I want to sit here and tell you how the Chargers played better today in game number 5. How the defense really put a game plan together to stop the run. How coaching improved and stop looking like this was a learn as you go job. Especially how the offense rolled over the Giants. Especially how special teams starting to look special.
Sadly, I can’t even if I wanted too. If this was pop warner football then the Giants forfeited. Not because of the score but they ran out of players. In fact pop warner plays better football then the Giants and Chargers performed did on the field today. A win is a win. Especially when you are on a 9 game losing streak going back to 2016. In what became a penalty punting and poor tackling clinic on today
In a game that the Chargers won 27-22 in front of over 77,000 fan that paid to watch two 0-4 teams play. In LA, the game was moved KCAL to KCBS. They were moved to show bull riding instead. That is not what the NFL owners dreamed about when they envisioned the league returning to the 2nd biggest TV market in the country.
Before the game an article came out in Newsday about a April awards dinner where Eli Manning gave his opinion on the Chargers. “I want to thank Ernie. If it wasn’t for him I’d be playing in a soccer stadium in LA.” A body blow shot delivered again by the Manning family. Rivers did get his 4th win over Eli in all 4 tries opposing each other.
Lynn got his first NFL coaching victory as a head coach. Though coming off a timeout his team was called for illegal formation on defense for having 12 men on the field. A veteran coach does a better job than that but coach gets a learning curve for awhile. The Giants wish they had too many men on the field as injuries took them down to barely having 11 guy to perform on offense. The Chargers did have Melvin Ingram get up to 7.5 sacks this year after getting a contract extension in the off-season. Bosa met Eli twice today bringing his sack total to 5 for the year. Sadly their co workers on defense was not as productive. The defense which is improving but being plagued by poor tackling and giving up so many yards rushing they might give Gus Bradley a heart attack by the time the bye comes.
Right before halftime both teams combined for 10 punts. Rivers was 1 for 7 on 3rd downs with 64 yards passing. The defense already gave up 97 yards rushing before the halftime entertainment began to make their way on field. Rivers and Allen started out of sync but they got it together with Allen getting 4 catches for 64 yards. Although a TD pass to Allen in the end zone was intercepted when the safety jumped in front of Allen. Not the numbers you want from your #1 receiver. But Rivers did find Hunter Henry to everyone delight. Another miss in the endzone was to Travis Benjamin that Rivers over threw. At that time it would have giving the chargers the lead. Melvin Gordon proved that given the chance and stick with the running game got it he’ll finish with a productive day. Gordon had 20 rushes for 105 yards and 6 catches for 58 yards and 2 TD. The Giants while running the ball well on LA but the Giants kept calling passing plays even though they almost had to call Lawrence Taylor to the active roster as a receiver because all of Eli guys were on the training table. Today Eli lost to the team that plays in a soccer stadium from LA.
The 9 game losing streak is over. But this should not be taken as progress. The Chargers played very poorly at almost every aspect of the game. It was what you’d expect from two 0-4 teams playing each other. The Chargers didn’t beat the Giants as much as they just out lasted the Giants. The Chargers offense is just not playing together and it’s not just on the players as the play calling is almost just as bad. The Chargers hav not tackled well season after season. Coaches and players have come and gone. That tells me it is not a fundamental issue as much as a toughness that they lack. The defense has got to bring guys down at first contact. The Chargers have one of the worst run defenses in the NFL. Mix that in with poor Special Teams and an offense that is struggling and your teams committing penalties you are not going to win to many games in the NFL. Luckily for them someone had to win today. They went across the country and played a road game with an early start. They got the W. This team has to get better which they haven’t really shown they can do yet.
The Raiders who started out 2-0 have lost 3 in a row and have lost their identity as well. The NFL schedule does you some favors sometimes as to not who you play but when you play them. It won’t be a friendly crowd as the Raiders host the LA Chargers for the first time in quite awhile. This one will be on in LA.
Former Chargers defensive coordinator John Pagano will face his ex mates for the first time. The loser of this one will fall even further in a whole. This will be Lynn 3rd divisional game this year so far he’s 0-2 vs AFC West.
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