first half, they came up with two big plays (which is mentioned above) to keep them alive.

It all started up front with their pass rush, led by defensive end Joey Bosa, defensive tackle Jerry Tillery and linebacker Uchenna Nwosu. The three combined for three sacks and six quarterback hits.

Cornerback Casey Hayward led the team in tackles with 12 while rookie linebacker Kenneth Murray had the second-most with eight.

The offense was lackluster in the beginning of the first half, but started to find a groove towards the end of the first and throughout the second half.

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor wasn’t spectacular, struggling with staring his targets down and dealing with pressure, but he did connect with tight end Hunter Henry and wide receiver Mike Williams on big plays.

Henry and Williams combined for 142 yards on nine receptions. Meanwhile, Keenan Allen was fairly quiet, being held to four receptions for 37 yards on eight targets.

Rookie RB Joshua Kelley had a stellar debut, rushing for 60 yards and the team’s only touchdown on 12 carries. Kelley should see an uptick in playing time, especially with Justin Jackson dealing with an injury.

Austin Ekeler was productive on the ground, amassing 84 yards on 19 carries. However, he wasn’t used in the passing game, only receiving one target which he turned into a three-yard gain.

The interior part of the offensive line was subpar, to say the least. Mike Pouncey and Trai Turner’s absences were evident, as the Bengals produced a good chunk of pressure in the middle.

Tackles Bryan Bulaga and Sam Tevi did a fine job at clearing holes in the running game.

Up Next

The Chargers return home to host the Chiefs at their first game played at SoFi Stadium. The Week 2 matchup will be played on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 1:25 p.m. PT.

Report: Chargers WR Mike Williams not expected to play vs. Bengals

The Los Angeles Chargers will be without one of their starting wide receivers.

The Chargers will be without their starting center, and will now be without one of their starting wide receivers in the season opener.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Mike Williams, who has been dealing with a shoulder injury, is not expected to play in Week 1 against the Bengals.

Williams was a limited participant all week at practice, and coach Anthony Lynn said that he would be a game-time decision.

Williams hadn’t practiced since injuring his right shoulder during training camp on Aug. 23.

The next men up to fill the void will be second-year wideout Jason Moore and rookies K.J. Hill and Joe Reed. One of those will line up next to starters Keenan Allen and Jalen Guyton on Sunday.

The matchup between Los Angeles and Cincinnati kicks off at 1:05 p.m. PT.

QB Tyrod Taylor ‘hungry’ to lead Chargers in search of playoffs

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor is ready to guide the Chargers throughout the 2020 season.

When the Chargers take the field on Sunday against the Bengals, it won’t be Philip Rivers under center. Instead, it will be Tyrod Taylor, who takes over after the franchise had the luxury of having Rivers’ services for the past 14 seasons.

“I’m very hungry,” Taylor said. “I’m excited to lead this group of men but, at the same time, be able to show what I can do. I know what I’m capable of doing. My teammates know.”

Taylor, who was signed last offseason to backup Rivers, will make his first start in two seasons. His last start came in 2018 with the Browns before suffering a concussion, which then led to the start of the Baker Mayfield era.

Entering his 10th season, Taylor brings a new element to the offense, which will feature a larger dose of play action, more quarterback movement in the pass game and a lot more plays on the ground.

Taylor will have arguably the best skill players that he’s had in his career thus far at his disposal, led by wide receivers Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, running back Austin Ekeler and tight end Hunter Henry.

“I think we have great chemistry,” explained Taylor. “We were able to build on it each day of training camp, and I am looking forward to going out and making plays with those guys.”

Coach Anthony Lynn is eager to see Taylor take the field once again. The two spent a few seasons together with the Buffalo Bills, where Taylor experienced his best playing days.

“I’m excited to see him play,” said Lynn. “Our guys really trust and believe in him. I’m just excited for the young man because he’s very persistent. He’s very patient. He’s waited for his turn.”

The Chargers drafted Justin Herbert with the hopes of him becoming the long-term answer at the position. While Taylor has heard the narrative of when many think Herbert will take over this season, he doesn’t let it get to him.

“It doesn’t add any extra pressure,” said Taylor. “Me and Justin, as well as Easton (Stick) and the whole quarterback room, we have a great relationship. We all teach each other.”

Taylor, who was named a captain for the 2020 season, is out to prove any doubters wrong, and hopefully lead Los Angeles to the playoffs.

“It is time to play against someone else,” said Taylor. “Looking forward to take the field with the group of guys we have here and going out and showing each other but also the world what we are capable of.”

Keenan Allen, Chargers agree on huge 4-year extension

Keenan Allen is the recipient of a rich contract extension from the Chargers

Keenan Allen is one of the top wide receivers in the NFL. The Los Angeles Chargers recognize his ability and rewarded Allen with a massive contract extension, per a report.

Allen has played in 86 games and made 82 starts for the Bolts, totaling 524 career receptions and 6,405 career yards with 34 touchdowns.

A Pro Bowl selection each of the last three seasons, Allen was the consensus Comeback Player of the Year in 2017. That season, he became the first player in NFL history to record three-straight games with at least 10 receptions, 100 receiving yards and a touchdown catch. Allen added an interception in 2017 to become just the third player in history to have 1,000 receiving yards and a pick in the same year, joining Hall of Fame wide receivers Don Hutson (1942) and Randy Moss (2009).

Chargers and Keenan Allen agree to 4-year, $80M-plus extension

The Chargers are keeping Keenan Allen around for the long term.

The Chargers are locking up another key piece of their roster. As first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Los Angeles and Keenan Allen have agreed to a four-year extension worth more than $80 million.

The contract makes him the second-highest paid wide receiver in the NFL, rewarding him for the remarkable numbers he’s put up in his career with the Chargers.

In the last three seasons, Allen has caught 303 passes for 3,788 yards and 18 touchdowns, making the Pro Bowl each year. He’s spent his entire career with the Chargers after being a third-round pick in 2013.

Allen struggled with injuries in 2015 and 2016, but he hasn’t missed a single game in the last three seasons.

Chargers optimistic WR Mike Williams will play Week 1 vs. Bengals

There’s a chance that the Chargers will have Mike Williams on the field for the season opener.

Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams sustained a shoulder injury in practice last Sunday, which left his availability for the season opener against the Bengals up in the air.

However, there’s a good chance that Williams could be a go in Week 1.

“Mike’s gotta be ready to play,” offensive coordinator Shane Steichen said. “I think Mike has got that mindset to be ready to play. We look forward to having him on September 13.”

Steichen’s remark is very promising, considering coach Anthony Lynn said that Williams was going to be “out for awhile.”

We will have a better feel for Williams’ status once the injury reports roll out throughout the week of practice leading up into the first game of the 2020 season.

If Williams is good to go, he will resume his duties on the outside. But the player opposite still remains to be seen.

Los Angeles has been hard at work trying to determine who the third wide receiver will be. It’s been a tight battle between Jalen Guyton, Jason Moore, Tyron Johnson, Darius Jennings and rookies Joe Reed and K.J. Hill.