The Los Angeles Chargers look a lot different this year under the leadership of new head coach Jim Harbaugh. This is Harbaugh's first time coaching in the NFL since 2014 when he and the San Francisco 49ers went 8-8, after that he left to coach the University of Michigan Wolverines. His return to the NFL wasn't perfect, but overall he can't be mad at it. The Chargers came out on top with a final score of 22-10 led by their defense and run game. Justin Herbert wasn't asked to do much, but he stepped up when needed. Herbert completed 65% of his passes for only 144 yards and one TD to rookie WR Ladd McConkey, who also led the team in receptions and yards.
Defense Wins Championships
The Chargers defense played fantastic. They allowed only one TD the entire game and had three takeaways. The first 'fumble" was a miscommunication on the Raiders part as Gardner Minshew tried to throw a screen pass to nobody. Since it was thrown behind the line of scrimmage and backwards, it became a live ball and Khalil Mack recovered. The second fumble was a strip from Joey Bosa on Zamir White. In the fourth quarter Khalil Mack batted a check down pass in the air and DT Poona Ford intercepted it.
The Bolts had four sacks on the game among three players. These players being Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, and Morgan Fox. The Chargers defense also totaled three TFLs, five pass deflections, and six QB hits. They forced five punts and one turnover on downs, and allowed two FG attempts, but Raiders K Daniel Carlson missed his first attempt. If the Chargers defense can keep playing this well, there won't be nearly as much pressure on Justin Herbert and the Chargers offense as there has been in the past few seasons.
J.K. Dobbins
In the off-season the Chargers signed twoformer Ravens running backs in Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins. The duo accounted for 21 of the teams' 27 rush attempts, 11 being Edwards who finished the game with only 26 yards averaging 2.4 a pop. In his 10 carries, Dobbins ran for 135 yards and one TD. He averaged 13.5 ypc and his longest run was 61 yards, which is his longest run since 2020.
Dobbins has only ran for more than 135 yards once in his career in 2021 when he ran for 160 yards against the Chicago Bears when he was a member of the Ravens. Dobbins also had three receptions for only four yards. The most rushing yards J.K. Dobbins has had in a season is 805, but if he stays healthy he could eclipse 1,000 yards for the Chargers. And with Gus Edwards being in the back field along with Derius Davis, the Bolts should have a strong run game to rely on.
Receivers
The Chargers went from having one of the best receiver duos in the league to having Joshua Palmer as their WR1. DJ Chark is on IR and Palmer didn't play in Week 1, but the Chargers did a good job spreading the targets and relying on the run game. They ran it 27 times and passed it 26 times, so it was a pretty even split. seven different receivers had at least one reception, and five had two or more. The rookie out of Georgia, Ladd McConkey, had five receptions and a late TD.
Quentin Johnston was targeted five times, and he caught it three times for 38 yards. Johnston was the Chargers first round pick in 2023 being taken 21st overall. He was the second receiver off the board and drafted right before Ravens' Zay Flowers and Vikings' Jordan Addison. He had a very lack luster rookie year and dropped passes consistently. All signs pointed to him being a bust, but with Keenan Allen leaving to Chicago and Mike Williams joining the Jets, he'll have more opportunities this season to prove his worth.
Final Score: Chargers 22, Raiders 10
Dixon's Three Stars
1st Star- RB J.K. Dobbins (10 Carries, 135 Yards, 1 TD)
2nd Star- LB Khalil Mack (3 Tackles, 1.5 Sacks, 1 TFL, 1 PD, 1 Fumble Recovery)
3rd Star- DT Poona Ford (3 Tackles, 1 TFL, 2 PD, 1 INT)
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