Go beyond the scoreboard
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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — On a night when the Chargers had only two plays from scrimmage gain as many as 20 yards, a punt return was their most explosive moment.
Rookie Derius Davis went 87 yards for the game’s first points Monday not even two minutes into their 27-6 victory over the New York Jets.
“Watching him make guys miss and run around makes me wish I was 170 pounds and quick like that,” edge rusher Joey Bosa joked afterward. “He’s a beast.”
Davis, a fourth-round pick out of TCU, is listed at 5-foot-8, 165 pounds. But for one moment, he was the largest player on the field.
The touchdown was Davis’ first in the NFL and came after both offenses had opened with three-and-outs in a game dictated by defense. Coach Brandon Staley called the return “electric.”
The Chargers held the New York Jets to a pair of field goals, had eight sacks and evened their record at 4-4 with a 27-6 road victory.
“He’s got the stuff that’s hard to find,” Staley said. “He’s the one that deserves the credit because he found the crease and he hit it. He just doesn’t need much room to finish those types of plays.”
Davis entered the game averaging 11.6 yards on 11 punt returns. He had a 17-yard return late in the first half to help set up a Cameron Dicker field goal on the final play of the second quarter.
“Shout out to D.D., man,” wide receiver Keenan Allen said. “It’s been a long time since we had a returner take it to the house like that. He’s doing a hell of a job.”
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One for the books draws looks
(Adam Hunger / Associated Press)
The catch was both spectacular and historic, coming at a moment that was critical, too.
On third-and-four early in the fourth quarter, Allen turned his body while falling backward to snag a pass from Justin Herbert with only his left hand.
As he spun while going down toward the turf, Allen secured the ball with both hands before continuing to roll over and landing on his back with the ball safely tucked on his belly.
“The catch was fire, huh?” Allen asked later. “I ain’t seen it yet. But I felt pretty good about it on the field.”
The conversion helped extend a 16-play drive that ate up more than eight minutes and ended in another Dicker field goal to make it 20-6.
The 23-yard gain — the Chargers’ longest from scrimmage all night — also put Allen over 10,000 receiving yards in a career now in its 11th season.
Chargers star receiver Keenan Allen is 70 yards away from reaching 10,000 yards receiving for his career, a plateau that even impresses the 11-year veteran.
“It’s amazing, man,” Allen said. “Just the hard work paying off. Consistency. Resiliency. I’ve been through a lot, injuries and stuff like that.”
He finished with eight catches for 77 yards and was the only Chargers player to total more than 23 receiving yards.
“All the coaches that I’ve had always tell you, ‘Stack ’em up. Stack up your seasons, and stack up your games,’” Allen said. “Once you start to do that, the numbers start to accumulate and records start to get broken.”
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Dicker, Scott kick in, too
The contributions of the Chargers’ special teams only started with Davis’ return. Dicker added field goals of 55 — matching his career long — and 38 yards and three extra points.
“That gives you a lot of confidence,” Staley said of Dicker’s range. “It takes the pressure off your offense and just gives you more flexibility in how you call the plays, and [you] don’t have to be quite as perfect.”
JK Scott averaged 45.5 yards on eight punts, with one being downed inside the 20-yard line. The Chargers yielded only eight yards on three Jets punt returns.
“Our special teams came alive today,” Staley said. “In a game like this, that made the difference.”
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The chance for chants
Late in the game, with the Jets driving deep into Chargers territory and the outcome already decided, MetLife Stadium suddenly was at least partially filled with chants of “DEEE-fense!”
Many of the Chargers fans in attendance had worked their way down closer to field level to salute the team and encourage a final stop.
The defense responded by ending New York’s last hope on fourth down at the two-yard line.
The scene was especially notable for a team often criticized for lacking fans, a team that rarely experiences any discernible home-field advantage.
“I just can’t thank the fans enough,” Staley said. “Don’t know where they came from, whether it’s here or from California or wherever. But I know how much it meant to our team .…
“I think it was really special for our players. That’s what the NFL is about. It’s about your fans and about giving them something to cheer for, and I thought it all came together tonight.”
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Just enough to get by
(Seth Wenig / Associated Press)
The Chargers struggled protecting Herbert and averaged only 3.4 yards on their 56 plays. New York had a nearly 10-minute edge in time of possession.
But what the Chargers didn’t do was turn the ball over or commit critical errors. They were penalized only four times for 39 yards. Herbert converted a key third-and-eight late in the third quarter with a 10-yard scramble.
“I thought we were able to just do enough,” Staley said. “But probably the best thing that we did was take care of it tonight. We didn’t have any of those plays that allowed them to get back into the game .…
“I know the stat line is not pretty, but I thought we ran it well enough. We made enough plays in the passing game. I thought Justin using his legs was really big in the game.”
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In his own words
“The vibe is we play for each other. We play for us, for the guys in this locker room and no one else. We love each other, man .… To be able to get a ‘W’ like that, see your hard work as a defense come to fruition, it means a lot to everyone in here.” — Defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day on the Chargers’ victorious, dancing postgame celebration
