Every week, two articles will be published highlighting reasons why the Los Angeles Chargers will either win or lose their game. Up next, the Bills…
Week 1 didn’t go as planned for the Los Angeles Chargers, but there was enough shown against a tough rival to warrant further optimism moving forward.
In the second week of the 2018 season, the Bolts look to take on a team reeling from a crushing defeat in their season opener. Will the Chargers have enough to beat the Bills?
Here’s three reasons why will not just win, but torch Buffalo in Week 2.
Josh Allen
To be fair, the Chargers did just play a quarterback with only one half of a regular season start, and he throttled the defense. The gap between Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, however, is currently vast. One had an entire year to learn under Alex Smith and Andy Reid, and has at least three or four Pro-Bowl players on offense around him. The other is in his first season as a pro, on the Bills, with no one exceptional to throw to.
It’s going to be a long day for Allen.
It’s hard to judge a first-year quarterback thrown into a game behind 40-0, but Allen’s stats weren’t anything that would fill the Chargers with fear: 6-of-15, 74 yards, three sacks taken, 33.9 QBR. The defense is going to respond positively to their Week 1 loss, and although I do not predict the interception party from last year’s 54-24 annihilation of the Bills, I do expect more turnovers from Allen in an opposite-of-dynamic offense.
The Bills stink
Where do I begin?
- No first downs in the first half in Week 1
- 70 total passing yards
- 83 total rushing yards
- 47 points allowed
- Three points scored
This team, after 60 minutes of football, has been declared the worst team in the NFL by a mile. Their best playmaker, LeSean McCoy, had 21 total yards in Week 1. Nothing worked for this team, and they’re a mess. That’s all I have to say about that.
Philip Rivers is in midseason form
For a bit of perspective, here are two games from Philip Rivers over the past year:
- Game A: 66.67 completion percentage, 424 yards three touchdowns, one interception
- Game B: 81.18 completion percentage, 434 yards, three touchdowns
Game A is his performance against the Chiefs last week, and six of his incompletions were dropped passes by wide receivers. Count those as catches, and Rivers was on target for 78.43 percent of his throws.
Game B, on the other hand, is his 2017 dismantling of the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. For as elite as he was back in November, he was almost as efficient and sound in Week 1 against the team he frequently plays the worst against. That’s some kind of perspective, and it’s a little scary.
Aside from an odd throw that caused an interception, there’s not much negative you could say about Rivers’ opener. Those that don’t think he’s “clutch” need to look no further than when he drove his offense to two fourth-quarter touchdowns and put the team in a position to kick a field goal to bring the Chargers within seven. Elusiveness in the pocket? Only one sack, a testament to not only how much better the line got in front of him but also how well he moved around. He’ll be just fine this year.
Bottom line, the Chargers are more talented and better coached than the Bills. Fans should expect their team to play well on both sides of the ball, and pull out an easy victory on the road. Prediction: 30-17, Chargers.