2021 Los Angeles Chargers season

2021 Los Angeles Chargers season
Owner	Dean Spanos
Head coach	Brandon Staley
General manager	Tom Telesco
Home field	SoFi Stadium
Results
Record	8–7
Division place	2nd AFC West
Pro Bowlers	6 QB Justin Herbert WR Keenan Allen OT Rashawn Slater C Corey Linsley DE Joey Bosa S Derwin James
Uniform
← 2020 Chargers seasons 2022 →

The 2021 season is the Los Angeles Chargers' 52nd season in the National Football League (NFL), their 62nd overall, their sixth in the Greater Los Angeles Area, their second playing their home games at SoFi Stadium and their first under head coach Brandon Staley. They improved upon their 7–9 season from a year ago. They also attempt to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

Roster changes[]

Free agency[]

Unrestricted[]

Position	Player	2021 team	Date signed	Contract
S	Jahleel Addae	Indianapolis Colts	October 26, 2021[1]	1 year, $154,000
CB	Michael Davis	Los Angeles Chargers	March 17, 2021[2]	3 years, $25.2 million
G	Dan Feeney	New York Jets	March 18, 2021[3]	1 year, $1.5 million
TE	Virgil Green
C	Ryan Groy
TE	Hunter Henry	New England Patriots	March 17, 2021[4]	3 years, $37.5 million
DE	Melvin Ingram	Pittsburgh Steelers	July 20, 2021[5]	1 year, $4 million
FS	Rayshawn Jenkins	Jacksonville Jaguars	March 17, 2021[6]	4 years, $35 million
G	Forrest Lamp	Buffalo Bills	April 7, 2021[7]	1 year
MLB	Denzel Perryman	Carolina Panthers	March 17, 2021[8]	2 years, $6 million
DT	Damion Square	Cleveland Browns	May 4, 2021[9]	1 year
QB	Tyrod Taylor	Houston Texans	March 17, 2021[10]	1 year, $5.5 million
OT	Sam Tevi	Indianapolis Colts	March 22, 2021[11]	1 year, $1.5 million
OLB	Nick Vigil	Minnesota Vikings	March 17, 2021[12]	1 year, $1.35 million
SS	Jaylen Watkins

Restricted[]

Position	Player	2021 team	Date signed	Contract
TE	Stephen Anderson	Los Angeles Chargers	March 22, 2021[13]	1 year, $920 thousand
K	Michael Badgley	Los Angeles Chargers	March 17, 2021[14][15]	1 year, $920 thousand
RB	Kalen Ballage	Pittsburgh Steelers	March 30, 2021	1 year, $920 thousand
MLB	B. J. Bello	Tennessee Titans	April 23, 2021	1 year, $850 thousand
CB	Brandon Facyson	Los Angeles Chargers	March 19, 2021[15]	1 year, $920 thousand
DE	Isaac Rochell	Indianapolis Colts	March 19, 2021[16]	1 year, $2.5 million
C	Cole Toner	Houston Texans	March 19, 2021[17]	1 year, $920 thousand

Exclusive Rights FA[]

Position	Player	2021 team	Date signed	Contract
CB	Tevaughn Campbell	Los Angeles Chargers	March 17, 2021[18]	1 year, $850 thousand
MLB	Cole Christiansen	Los Angeles Chargers
DE	Joe Gaziano	Los Angeles Chargers
P	Ty Long	Los Angeles Chargers	March 17, 2021	1 year, $850 thousand
TE	Matt Sokol	Jacksonville Jaguars

Futures[]

Shortly after the end of their 2020 season, the Chargers signed ten players on their practice squad to reserve/future free agent contracts.^[19]

Position	Player	Date signed
G		January 5, 2021
RB	Darius Bradwell	January 5, 2021
DT	T. J. Smith	January 5, 2021
NT	Breiden Fehoko	January 5, 2021
WR	Jason Moore	January 5, 2021
CB	John Brannon	January 5, 2021
WR	John Hurst	January 5, 2021
G	Ryan Hunter	January 5, 2021
CB		January 5, 2021
P	Lachlan Edwards	January 5, 2021

Signings[]

Position	Player	2020 team	Date signed	Contract
K	Tristan Vizcaino	San Francisco 49ers	March 5, 2021	2 years, $1.485 million
C	Corey Linsley	Green Bay Packers	March 17, 2021[20]	5 years, $62.5 million
G	Matt Feiler	Pittsburgh Steelers	March 17, 2021[21]	3 years, $21 million
TE	Jared Cook	New Orleans Saints	March 18, 2021[22]	1 year, $6 million
G	Oday Aboushi	Detroit Lions	March 20, 2021[23]	1 year, $1.75 million
OLB	Kyler Fackrell	New York Giants	March 24, 2021[24]	1 year, $1.5 million
QB	Chase Daniel	Detroit Lions	March 26, 2021[25]	1 year, $1.075 million
CB	Ryan Smith	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	March 30, 2021[26]	1 year, $1.75 million
CB	Kemon Hall	Dallas Cowboys (PS)	May 5, 2021[27]	2 years, $1.485 million
WR	Austin Proehl	Seattle Dragons (XFL)	May 18, 2021[28]	1 year, $660k
LB			June 18, 2021
TE			June 18, 2021
WR	Michael Bandy		June 18, 2021
DE			June 18, 2021
QB	K. J. Costello	Mississippi State	August 1, 2021

Retirements[]

Position	Player	Date retired
C	Mike Pouncey	February 12, 2021

Releases/waivers[]

Position	Player	2021 team	Date released/waived
G	Trai Turner	Pittsbugh Steelers	March 12, 2021[29]
LB	Malik Jefferson	Indianapolis Colts
CB	Casey Hayward	Las Vegas Raiders	March 13, 2021[30]

Draft[]

2021 Los Angeles Chargers Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	13	Rashawn Slater	OT	Northwestern
2	47	Asante Samuel Jr.	CB	Florida State
3	77	Josh Palmer	WR	Tennessee
	97*	Tre' McKitty	TE	Georgia	Compensatory selection[A]
4	118	Chris Rumph II	OLB	Duke
5	159	Brenden Jaimes	OT	Nebraska
6	185	Nick Niemann	LB	Iowa	from Jacksonville via Tennessee[B]
	198	Larry Rountree III	RB	Missouri
7	241	Mark Webb	S	Georgia

Notes

Undrafted free agents[]

The Chargers signed ten undrafted free agents following the draft.^[33]

2021 Los Angeles Chargers Undrafted Free Agents

Player	Position	College	Notes
Ben DeLuca	S	Charlotte
	DT	Louisville
	OT	Cincinnati
	TE	Oregon
Alex Kessman	K	Pittsburgh
	LS	Georgia Southern
Forrest Merrill	DT	Arkansas State
Amen Ogbongbemiga	LB	Oklahoma State
	OT	San Diego State
	WR	Auburn

Staff[]

Los Angeles Chargers staff

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	Front office Chairman/Owner/president – Dean Spanos Vice chairman – Executive vice president/COO/CFO – CEO/president of business operations – A. G. Spanos General manager – Tom Telesco President of football operations – Executive vice president of football administration/player finance – Director of pro scouting – Senior director of pro personnel – Louis Clark Director of player personnel – Director of college scouting – Head coaches Head coach – Brandon Staley Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Joe Lombardi Passing game coordinator/quarterbacks – Shane Day Running backs – Derrick Foster Wide receivers – Chris Beatty Tight ends – Kevin Koger Run game coordinator/offensive line – Frank Smith Assistant offensive line – Shaun Sarrett Offensive assistant – Dan Shamash Offensive quality control – Chandler Whitmer			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Renaldo Hill Defensive line – Giff Smith Linebackers – Michael Wilhoite Run game coordinator/outside linebackers – Jay Rodgers Secondary – Derrick Ansley Assistant secondary – Tom Donatell Defensive quality control – Issac Shewmacker Alex G Spanos coaching fellow – John Timu Special teams Special teams coordinator – Derius Swinton Assistant special teams – Mayur Chaudhari Strength and conditioning Director of sports performance – Anthony Lomando Head strength and conditioning – Jonathan Brooks → Coaching staff → Management → More NFL staffs
AFC East BUF MIA NE NYJ North BAL CIN CLE PIT South HOU IND JAX TEN West DEN KC LV LAC NFC East DAL NYG PHI WAS North CHI DET GB MIN South ATL CAR NO TB West ARI LAR SF SEA

Current roster[]

Los Angeles Chargers roster

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Quarterbacks 10 Justin Herbert  2 Easton Stick Running backs 30 Austin Ekeler 22 Justin Jackson 27 Joshua Kelley 40 Gabe Nabers FB 35 Larry Rountree III Wide receivers 13 Keenan Allen  5 Josh Palmer Tight ends 82 Stephen Anderson 87 Jared Cook 88 Tre' McKitty

Offensive linemen 71 Matt Feiler G 64 Brenden Jaimes G 74 Storm Norton T 79 Trey Pipkins T 61 Scott Quessenberry C 72 Michael Schofield G 70 Rashawn Slater T Defensive linemen 95 Christian Covington DE 96 Breiden Fehoko DE 92 Joe Gaziano DE 98 Linval Joseph NT 99 Jerry Tillery DE

Linebackers  9 Kenneth Murray ILB 31 Nick Niemann ILB 42 Uchenna Nwosu OLB 57 Amen Ogbongbemiga ILB 49 Drue Tranquill ILB 44 Kyzir White ILB Defensive backs 39 Essang Bassey CB 20 Tevaughn Campbell CB 28 Davontae Harris CB 33 Derwin James SS 26 Asante Samuel Jr. CB Special teams  6 Dustin Hopkins K  1 Ty Long P 54 Matt Overton LS

Reserve lists 76 Oday Aboushi G (IR) 24 Nasir Adderley FS (COVID-19) 97 Joey Bosa OLB (COVID-19) 75 Bryan Bulaga OT (IR)  4 Chase Daniel QB (COVID-19) 43 Michael Davis CB (COVID-19) 52 Kyler Fackrell OLB (IR) 32 Alohi Gilman SS (COVID-19) 15 Jalen Guyton WR (COVID-19) 37 Kemon Hall CB (COVID-19) 25 Chris Harris Jr. CB (COVID-19) 93 Justin Jones DE (COVID-19) 68 Senio Kelemete G (COVID-19) 63 Corey Linsley C (COVID-19) 53 ILB (IR) 36 Trey Marshall SS (COVID-19) 89 Donald Parham TE (IR)  7 Andre Roberts WR (COVID-19) 94 Chris Rumph II OLB (COVID-19) 23 Ryan Smith CB (IR) 29 Mark Webb FS (IR) 81 Mike Williams WR (COVID-19) Practice squad 83 Michael Bandy WR 34 Darius Bradwell RB 90 Andrew Brown DE (COVID-19) 50 Cole Christiansen ILB 46 Ben DeLuca S 51 Emeke Egbule OLB (COVID-19) 80 Maurice Ffrench WR 84 K. J. Hill WR 67 Ryan Hunter G 47 TE 91 Forrest Merrill NT 11 Jason Moore WR 12 Joe Reed WR (Injured) 77 Caraun Reid DE 73 OT 38 Kiondre Thomas CB 16 Tristan Vizcaino K (COVID-19) Rookies in italics Roster updated December 27, 2021 Depth chart Transactions 38 active, 22 inactive, 12 practice squad (+5 exempt) → AFC rosters → NFC rosters

Preseason[]

The Chargers' three preseason opponents and schedule were announced on May 12.

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 14	at Los Angeles Rams	W 13–6	1–0	SoFi Stadium	Recap
2	August 22	San Francisco 49ers	L 10–15	1–1	SoFi Stadium	Recap
3	August 28	at Seattle Seahawks	L 0–27	1–2	Lumen Field	Recap

Regular season[]

Schedule[]

Week	Date	Time (PT)	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	TV	Recap
1	September 12	10:00 a.m.	at Washington Football Team	W 20–16	1–0	FedExField	CBS	Recap
2	September 19	1:25 p.m.	Dallas Cowboys	L 17–20	1–1	SoFi Stadium	CBS	Recap
3	September 26	10:00 a.m.	at Kansas City Chiefs	W 30–24	2–1	Arrowhead Stadium	CBS	Recap
4	October 4	5:15 p.m.	Las Vegas Raiders	W 28–14	3–1	SoFi Stadium	ESPN	Recap
5	October 10	1:05 p.m.	Cleveland Browns	W 47–42	4–1	SoFi Stadium	CBS	Recap
6	October 17	10:00 a.m.	at Baltimore Ravens	L 6–34	4–2	M&T Bank Stadium	CBS	Recap
7	Bye
8	October 31	1:05 p.m.	New England Patriots	L 24–27	4–3	SoFi Stadium	CBS	Recap
9	November 7	1:05 p.m.	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 27–24	5–3	Lincoln Financial Field	CBS	Recap
10	November 14	1:05 p.m.	Minnesota Vikings	L 20–27	5–4	SoFi Stadium	Fox	Recap
11	November 21	5:20 p.m.	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 41–37	6–4	SoFi Stadium	NBC	Recap
12	November 28	1:05 p.m.	at Denver Broncos	L 13–28	6–5	Empower Field at Mile High	CBS	Recap
13	December 5	10:00 a.m.	at Cincinnati Bengals	W 41���22	7–5	Paul Brown Stadium	CBS	Recap
14	December 12	1:05 p.m.	New York Giants	W 37–21	8–5	SoFi Stadium	Fox	Recap
15	December 16	5:20 p.m.	Kansas City Chiefs	L 28–34 (OT)	8–6	SoFi Stadium	Fox/NFLN/ Prime Video	Recap
16	December 26	10:00 a.m.	at Houston Texans	L 29–41	8–7	NRG Stadium	CBS	Recap
17	January 2	1:05 p.m.	Denver Broncos			SoFi Stadium	CBS
18	January 9	1:25 p.m.	at Las Vegas Raiders			Allegiant Stadium	CBS

Notes:

• Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
• All remaining games are subject to change—either due to flexible scheduling or COVID-19 issues.
• Week 18 is subject to being flexed to Saturday, January 8.

Game summaries[]

Week 1: at Washington Football Team[]

Los Angeles scored on their opening drive of the season, facing only one third down as they drove 75 yards for Austin Ekeler's touchdown run. After two field goals for Washington and two for the Chargers, it was 13–6 with 45 seconds to play in the half. Joey Bosa's roughing the passer penalty helped Washington get in range for another field goal as time expired.^[34]

Washington added a touchdown on the opening possession of the second half. Los Angeles responded by driving from their own 25 to a 2nd and goal from the Washington 7, whereupon Justin Herbert was hit by Montez Sweat during his throwing motion. The ball struck the ground near the goal line and was ignored by players from both teams as it rolled through the back of the end zone; however, it was ruled a fumble rather than an incompletion, resulting in a touchback and possession being turned over to Washington.^[35]

Following a missed Washington field goal, the Chargers moved back into the red zone, but Herbert's pass was overthrown and intercepted by William Jackson III at the 4 yard line. On the next play, Kyzir White forced a fumble that Kyler Fackrell recovered. Herbert and Mike Williams combined for the winning touchdown three plays later. After forcing a punt, Los Angeles took over on their own 18 with 6:43 to play, and Washington holding all three timeouts. The Chargers were able to run the clock out from there - Herbert found Keenan Allen for 17 yards on 3rd and 16, and followed up with three further completions to convert third downs, to K. J. Hill, Williams and Allen.^[36]

Overall, the Chargers converted 14 of 19 third down attempts.^[37] The 14 successes were a new club record.^[38]

Week 2: vs. Dallas Cowboys[]

Midway through the game's opening drive, Dallas appeared to have been stopped on a 4th and 1 at their own 48, but White was flagged for pass interference; the Cowboys went on to score a touchdown. Herbert and Dak Prescott were then both intercepted (rookie Asante Samuel claiming his first career interception for the Chargers), before a Tristan Vizcaino field goal and another Dallas touchdown made it 14–3, late in the opening quarter. Herbert appeared to have been intercepted again on the next drive, but Jayron Kearse was ruled to have committed pass interference before making the interception. Later in the drive, Herbert converted both on 3rd and 11 (through a 12-yard pass to Jared Cook) and on 3rd and 13 (through a 27-yard pass to Williams. One play later, Williams scored, and a two point conversion pulled the Chargers within three. A roughing the kicker penalty on a punt prolonged the next Charger drive, but Vizcaino missed a 44-yard kick, striking the right upright with 3 seconds to play in the half. Dallas came close to scoring as time expired, with Derwin James making a tackle at his own 3 yard line.^[39]

On the opening drive of the second half, Herbert converted on 4th and inches with a quarterback sneak, then found Allen for 42 yards on 3rd and 15, setting up a field goal and a 14–14 tie. Donald Parham appeared to have scored a 36-yard go-ahead touchdown the next time Los Angeles had the ball, but it was nullified by offensive holding, called on Cook. Later in the drive, the Chargers reached 3rd and 6 at the 9, but Herbert was intercepted when his intended receiver slipped over in the end zone. Dallas then drove into the red zone, but had to settle for a field goal after a third down sack by Fackrell. On the following drive, Allen's 30-yard catch gave the Chargers a 1st and goal at the 2. Herbert and Cook appeared to have combined for a touchdown on the next play, but it was again nullified by penalty, this time, an illegal shift. They ultimately settled for another game-tying Vizcaino field goal, with 3:54 to play. Dallas twice faced third down conversions in their own territory on the ensuing drive, but Ezekiel Elliott converted both, with a catch and a run. The Cowboys moved into range for a 56-yard field goal, which Greg Zuerlein comfortably converted as time expired.^[40]

It was the Chargers first home game at SoFi Stadium with fans in attendance, though the majority of the capacity crowd were supporting the Cowboys.^[41]

Week 3: at Kansas City Chiefs[]

Kansas City's first three drives all crossed into Charger territory, but each was ended by a turnover - a diving interception by Samuel and two fumble recoveries, both forced by Tevaughn Campbell and recovered by Michael Davis. Los Angeles turned the latter two turnovers into Herbert touchdown passes. The Chiefs responded with a field goal shortly before halftime, then dominated the first eleven minutes of the third quarter with a pair of touchdown drives, either side of a Charger three-and-out.^[42]

Trailing for the first time, Los Angeles drove into opposition territory, and faced a 4th and 8 from the 28 to start the final quarter. Herbert converted this with a 9-yard pass to Allen, and found Williams for a 20-yard touchdown two plays later. The Chiefs responded with a 12-play, 72-yard drive in which they did not face a third down. A 43-yard catch by Williams immediately moved the Chargers back into Kansas City territory, and a pass interference penalty later gave them a 1st and goal at the 1. Two plays later, Herbert passed to Gabe Nabers for an apparent touchdown, but Cook was penalised for an illegal shift, and Los Angeles eventually had to settle for a game-tying field goal with 2:14 to play. Three plays later, Alohi Gilman intercepted a deep Patrick Mahomes pass, giving the Chargers the ball at their own 41. They advanced to a 4th and 4 at the Chief 30 with 48 seconds to play, and again opted to go for it - they were pushed back 5 yards by a false start, but Jalen Guyton then drew a pass interference penalty to keep the drive going. Williams had catches of 16 and 4 yards on the next two plays, the latter for the winning touchdown with 32 seconds to play; Mahomes moved his team to the Charger 49, from where his long pass was knocked down at the goal line as time expired.^[43]

Week 4: vs. Las Vegas Raiders[]

Los Angeles opened the game with a 75-yard touchdown drive, as they had done in Week 1 against Washington. Later in the quarter, they attempted a fake punt from the Raider 41, but Ty Long's pass was broken up by Hunter Renfrow. Las Vegas crossed midfield only once in the first half - they also failed on a fourth down conversion attempt, with White tackling Josh Jacobs well short of the first down marker. The Chargers scored on their final two possessions of the half, with Herbert's second and third touchdown passes of the game. Herbert converted four third downs across the three first half scoring drives, with completions to four different receivers. These were the only third down conversions by the Chargers all night.^[44]

Derek Carr threw a touchdown pass to Renfrow on the first drive of the second half. The Chargers then converted a 4th and 2 from their own 45, but soon had to punt after Herbert was sacked on third down. A 45-yard pass interference penalty on Samuel helped the Raiders drive 81 yards for another Carr touchdown pass, pulling the Raiders within seven points. Carr's 51-yard pass early in the final quarter had the Raiders threatening again, but Christian Covington's third down sack forced a 51-yard field goal, which Daniel Carlson missed wide left. Los Angeles then faced a 4th and 2 from midfield, which they converted with Cook's 13-yard reception - Ekeler scored six plays later, and Derwin James claimed the game's only turnover shortly afterwards, intercepting Carr to effectively clinch the win with 3:22 to play.^[45]

Week 5: vs. Cleveland Browns[]

With the score at 10–7 to Cleveland, Williams got open behind the Browns defense for a 72-yard touchdown. Vizcaino's missed extra point left the score at 13–10. The Browns were stopped on downs on their next possession when Odell Beckham dropped a pass at the Charger 15, but drove back into Los Angeles territory and scored via Kareem Hunt's 3-yard run on 4th and 1. An Ekeler fumble set up a Cleveland field goal as time expired in the half, and they were ahead 27–13 early in the third quarter after Nick Chubb shrugged off two would-be tacklers and completed a 52-yard touchdown run.^[46]

The Chargers risked a 4th and 2 from their own 24 early in the following drive, which Ekeler converted with a 9-yard run. Later in the drive, Allen's 12-yard catch converted a 4th and 7 - Herbert scrambled for a touchdown two plays later. Los Angeles added a two point conversion, and retook the lead early in the fourth quarter when Williams was again left completely open for a long touchdown. Two plays later, David Njoku broke a weak tackle by Nasir Adderley at the Cleveland 45, and sprinted clear to complete a 72-yard touchdown. A two point conversion put Cleveland up 35–28. A controversial pass interference penalty prolonged the next Charger drive, called against A. J. Green for 33 yards as he and Williams contested a Herbert pass thrown on 4th and 4 from the Charger 41. The Chargers also converted a 4th and 8 through Allen's 20-yard catch, and Ekeler scored from the 4 on the next play.^[47]

After Cleveland needed only five plays to retake the lead, Allen's 37-yard catch on 3rd and 5 was the biggest play on the next drive; Ekeler's touchdown catch meant that the team's had combined to score five touchdowns in as many drives. However, Vizcaino's second missed extra point of the game (and fourth of the season) left the Browns still ahead 42–41, with 3:15 to play. The Los Angeles defense forced a three-and-out, and Cook's 29-yard catch immediately moved them into field goal range. Three running plays forced Cleveland to use all of their time outs, and gave the Chargers a 1st and goal at the 3. Ekeler tried to go down at the 1 on the next play, but Cleveland defenders forced him into the end zone, ensuring that the Browns would have one more possession with 1:31 remaining.^[48] After taking over a minute to move the ball 21 yards, Baker Mayfield threw three incompletions from his own 46, the last one going to ground in the end zone to ensure the Chargers' victory.^[46]

Williams set a new career high with 165 receiving yards, surpassing his previous best by 43 yards.^[49] The combined total of 89 points was the fourth-highest for a Chargers' game, and the highest since a 49–41 win over Cincinnati 15 years earlier;^[50] the 41 combined points in the final quarter was a new high for any single quarter involving the Chargers. Los Angeles became the first team to win despite conceding 40+ points and forcing no takeaways.^[51]

Week 6: at Baltimore Ravens[]

The Ravens' opening two drives covered a combined 164 yards and produced fourteen points, while requiring only a single third down conversion between them. Later, Los Angeles turned the ball over on downs at their own 39, setting up a Ravens field goal and a 17–0 lead. White set up the lone Charger touchdown with the first of his two interceptions on the day, but the Ravens responded with a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half, and were not threatened again.^[52]

Baltimore outrushed Los Angeles 187–26, while holding the ball for over 38 minutes.^[53] Vizcaino missed his fifth extra point of the season after the Charger touchdown; he was release on October 26, and replaced with former Washington kicker Dustin Hopkins.^[54]

Week 8: vs. New England Patriots[]

As they had done in Week 1 and Week 4, the Chargers opened the game with a 75-yard touchdown drive - Allen caught a 41-yard pass, and Ekeler converted a 4th and 1 with a 2-yard run before scoring on the next play. New England tied the scores on their own first drive. Early in the 2nd quarter, Justin Jackson swept left on 2nd and 10 from his own 14 and worked his way through a crowd near the line of scrimmage before breaking away from the defense, eventually being caught at the Patriot 11 after a gain of 75 yards. Coming into the game, Jackson had carried the ball only 10 times all season, for 22 yards.^[55] Allen restored the Chargers' lead three plays later. New England drove inside the Los Angeles 10 on their next two possessions: the first time, Mac Jones threw incomplete on 4th and goal from the 1; the second time, they settled for a field goal. Late in the half, Ekeler couldn't hold onto a Herbert pass, with former Charger Adrian Phillips intercepting the deflected ball to set up another field goal, and a 14–13 halftime scoreline.^[56]

The Patriots drove into Charger territory on the opening drive of the second half, but James forced a fumble that Adderley recovered. On their next drive, New England took the lead through Nick Folk's third field goal of the game. Ekeler opened the following drive with a 28-yard run and an 11-yard catch, setting up Dustin Hopkins to make his first field goal try as a Charger and restore the lead. Early in the final quarter, Herbert aimed a short pass at Cook, who had not yet turned back to receive it. The resulting wild throw was intercepted by Phillips and run back for the winning touchdown. After a further Folk field goal, rookie Josh Palmer scored his first career touchdown to pull Los Angeles within three, but another former Charger, Hunter Henry, then recovered an onside kick to ensure a Patriot victory.^[57]

For the Chargers, it was the seventh consecutive loss to New England.^[58] Los Angeles picked up 4 first downs on their opening possession, and 5 on their final possession, but only 8 from nine drives otherwise.^[56]

Week 9: at Philadelphia Eagles[]

Philadelphia punted on their first possession, and pinned Los Angeles at their own 1 yard line. The Chargers responded with a 15-play, 98-yard drive, but came up with no points after Allen was stopped a yard short on 4th and goal from the 2. It was the first 98-yard non-scoring drive in the NFL since 2002.^[59] After holding the Eagles to a three-and-out, Los Angeles started their next possession at the Philadelphia 38. Herbert's first touchdown pass came six plays later. After the Eagles tied the scores, Los Angeles reached a 4th and 2 at the opposition 27; they again went for a conversion, but Joshua Kelley was stopped a yard short with 7:25 to play in the half. A Philadelphia field goal drive ran all but 21 seconds off the clock, and the Eagles were 10–7 up at halftime.^[60]

Los Angeles tied the game with a field goal on the opening drive of the 3rd quarter, then forced a three-and-out. The game's next four drives all produced touchdowns. Firstly, Herbert connected with Williams on a deep pass, covering 49 yards; three plays later, Parham stiff-armed a defender and scored on 3rd and 1 from the 8. On the following drive, Jalen Hurts scrambled for 12 yards on 3rd and 8, setting up an answering touchdown two plays later. Herbert then converted one third down with a completion to Allen and another with a quarterback sneak, before scrambling into the end zone two plays later. Hurts converted two more third downs with his legs on the next drive, before throwing the game-tying touchdown with 6:07 to play. Los Angeles forced the Eagles to call all their timeouts, and used up all but 2 seconds of the clock with their response, which featured two fourth down conversions: Ekeler's 2-yard run up the middle on 4th and 1 from the Philadelphia 39, and Herbert's 1-yard sneak on 4th and 1 from the Philadelphia 28. Two plays after the second of these, Ekeler's 16-yard run made Hopkins' game-winning field goal a much shorter 29-yarder, which he converted without difficulty.^[61]

Los Angeles attempted no punts for the ninth time in their history, and the second time in 2021, after the Week 2 game with Dallas.^[62] Herbert set a club record for highest completion percentage in a game while completing at least 30 passes, with 84.21%.^[63]

Week 10: vs. Minnesota Vikings[]

After Justin Jones ended a Vikings threat with a fumble recovery at his own 29, Minnesota managed to take the lead with a field goal on their next drive. Los Angeles tied the scores, then made a goal line stand, aided when a holding penalty wiped out a Kirk Cousins touchdown pass. The Vikings settled for a field goal, but were presented with another chance when Herbert was intercepted by Eric Kendricks, and took full advantage with the game's first touchdown. Los Angeles responded, with Allen drawing a 28-yard pass interference penalty up the left sideline and Larry Rountree III scoring his first career touchdown, cutting the halftime deficit to 13–10.^[64]

The Chargers took the lead after receiving the second half kickoff, Herbert converting two third downs en route to a touchdown, but Minnesota later scored touchdowns on consecutive possessions to take control. The first of these came on 4th and goal, when Cousins was able to loop a high pass into the end zone under heavy pressure; the second was set up by three third down conversions. After Los Angeles pulled back within seven points, Minnesota reached a 4th and 2 from the Charger 36, with 2:32 to play. They went for the first down, and got it through Dalvin Cook's 4-yard run. The Chargers having used all their timeouts, three quarterback kneels by Cousins were enough to run the clock out.^[64]

As had been the case with their previous two defeats, Los Angeles possessed the ball for less than 25 minutes, with a total of 23:45.^[65]

Week 11: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers[]

Shortly after the Steelers scored three points on the game's opening drive, Herbert converted a 3rd and 14 with a 22-yard completion to Williams. The Chargers converted two further third downs en route to Ekeler's first touchdown. Pittsburgh appeared poised to respond on their next drive, as they drove from their own 25 to a 1st and goal at the Los Angeles 5. After three plays gained three yards, the Steelers went for the touchdown on 4th and goal from the 2, but Pat Freiermuth was tackled by Derwin James and Joe Gaziano immediately after receiving the ball, for no gain. Los Angeles then drove 98 for another touchdown. Herbert converted the drive's lone third down with the first of a pair of 18-yard scrambles before passing to Ekeler for an 11-point lead. After Pittsburgh answered with a touchdown, the Chargers drove inside the 10 yard line on their final possession of the half, but had to settle for a Hopkins field goal and a 17–10 halftime lead.^[66]

Los Angeles faced a 3rd and 13 on the opening drive of the second half, but Herbert found Allen downfield for a 30-yard gain. Three plays later, Ekeler took a short pass in the right flat and side-stepped two defenders on his way to another touchdown. After the Steelers went three-and-out (their only punt of the game), Herbert scrambled for 13 yards on 3rd and 5 to move the Chargers into field goal range. Soon afterwards, he appeared to have brought up a 1st and goal with a 15-yard run, but a holding penalty on Corey Linsley negated the gain, ultimately forcing a field goal try. Hopkins was wide left from 46 yards out, but a Steelers penalty gave him another chance from five yards closer, which he converted. The Chargers led 27–10 through three quarters, having scored on all five of their offensive drives.^[66]

Pittsburgh pulled three points back early in the final quarter, then Ty Long's lone punt attempt of the game was blocked to set the Steelers up at the Charger 3. Three plays lost two yards, and Ben Roethlisberger's fourth down pass was then deflected and intercepted by Adderley. However, Campbell was flagged for pass interference, negating the turnover - Pittsburgh scored on the next play. Los Angeles responded by moving to a 3rd and 5 from the Steelers' 47, from where Herbert again scrambled for a long gain, starting along the left sideline before cutting back inside and gaining 36 yards before being caught by Pittsburgh lineman Cameron Heyward. Hayward appeared to punch Herbert after the play, drawing a penalty and moving the ball to the 5, from where Ekeler scored his fourth touchdown on the next play.^[67]

Uchenna Nwosu sacked Roethlisberger on the next play from scrimmage, forcing a fumble the Pittsburgh quarterback recovered himself. Roethlisberger then passed on eight consecutive plays, completing seven of them, the last for the touchdown that pulled his team back within seven points, with five minutes remaining. Two plays later, Herbert's pass deflected high in the air after striking Heyward's helmet, and Cameron Sutton made a diving interception at the Charger 11. Two plays later, Roethlisberger threw his second touchdown pass in 26 seconds to tie the scores. Los Angeles soon reached a 4th and 1 at their own 34. They opted to go for it, but Ekeler was stuffed for no gain, setting up a Pittsburgh field goal - the Steelers had scored 17 points in 85 seconds, and led 37–34. Herbert, however, responded with the game-winning touchdown three plays later, finding Williams wide open along the left sideline for a 53-yard touchdown with barely two minutes to play. Fackrell and Bosa produced back to back sacks on the first two plays of the Steelers' response, and two incompletions then caused a turnover on downs.^[68]

Herbert's figures of 9 rushes for 90 yards included three kneel-downs for minus three yards to end the game. His rushing total was the highest in NFL history was a quarterback who passed for at least 350 yards.^[69] Ekeler was the eleventh Charger to score four touchdowns in a game, and the first since Danny Woodhead in 2015.^[70] He was also the 13th NFL player to score multiple rushing and receiving touchdowns in a game.^[71] The Chargers won despite conceding their most 4th quarter points in a game since 1963.^[72]

Week 12: at Denver Broncos[]

The Chargers travelled to Denver, Colorado in what was head coach Brandon Staley's return to Denver, two years after leaving. Staley served as outside linebackers coach of the Broncos under head coach Vic Fangio during the 2019 season.^[73]

Denver were forced to punt on their first possessions, but successfully downed the punt at the Chargers' 1 yard line. After Los Angeles went three-and-out, the Broncos had to drive only 50 yards to take the lead. After the Chargers again went three-and-out, James appeared to have created a turnover by forcing a Teddy Bridgewater fumble, but the play was ruled an incomplete pass upon review. Bridgewater was knocked out of the game, until the 3rd quarter, and his replacement, Drew Lock, fumble on his second play while being sacked by Bosa. The ball went forwards, and was recovered by Denver to convert a 3rd and 3. The Broncos eventually scored on the drive, going ahead 14–0 with Los Angeles still yet to register a first down; the Chargers did mange to move the ball on their next possession, but the drive ended when Herbert's pass was broken up on 4th and 3 from the Denver 35. Late in the half , James intercepted a Lock pass and returned it 5 yards to the Denver 47. Allen had back to back catches of 18 and 14 yards on the ensuing drive, which ended with Ekeler taking a short pass over the middle and scoring to cut the halftime deficit to 14–7.^[74]

Los Angeles held the ball for all but 75 seconds of the 3rd quarter, but failed to convert that advantage into any points. Firstly, a seven-minute drive ended with Herbert being sacked on 3rd and 6 from the Denver 27, and Hopkins missing a 52-yard field goal. After quickly forcing a Denver punt, they reached a 4th and 4 at the Bronco 34, which they converted with Jalen Guyton's 15-yard catch and run. On the first play of the final quarter, Ekeler's 12-yard catch on 3rd and 9 was negated when Linsley was ruled an ineligible receiver downfield; on 3rd and 14, Herbert's end zone pass was intercepted by Patrick Surtain II. The Broncos then converted three third downs before doubling their lead with nine minutes to play. The Chargers reached a 1st and 10 at the Denver 37, from where Ekeler tipped a pass thrown slightly behind him - Surtain intercepted the deflected ball, and returned it 70 yards for the clinching touchdown.^[74]

Week 13: at Cincinnati Bengals[]

Andre Roberts gave the Chargers a good start when he returned the opening kickoff 48 yards to his own 45. Herbert then converted a 3rd and 9 with a 10-yard pass to Allen, and found Williams for 41 yards two plays later, bringing up a first and goal at the 4. After three plays netted no yards, the Chargers went for the touchdown on fourth down - Herbert connected with Allen in the front of the end zone, putting Los Angeles ahead to stay. Five plays later, Nwosu knocked the ball from Joe Burrow's grasp, making the recovery himself at the Bengal 29 and setting up a Hopkins field goal. On the next Bengals possession, Michael Davis appeared to have been beaten along the right sideline by Ja'Marr Chase, but Chase bobbled the potential touchdown catch, allowing Davis to catch up and make a one-handed interception. On the next play, Herbert found Williams 47 yards downfield for another long catch; Allen's second touchdown catch came four plays later. Five minutes into the 2nd quarter, Los Angeles scored again, Guyton beating Jessie Bates to a ball in the end zone for a 44-yard touchdown. The Chargers then used a version of the Philly Special on a two-point conversion try, Allen passing to Herbert for a 24–0 lead.^[75]

Cincinnati began their comeback with a touchdown on the next drive. In their response, the Chargers reached a 3rd and 8 from the Bengal 43. Ekeler then fumbled at the end of a 7-yard catch-and-run, with Bates recovering and returning the ball 46 yards before Herbert made a touchdown-saving tackle. The Bengals then had only 19 yards to drive for their second score of the game. Los Angeles again crossed midfield on their next possession, but Herbert was sacked on consecutive plays, bringing up a 3rd and 25 at the Los Angeles 36. Herbert attempted a deep pass, which Palmer came close to catching before Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie knocked the ball loose and intercepted it at his own 12. The score remained 24–13 at halftime.^[75]

The Bengals continued to draw closer in the 3rd quarter, receiving the second half kickoff and adding a field goal. Ekeler lost another soon afterwards, this time at his own 32, and Joe Mixon scored five plays later. The Bengals tried to tie the game with a two point conversion, but a group of Chargers stopped Mixon a yard short of the end zone, preserving the lead at 24–22. Early in the final quarter, Cincinnati reached a 2nd and 2 from the 34 of Los Angeles. Christian Covington then knocked the ball from Mixon's grasp - it ran into the path of Campbell, who recovered and had a clear run to the end zone for the Chargers' first defensive touchdown of the season.^[76] Drue Tranquill's third down sack of Burrow forced a Bengals punt, and Guyton's 33-yard catch soon brought Los Angeles to the 1. Ekeler scored a play later. The best Bengals chance after that ended with eight minute to play when Chris Harris intercepted Burrow in the end zone.^[75]

This was the first meeting of the quarterbacks selected first and sixth in the 2020 NFL Draft.^[77] Both passed for 300 yards or more, and both sustained a season-high number of sacks (six on Burrow, four on Herbert).^[78] By preventing the Bengals from completing their comeback, the Chargers avoided tying a club record for biggest blown lead. They had previously lost 24–0 leads in 1982 and 2012.^[79]

Week 14: vs. New York Giants[]

Los Angeles punted on their first possession, but didn't face a third down the next time they had the ball, and drove for Ekeler's opening touchdown. New York tied the score two plays after tight end Kyle Rudolph got open for a 60-yard catch-and-run, but the Chargers soon regained the lead via Josh Palmer's 10-yard touchdown catch on 3rd and 8. Palmer saw increased playing time after Allen was ruled out due to a positive test for COVID-19.^[80] The Chargers reached a 4th and 1 at the New York 5 on their next drive. They went for the first down, and Herbert appeared to have been stopped short on a quarterback sneak. However, a pre-snap false start penalty on Chargers' guard Matt Feiler negated the play, enabling Hopkins to kick a field goal and increase the lead to ten points.^[81]

Late in the half, the defense forced a punt which went only 18 yards to the Charger 25. Working with 40 seconds and two timeouts, Los Angeles reached a 3rd and 11 at their own 41. From there, Herbert rolled right under pressure before throwing a pass that travelled over 63 yards through the air and was caught by Guyton as he crossed the New York goal line. It was the longest completion in the NFL by air yards up to that point in the season.^[82]

Up 24–7 at the break, the Chargers scored on their first three possessions of the second half and extended their lead to 30 points with under ten minutes to play. Overall, they had scored four touchdowns and three field goals over a span of eight possessions. New York, who had produced no drives of over 20 yards in either the 2nd or 3rd quarters, were then able to produce two touchdown drives. After the second of these, Parham mishandled an onside kick attempt and the Giants recovered, preserving a small chance of a comeback. New York drove to the Charger 26 before rookie linebacker Nick Niemann sealed the win with his first career interception.^[83][81]

Week 15: vs. Kansas City Chiefs[]

First place in the AFC West was at stake in this game, as the 8–5 Chargers could overtake the 9–4 Chiefs on tiebreakers with a win. Andre Roberts returned the opening kickoff 75 yards - he had a chance to score, but slipped and was tackled at the Kansas City 24. From there, Los Angeles moved to the 5 yard line, from where Herbert threw four incompletions to turn the ball over on downs. Parham almost made a diving catch for the last of these, but lost the ball as he struck the ground; he suffered a serious head injury from the impact, and was taken to Harbor–UCLA Medical Center, where his condition was later announced as stable.^[84]

When the game resumed, Patrick Mahomes completed six passes out of seven while leading a 95-yard touchdown drive. A Herbert pass was tipped and intercepted on the next drive, and Kansas City drove to a 3rd and 7 the Los Angeles 11, before Mahomes threw incomplete under pressure from Nwosu, and Butker added three points with a field goal. The Chargers scored on their next two drives to take the lead, either side of a Kansas City three-and-out. On the first of these drives, Herbert converted a 3rd and 2 with a 15-yard pass to Allen, and scored himself two plays later; on the second, he converted a 4th and 1 with a 2-yard sneak, and finished the drive with a touchdown pass to Guyton. On the first play after the two-minute warning, Bosa contacted Mahomes' throwing arm, causing a fumble that Tranquill recovered at the Kansas City 45. A 27-yard catch by Williams helped the Chargers reach 4th and goal at the 1 with 3 seconds remaining in the half. They opted to go for the touchdown, but Herbert's pass was knocked down by Daniel Sorensen, and the score remained at 14–10.^[85]

After a Kansas City field goal reduced their deficit to a single point, Herbert threw incomplete on 4th down for a third time, this time giving the Chiefs the ball at their own 28. Kansas City drove to a 4th and inches from the Charger 1 yard line; they too went for the touchdown, but Mahomes threw well short of an open receiver. Los Angeles then produced a 97-yard drive: Justin Jackson had a 22-yard run and Allen a 29-yard reception, and Joshua Kelley converted a 4th and 1 with a 7-yard carry. However, Kelley fumbled on 3rd and goal from the 1, and the Chiefs recovered at their own 2 yard line.^[85]

Los Angeles soon got another chance, as Nwosu tipped a Mahomes pass in the air and made the interception himself at the 2. Ekeler scored on the next play, beginning a sequence of four consecutive touchdown drives. Travis Kelce was open for a 69-yard catch-and-run to the Charger 1 - the Chiefs scored two plays later, and tied the score with a two-point conversion. Allen's 8-yard touchdown on 3rd and 6 restored the lead with 2:19 to play, but Mahomes ran for 33 yards and passed for 42 as the Chiefs took barely a minute to tie the score again. Los Angeles reached their own 44-yard line, but punted for the only time in the game after three Herbert incompletions. The game went to overtime, where Kansas City won the coin toss and needed only five plays to win. Kelce had receptions of 27 and 34 yards, the latter for the winning touchdown.^[85]

With 410 yards, Mahomes was the first opponent to pass for 400+ yards against the Chargers since Michael Vick for the Eagles, eight years previously;^[86] Kelce's 191 receiving yards were the most since DeSean Jackson in the same game.^[87] Los Angeles did manage a season-high 192 rushing yards.^[76]

Week 16: at Houston Texans[]

Los Angeles were hit by an outbreak of COVID-19 in the leadup to the game, with Pro Bowlers Bosa, Linsley and Ekeler among numerous potential starters ruled out.^[88] The remaining Chargers scored on their first three drives to lead 12–7 early in the 2nd quarter. After Houston pulled three points back with a field goal, Los Angeles moved to a 1st and 10 at the Texan 39, from where Herbert's long pass was intercepted at the goal line. Houston faced a 2nd and 14 at their own 2 shortly afterwards, but a holding penalty on Linval Joseph gave them a first down. The Texans' rookie quarterback had completions of 36 and 41 yards in the next five plays, the latter for the touchdown that put Houston ahead to stay.^[89]

The Chargers possessed the ball for barely eleven minutes in the second half. Houston responded to Hopkins' third field goal with a 7-minute touchdown drive, and Justin Jackson lost a fumble only two plays later, leading to a Texans field goal and 27–15 scoreline. On the next drive, Jackson caught three passes for 37 yards, and rushed twice for 16 yards and a touchdown, but Houston then put the game away with Mills' second touchdown pass.^[89]

Jackson, who saw increased playing time in Ekeler's absence, gained 162 yards while leading the team in both rushing and receiving; he also scored two touchdowns, his first for three years.^[90]

Week 17: vs. Denver Broncos[]

Standings[]

Division[]

AFC West
view talk	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
y – Kansas City Chiefs	11	4	0	.733	4–1	6–4	421	306	W8
Los Angeles Chargers	8	7	0	.533	2–2	5–5	408	411	L2
Las Vegas Raiders	8	7	0	.533	2–3	6–4	316	387	W2
Denver Broncos	7	8	0	.467	1–3	3–7	298	260	L2

Conference[]

AFC v t
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1	y – Kansas City Chiefs	West	11	4	0	.733	4–1	6–4	.540	.524	W8
2	Tennessee Titans	South	10	5	0	.667	4–1	6–4	.478	.487	W1
3[a]	Cincinnati Bengals	North	9	6	0	.600	4–1	7–3	.451	.426	W2
4[a][b]	Buffalo Bills	East	9	6	0	.600	4–1	6–5	.491	.459	W2
Wild cards
5[c]	Indianapolis Colts	South	9	6	0	.600	3–2	7–3	.502	.430	W3
6[b][c]	New England Patriots	East	9	6	0	.600	3–2	7–3	.502	.430	L2
7[d][e]	Miami Dolphins	East	8	7	0	.533	3–2	5–5	.444	.375	W7
In the hunt
8[d][f]	Baltimore Ravens	North	8	7	0	.533	1–4	5–6	.520	.471	L4
9[d][e][f][g]	Los Angeles Chargers	West	8	7	0	.533	2–2	5–5	.522	.504	L2
10[g]	Las Vegas Raiders	West	8	7	0	.533	2–3	6–4	.522	.529	W2
11	Pittsburgh Steelers	North	7	7	1	.500	2–2	5–5	.522	.486	L1
12[h]	Cleveland Browns	North	7	8	0	.467	2–2	4–6	.516	.405	L2
13[h]	Denver Broncos	West	7	8	0	.467	1–3	3–7	.462	.357	L2
Eliminated from postseason contention
14[i]	New York Jets	East	4	11	0	.267	0–5	4–7	.493	.417	W1
15[i]	Houston Texans	South	4	11	0	.267	3–2	4–7	.480	.367	W2
16	Jacksonville Jaguars	South	2	13	0	.133	0–5	2–8	.511	.567	L7
Tiebreakers[j]
^ a b Cincinnati wins tiebreaker over Buffalo based on conference record. ^ a b Buffalo wins tiebreaker over New England based on division record. ^ a b Indianapolis wins tiebreaker over New England based on head-to-head victory. ^ a b c Miami wins tiebreaker over Baltimore based on conference record. ^ a b Miami wins tiebreaker over LA Chargers based on record vs. common opponents. Division tiebreaker initially used to eliminated las Vegas (see below). ^ a b Baltimore wins tiebreaker over LA Chargers based on head-to-head victory. Division tiebreaker initially used to eliminate Las Vegas (see below). ^ a b LA Chargers wins tiebreaker over Las Vegas based on head-to-head victory. ^ a b Cleveland wins tiebreaker over Denver based on head-to-head victory. ^ a b NY Jets wins tiebreaker over Houston based on head-to-head victory. ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.
Legend
w — Clinched wild card
x — Clinched playoff berth
y — Clinched division
z — Clinched first-round bye and home-field advantage

References[]

External links[]

• Official website