Chargers quietly compete one win at a time

CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Browns fans who showed up at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday thought the next quarterback quarterback, Baker Mayfield, was about to start his rookie year. What they ended up witnessing was a reminder of the cruel life that can be in the NFL. They saw first-hand how a championship caliber team works when they get in shape. This is the image that the Los Angeles Chargers gave them, and more and more teams are about to take a close look at the quality of this team.

The scariest part of the Chargers' 38-14 win is that the game did not even seem so tight. They dominated the trenches while they hit the ball on the offensive and harassed Mayfield relentlessly to defend themselves. Quarterback Philip Rivers played efficiently in the passing game while his receivers helped him with some acrobatic shots. It was not just a contest that got out of hand. It was a reminder that people should not forget how bad LA can be when she plays.

It was easy to overlook the Chargers in the CAF because of the warm start of the Kansas City Chiefs, the rise of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the imminent presence of the New England Patriots and the endless tragedy. which surrounds the Pittsburgh Steelers. The fact is that Los Angeles now leads a series of three consecutive wins and seems able to do more damage in the coming weeks.

"There are so many guys contributing," said Rivers, asked about his team's recent success. "It's not just one side of the ball – it's not a guy – it's not an element, whether it's the pass game or the racing game." C & # 39; is everyone – offensive, defense and special teams.I know it's cliché to say it, but it's so you win. "

Shippers should know this as well as anyone else. It was a trendy choice of the Super Bowl that was entering this season precisely because they had lost in the middle of the campaign last year and had won nine of their last 11 games after starting at 0. at 4. This Chargers team looked strangely like the one that allowed the Browns to face off on Sunday. They smothered their opponent from the start and left no doubt as to who was the best team, while improving their record to 4-2 this season.

The Chargers led 21-6 at half-time and gained 29 points at the end of the third quarter. They were helped by the fact that Mayfield had injured his left ankle after struggling late in the first quarter, but the quarter's health would not have been a decisive factor in this competition. Shippers insisted on making a statement, and that's exactly what they ended up doing.

Outback receiver Keenan Allen said he could feel the attention of his teammates in the locker room before the game. Rivers jokingly said he had dismissed half-goaltender Melvin Gordon on his way to the stadium and told him that Los Angeles could not afford to lose this game. Rivers knew very well how painful it would be to suffer a defeat and spend the next few days practicing in Cleveland before heading to London to face Tennessee next weekend. The last thing the quarterback wanted to do was to add more challenges to an already long trip.

"We had a lot of reasons not to come here and play well today," said Mike Pouncey, Chargers' center. "We traveled halfway around the country to stay in another city, then we traveled the world again to play in London, our football team came here and managed our business from start to finish." We are very proud of ourselves. "

Chargers head coach, Anthony Lynn, added: "Coming from all over the country and playing in a hostile environment, they have performed well today, that's how it has to be. It could have been even better. "

Even if skeptics want to discredit the Chargers' recent opponents – their current winning streak includes victories over the San Francisco 49ers and the Buffalo Bills, who are 3-8 this year – it's impossible to say that Cleveland was a disappointing challenge. The Browns had drawn a draw against the Pittsburgh Steelers in their opening game of the season and their other two defeats ended in a total of six points (New Orleans and Oakland). It was not the same old Browns. It was a young team that was starting to feel good with the opportunity to surpass .500 in one season for the first time since 2014.

The Chargers avoided this situation in large part because they proved to be the most difficult team from the start. Gordon ran for 132 yards in 18 carries and scored three touchdowns. His replacement, Austin Ekeler, added another 60 yards in seven races. In total, Los Angeles ran 36 times for a total of 243 yards, averaging 6.75 yards per race.

It's hard to lose when a team is like that. This type of production sets the tone for the game and demoralizes the opponents invaluable in November and December. As the Browns head coach, Hue Jackson, said after his team fell to 2-3-1: "We did not play very well.On the edges, they were able to to exploit it, we had no defined force, a lot of building sites. "

The chargers are now in an excellent position to do even more damage. After facing Tennessee in London, they will play in Seattle and Oakland before facing Denver and Arizona at home. None of their next five opponents have a winning record. In other words, the chargers could generate as much heat as they did in the middle of last season.

What's even more encouraging is that Los Angeles will start to be healthier. The bruised left foot put Joey Bosa top of the star defense in every game and it was reported that he could come back later this month. The Chargers felt their absence – they only had 11 sacks before the match – but they also did well with Mayfield. They fired him five times, intercepted him twice and reminded him that novice players in this league often suffer humiliating experiences like these.

The best part for the chargers is that they felt like they were playing a complete game. The last time they went on the road – during the second week in Buffalo – they had a 28-6 lead in the first period in a contest that ended with a 31-20 win. . The Chargers have left the competition with a feeling of dissatisfaction, largely because of the failure of the past two quarters. This time, they did not let their opponent breathe again.

The Chargers were so upset that they left the field on Sunday wondering how they could make these outsiders one point in this game. Some even asked how Kansas City had done, unaware that the undefeated Chiefs – who had beaten Los Angeles in the opening game – would not start with the New England Patriots until Sunday night. These comments say a lot about what shippers think of themselves right now. They know exactly what they look like these days, and they look forward to continuing that momentum to the best of their abilities.