The momentum keeps growing on a Chargers team that continues to turn heads.
The Bolts 31-10 win over the Rams in Week 17 was their third time surpassing the 30-point mark and with the Ravens loss on Sunday night, the team sits in the No. 5 seed in the AFC with one game remaining.
The Chargers put together one of their most complete performances of the season as all three phases contributed Sunday. The offensive unit had been looking for consistency, and Sunday afternoon was as big of a confidence booster you can get.
This offensive performance captured the eye of CBS Sports' John Breech, as he handed out some praise for the Chargers offense and gave the team an 'A- grade' for the big Week 17 win.
Breech wrote:
The Chargers got off to a slow start in this game with zero points in the first quarter, but after that, they absolutely dominated. Offensively, the Chargers were able to move the ball at will, especially on the ground as Austin Ekeler was nearly unstoppable, rushing for 122 yards and two touchdowns on just 12 carries (That's a wildly impressive 12.2 yards per carry). Justin Herbert seems a lot more comfortable with both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams in the lineup.
The Bolts offense put up their third-highest yardage total of the season with 431 and were able to find balance in both the pass and run game — something they have been trying to get going in recent weeks.
The Chargers had 192 yards on the ground, and Ekeler was able to have one of his best games yet. Ekeler rushed for 122 yards, and his highlight of the day came on a career-long 72-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
It was a big momentum builder in the game that would not have been possible had guard Matt Feiler not pulled from his left guard spot and cleared the way for Ekeler. Feiler's big block earned him some praise in Peter King's weekly Football Morning in America piece, as King named him the 'Hidden Person of the Week'.
King wrote:
On a simple run in the right guard-tackle hole by Austin Ekeler from the Chargers' 28-yard line, Feiler pulled from his left guard spot before Ekeler got to the hole and erased all-world linebacker Bobby Wagner, clearing the way for Ekeler. The block was the big assist on Ekeler's 72-yard touchdown run.
Things are clicking for the Chargers at the right time. On a four-game winning streak and coming off this complete performance, Breech thinks the Bolts could be a factor come playoff time.
Breech wrote:
The Chargers (10-6) are getting healthy at the right time and they're getting hot at the right time, especially their defense, which has now given up an average of just 11 points per game during the team's current four-game winning streak. This feels like a team that could make some noise in the playoffs.
The Bolts wrap up the regular season Sunday in Denver.
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