The Chargers took care of business in Week Two, beating the Carolina Panthers 26-3.
Both teams started slow, with the first score coming from a 29-yard receiving touchdown from Quentin Johnston. Cameron Dicker followed that up by uncharacteristically missing the PAT attempt, his first career miss within 50 yards. The offenses struggled until Quentin Johnston caught another touchdown, five yards to the end zone. The Chargers quickly answered again with JK Dobbins rushing 43 yards to the house with two minutes remaining in the first half. Los Angeles found themselves up 20-0 at halftime.
Finally, the Panthers got on the board with a field goal from Eddy Pineiro to start the third. The Chargers answered with a field goal of their own only a couple of minutes later. The game continued to be dominated by the defenses to the end, with the last score coming from another Cameron Dicker field goal at the beginning of the fourth. The Chargers began to play in victory formation, and the Panthers’ offense was still stagnant for the last ten minutes. The Bolts are leaving Carolina 2-0 after the 26-3 victory.
The most important thing to note from the matchup was the lackluster QB play. Justin Herbert and Bryce Young combined for 214 passing yards. However, Justin Herbert did get over 100 and also threw two touchdowns. Herbert also had one of the worst interceptions of his career with an uncatchable ball going straight to the defender. On the other side, Young and the Panthers’ offense couldn’t get into the end zone all day, which is becoming a trend this year. Comparing the two QBs’ stat lines shows exactly why yards are not the benchmark for a good QB when the team primarily runs the ball.
Today was Quentin Johnston’s day as the second-year WR went off for two touchdowns. The former first-round pick was considered a bust by many, but looked great on Sunday, while he also showed flashes in week one. Johnston’s gift has always been what he can do after the catch, which Greg Roman and Jim Harbaugh have had him doing this season. Today, he even showed his contested catch ability with his first touchdown, a heavily covered (yet well ran) route against Jaycee Horn helped get the Chargers on the board first.
Chargers RB JK Dobbins ran until the wheels fell off again, for 131 yards and a touchdown. The former Raven is quickly putting together a bid for comeback player of the year. He’s not the only former Raven who did well in the Chargers backfield on Sunday. Gus Edwards ran for 59 yards on 18 carries. Edwards had the bulk of the Chargers’ carries today, with his runs just not as explosive as Dobbins’. The Chargers run game looks elite, but their next real test will come against the Steelers D-line in week three. If Dobbins, Edwards, and company can make noise against Pittsburgh, Greg Roman may have something real cooking in Los Angeles.
The Chargers have advanced to 2-0 for the first time since 2012, and the air in LA is feeling very different this year. Jim Harbaugh has the entire team playing with a sense of purpose for the first time in years, and they have already shown that this team is different. Most of the previous Chargers squads did not win the game against the Raiders, and they would also find a way to make the Panthers matchup close. Saying that the Chargers don’t win when Herbert throws for less than 150 yards wouldn’t even be true, since Herbert doesn’t throw for less than 150. Sunday was his fourth game sub-150, with another one coming from last week’s win. The Chargers may have already found their identity, and that may be exactly what takes them as far as they will go.
