The big news in this game was the debut of Joe Burrow for the Cincinnati Bengals. But he wasn’t the only quarterback taking over as Tyrod Taylor started his first game for the Los Angeles Chargers who are turning the page on the Philip Rivers era.
Eventually, they will turn things over to Justin Herbert, the No. 6 overall pick but for now, this is Taylor’s show. And for one week, he has nothing to worry about as he led the Bolts to a narrow victory over the Bengals.
Taylor didn’t wow anyone with his 16-of-30 passing for 208 yards but he just did what he had to do in order to get the win. He was a game manager who kept the offense moving and they took a 16-13 lead late in the fourth quarter. From there, they needed a little luck as Burrow got Cincy down to the three but an offensive pass interference and a missed field goal secured the win.
What was most impressive though was the play of Josh Kelley, the rookie running back. In his first NFL game, Kelley had 60 yards and a touchdown — which came early in the fourth and tied the game up at 13. The Chargers still play in a tough division and have a long way to go but a win is a win.