Three Takeaways: How Are the Chargers Going "Back to the Drawing Board" As They Head Into Their Bye?

Oct 17, 2021 at 05:08 PM

Cory Kennedy

Seasonal Content Assistant

Below are three takeaways from Sunday's postgame press conferences with Brandon Staley, Justin Herbert, Kyzir White and Derwin James Jr.

4-2 heading into the bye week

Despite the lopsided loss on Sunday, one positive to take away is the Chargers' record as they enter their bye.

Through six games, the Chargers have faced four teams that played in last year's playoffs and head into the bye week at 4-2.

Chargers head coach Brandon Staley talked about the Bolts' ability to battle it out during a tough stretch of teams through the first chunk of the season and discussed where the team is following their loss in Baltimore.

"I know that we've played six really good teams, we're 4-2," Staley said. "We've beat four really good teams; we've lost to two really good teams. That's what I told the team, I think that's where the truth is, and I think where we need to go is we need to learn from this game because there's plenty in this game that we need to learn from. I think that the bye is coming at a good time for us. Get rested up and then come back and be ready to go against a really good New England team."

Quarterback Justin Herbert, who reached 6,000 career passing yards on Sunday, talked about the good timing of the bye coming in Week 7.

"I think it comes at a good time," Herbert said. "Allows our guys up front to get their legs back and to have a week of rest and enough weeks to watch the film and get back over it. There's a lot of good film…there's a lot to learn from so it's going to be a good teaching lesson for us."

Safety Derwin James Jr. talked about the positive lessons to be learned from Sunday's loss.

"Today let us know everything we need to work on," James said. "Being 4-2, we're not mad at the world, the world is not over, there's a lot of football still left to be played. I feel like we learned a lot from this game and we're going to be better for sure."

Time for resilience

A takeaway from members of the Chargers after Sunday's game was how the Bolts need to execute better in all three phases. But as James said, they're "going to be better" moving forward.

For Staley, a lesson can be learned from each loss this season and he feels he has a great sample size for what the Chargers are made of this year.

"The competition in the first six weeks has given us a really accurate look of where we can go as a team," Staley said. "In our two losses, the two losses that we had are two really quality football teams. I think that in both of those losses we can learn something from why it happened.

"That's as tough of a stretch as you're gonna face in the league. That stretch is a really tough stretch that we just went through, and I felt like we made it through with our heads held high."

Compartmentalizing is a huge part of playing in the NFL. After all, the Chargers won three-straight after losing in Week 2 to the Dallas Cowboys.

Kyzir White talked about how this game and what they have endured during the season will help them be resilient moving forward.

"The feeling is that we still have a good team and just [need to] get back to the drawing board," White said. "We have the bye week coming up, and then come out against the New England Patriots and do what we do."

Kyzir White shines on Sunday

With two interceptions during Sunday's matchup against the Ravens, White became the first Chargers linebacker to have multiple interceptions in a game since Week 14 of the 2008 season.

White talked about defending an elite quarterback like Lamar Jackson and what was going through his mind when he grabbed his first interception of the game.

"I thought I was going to drop it to be honest," White said. "Because it was just so clean of a pick but I'm glad he threw it."

After the game, White talked about the Bolts' ability to force turnovers that heading into Week 6, ranked tied for ninth with seven takeaways on the year.

"I think defense wins championships," White said. "If we could just keep getting the ball and forcing those turnovers and being the team that they're talking about as far as we could create those turnovers, I feel like that will play in our favor for sure. Give our offense way more opportunities."