The Chargers are 2-0 after getting a convincing 26-3 road win over the Panthers.
Here is a game recap from Week 2 in Carolina:
First Quarter
Justin Herbert, Derwin James, Denzel Perryman, Khalil Mack, Deane Leonard and Bradley Bozeman were the Chargers captains. The Panthers won the toss and elected to defer as the Bolts started on offense at the 33-yard line after a Carolina personal foul on the kickoff return. J.K. Dobbins picked up a first down with an 11-yard run on third-and-2 that moved the Bolts past midfield before a Carolina penalty moved the sticks again. Justin Herbert found Ladd McConkey for a first down later in the drive before the Bolts caught a break when a fumble was overturned. Herbert then found Quentin Johnston for a 29-yard score for an early 6-0 lead as the extra point was wide left.
The Bolts defense then made quick work of their first drive as Kristian Fulton has a pass breakup on third-and-2 to force a Carolina three-and-out. The Chargers took over on their own 25 but the drive lasted just one play as Herbert was intercepted. But a third-down sack from Denzel Perryman pushed the Panthers out of field goal range and forced another Carolina punt. The Bolts picked up a first down but were stopped on a third-and-1 run short of midfield and were forced to punt. The Chargers led 6-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Second Quarter
Fulton made another big play on third down when he tallied a tackle for loss to force a Carolina punt that Derius Davis returned to midfield. But the Bolts went three-and-out before the Panthers offense did the same for the fourth time in a row. The Chargers took over at their own 35-yard line with just over 10 minutes left in the quarter and moved the chains twice on the ground to get into Carolina territory. The Bolts later faced third-and-goal at the 5 before Herbert found Johnston for his second touchdown of the game.
Carolina picked up its first offensive first down but the drive ended after two plays as Elijah Molden intercepted Bryce Young. The Chargers took over on their own 47 and wasted little time scoring as Dobbins broke off a 43-yard touchdown run to put the Bolts up 20-0.
The Bolts defense denied another Carolina third down as the Panthers went 0-for-5 on third downs in the first half. The Chargers took a 20-0 lead into the break.
Third Quarter
Carolina started at its own 40-yard line to start the half and got into Chargers territory with a pair of chunk plays. But the Bolts stood tall and limited the Panthers to a field goal as they got the ball back up 20-3. The Bolts started at their own 35 and relied on the run game as Dobbins gained 15 and 14 yards on back-to-back runs. But the Chargers drive stalled just outside the red zone as Cameron Dicker hit a 46-yard field goal to push the lead to 23-3. The Bolts defense kept dominating on the ensuing drive as Joey Bosa sacked Young to make Carolina 0-for-7 on third downs midway through the third quarter.
The Bolts moved into the red zone looking to add to their lead but turned the ball over on a Herbert fumble. But the Chargers defense forced a quick three-and-out as the Bolts led 23-3 after three quarters of play.
Fourth Quarter
The Chargers offense drove into Carolina territory but had to settle for a 42-yard field goal from Dicker as they pushed their lead to 26-3. The Bolts defense finally allowed a third-down conversion to Carolina midway through the fourth quarter, but Carolina's drive ended without points as the Panthers came up short on fourth-and-18. The Bolts drained the clock and forced Carolina to use up all of its timeouts on the ensuing drive before punting it away. The Chargers defense made stops on third and fourth downs as Carolina turned the ball over on downs. The Bolts picked up a 26-3 win and will now stay in Carolina ahead of a Week 3 road game at Pittsburgh. The Chargers are 2-0 for the first time since 2012.
Check out the top photos of the Bolts warming up for their Week 2 game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium!
