Tag: Uchenna Nwosu

3 takeaways from Chargers’ 39-29 victory over Jaguars

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out what stood out in the team’s victory over the Jaguars.

The Chargers snapped their losing streak Sunday, defeating the Jaguars by the score of 39-29.

The game saw a roller coaster of events, just like every other game Los Angeles has played, but this time the Bolts actually prevailed.

Before moving on to previewing next weekend’s matchup against the Broncos, let’s take a look at my three takeaways from the Chargers’ victory over Jacksonville.

A star in the making

In quarterback Justin Herbert’s first four starts, he put the nation on notice with his slew of strong performances against some stiff competition. In Sunday’s contest, the rookie made it evident that the Chargers really might have a future All-Pro quarterback on their hands.

Once again, Herbert put the team on his back, guiding the offense to 16 points in the first half. Once the Chargers lost their double-digit lead soon. after, he led them to 23 additional points, which was ultimately enough to close out the contest.

Herbert finished 27-of-43 passing for 347 yards and three touchdowns, as he picked up his first professional win. Herbert also had a team-high 66 rushing yards and a score on nine carries.

It’s clear that Herbert is way ahead of the curve. The 22-year old has been carved up defenses, both with his big arm and with his legs. But he’s sharpened his decision-making and instincts, especially under pressure, which was one of his knocks coming out of college.

The coaches and players have full trust in the young signal-caller and he is only scratching the surface.

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Chargers’ Players of the Game in Week 7 vs. Jaguars

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez gives out awards for Sunday’s 39-29 victory over the Jaguars.

The Los Angeles Chargers enjoyed a 39-29 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Here are the Chargers players of the game:

Offensive Player of the Game: QB Justin Herbert

Herbert continues to get better and better each week, and fresh off the bye week, he made another case to be this season’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. After the Jaguars came back from being down 16 points, Herbert led the offense to multiple scoring drives to ultimately close out the game, both through the air and on the ground. Herbert ended the game 27-for-43 for 347 yards and three touchdowns. His 66 total rush yards were the most by a Chargers quarterback recorded in a single game.

Defensive Player(s) of the Game: EDGE Joey Bosa, Uchenna Nwosu

The defense was shaky at times, particularly against the run. But they did enough to limit quarterback Gardner Minshew to less than 200 passing yards, largely thanks to the pass rush. Bosa and Nwosu were forces off the edge, making up for two of the team’s five sacks and combined for three tackles for loss. Bosa had seven quarterback pressures while Nwosu had two. If Melvin Ingram isn’t back next season, this could be the next dynamic duo.

Special Teams Player of the Game: LB Malik Jefferson

While Jefferson hasn’t seen the field at his natural position, he has been kept around to serve as a special teamer. The former Texas product took advantage of his reps, as he and cornerback Tevaughn Campbell forced wide receiver Dede Westbrook to fumble on a kickoff return late in the fourth quarter, which then led to a rushing touchdown to give the Chargers the lead and eventually the victory.

The good, the bad and the ugly from Chargers’ 30-27 loss to Saints

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out the good, the bad and the ugly from the Los Angeles Chargers’ loss to the New Orleans Saints.

The Chargers lost to the Saints in overtime on Monday Night Football in typical fashion, leading by 17 points and letting it slip away. Los Angeles will have plenty of reflecting heading into their bye week.

But before that, here’s a look at the good, the bad and the ugly from Week 5:

The Good

QB Justin Herbert: What more could you ask for from Herbert? The rookie went toe to toe with future Hall of Fame QB Drew Brees, finishing 20-of-34 passing for 264 yards and four touchdowns, which marks the most in MNF history. Herbert did this all while being in the face of pressure all night, and missing some of his top skill players (Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler). The future is bright.

WR Mike Williams: We knew it was a matter of time until Herbert started taking more deep shots to Williams. After Allen went down, Williams became Herbert’s go-to target. He turned eight targets into five catches for 109 yards and two scores, including an outstanding grab in the fourth quarter that put the Chargers in position for the go-ahead field goal (which was missed).

Run defense: Before the game, I said that the Chargers must find a way to minimize Saints running back Alvin Kamara’s effect on the game. While Kamara made some splash days through the air, him and RB Latavius Murray struggled to get anything going on the ground, failing to go over 100 yards. Credit goes to defensive tackle Linval Joseph, edge defender Uchenna Nwosu, linebackers Kenneth Murray, Kyzir White and safety Rayshawn Jenkins, all of whom played vital roles in the run game.

The Bad

Offensive line: The offensive line had no answer for the Saints pass rush. Herbert was sacked three times and was pressured 14 times (37.8% pressure rate, the defense’s highest in a game this season), per Next Gen Stats. The offense managed managed to go over 100 yards on the ground, but the guys up front failed to get push more often than not.

Conservative play-calling in the second half: Roll with what’s working. The Chargers failed to do so out of the locker room when they had the lead. They took the conservative route rather than being aggressive on early downs by choosing to run the ball on nine of their 14 first-down plays in the second half and overtime. The result? They averaged only 1.11 yards per carry on their first-down rush attempts. While it speaks to the lack of trust they had in the offensive line in pass protection, Herbert showed that he was capable of overcoming the copious amount of pressure.

Punt coverage: Special teams isn’t talked about often, but the Chargers have the worst special teams rating in the NFL, per Football Outsiders. Ty Long was close to having a few of his punts blocked, which speaks to the poor punt protection. Meanwhile, the Saints were set up in ideal field position all night (barring a couple called back due to penalties) due to the lackluster coverage.

The Ugly

Second-half defense: There were some positives on the defensive side of the ball, including the run defense, which was mentioned above. Along with that, free safety Nasir Adderley picked up his first career interception. But other than that, the unit fell apart when they had a commanding lead. Soft/busted coverages and lack of pressure led to quarterback Drew Brees’ comeback after being down 17 points. The unit is banged up, and the bye week couldn’t have come at a better time to get healthy.

Michael Badgley: The Chargers could’ve sworn that the kicking nightmares were behind them. But last night was a flashback to a couple of seasons ago when they had their kicker carousel. Badgley missed an extra point on the team’s first touchdown and the go-ahead 50-yard field goal, leaving four points on the field, which would’ve enough to give them the victory. Last week, Badgley missed a field goal, too. His seat is getting warm.

Injured Chargers star pass rusher Joey Bosa ‘up in the air’ vs. Saints

The Los Angeles Chargers could be without all-star defensive end Joey Bosa against the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football Week 5.

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Things are looking up for a few New Orleans Saints starters managing injuries ahead of Monday night’s game with the Los Angeles Chargers, but the Bolts aren’t in as favorable a situation.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that while No. 2 Chargers receiver Mike Williams is working his way back from a hamstring injury, the keystone of L.A.’s defense could be a game-time decision. Defensive end Joey Bosa has been battling through a series of leg injuries and might miss this game after the final Chargers injury report designated him as questionable to play.

His loss would be tremendous for Los Angeles. Their next-best pass rusher, Melvin Ingram, already landed on injured reserve and backup Uchenna Nwosu has already been bumped up into a starting role. Bosa, 25, has created 43 sacks in 53 regular season games.

If Bosa can’t play, it would mean the Chargers have to trot out Nwosu on one end (against All-Pro Saints right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, returning from a Week 4 concussion) and fourth-year pro Isaac Rochell on the other (versus All-Pro Saints left tackle Terron Armstead). Rochell has only played 71 snaps on defense for the Bolts this year, averaging 23 snaps per game in his career. That’s, uh, a mismatch.

But we’ll see how Bosa’s body responds to pregame warmups. If he is able to play, he’s still dangerous enough to give Armstead trouble from the right end spot. This isn’t an opponent the Saints can sleep on.

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Chargers dominated in the trenches in loss to Panthers

Both sides of the line for the Chargers were outmatched, and penalties were another killer.

The list of reasons why the Chargers lost to the Panthers can go on and on. But one of the areas that had a factor in Los Angeles’ loss was their inability to win the battle in the trenches.

L.A. has leaned heavily on their pass-rush the first two games of the seasons, and while they had a favorable matchup against a Carolina offensive line that has struggled in the past couple of weeks, they were unable to generate consistent pressure or push.

Star edge defender Joey Bosa, who acquired the clutch sack in the fourth quarter, was outperformed by tackle Taylor Moton for the majority of the game. Other than the sack, Bosa only finished with two quarterback pressures.

Bosa was hindered by an ongoing tricep issue, which could have been a reason for his lackluster performance. But regardless, the Panthers did a great job with their game-plan by double teaming him.

Opposite of Bosa was Uchenna Nwosu, who filled in for the injured Melvin Ingram. Nwosu showed promise in the starting role, leading the team in quarterback pressures with five. He also played a role in slowing the run on a few plays.

The interior defensive line was not much better. Defensive tackles Linval Joseph and Jerry Tillery only combined for one quarterback pressure, and both players struggled to hold their own against the run.

As a result, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater had plenty of time to distribute the wealth. Bridgewater was efficient at attacking the middle of the field, where the rest of the team’s defenders hardly had any answer for wide receiver Robby Anderson and company.

On the other side of the ball, the Chargers offensive line was outmatched against a Panthers defensive line that had not posted a sack in the first two games of the season.

Edge defender Brian Burns forced a fumble on quarterback Justin Herbert in the first half. They kept pressuring the rookie quarterback and getting in his face anytime he dropped back.

The offensive line also lost tackle Bryan Bulaga to a back injury. They had already been without guard Trai Turner, who was inactive with a groin injury. Ryan Groy played the majority of the game at right guard in place of Trai Turner, and Trey Pipkins replaced Bulaga in the first half.

In total, Carolina produced 22 quarterback pressures, eight QB hits and sacked Herbert twice.

Luckily, Herbert’s pocket presence and mobility bailed the group out on a handful of occasions. But that’s not guaranteed moving forward, especially since they’re facing a Buccaneers defensive line that boasts Shaq Barrett and Ndamukong Suh next weekend.

Penalties on both lines were another thing that killed the Chargers.

Tillery was called for illegal-formation on a field goal attempt, which led to the Panthers lone touchdown. Bosa was dinged for neutral zone infraction/offsides in crucial moments. The Chargers had three red-zone penalties from offensive linemen.

Los Angeles will look to execute better and limit the mistakes on the lines this upcoming Sunday against the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers.

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.

Chargers’ Uchenna Nwosu finally gets his spotlight

With Chargers edge defender Melvin Ingram out, Uchenna Nwosu is in.

Every time Chargers outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu has been on the field, he has done something positive.

Nwosu’s hard work and effort hasn’t gotten the recognition that it deserves because he’s been the wingman to defensive end Melvin Ingram since entering the league in 2018.

However, Nwosu now controls the spotlight after Ingram was placed on the injured reserve due to a knee issue Saturday.

Despite limited action, Nwosu has shown glimpses what he has in a little over two seasons. In 44 games, six started, he posted 63 tackles, 35 quarterback pressures, 20 quarterback hits, nine tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.

Since entering the league, Nwosu has primarily backed up Ingram at LEO, getting snaps when Ingram would come off the field. It wasn’t until this season when the team included the two in certain blitz packages, which still didn’t involve Nwosu frequently.

This past offseason, Nwosu bulked up to about 250 pounds for a potential permanent move to defensive end.

If Nwosu performs well as the starter in the absence of Ingram, that could be the ultimate determining factor if the franchise chooses to keep the 31-year old for one more go around or not since he is slated to be a free agent after this season.

Nwosu will have the opportunity to show his worth in an expanded role starting tomorrow against his former teammate, Panthers offensive tackle Russell Okung.

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.

Chargers’ Uchenna Nwosu primed for larger role in 2020

Melvin Ingram’s absence is a blessing in disguise for Uchenna Nwosu.

Chargers defensive end Melvin Ingram has made headlines after refusing to practice due to being dissatisfied with his current contract.

Uncertain whether or not Ingram will carry his holdout into the regular season, this could lead to more snaps for third-year pass-rusher Uchenna Nwosu.

Since entering the league in 2018, Nwosu has primarily backed up Ingram at LEO, getting snaps when Ingram would come off the field, which had not been very often.

Los Angeles even rotated Nwosu in as a strongside linebacker in an attempt to get him on the field more. But he showed to be more efficient when playing up at the line of scrimmage.

The former USC product has made his presence known on a consistent basis in the limited capacity. In two seasons, Nwosu has totaled 59 tackles, 17 quarterback hits, eight tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.

Even though the 23-year old has only played a role as a rotational pass-rusher, his impact has gone a long way towards the team’s defensive success in the past couple of season.

“He’s pretty locked in on being that LEO for us,” Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said about Nwosu.

Bradley said Nwosu bulked up to about 250 pounds for a potential permanent move to defensive end.

If Nwosu performs well in the absence of Ingram, that could be the ultimate determining factor if the franchise chooses to keep the 31-year old for one more go around.

6 Chargers who could be key reserves in 2020

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lists six players who could be key reserves in the upcoming season.

The Chargers have one of the most talented rosters from top to bottom, which will make it quite difficult for some players to see the field as frequently.

With that being said, here are six Chargers players who could be key reserves this upcoming season:

LB Uchenna Nwosu

Since entering the league in 2018, Nwosu has primarily backed up Melvin Ingram at LEO, getting snaps when Ingram would come off the field, which has not been very often. However, the former USC product has made his presence known on a consistent basis in the limited capacity. In two seasons, Nwosu has totaled 59 tackles, 17 quarterback hits, eight tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Even though the 23-year old has only played a role as a rotational pass-rusher, his impact has gone a long way towards the team’s defensive success. Heading into the new year, Nwosu isn’t expected to have an expanded role due to the presence of Ingram and Joey Bosa, but if one were to go down, he could be counted on as the next man up.

DE Isaac Rochell

Another key piece to the Chargers’ dominant defensive line that may go unnoticed is Rochell, the team’s seventh-round selection from the 2017 NFL Draft. Rochell has served as Joey Bosa’s backup, which is why he rarely gets playing time. But he has made the most of his limited opportunities, posting 45 tackles, nine tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits and seven sacks within the past three seasons, with the majority of those coming in 2018, which is when he saw an uptick in snaps after Bosa missed some time due to an injury. Rochell has proven himself as a viable pass-rusher and run defender. In 2020, he will have the same role, but will see the field more should either Bosa or Ingram go down with an injury.

DT Damion Square

Square was re-signed last week, and for a very good reason. The 31-year old nose tackle has been a valuable rotational piece in the middle of the defensive line. In 2019, Square recorded 27 tackles (15 solo), a tackle for loss and two passes defended. Whether it’s rushing the passer or stopping the run, Square has almost aways been a part of the action. In six seasons with the Chargers, Square has posted 96 tackles, 15 quarterback hits, nine tackles for loss and eight passes defensed. The former Alabama product will backup newly acquired Linval Joseph, but his playing time will increase if an injury occurred.

FS Nasir Adderley

Had Adderley not been injured during his rookie season, there’s a good chance that he could’ve been the starting free safety. But the coaching staff’s trust in Rayshawn Jenkins in that role likely indicates that it’ll be difficult for him to win the job this season. However, with the defense expected to show more two-deep safety looks and there being a hole at the dimebacker position, Adderley could see the field in Year 2. Should Adderley stay healthy and carve out a spot, the former Delaware product supplies the backend of the defense with another talented player, one of whom has the range, speed, tackling ability and ball skills to consistently make plays.

OL Scott Quessenberry

The offensive line wasn’t particularly a bright spot for due to injuries that occurred throughout the 2019 season. But when one man (Mike Pouncey) went down, another stepped up. Quessenberry made an impact early on that many may have not been expecting from him when handing him the starting duties. But you could tell that he benefited from learning from a four-time Pro Bowler. The former UCLA product was consistent in pass protection and in the run blocking department. If Pouncey experiences another injury or if one of the guards goes down this upcoming season, Quessenberry supplies the unit with a solid player that can be counted on at any of the interior slots.

WR K.J. Hill

The Chargers had no desire to pick a wide receiver in the seventh-round of the draft, according to general manager Tom Telesco. But when they saw Ohio State’s reception leader still on the board, they couldn’t pass up on him. Hill joins a talented wide receiver room, which features Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. He will be in contention for the No. 3 job with Andre Patton, Jason Moore, Darius Jennings and Joe Reed. I believe Hill could win the spot, but the coaching staff may bank on the experience with Patton at first. However, the route-running savvy and great hands of Hill should eventually enable him to carve up a role. If Allen was to go down with an injury, Hill would be the front runner to fill his shoes as the starting slot wideout.