The Bolts got back in the win column in Week 6.
Coming off a bye week, the Chargers were able to put together a wire-to-wire 23-16 victory in Denver over the Broncos to push their record to 3-2.
Jumping out to a 23-0 lead, the team was able to post a season-high 350 yards of offense as Justin Herbert had his best game of the season so far and the run game was able to get some momentum going.
CBS Sports' John Breech, however, was not only impressed by the efficiency of the offense, but the way the defense was able to step up and control the game from the start, as he gave the team a ‘B+ grade’ for their win over their AFC West rival.
Breech wrote:
With Justin Herbert healthy for the first time since Week 2, the Chargers defense decided to steal the show from their QB. Elijah Molden picked off a Bo Nix pass on the third play of the game and things only got better from there for the Chargers. L.A. forced two turnovers in the first half, which led to 10 points, and by halftime, it felt like the Chargers had effectively put this game away. As for Herbert, he wasn't flashy, but he did throw for 237 yards and a TD. When Herbert's healthy, the Chargers are an efficient offensive team that rarely makes mistakes and when you have the defense playing this well, L.A. is difficult to beat.
The Chargers defense held the Broncos to 88 yards and zero points through three quarters thanks in large part to a unit that stepped up despite moving pieces due to injuries.
With a number of standout performers for the Bolts, Pro Football Focus' Ben Cooper tabbed outside linebacker Khalil Mack as his player of the game after another all-around performance.
Mack finished the game with two tackles, a forced fumble, a pass defensed and a quarterback hit.
It's become a normality at this point to see Mack change the game in the pass and in the run.
Cooper wrote:
Veteran edge defender Khalil Mack tallied five quarterback pressures — all hurries — and beat his blocker another three times in the game. However, his biggest impact came in run defense, where he made two stops and forced a fumble.
The Bolts will be back on the road again next Monday when they travel to Arizona and take on the Cardinals on Monday Night Football.
And one of Bleacher Report's NFL Staff's top takeaways from Sunday is the Bolts appear poised to make a run at the playoffs in this next stretch of the season.
They wrote:
With most of its starters in the lineup, Los Angeles was able to end its two-game skid and get back over .500. It dominated for much of the game—though Denver made a valiant late comeback attempt—on the road against a very capable Broncos defense…
Sunday's win provided a glimpse of what the Chargers can be when they're healthy and clicking. It may also spark a serious run that could have L.A. firmly in the playoff picture entering mid-November.
Up next for the Chargers will be the Cardinals, Saints, Browns and Titans—teams with six combined wins and dwindling hope of reaching the postseason.
