The San Diego Chargers needed a near-perfect game to beat defending champion Seattle Seahawks Sunday. That's what they got in a 30-21 upset. Here are our takeaways:
- Antonio Gates and Philip Rivers should send this game film to Canton. Their performance encapsulated everything that has made them one of the best duos in the league since Rivers took over nine years ago. All seven targets thrown to Gates were caught, for 96 yards and three touchdowns. Rivers kept dodging defenders and throwing improbable passes from uncomfortable platforms. No one throws a touch pass quite like Rivers.
Gates, meanwhile, made a handful of incredible grabs. Ladarius Green was nowhere to be seen. So much for Gates' decline.
- This looked just like the Chargers' 2013 offense at its best: Death by 1,000 five-yard runs and eight-yard catches. The Chargers controlled the game with the temperature over 90 degrees with three straight drives of at least nine plays to open the game. They scored in their first four possessions. They held the ball for 42 minutes. Seattle's running backs had only eight carries.
- It's rare to see the Seahawks' pass defense so thoroughly dominated. They missed a lot of tackles and struggled with short crossing patterns. Rivers wasn't afraid of throwing at Richard Sherman. They completed their first four passes toward Sherman for 56 yards.
- San Diego's rushing attack, on the other hand, struggled all day. Ryan Mathewsleft with a knee injury in the fourth quarter. The Chargers couldn't crack three yards per carry.
- Don't fault the Seahawks offense for this one. They were more explosive per play than San Diego, and Russell Wilson was sharp overall. But the Seahawks got the ball back only down six points with 3:05 left. Shareece Wright stopped Percy Harvin's "Jet Sweep" for a six-yard loss to open the drive, and the Seahawks couldn't move the ball from there.
- San Diego's defense is completely different with Melvin Ingram and Dwight Freeney rushing the passer. And cornerback Jason Verrett looks like a keeper.
The latest "Around The NFL Podcast" recaps every Sunday game from an upset-heavy Week 2 in the NFL, and considers what RGIII's injury could mean for the Redskins.
