Chargers’ Effective Pass Rush Leads to Week 9 Victory over Browns

Austin Gage | Contributing Sports Writer

Thanks to a six-sack performance and another efficient passing game, the Chargers dominate the Cleveland Browns to pick up their fifth win of the season.

For the second straight week, the Chargers displayed effective defense and offense in a successful effort to win convincingly, this time defeating the Cleveland Browns on the road by a score of 27-10.

Thanks to a high offensive output in the first half, Los Angeles was able to coast to victory. The only Cleveland touchdown on the day occurred with 44 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter when the game was decided well before.

Although the Chargers did not score on their first possession of the game, a 53-yard punt return by wide receiver Derius Davis put the Bolts in a great position to put the first points of the game on the board. However, a sack on second down of quarterback Justin Herbert forced the Los Angeles offense into a 3rd and 21. Luckily for Herbert and company, a blown coverage on the third down allowed wide receiver Joshua Palmer to be wide open in the right side of the endzone and mark the first points of the contest on a 28-yard touchdown reception. Despite also being sacked six times by the Cleveland defensive front, Herbert produced a quality game, ending with 282 yards through the air on 18 for 27 passing to go along with two touchdowns.

After two punts by each team to follow the Los Angeles scoring drive, the Browns put up their first points of the game off a 38-yard field goal by kicker Dustin Hopkins. The promising drive for Cleveland was abruptly stopped thanks to a third-down sack of Browns quarterback Jameis Winston by Chargers defensive lineman Morgan Fox. The Chargers defensive line was at work Sunday afternoon, as Fox ended the day with 2 sacks, star edge rusher Khalil Mack totaled a sack, and the young edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu finished with 2.5 sacks of his own.

Following the field goal, with the score 7-3 in Los Angeles' favor, the Chargers struck back immediately to take control of the game. On the third play of the ensuing possession, Herbert found former first-round rookie wide receiver Quentin Johnston streaking wide-open down the right sideline for a massive 66-yard touchdown catch and run. In what represented another blown coverage for the Cleveland secondary, the Chargers took a 13-3 lead midway through the second quarter after a PAT miss by the usually reliable Cameron Dicker. Johnston, who has strung together multiple exceptional performances this season so far, would end his day with 4 catches for 118 yards and the score.

Not to let any momentum gained to be lost, the Chargers forced another punt and produced another quick scoring drive to take the air out of the Cleveland crowd for good. Noted by big passing gains from Herbert to wide receivers Johnston for 21 yards and to rookie Ladd McConkey for 19 yards, the touchdown-scoring drive was capped off by a 16-yard run by running back J.K. Dobbins. Dobbins, the free-agent back who was signed from Baltimore in the offseason and has flourished in the Los Angeles offense, had another big day finishing with 14 carries for 85 yards and two rushing touchdowns to pair with 2 receptions for 20 receiving yards.

Despite a failed multi-lateral attempt to score with no time remaining in the second quarter, the Chargers took a commanding 20-3 lead into halftime that they would not let go of for the rest of the game.

The second half consisted of more of the same excellent defense, as the Los Angeles defense picked off Winston three times in the last two quarters. Interceptions by defensive backs Tarheeb Still, Elijah Molden and Alohi Gilman made sure that the Browns would not inch back into the game.

"The defense has been incredible all year long. They are so well-coached and they have so many talented guys on that side of the ball. It's been really fun, and it's on us as an offense to score points and understand that they are going to hold people out and they've done such a great job forcing turnovers too," Herbert said.

Fourth-quarter touchdowns by Dobbins and Cleveland wide receiver Cedric Tillman boosted the game's total points but did not affect the game's outcome. The Chargers would leave Cleveland with a 27-10 win.

"Just so proud of our team, in the way they played today. Great team effort, there'll be a lot of guys to talk about, a lot of guys that shined big time in this game. It was a wonderful feeling of winning, wonderful victory for our side," said head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Looking ahead, the 5-3 Chargers will host the 2-6 Tennessee Titans at Sofi Stadium on November 10th.