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Despite a 27-24 loss to the Chiefs, the Chargers played well on Thursday night in Arrowhead Stadium.
However, as always, a few players did more to stand out, whether in good or bad ways.
Here are Los Angeles’ studs and duds from Week 2:
Stud: WR Mike Williams
There was a lot of concern about Williams’ involvement, or lack thereof, in Week 1. But without Keenan Allen and in Arrowhead Stadium, a place Williams has historically thrived, the 27-year-old showed why LA paid him $20 million a year this offseason. With eight catches for 113 yards and a touchdown, Williams was Herbert’s favorite target all game, even late in the game with Kansas City dedicating two defenders to him. It’s the third time Williams has had at least six catches and 100 yards against the Chiefs in his last four matchups with them. The touchdown in the third quarter was Williams’ 7th at Arrowhead, the most by a visiting player in stadium history.
Dud: OC Joe Lombardi
Lombardi once again got stuck in a rut as a play-caller, relying on short passing concepts like stick far too often for a team with a QB as physically gifted as Justin Herbert. The Chargers refused to get Austin Ekeler going early for the second straight game, giving Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo the go-ahead to adjust out of his normal Cover 0 and Cover 1-heavy scheme and play further back to keep things in front of his Chiefs defense. Lombardi never adjusted and kept calling short concepts – their first pass of over 30 air yards came late in the fourth quarter as Los Angeles tried to come back. Kansas City also jumped the stick concept at the goal line for rookie Jaylen Watson’s pick-six that turned the tide for good. Lombardi has received a lot of criticism during his tenure, a lot of it unfairly so. But tonight, his refusal to adjust the game plan and attack the Chiefs’ defense lost the Bolts’ the game.
Stud: LB Drue Tranquill
Tranquill was all over the field, especially in the first half. In the first quarter, Tranquill instantly beat right tackle Andrew Wylie while Khalil Mack came into the pocket unblocked, giving Patrick Mahomes nowhere to escape and leading to a Mack sack. In the second, Tranquill had a key run fit on third and one that forced the Chiefs to punt from around midfield. He and Kenneth Murray Jr. have looked like better players than they were a season ago. Whether that’s because the defensive line is keeping them cleaner or because they feel freer in year two of the defense is unclear, but Tranquill looked like someone the Chargers need to re-sign beyond this season.
Dud: CB J.C. Jackson
It wasn’t the greatest Chargers debut for Jackson in his first game back since undergoing surgery to remove an extra bone from his ankle. Without a verifiable threat on the outside, Los Angeles tried to move Jackson around, but he was less effective on Travis Kelce than Derwin James was. Jackson was also beat by Chiefs receiver Justin Watson for a touchdown on Watson’s first play of the game after he entered for banged-up receiver Mecole Hardman. Los Angeles has always said that the surgery would not affect Jackson’s athleticism and explosiveness, and that didn’t look to be the problem on Thursday. For LA’s sake, hopefully, the problem is just a bit of rust that needed knocking off.
Stud: G Zion Johnson
I wrote earlier today that one of the keys to the game for the offense would be how Johnson performed against Chiefs DT Chris Jones, one of the best interior pass rushers in the league. Perform Johnson did, stonewalling Jones for two and a half quarters before Kansas City adjusted and matched Jones up with left guard Matt Feiler. Jones proceeded to beat Feiler multiple times throughout the second half. Considering how solid Feiler was last season and how often he got beat by Jones, it’s an insane performance by Johnson in just his second career game. It’s still early, but it looks like LA may have hit on another first-round offensive line selection.
Dud: Offensive line depth
The Chargers better hope Johnson keeps it up and stays healthy because the depth looked rough on Thursday. Both Corey Linsley and Trey Pipkins left the game with injuries, which brought Will Clapp and Storm Norton into the game. Clapp was never going to be the same level conductor as Linsley is, but it looked to me like the miscommunications spiked as soon as Linsley left the game. Norton’s first drive was the one on which Justin Herbert faced pressure on three straight drives before going three and out. Later in the game, as the pressure continued getting to Herbert, the losses on the offensive line left Chiefs rusher Mike Danna free to deliver a clean hit on Herbert that caused the rib injury that visibly limited the face of the franchise for the remainder of the game. Linsley and Pipkins proved they were key cogs through their absence on Thursday, and if Herbert can’t go for any length of time, the loss of those two linemen may be what costs LA their season.
Stud: CB Asante Samuel Jr.
I don’t care that Samuel dropped an interception in the end zone that likely would have been a 99-yard pick-six. I especially don’t care that the referees overturned another potential Samuel pick in the third quarter. I don’t care about that because Samuel looked like the Chargers’ best corner on Thursday. After Samuel’s stellar game against Davante Adams and the Chiefs, continuing that momentum against a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes is a hugely positive sign for the second-year player. Samuel has an uncanny ability to stay in phase with receivers and the quick twitch athleticism to jump every route on earth. All that’s left to do now is get his hands right.
Dud: Turnover luck
Yeah, I’m gonna cop out by naming two non-players as duds. Sue me! Most of the Chargers played exceptionally well given the circumstances, especially on defense, for most of the game. But I wrote this morning that the defense would have to capitalize on their chances to force turnovers if they wanted to hang with Mahomes. They failed to do that – two interceptions were called back due to pass interference penalties, Samuel had a pick overturned on review and the dropped INT in the red zone, and Kyle Van Noy should have had one in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Kansas City capitalized on their only turnover of the game immediately. Gerald Everett was gassed on that goal line play, with the Chargers yet again running stick. Rookie corner Jaylen Watson showed outside leverage before the snap but shaded back inside as soon as he recognized Everett’s route. Herbert didn’t see him come back inside because Willie Gay Jr. was bearing down on him, forcing the quarterback into a rare mistake. Watson made a great play on the ball and took it back the other way for six. That was the difference.
