The Chargers came away with a nail-biting win in the first game of the 2020 regular season.
After pulling away with the victory, let’s see what the nation thinks of Los Angeles:
USA Today: 18 (Previous: 22)
“Did you notice all 12 of Casey Hayward’s tackles Sunday were of the solo variety? That’s a crazy stat for a guy who plays cornerback.”
Touchdown Wire: 13
“The Chargers faced down the most impressive college football quarterback ever in Joe Burrow, and came out of Paul Brown Stadium with a 16-13 win that was more of a narrow escape than a definitive statement. Had a truly weird conflagration of events not shut the Bengals down late in the game in true Bengals fashion, this could have been an overtime struggle or worse for Anthony Lynn’s team. The question for this team through the 2020 season will be whether Tyrod Taylor can give them enough to elevate their offense until first-round pick Justin Herbert is ready to take over – and that might take a while.”
NFL: 20 (Previous: 22)
“Hey, it wasn’t a masterpiece, but that’s also the kind of game the Chargers have lost approximately 400 times in the past. They were due for some luck, received in the form of a shanked Randy Bullock field-goal attempt in the final minute of a 16-13 win. Tyrod Taylor was unspectacular but steady (this is pretty much the Tyrod Taylor experience in totality) and the defense forced two big turnovers, a welcome change from last year, when Los Angeles was too often on the wrong side of the takeaway battle. Melvin Ingram’s fourth quarter interception on a Joe Burrow shovel pass was a thing of beauty. How many other 250-pound defensive ends can move like that and make that play?”
ESPN: 22 (Previous: 24)
“Kelley, a fourth-round pick out of UCLA, rushed for 60 yards on only 12 carries — one of which went for 26 yards — and scored the Chargers’ only touchdown. The performance was huge given Justin Jackson’s departure because of a quad injury. Chargers coach Anthony Lynn admitted that his team probably would not have won the game if not for Kelley, which is in no way a stretch. Look for him to factor more prominently into the game plan — healthy Jackson or not — moving forward.”
CBS Sports: 15 (Previous: 16)
“The offense didn’t do much against the Bengals, but they will have to be better against the Chiefs this week. The defense could be special this season.”
Sports Illustrated: 20
“Wait, wait, wait, you’re telling me the Chargers won a game on a blown field goal at the end of the game? The Chargers escaped Cincinnati with a win, and now we’ll see if they spent the whole summer cooking up anything special for Kansas City.”