Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) will test the Chargers’ defense.
(Brett Carlsen / Associated Press)
The Chargers’ six wins all have come against teams with records of .500 or less. They had no trouble shutting down offenses led by rookie quarterbacks still adjusting to the NFL or journeyman veterans. Many still look at the NFL’s top-ranked scoring defense with a skeptical eye.
What will they do against good offenses?
The Chargers soon get a chance to answer the naysayers. A critical five-game stretch against the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers likely could decide their playoff fate. Three of the next four games are in prime-time slots, starting with next Sunday’s matchup that was so enticing that the NFL flexed it into the “Sunday Night Football” window.
Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Kirk Cousins, Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield are next.
Khalil Mack can’t wait.
“November is the football you remember,” the outside linebacker said, emphasizing the type of quarterbacks the Chargers will be facing soon. “Those games just show you who you are, competitively, especially from a mental standpoint. … Just making sure we’re clicking on all cylinders is gonna be a challenge.
“And,” Mack added, “I love challenges.”
The Chargers are allowing 13.1 points per game, still the best in the league. With a cornerback rotation that’s stripped to a pair of rookies in the starting rotation, however, they gave up a 41-yard touchdown pass from Will Levis to Calvin Ridley on the Titans’ opening drive Sunday. It was the first time an opponent has scored on the first possession against the Chargers.
The Titans (2-7) could have matched a season-high in points by a Chargers opponent if not for a missed field goal that was pushed back out of the red zone because of an offensive face mask penalty. They averaged 6.3 yards per carry, a season-best for the Titans and the highest average allowed by the Chargers this season.
Although the wins are piling up, the Chargers aren’t content with their performances.
“There are going to be some things that we got to work on and see why we made our mistakes, and continue to progress each and every day,” outside linebacker Bud Dupree said. “We look towards the mirror and know what we want to be capable of.”
