The Chargers travel for their first road game of the season, heading out to North Carolina to face off against the Carolina Panthers. A beautiful day for football, the breeze was amazing, and the sun was out to see if the Chargers could continue their Harbaugh bolstered storm through week two. Chargers start week two strong with no injuries to mention. One great thing to see for this game is that the Chargers traveled well for this game with right about forty percent of the fans in attendance.
J.K. Dobbins has another outstanding week going for over one hundred rushing yards for his second consecutive game. Only two games in and Dobbins is making miracles happen with our rock-solid offensive line. Austin Ekeler played one hundred and three games for the Chargers, and he never had two consecutive one-hundred-yard games. The trenches are working, and our running backs are being fed very well. On one of Dobbins’s runs he did a flip into the endzone that made the attending Chargers fans including myself go absolutely insane.
Quentin Johnston let’s talk about him for a second. Eight for eleven on receiving and two of those were touchdowns. One highly contested and one wide open. Finally, the full utilization of what this player is and will be. He had impressed in both training camps but as we know he didn’t fare well last year in Staley’s system behind three other receivers. Two of them being Mike Williams and Kennan Allen. He is coming into form and when this tough run team with a few opportunities here and there for the long ball or a short route, this kid is going to be big. He has height and hands and I’m throwing out this prediction he will be the Chargers touchdown and receiving yards leader by the end of the season.
Defense had another outstanding Sunday with six sacks, seven tackles for loss, and two interceptions. Bosa had two sacks and a forced fumble and KMack had one and a half, with the linebacker room really showing up for defending the run game.
Joe Alt is everything we needed him to be. He is a true anchor with great footwork and has been standing up to some of the best pass rushers in the league. Not to mention he goes against some of the best edge rushers in the business with Mack and Bosa. Truly amazing to see this kid be where he is at two games into his rookie season.
The Chargers blowout the Panthers twenty-six to three, in a great balanced win for the team to keep their winning streak going into week three.
Now one of the best things about football in my opinion is the smack talk that goes down at games. I’m talking about good Ol fashioned trash talk. Not the ones that end in fights but that is playful and part of the full in game experience. I felt so bad for Bryce Young. The weight that must be on this young man’s shoulders is unfathomable. Screams of “Cam could have done that.” Or chants of “Andy Dalton.” or “get rid of the toddler.” I never had to smack talk, they were smack talking themselves and their first pick in the draft quarterback. To their defense the play was stale. The same three runs and a semi ball toss of about ten yards. This franchise has had enough of losing. Right before writing this article Bryce Young was Benched for Andy Dalton, veteran backup quarterback. Best of luck to the kid but I don’t see him being a starter any of the rest of his time playing for the Panthers.
Next Sunday the Chargers take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Harbaugh decided to help the team out with travel miles and stayed on the east coast this week. Heading and training near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Justin Herbert had a weird fall on Sunday with the Panthers. There’s a small chance he doesn’t play, and the backup Easton Stick would start instead. But looking at this game the Chargers are going to have to be ready for that Steelers defense. Running the ball might not be as effective with their front line and secondary. Balls might be flying more often than they have this upcoming Sunday where Pittsburgh’s weather shows a storm is scheduled to hit.
