The Chargers defense led to a 27-10 win against the hot Cleveland Browns.
The Browns’ defensive unit began even stronger than that of the Chargers. Forcing a punt on the Chargers’ first drive, it seemed like things were clicking. However, LA PR Derius Davis returned Cleveland’s first punt to the red zone and set up a big Chargers drive. After the Browns sacked Justin Herbert on second down, Herbert aired it out for a 28-yard touchdown for Josh Palmer.
After both teams took turns punting, the Browns got a 38-yard field goal to make it a 7-6 game. On the next drive, Justin Herbert kept things going for the Chargers and hit Quentin Johnston deep for a 66-yard touchdown. Cameron Dicker missed the field goal, and the Bolts settled for a 13-3 lead. Before the first half ended, the Chargers marched down the field once more as JK Dobbins ran in a 16-yard touchdown. The Chargers held a 20-3 lead heading into halftime.
Both offenses went silent in the second half, but the Chargers put the nail in the coffin with JK Dobbins running in his second of the day. The Browns put it in the end zone for the first time as the clock expired, but it was fruitless as the Chargers still escaped Cleveland with a 27-10 win.
The biggest story of the second half was Jameis Winston’s interceptions. The first came on the first drive of the third quarter with Winston throwing it to CB Tarheeb Still who tipped it to Elijah Molden. The next came near the end of the third with Alohi Gilman picking it up. Near the beginning of the fourth, Winston threw his third of the game with Still coming up with the grab this time. With the Chargers offense performing as poorly as they were, the Browns were put in multiple positions to make the game closer. However, Jameis Winston quite literally threw those opportunities away three times. Winston threw multiple bad balls in his great performance last week, none of which were ultimately picked off. With this week’s performance in mind, it could be interesting to see if HC Kevin Stefansky continues with Winston or transitions to the younger Dorian Thompson-Robinson moving forward.
The Chargers offense has looked better every week. Last week, Ladd McConkey put up 111 yards and two touchdowns, this week Justin Herbert spread the love. Second-year Wide Receiver Quentin Johnston put up 118 yards on four receptions. However, Joshua Palmer and McConkey also caught more than 60 yards and Dobbins went for 20 receiving. This is the Chargers offense at its best, and it will be interesting to see how this affects their approach going into Tuesday’s trade deadline. It has been reported that the Chargers are windowshopping for talent, with no true intention of making a big acquisition. However, they haven’t ruled anything out. If the offense looks like this, they may stick with the current group.
Speaking of the trade deadline, it is impossible not to mention what happened during the first half. Towards the beginning of the game, multiple reports came out that Browns star Edge Rusher Za’Darius Smith will be traded to the Detroit Lions in the next 24 hours. It is unknown whether or not Smith was aware of the trade talks at the time, but it is hard not to wonder whether or not it affected Smith’s play if he did know. Should the trade be completed, Smith will be a great placeholder for Aidan Hutchinson who went down with a broken leg earlier in the season.
This deal could also impact the Chargers’ plans at the deadline. One player they have been rumored to be interested in is Browns TE David Njoku. Should the Browns continue to sell with the parting of Smith, it would make sense to go all in on a deadline firesale and get rid of Njoku. Especially after another loss, Cleveland may have already given up on this season and is gearing up for another rebuild. For the Chargers, Njoku would likely be the ideal trade piece, as they need a Franchise TE to complete Herbert’s pass-catching group.
The Chargers head into the deadline week at 5-3, with a perfect opportunity to buy in. On one hand, they could go all in and acquire another playmaker and try to ride their fumes into the playoffs. Or, they could decide to stand pat and wait to be contenders until next season. No matter which way they choose to go, they will still likely be playing in the playoffs for the first time under Jim Harbaugh. Given the beginning of this season, Bolts fans should get ready for some of the most exciting months of Chargers football they’ve had in a long time.