Los Angeles Chargers: Positive and negative takeaways from Week 3

Negative takeaways:

• The Los Angeles Chargers are still beating themselves

Every single year the Chargers do this to their fans and every single game Charger fans are worried that the team will somehow blow the game in the newest conceivable fashion.

While the Rams deserve credit for winning the game and putting pressure on the Chargers, this game could have been completely different if not for a few things.

First and foremost, the blocked punt, which was a direct result of James running it out of the end zone to the one-yard line. If that is a touchback the Chargers would have had space, and as they showed all game, could have strung a drive together.

The biggest daggers were the two fumbles. Both time the Chargers were in range to flip the game on its head the team fumbled and the momentum completely shifted.

The pass defense looked awful

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The Los Angeles Rams succeed offensively on Sunday because the offense could do practically anything it wanted in the passing game. For a Chargers team that has been touted as one of the best pass-defending teams in the league, Sunday was disappointed.

Granted, the Rams are a high-flying offense and Rams head coach Sean McVay knows how to make best of the passing game. However, the secondary just looked awful and Goff and company were able to march down the field nearly every time.

A big reason for this was the team’s inability to get to Goff without Joey Bosa in the game. The Rams did a great job at targetting Melvin Ingram and no allowing him to beat them. This gave Goff added time to throw, and when you are a good quarterback, you make the most of those chances.

• Slow start yet again

The Los Angeles Chargers are not only known for slow starts to begin a season but have been very slow in the first drives of games. Los Angeles has not scored on its first drive all season and has a combined 23 yards in those three first drives.

In fact, LA has not scored on its first drive since Week 14 against the Washington Redskins last season and has not scored a touchdown on its first drive since Week 16 of the 2016-2017 season against the Cleveland Browns.

Fun fact: that was the Browns’ last win up until the team’s most recent win over the New York Jets and the Chargers were still in San Diego. Sunday’s game marked the 20th game in a row in which the Chargers did not score a touchdown in the opening drive.

That is bad and a playoff-contending team cannot afford to start slow in big games. The Rams showed the Chargers that, who could not capitalize on an opening fumble by Todd Gurley.