Chargers quietly proving to be a contender one win at a time

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Chargers quietly proving to be a contender one win at a time Published: Oct 14, 2018 at 12:20 PM NFL.com Columnist CLEVELAND -- The fans who showed up at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday thought they might see the next big step quarterback was about to take in his rookie year. What they wound up witne sing was a reminder of how cruel life can be in the NFL. They saw first-hand how a championship-caliber team operates when it's rounding into form. That's the image the gave them, and more teams are about to get a close look at how good this squad actually can be. The scariest part of the ' is that the game didn't even seem that close. They dominated in the trenches, as they pounded the ball on offense and hara sed Mayfield relentle sly on defense. Quarterback made efficient plays in the pa sing game while his receivers helped him out with some acrobatic catches. This wasn't just a contest that got out of hand. It was a reminder that people shouldn't forget how dangerous Los Angeles can be when it's on its game. It's been easy to overlook the in the AFC because of the ' hot start, the rise of the , the looming presence of the and all the endle s drama that surrounds the . The fact is Los Angeles is now riding a three-game Eric Rowe Jersey win streak and looks plenty capable of doing more damage in the coming weeks. "There are so many guys contributing," Rivers said when asked about his team's recent succe s. "It's not just one side of the ball. It's not one guy. It's not one element, whether it's the pa sing game or running game. It's everybody -- offense, defense and special teams. I know it's clich to say it but that's how you win." The should know that as well as anybody. They were a trendy pick coming into this season precisely because they jelled midway through last year and won nine of their last 11 games after starting 0-4. That team looked eerily similar to the one that gave the fits on Sunday. They basically smothered their opponent from the start and left no doubt as to who was the better squad while improving to 4-2 on the season. The led 21-6 at halftime and were up by 29 points at the end of the third quarter. They were aided by the fact that Mayfield injured his left ankle after scrambling late in the first quarter, but the quarterback's health wouldn't have been a deciding factor in this contest. The came out intent on making a statement, and that's exactly what they ended up doing. Wide receiver said he could feel the focus in his teammates in the locker room before the game. Rivers joked that he pulled running back aside on his way into the stadium and told him Los Angeles couldn't afford to lose this contest. Rivers knew full well how painful it would be to suffer a defeat and then spend the next few days practicing in Cleveland before traveling to London to play Tenne see next weekend. The last thing the quarterback wanted to do was add more challenges to an already long road trip. "We had a lot of reasons to not come out here and play good today," center said. "We traveled halfway acro s the country to stay in another city, and then we're traveling acro s the world again to go play in London. Our football team came out here and handled our busine s from start to finish. We're really proud of ourselves." head coach Anthony Lynn added: "Coming acro s the country and playing in a hostile environment, they executed well today. That's the way it's supposed to look. It could've been even better." Even if skeptics want to discredit the ' recent opponents -- their current winning streak includes victories over the and , who are a combined 3-8 this year -- it's impo sible to argue that Cleveland was an underwhelming challenge. The had tied the in their season opener and their other two lo ses came on the road by a total of six points (at New Orleans and Oakland). This wasn't the same old . It was a young team starting to feel good about itself with an opportunity to be over .500 in a season for the first time since 2014. The prevented that from happening largely because they proved to be the tougher team from the outset. Gordon ran for 132 yards on 18 carries and scored three touchdowns. His backup, , added another 60 yards on seven carries of his own. Overall, Los Angeles rushed the football 36 NFL Miami Dolphins Jersey times for 243 yards, or an average of 6.75 yards per carry. It's difficult to lose when a team grinds like that. That type of production sets a tone for the entire game and demoralizes opponents in ways that are invaluable come November and December. As head coach Hue Jackson said after his team fell to 2-3-1: "We did not play very well. On the edges, they were able to exploit it. We had no force set. That team ran the ball for a lot of yards." The now find themselves in a great position to do even more damage. After facing Tenne see in London, they'll play at Seattle and Oakland before facing Denver and Arizona at home. Not one of their next five opponents owns a winning record. In other words, the could generate just as much heat as they did midway through last season. What's even more encouraging is that Los Angeles will start to get healthier. A bruised left foot has sidelined star defensive end for every game thus far and there have been reports that he could return later this month. The have felt his absence -- they had only 11 sacks prior to this contest -- but they also had their way with Mayfield. They sacked him five times, intercepted him twice and reminded him that first-year starters in this league often endure humbling experiences like these. The best part for the is that they felt like they played a complete game. The last time they went on the road -- in Week 2 at Buffalo -- they owned a 28-6 first-half lead in a contest that ended in a 31-20 win. The left that contest feeling unsatisfied, largely because it fizzled in the final two quarters. This time around, they didn't give their opponent a chance to breathe again. The were so giddy that they jogged off the field on Sunday wondering how the oddsmakers could've made them one-point underdogs in this game. Some even asked how Kansas City had done, unaware that the undefeated -- who beat Los Angeles in the season opener -- wouldn't kick off with the until later Sunday night. Those comments said plenty about how the feel about themselves right now. They know exactly how good they look these days, and they're eager to keep that momentum going any way they po sibly can. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain Larnel Coleman Jersey faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an i sue.
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