For the primary time in two weeks, the Chargers had each of their main rushers on the follow area Tuesday, and the crew didn’t cease at stocking the backfield with solely J.Ok. Dobbins and Gus Edwards.
Former Dallas Cowboys operating again Ezekiel Elliott made his Chargers follow debut Tuesday after being signed to the follow squad. The Chargers made the transfer official whereas releasing receiver Laviska Shenault.
With the Cowboys effectively outdoors of the postseason image, Elliott requested to be launched after enjoying 15 video games for the crew that drafted him fourth general in 2016. Three seasons faraway from his final 1,000-yard marketing campaign, the 29-year-old was trying to find a possibility to compete for a championship within the waning years of his profession.
Taking part in this week for his or her first playoff win since 2018, the Chargers scooped Elliott off the waiver wire.
“Competitors welcome at the Los Angeles Chargers,” coach Jim Harbaugh stated Tuesday.
Elliott may bolster an offense that’s hitting its stride coming into the playoffs, the place the Chargers play the Houston Texans at 1:30 p.m. PST on Saturday within the wild-card spherical.
The Chargers (11-6) have scored 34 or extra factors in every of their final three video games — all wins — whereas surging from seventh within the AFC playoff image to the extra fascinating No. 5 seed. The performances got here regardless of accidents to the crew’s prime operating backs.
Edwards missed the final two video games due to an ankle damage. Dobbins returned from a four-game absence simply in time to select up the slack, however the Chargers’ main rusher appeared to tweak an ankle in Sunday’s regular-season finale with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Dobbins, who has rushed for a career-best 905 yards and 9 touchdowns regardless of lacking 4 video games due to a knee damage, and Edwards had been restricted individuals in follow Tuesday and the Chargers listed each with ankle accidents. Rapidly thrown into the combo after touring to L.A., Elliott chatted throughout warmups with Dobbins, a fellow former Ohio State star, whereas sporting a freshly printed No. 24 jersey.
“He’s picked it up pretty quickly and was out there today, so it’s cool to have him around,” stated quarterback Justin Herbert, who stated he’s completely happy to supply any help for Elliott throughout the transition however acknowledged the operating again had been within the facility for only some hours.
Herbert had one among his most spectacular performances of the season Sunday, throwing for 346 yards and two touchdowns whereas finishing 77.8% of his passes in a 34-20 win in opposition to the Raiders. He averaged 303.7 yards within the final three video games, finishing 70.5% of his passes and throwing for seven touchdowns after the crew was trying to find consistency for many of the yr.
The star quarterback acknowledged the training curve required for gamers to get used to a brand new offense underneath first-year coordinator Greg Roman. Mastering the playbook doesn’t simply come from follow, he stated. It required recreation day expertise.
From a whole common season of watching Herbert, Harbaugh seen how the quarterback may disguise throws by preserving his mechanics practically an identical it doesn’t matter what route he’s throwing. It places defenses a step behind as a result of they’ll’t anticipate the place Herbert is throwing the ball, the coach stated. It additionally took some getting used to from his receivers.
“A lot of times when they’re running these routes, the ball might be halfway there,” Harbaugh stated. “I really think that we’re seeing the chemistry now.”
Harbaugh pointed to the profession recreation from receiver Quentin Johnston, who caught 13 passes for 186 yards in opposition to the Raiders. Johnston delivered a highlight-reel catch within the fourth quarter, reaching out with one hand to drag the ball again towards his physique and tuck it in as he fell to the bottom for a 39-yard acquire. The explosive play led to a Chargers landing 10 performs later.
The ball acquired misplaced within the lights when he turned his head, Johnston stated, so as soon as it got here into his imaginative and prescient, all he may do was react by throwing his hand out.
“It was just one of those plays where my quarterback had a lot of trust in me,” Johnston stated, “so I had no choice but to do everything in my power to bring it in.”
The Texans’ protection will present a way more troublesome problem than the New England Patriots or Raiders, who had been combating for draft positioning greater than playoff seeding by the tip of the season.
Houston (10-7) gained its second consecutive AFC South crown behind a protection that Harbaugh referred to as “scary good.” The Texans rank fourth within the NFL with 49 sacks and second with 19 interceptions.
“Really good with pressure, got really good players, but they’re really well coached,” Harbaugh stated. “It’s a really good scheme, and they know it well. They play it well. They play fast. I’m sure there’s a lot of thinking going on, but they’re anticipating, they’re getting the first step, step and a half headed in the right direction.”
2025 schedule
The NFL introduced matchups for subsequent season on Monday with the Chargers internet hosting video games in opposition to Houston, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh and Minnesota. Along with home-and-away collection in opposition to their AFC West rivals Kansas Metropolis, Denver and Las Vegas, the Chargers will journey to Dallas, Jacksonville, the New York Giants, Tennessee and Miami.
And so forth.
Left deal with Rashawn Slater, who missed Sunday’s recreation after feeling discomfort in his left knee, was a restricted participant in follow. … The Chargers opened the 21-day follow window for Simi Fehoko. The large receiver missed the final two months on injured reserve after dislocating an elbow. … Vast receiver Joshua Palmer (foot) didn’t follow after lacking Sunday’s recreation.
