The Chargers picked up a third consecutive win Sunday, overpowering the Tennessee Titans 27-17.
What we learned:
A November to remember
The Chargers’ six wins all have come against teams with records of .500 or less. They had no trouble shutting down offenses led by rookie quarterbacks still adjusting to the NFL or journeyman veterans. Many still look at the NFL’s top-ranked scoring defense with a skeptical eye.
What will they do against good offenses?
The Chargers soon get a chance to answer the naysayers. A critical five-game stretch against the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers likely could decide their playoff fate. Three of the next four games are in prime-time slots, starting with next Sunday’s matchup that was so enticing that the NFL flexed it into the “Sunday Night Football” window.
Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Kirk Cousins, Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield are next.
Khalil Mack can’t wait.
“November is the football you remember,” the outside linebacker said, emphasizing the type of quarterbacks the Chargers will be facing soon. “Those games just show you who you are, competitively, especially from a mental standpoint. … Just making sure we’re clicking on all cylinders is gonna be a challenge.
“And,” Mack added, “I love challenges.”
The Chargers are allowing 13.1 points per game, still the best in the league. With a cornerback rotation that’s stripped to a pair of rookies in the starting rotation, however, they gave up a 41-yard touchdown pass from Will Levis to Calvin Ridley on the Titans’ opening drive Sunday. It was the first time an opponent has scored on the first possession against the Chargers.
Read more: Hernández: Chargers can celebrate, but you can’t crown them overnight contenders yet
The Titans (2-7) could have matched a season-high in points by a Chargers opponent if not for a missed field goal that was pushed back out of the red zone because of an offensive face mask penalty. They averaged 6.3 yards per carry, a season-best for the Titans and the highest average allowed by the Chargers this season.
Although the wins are piling up, the Chargers aren’t content with their performances.
“There are going to be some things that we got to work on and see why we made our mistakes, and continue to progress each and every day,” outside linebacker Bud Dupree said. “We look towards the mirror and know what we want to be capable of.”
Pass rush kicks into gear
Mack was limited to just a handful of snaps because of a groin injury, but his teammates picked up the pass-rushing slack with seven sacks.
Dupree and Tuli Tuipulotu each had two sacks. Defensive lineman Poona Ford, linebacker Daiyan Henley and outside linebacker Joey Bosa each added one. The Chargers had 13 sacks in the last two weeks despite Mack and Bosa (hip) battling injuries, showing the depth of the edge rusher room that was considered the Chargers’ top defensive unit heading into the season.
“It’s just the type of guys we have,” said Dupree, a 10-year veteran who signed as a free agent this offseason. “Knowing we have guys who have been in the pass-rushing game for a while, we go out there each and every day with the mindset that we have to make our presence known.”
Tuipulotu, who stepped into the starting lineup when Bosa was sidelined with a hip injury, began the season with a six-game sack dry spell before breaking out for 5½ in the last three games. After 2½ sacks last week, the Lawndale native is the first Charger to have multiple sacks in consecutive games since Mack last season.
“The motor and just the willingness to keep continuing to get better, you see it day in, day out,” Mack said of the former USC Trojan. “He got all the intangibles, and so the sky’s the limit for him.”
Bosa’s sack was his 70th as a Charger, moving him into second place on the franchise’s all-time sack list, 30 1/2 sacks behind Leslie O’Neal. Bosa has been eased into the rotation over the last three games, with limited snaps.
“I’ve had some rough years, and I wish that number was a bit higher, but I think it’s a great milestone,” Bosa said. “To still be playing at all at this point in my career is a blessing.”
All aboard the Gus Bus
A high-ankle sprain kept Gus Edwards idle for four weeks, but the running back has a full tank of gas as the Chargers get into the heart of their schedule.
“I feel like it’s a good start for me,” said Edwards, who ran for 55 yards in 10 carries Sunday after returning from injured reserve. “Very healthy. I feel good.”
Using a by-committee approach, the Chargers rushed for 145 yards in 39 carries. J.K. Dobbins had 15 carries for 50 yards. Running back Hassan Haskins, who the Chargers claimed off waivers from the Titans in August, scored his first professional touchdown, jumping over the pile in the fourth quarter for a one-yard score.
Led by Edwards, the running backs “poured toughness into our football team,” coach Jim Harbaugh said.
Read more: Justin Herbert gives Chargers’ offense legs as defense shuts down Titans
“I mean everybody gets excited when you see backs running that way,” the Chargers’ first-year coach said. “It motivates us all, especially the guys up front to just stay on their blocks if the Gus bus is coming behind you.”
The Chargers’ 39 carries from six players were the most since Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers.
“Shout-out to the O-line; they got a great push today, and we did a good job,” Edwards said. “Being a committee, we made some good plays, but there’s still room for improvement.
“It could be special,” he added on the 1-2 punch with Dobbins. “He’s having a great season, and I’m just here to help him.”
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.