Chargers’ defense finds its groove with two straight wins
More Teams. More Games.
Keenan Allen explains what it means to become the second Chargers player to reach 10,000 receiving yards. (1:17)
LOS ANGELES — Receiver Keenan Allen stopped a group of reporters gathering around his locker after the Los Angeles Chargers’ 27-6 trouncing of the New York Jets on Monday night.
“Hold on, y’all know I gotta put on my mask,” he said.
The 31-year-old adjusted the blue scruffy mask for about 30 seconds, and now only his eyes were showing.
On a night when the offense had its worst game of the season — 191 total yards against a stingy Jets defense — Allen was one of the few bright spots. He secured eight catches for 77 yards, which included a leaping, twisting grab that put him over 10,000 yards for his career, becoming the first Chargers receiver to reach the milestone.
The win was the Chargers’ second straight in blowout fashion, and Allen’s mask was a part of a statement.
“We got a little different swag going on,” Allen said. “… Mask on, you know? Walk in yo’ trap, take over yo’ trap.”
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Allen was quoting the lyrics of the Bankroll Fresh song “Take Over Your Trap” that the Chargers blared and danced to in the locker room after the win. He used the phrase as an analogy for how the Chargers beat the Jets in their stadium, and in turn, took it over. By the end of the fourth quarter, the Chargers’ backups were in the game and MetLife Stadium had emptied of Jets fans. It was a sea of powder blue as Chargers fans walked to the lower levels.
Safety Derwin James used the same phrase as Allen, adding, “We took over MetLife,” on linebacker Daiyan Henley’s Instagram live after watching a video of Chargers players giving fans high fives.
It was a different than any of the Chargers’ other victories this season. Justin Herbert threw for 136 yards, a career low, and the Jets defense sacked him five times.
But a punt return from receiver Derius Davis, eight sacks from the defensive line — led by Joey Bosa, who had 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble — fueled the win.
“The energy that was in here, you know, we put so much into every single week, and to come and get a win, especially on Monday night, is a special feeling,” running back Austin Ekeler said of the locker room party. “And it’s a good vibe as a team to come together and get a win, and that energy carried over from the field to the locker room.”
The win moved the Chargers to .500 for the second time this season, giving them arguably their best win of the season over a team that had given the Philadelphia Eagles their only loss and beaten Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
For a defense that has been maligned this year, it was the second game in a row in which it held the opposition under 13 points. The two-game stretch has felt like a paradigm shift, Davis said.
“Finally, we kind of believe in each other,” he said.
Davis says that shift started ahead of the Week 6 Kansas City Chiefs game, when the mood around the defensive back group dinners, which take place every Friday, changed from feeling as if players were forced to be there to being eager to be together. The results didn’t show against Kansas City. Patrick Mahomes threw for 321 yards in the first half, the most in a half in his career, and the Chiefs won 31-17.
But the results have been apparent since, as the Chargers held the Jets to their lowest scoring output of the season on Monday and the Bears to their second-lowest last week in a 30-13 win.
“We just told ourselves it’s time for us to play our ball,” Davis said. “For the first few weeks, we were playing our opponent’s ball. Trying to see what they’re gonna do. Instead of us focusing on ourselves and playing our game.”
While that shift in focus might be true, the reality for this defense is that they beat up on two of the league’s worst offenses. Both rank in the bottom ten in the league in multiple categories and are led by two quarterbacks, Tyson Bagent of the Bears and Zach Wilson in New York, who are playing in place of injured starters.
With the Detroit Lions next Sunday, who boast an offense that ranks sixth in the NFL in passing (259.3) and rushing yards per game (131.4), the Chargers defense will have a chance to shut down one of the league’s top offenses. Los Angeles can put together its first three-game winning streak this season — and spark more locker room celebrations.
“It’s going to be a big opportunity for us,” linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu said. “We had two great games defensively, and I think this is a great challenge for us to go out there and prove that it’s not a fluke.”