On any given Sunday, any team can defeat any other team, regardless of record. The Los Angeles Chargers proved this in a big way by defeating the visiting Green Bay Packers in Week 9, 26-11, proving they're not yet dead in the playoff hunt. Following the firing of offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt after Week 8, all eyes were on Phillip Rivers, Melvin Gordon and the offense as a whole to improve instantly.
Despite some red zone hiccups that turned would-be touchdowns into field goals, they did just that, mounting numerous clock-eating drives that robbed Aaron Rodgers of the ability to stay on the field. And when he did get his chance, the Chargers defense suffocated him and his weapons at every turn.
The return of Davante Adams from turf toe proved inconsequential, and running back Aaron Jones was also non-productive in a game that saw the Packers unable to establish the run -- while the Chargers used the arm of Rivers to help Gordon finally put up respectable numbers this season. Yes, the Packers entered this game as favorites, but they left with their second loss of the season after being essentially punched in the mouth in Los Angeles.
When you keep Rodgers on the sideline, and then beat him up when he's in the game, you have a great chance of winning. That's precisely what Los Angeles did, with Joey Bosa and a healthy Melvin Ingram leading the way. The Packers registered the lowest offensive output of the season, while Rivers and the Chargers offense nearly tripled it, and that was the tale of the game.
The chances of winning a game when you're grossly outclassed in offensive production, lose time of possession by a large margin and fail to convert eight of your 10 third down attempts are slim-to-none. That's what the Packers were faced with in Los Angeles, and it's why they're 7-2 instead of 8-1.
It was at this moment early in the third quarter that Gordon reminded the world he's still a Pro Bowl running back -- hurdle not sold separately.
It wasn't a scoring play, but it help push the adrenaline of the Chargers that much higher, and Gordon would go on to score the team's first touchdown of the game a few minutes later to give Los Angeles a firm grip on the contest.
So what do you do when you successfully kick a field goal to make the score 22-3, but a defensive offsides negates it? Well, instead of re-attempting the chip shot, head coach Anthony Lynn went for the jugular, and ran Gordon up the gut to blow the game wide open in the fourth.
"The Chargers [took] apart the Packers offense. Bosa and Ingram [put] together a highlight film on demoralization. My goodness." - Steve Wyche of NFL Network
The Chargers will now face the AFC West-rival Raiders on Thursday Night Footbal, while the Packers hope to bounce back when they face the Panthers.
Check out all the action you might've missed from the upset of the week in our live blog below.
And with that, the Chargers have just provided the upset of the week, and the Packers have a very real mirror to look in -- thanks to the fashion in which they were beaten. Thanks for tuning in! See you all next week!
Packers finally put a TD on the board, and Rodgers runs the two-point conversion in himself. There's still a chance for a comeback, but those are lottery odds at this point. Chargers would have to collapse on both sides of the ball. Then again, it's Rodgers -- so let's watch.
This was a GUTSY call by the Chargers. They had a FG on the board and were already up 22-3, but the penalty negated it (offsides on Packers). Instead of re-attempting it, they run Gordon down the Packers throat and blows the game wide open.
A touchdown here by the Chargers puts the nail above the coffin, and the Chargers would only have to grab the hammer.
Huge pass break up there by King, III to force a field goal attempt and kill the first drive of the day for the Packers that saw them get into Chargers territory. Packers are now 1/8 (13%) on third down, and they're losing the TOP battle by more than six game minutes.
The Chargers finally punch it in on the legs of Melvin Gordon, and they're starting to run away with it now. The Packers have had no answer for what Los Angeles is doing today. Their great red zone defense has finally shattered, largely in part due to time of possession creating fatigue issues as the game wears on.
