The San Diego Chargers made it look easy on Sunday, overwhelming the slumping New York Jets in a 31-0 win at Qualcomm Stadium. Our takeaways:
- The Chargers look like a complete team and a legit AFC contender after their fourth consecutive win. They dominated the Jets in all facets, moving the ball at will while not allowing the New York offense to cross midfield until well into the fourth quarter. The Chargers outgained the Jets 439-153 in the first shutout of the NFL season. This felt like Varsity vs. JV.
- Geno Smith used up the rest of Rex Ryan's patience over six fruitless first-half drives. Ryan pulled the trigger at the start of the third quarter, inserting Michael Vick in the lineup. The change didn't achieve the desired effect -- Vick looked extremely rusty and fared no better moving the offense. Rex announced he's turning back to Geno in Week 6.
- The Jets made Chargers running back Branden Oliver look like an evolutionary LaDainian Tomlinson. Oliver, an undrafted free agent out of Buffalo, piled up 182 total yards and twotouchdowns against a Jets defense that had previously stonewalled the likes of Matt Forte, Reggie Bush and Eddie Lacy. Oliver's contribution was especially well-timed on an afternoon in which Donald Brownsuffered a concussion.
- Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates remain one of the best scoring combinations in football. Gates was on the receiving end of Rivers' first twoscoring passes and finished with four catches for 60 yards. The Around The NFL team believed this would be the yearLadarius Green would eat into Gates' production. It hasn't worked out that way at all.
- I can't believe I'm typing this, but Marcus Vick makes a good point:
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