Tag: melvin ingram

Chargers defense’s stout effort all for naught in loss to Chiefs

The Chargers defense forced Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to one of the worst performances of his career.

The Chargers knew that they would have their hands full facing a Chiefs team, who has one of the best offenses in the league.

Even without safeties Derwin James and Adrian Phillips, who were both key components to the success when the two teams met last season, the defense did what most teams haven’t been able to do.

The unit held quarterback Patrick Mahomes to 182 passing yards, which was his lowest in a full game so far in his career. Mahomes had a 72.7 passer rating, which was his second-lowest mark.

Mahomes was nearly a non-factor in the first half of the game, as he was held to less than 100 total yards.

Kansas City lost wide receiver Tyreek Hill early on to a hamstring injury, and he finished with no catches and zero yards. Running backs Damien Williams and LeSean McCoy were also banged up throughout the course of the game.

But they still limited the other handful of playmakers the Chiefs possess.

It all started up front with defensive ends Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. The two both did an excellent job against a stout offensive line by generating pressure, making Mahomes feel uncomfortable.

Ingram came in clutch in the fourth-quarter by stopping the Chiefs on three consecutive third-down plays, which all resulted in punts.

Defensive tackles Damion Square and Justin Jones, who returned from an injury, were solid against the run, recording a handful of stops at or behind the line of scrimmage.

The line’s efforts benefited the rest of the members on the defensive side of the ball as Mahomes, who was under constant duress, didn’t have much time to push the ball downfield and was forced to throw nearly everything underneath.

When Mahomes did try to go deep on one play, he was picked off by free safety Rayshawn Jenkins, who jumped in front of a ball on a pass intended to wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and came up with an interception.

Outside of a few crucial missed tackles and blow coverages, including tight end Travis Kelce’s touchdown in the third-quarter, the linebackers and cornerbacks stayed true to their assignments and kept everything in front of them.

Thomas Davis has really come into his own as a run stopper, leading the way with the team-high 12 tackles and Casey Hayward continues to show he’s one of the best corners in the league by not giving up a single reception.

The defense did what they needed to, but unfortunately, quarterback Philip Rivers and company were unable to pick them up in a must-win game on Monday night.

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Instant analysis of Chargers’ 24-17 loss to Chiefs

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez gives his thoughts from the Chargers’ 24-17 loss to the Chiefs in Week 11.

In a must-win game to keep their playoff hopes alive, Philip Rivers threw four interceptions, including one in the end zone on the final drive, and the Chargers couldn’t come out on top against the Chiefs in Mexico City.

Here is our instant analysis from Los Angeles’ 24-17 loss to Kansas City:

Injury Update

There were no injuries tonight.

Play of the Game: Mike Williams’ monstrous catch

In need of keeping their final drive alive, Williams came up clutch with an acrobatic catch that went for 50 yards on third-and-15.

Notable Number

7: Quarterback Philip Rivers has thrown seven interceptions in his last two games, the most in any two-game span in his career.

Quick Takes

  • Tonight’s loss fell on Rivers’ shoulders. He had two opportunities to tie the game in the fourth quarter, but they both ended up being interceptions. Poor decision-making and regression in arm talent continue to be evident.
  • Running backs Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler gave the offense life in the first half, but they were nonfactors in the second half, combining for only 23 yards from scrimmage after totaling 199 yards in the first half.
  • They weren’t perfect, but the offensive line performed better than their dreadful Week 10 outing. They only allowed two sacks on the night against a deadly Chiefs pass rush.
  • Rivers’ weapons did him a lot of favors with some of their eye-popping catches tonight. Wide receiver Keenan Allen had a bounce-back game, including reeling in his first touchdown pass for the first time since Week 3.
  • After a dominant first half, the defense came out in the second half looking like a completely different unit. Soft coverage and missed tackles in open space were the killer that allowed quarterback Patrick Mahomes to guide his team to a comfortable lead.
  • Defensive end Melvin Ingram had a phenomenal performance, coming up in a big way on three consecutive third downs to force the Chiefs to punt. Whether it was generating pressure or batting balls at the line of scrimmage, Ingram made great plays.
  • As a whole, the defense didn’t allow Mahomes to produce that many explosive plays. The absence of wide receiver Tyreek Hill was clear, but the secondary did a nice job keeping everything in front of them for the most part, aside from a couple plays, including tight end Travis Kelce’s touchdown.

Up Next

The Chargers have their bye in Week 12. Their next game will be against the Broncos at Empower Field on Dec. 1 at 1:25 p.m. PT.

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Reasons for optimism and concern for Chargers vs. Chiefs

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez delivers the reasons to be optimistic and concerned about the Chargers’ Week 11 matchup against the Chiefs.

The Los Angeles Chargers are hosting the Kansas City Chiefs, but they will both be on the road in Week 11 for a primetime bout at Estadio Azteca on Monday night.

The Bolts are currently listed as underdogs, and there’s a reason for that. But while all signs are in the Chiefs’ favor, the NFL is always unpredictable and anything can happen. With that, there’s plenty of reasons for concern facing a tough Kansas City team, but there are reasons for optimism, too.

So, what should fans of the Chargers be optimistic and concerned about going into the Monday night matchup?

Reason for optimism

Chiefs defense isn’t really anything to boast about

Kansas City wins the majority of their games with their lethal offense. But on the other side of the ball, there isn’t that much about their defense that gives any reason to be worried about.

Entering Week 11, they’re allowing 369.5 yards per game, 5.6 yards per play, 148.1 rushing yards per game and 5.1 yards per carry, all of which ranks near the bottom in the NFL.

All of this is the recipe for running backs Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler having huge performances. As for quarterback Philip Rivers, I expect him to bounce back against a secondary that has no interceptions and has allowed eight touchdown passes since Week 7.

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9 Chargers players to watch vs. Chiefs in Week 11

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out the nine most important players to watch against the Chiefs in Week 11.

The Los Angeles Chargers (4-6) travel to Mexico City to face the Kansas City Chiefs (6-4) in a crucial Week 11 matchup.

Here are nine Chargers players to hone in on:

QB Philip Rivers

After his worst performance of the 2019 season, Rivers will look to have a bounce back game. But it won’t be an easy task facing one of the best passing defenses in the league.

RB Melvin Gordon

Gordon has been on a tear the past two games, and he will look to continue that dominance going up against one of the league’s worst run defenses.

WR Keenan Allen

Allen has been slowed as of late, failing to surpass 70 receiving yards the past seven contests. He wasn’t impressed by the Chiefs’ secondary this past offseason and now he will have to opportunity to get his words up, six months later.

OT Trent Scott

One of the reasons for Rivers’ struggles last week was the poor protection. Scott, who will start at right tackle again in place of Sam Tevi, will need to slow a Chiefs pass rush that ranks first in the NFL in sacks (52).

DE Joey Bosa & Melvin Ingram

If the Bolts want to slow quarterback Patrick Mahomes, they need to contain him and make him feel uncomfortable. That all starts up front with the pressure. Bosa and Ingram have combined for 13.5 sacks this season.

CB Casey Hayward

Hayward is set to be lined up across arguably the league’s fastest wideouts in Tyreek Hill.

FS Rayshawn Jenkins

With how fast the Chiefs position players are, Jenkins will be needed more than ever to assist from the single high role, whether that be as an open field tackler or eliminating passing plays over the top to avoid explosive plays.

S Jaylen Watkins

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is the best at his position, and will need to be eliminated. Last season, they limited him because Derwin James did a nice job against him, but he will not be playing.

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3 key matchups to watch in Chargers vs. Chiefs

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lists three key position matchups to watch when the Chargers take on the Chiefs in Week 11.

The Chargers and Chiefs are set to be featured in primetime on Monday Night Football.

Here are three key matchups to watch that could ultimately determine the outcome of the game:

CB Casey Hayward vs. WR Tyreek Hill

Hayward continues to shutdown the league’s most prolific wideouts on a weekly basis, but now, he will be tasked with limiting not only one of the best, but the fastest that he’s faced this season.

Since missing the first four games of the season due to suspension, Hill has come back and has been a headache for opposing secondaries. He has scored five touchdowns in the last four games. Over his last two performances, Hill is averaging 148.5 receiving per game.

Hayward will have to keep Hill in front of him and eliminate the dink and dunk plays turning into big plays. Safety Rayshawn Jenkins will have a bigger role as he needs to come up and make plays from the single high role, whether that be as an open-field tackler or breaking up deep passes.

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2020 Pro Bowl voting now open

It’s time to cast your vote to send your favorite Charger to the 2020 Pro Bowl.

Voting for the 2020 NFL Pro Bowl is officially open.

Fans can vote on NFL.com/ProBowlVote from Tuesday, Nov. 12 until Sunday Dec. 12. The rosters for the AFC and NFC will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 17 on NFL Network.

During the final two weeks of 2020 Pro Bowl voting — November 28-December 12 — fans will also be able to vote on Twitter. To cast a vote, fans should tweet the first and last name of the player, the player’s official Twitter handle, or a hashtag including the player’s first and last name. It must include the hashtag: #ProBowlVote.

Fans, players and coaches will each account for one-third toward determining the 88 All-Star players who will be selected to the Pro Bowl

Even though it hasn’t been the sunshine and rainbows for the Chargers, the team still has several players worthy of Pro Bowl consideration this season.

Running back Austin Ekeler has been a force as a ball carrier and as a pass-catcher. Ekeler has totaled 899 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns. Wide receiver Keenan Allen has cooled down a little bit the past few weeks, but he has still amassed 62 receptions for 725 yards and three touchdowns.

On the other side of the ball, cornerback Casey Hayward continues to shut down some of the league’s best receivers on a weekly basis. In the trenches, defensive ends Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa remain as one of the top pass-rushing tandems, combining for 13 sacks.

Fullback Derek Watt and linebacker Drue Tranquill have done their fair share of work on special teams. Watt leads the league in special teams tackles with 12, while Tranquill is third with nine.

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