Las Vegas Raiders: Recapping the AFC West in Week 2 of the 2021 NFL season
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers became the first team in the AFC West to lose a game this season, as they fell to the visiting Dallas Cowboys 20-17 on a last-second field goal by Greg Zuerlein. Justin Herbert had a decent day at quarterback today, throwing for 338 yards and a touchdown, but coupled that along with two interceptions.
This was an ugly, low-scoring affair filled with penalty flags, with the Cowboys eventually winning out due to a questionable call on the final possession for the Chargers. Herbert was pressured for a lot of the game, even though the Cowboys’ best pass rusher Demarcus Lawrence was out due to a broken foot he suffered in practice earlier this week.
Dallas had rookie Micah Parsons filling in on the line for this game, and he was the player who had Herbert wrapped up 18 yards down the field when Herbert threw it away thinking it was going to be an incomplete pass. However, the referees actually blew the play dead, resulting in an 18-yard loss for the Chargers, taking them away from the end zone and needing to make a field goal.
They got the field goal, but the defense could not stop Dallas, and the Cowboys went on to win. For all the talk of the Chargers’ fearsome defense, the Cowboys ran the ball straight down their throats.
Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott both had a touchdown in this game, with Pollard rushing for 109 yards on 13 carries, and Elliot finished with 71 on 16 carries. For the Chargers, Austin Ekeler, Mike Williams, and Keenan Allen all had great offensive games, with Ekeler getting 100 + total scrimmage yards, Keenan Allen getting over 100 yards on only four receptions, and Mike Williams with 91 yards receiving and a diving touchdown.
The Chargers travel to Arrowhead to take on the Kansas City Chiefs next week.