The Chargers secured their first victory of the season against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
They did it behind the arm of their quarterback, ability of their top receiver, and their red zone defense.
Here are their grades:
Quarterback: A+
Justin Herbert had seven incompletions throwing 47 times. He read what Minnesota’s defense was doing and adjusted. He threw for 405 yards and a touchdown.
Running back: D
Joshua Kelley and Isaiah Spiller combined for 13 carries for 19 yards. It wasn’t a good day for the backs. They did well at times with their pass blocking, much improved from last year.
Receivers: A+
Keenan Allen had a record breaking day catching 18 passes for 215 yards. Mike Williams added seven catches for 121 yards and a touchdown with Josh Palmer catching four passes for 66 yards and a touchdown.
Tight ends: B
Gerald Everett had six catches for 30 yards while Donald Parham had two touchdown catches.
Offensive line: B+
Herbert was sacked only once. The only reason why it isn’t an A was the rushing stats, but a solid day for the line.
Defensive line: C
They allowed Alexander Mattison to rush for 93 yards after coming off of having 62 in two games. They did get pressure on Kirk Cousins with Sebastian Joseph-Day and Morgan Fox coming away with sacks.
Edge rushers: B
Tuli Tuipuloti is a legit player.
Linebackers: C+
They also had a hand in the Mattison break out game. Kenneth Murray did have a better game and had the game clinching interception.
Cornerback: MI
For Much improved. There was no cornerback rotation. Asante Samuel Jr. had some good defended passes. It wasn’t perfect by any means but it was better than in weeks past.
Safety: B-
J.T. Woods had a missed tackle on Justin Jefferson’s touchdown. Alohi Gilman should have been credited with two force fumbles.
Coaching: C
Defense still has some issues. Fourth down play call should have been better. Offense was explosive all game long.
Next opportunity: A-
The Raiders just lost to the Steelers and their defense has no takeaways. It will be tough without Mike Williams but they have a good chance to go 2-2 into the bye week.
