Everything to know from Chargers’ loss to Titans in Week 2
The Chargers fell to the Titans in overtime, 27-24.
To recap Week 2, here is everything you need to know:
It was over when...
Nick Folk made the 41-yard game-winning field goal in overtime.
Keys to the game
The Chargers punted three times on their final four drives.
The Chargers allowed completions of 70 and 49 yards.
The Chargers were 2-of-14 on third-down opportunities.
The Chargers allowed three first downs from penalties.
The Chargers defense had five sacks.
The Titans were 3-of-4 in the red zone.
3 stars of the game
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WR Keenan Allen: 8 receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns
EDGE Joey Bosa: 2 sacks (while dealing with a hamstring injury)
LB Kenneth Murray: 10 tackles, 2 for loss, sack
Quick Hits
Offensively, the Justin Herbert-Keenan Allen connection was alive and well. Herbert found Allen in all parts of the field, including deep along the sidelines for a 42-yard reception.
Mike Williams was Herbert’s other go-to weapon as they connected for eight catches for 83 yards on 11 targets.
Despite the positives, this is the second week in which Herbert had the opportunity to seal the deal for the Chargers. And as I mentioned above, three of the final four drives resulted in a punt. For a team with this much talent, it’s inexcusable.
The Chargers had no success running the ball with no Austin Ekeler against a stout Titans front. Joshua Kelley finished with 13 carries for 39 yards, while Elijah Dotson, who got the role as the complementary back over Isaiah Spiller, had four rushes for six yards.
On the other hand, the defense did a good job of getting to Ryan Tannehill, as they finished with five sacks. However, he still had success passing the football, completing 20 of his 24 attempts for 246 yards and a touchdown.
This was a week after he had 16-of-34 passing for 198 yards and three interceptions.
Tannehill’s deep passes of 70 and 49 yards resulted in touchdowns. In the first one, Treylon Burks beat Asante Samuel Jr. on a deep route. The second, Chris Moore made a great catch with Michael Davis in coverage.
Tennessee’s other touchdown drive resulted from two penalties on third down, with the first being unnecessary roughness on Derwin James and the other being roughing the passer on Sebastian Joseph-Day.
Kenneth Murray stepped up in a big way as the green dot, while Eric Kendricks missed the game with a hamstring injury. Murray made some great plays against the run and came on as a blitzer when he got his lone sack.
At the end of the day, this loss falls on Brandon Staley, the supposed “defensive guru.” Even with a healthy defense, the results continue to be uninspiring, especially against a Titans passing offense that’s been lackluster. And then the game management continues to be questionable, with the latest decision being to call a timeout with Henry on the sidelines, only for them to put him in to ice the game in overtime.
Fun stat from The Ringer’s Benjamin Solak: Since 2010: teams with 275+ passing yards and no turnovers are 382-96-2. That’s a win percentage of 80%. With the loss to the Titans today, the Chargers are one of the 96
What's next?
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The Chargers are on the road again to face the Vikings (0-2) next Sunday, Sept. 24 at 10:00 am PT.
