Starting the year 2-0 is a great feeling. But starting the year 2-0 with both being wins over divisional opponents has got to be some kind of special.
The Chargers got massive games out of their stars and captains, leading to a dominant defensive win over the Raiders 20-9 on the road in Las Vegas. For the most part, this was all Chargers all night long. There were a few blemishes on the night, but overall the Bolts found their way to a lead and then held onto it from there on out.
With that said, here
are four winners and two losers from this week’s big win on the road!
Winners
LB Daiyan Henley
Something about Chargers players getting sick right before a game apparently means they’re about to pop off.
When Becton came down with flu symptoms ahead of the Chiefs matchup, he went on to have a heck of a game protecting Justin Herbert. This week, Henley woke up with a sinus infection and somehow turned in one of the best games of his career.
He started the game with an interception of Geno Smith, recorded two tackles for loss, and finally a sack that helped close out the game in the final minutes. After playing at a Pro Bowl level a year ago, this may actually be an All-Pro type of campaign for Henley by the end of the year.
WRs Quentin Johnston and Keenan Allen
For the second consecutive week, both Johnston and Allen found the end zone.
First, Herbert found Allen in the back of the end zone as the pair enacted a perfect scramble drill. Herbert broke from the pocket, scrambled right, and Allen raised his arm to show he was open just before toe-tapping the sideline.
Then, Johnston brushed off several early incompletions his way to catch a 60-yard touchdown pass from Herbert on an awesome post-corner route up the left sideline. Johnston also became the first Charger since Antonio Gates in 2014 to catch three touchdowns in the team’s first two games.
CB Tarheeb Still
Still was incredible on Monday night.
Not only did he help keep Raiders quarterback Geno Smith completion-less on throws 10 or more yards down the field, but he was also a very sticky tackler when it mattered most. Once he got his hands on you, you weren’t going anywhere.
If Still keeps this up, the Chargers secondary will once again be amongst the best in the NFL for another year under Jesse Minter.
Losers
Short-yardage run game
The Chargers are still unable to get the hard-earned yards near and around the goal line. Against the Raiders, the Chargers ran the ball three consecutive times inside the five yards line and were shutout over and over again. The interior of Zion Johnson, Bradley Bozeman, and Mekhi Becton were not enough against the defensive line of the Raiders and it didn’t help that the plays called lacked any fragment of imagination.
Greg Roman has done a wonderful job calling plays for the most part through two games. However, the Chargers lose a ton of steam when they’re near the goal line. It’s almost better for them to score from outside the 10-yard line than to ever get the ball inside of it.
End-of-game management
After the Chargers nearly handed the Chiefs enough life for them to comeback in Brazil, you’d think the Chargers would be on their Ps and Qs this week if they managed to have the lead in the waning minutes of regulation. That unfortunately did not happen as the Chargers offense sputtered when faced with their first big drive to try and seal the win over Las Vegas.
On third-and-one with 8:23 remaining on the clock, Herbert dropped back and nearly through an interception right into the hands of linebacker Germaine Pratt. Then, on fourth down, Roman called a zone read where Herbert was to mesh with Derius Davis who was coming on a jet motion from right to left. The play was rushed and the mesh was muddy, leading to a fumble and turnover on downs.
Instead of running it up the middle with Hampton, Harris, or even sneaking it with Herbert, Roman got too cute and almost let things get out of hand yet again. The Chargers coaching staff needs to tighten this area up or else it could cost the later in the year when the games matter the most.
