Quentin Johnston, left, of the Chargers caught two touchdown passes from quarterback Justin Herbert last Sunday on the road.
The new era of Chargers football is under way and after two weeks, the Chargers are one of nine teams that are still undefeated. The Chargers easily defeated the Carolina Panthers last Sunday in Charlotte, 26-3, moving them to a 2-0 record for the season. This is the first time since the 2012 season that the Chargers have started 2-0.
Running back J.K. Dobbins led the Chargers offense with 131 yards rushing on 17 carries, including a 43-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter. That gave the Chargers a 20-0 halftime lead. Dobbins leads the NFL in rushing yardage after the first two weeks with 266 yards and is averaging 9.9 yards per carry.
Quarterback Justin Herbert threw two touchdown passes in the first half, both to wide receiver Quentin Johnston, one for 29 yards and the other a five-yard toss to a wide-open Johnston.
The Chargers will stay on the road and travel to Pittsburgh on Sunday, September 22, for a battle with the Steelers. The Steelers are also unbeaten at 2-0 and somewhat similar to the Chargers. They play good defense, and they want to run the ball. They are a physical team and will present a challenge for the Chargers in that respect.
The Steelers have only scored one offensive touchdown this season and the Chargers have only allowed one offensive touchdown this season. Steelers quarterback Justin Fields is a terrific athlete, and the Chargers will need to keep an eye on him inside the pocket. In 2022, Fields rushed for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 games, throwing for 2,242 yards and 17 touchdowns.
The Chargers were dominate against the Panthers, gaining 349 yards in offense to just 159 yards for the Panthers. The team looks like they are loose and enjoying themselves, which has not always been the case in the past. Of course, winning always helps. The Chargers have outscored their two opponents 48-13 this year.
"You can't be 2-0 without being 1-0 and you can't be 1-0 without winning the first one," Herbert said. "That's the way it's been. I think guys really take a joy in playing, they go out there, have a lot of fun. As long as everybody is enjoying it, playing fast, I think we can play some pretty good football."
The game at Pittsburgh will begin at 10:00 AM and will be televised locally on KCBS Channel 2. A victory for the Chargers would give them a 3-0 start, the first time that has happened since the 2002 season. That would set up an early season clash between the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs and the Chargers at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, September 29th.
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