In comeback fashion, the Chargers beat the Falcons on Sunday to improve to 5-3.
Here are my final takeaways from the Week 9 battle.
Stepped up in a big way
With the Chargers missing their top two wide receivers, Keenan Allen (hamstring) and Mike Williams (ankle), they turned to Joshua Palmer to fill the shoes as the No. 1 player at the position. And the second-year player proved to be up to the task.
He consistently beat man and zone coverage with ravishing route running and caught nearly everything except a dropped pass leading to an interception. He set a career-high with 106 receiving yards, including three catches for 51 yards in the final minutes.
Even when Allen and Williams return, Palmer showed that on Sunday, he could be a crucial piece for the Chargers down the final stretch of this season and potentially in the playoffs.
Herbert finds his groove
After fracturing his rib cartilage in Week 2 against the Chiefs, Justin Herbert had not played like his normal self. But the bye week served him well to recover, as Week 9 marked the first time he looked back to form.
Herbert was more comfortable and poised in the pocket, went through his progressions and pushed the ball down the field more. Herbert also made some quality off-platform plays and got out of the pocket on several designed play-action bootlegs.
Herbert finished 30-of-43 passing for 245 yards, a touchdown and an interception, which wouldn’t have been a pick had the ball not been tipped off Palmer’s hands. But Palmer wasn’t the only one with a bad dropped pass. Gerald Everett had one that would have gone for 30-plus yards.
His improving health is a very positive sign for the Chargers.
Dissecting the explosive run plays
The Chargers had the bye week to make adjustments, and one of the biggest issues was not fixed: limiting big run plays. The Falcons finished with 201 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries (5.7 yards per carry).
Rookie Tyler Allgeier had a carry of 44 yards, which means Los Angeles has now allowed one run of at least 40 yards in six of their last seven games.
Allgeier’s run, by no surprise, came on the opposite side of Khalil Mack. Kyle Van Noy did not set a firm edge, Kenneth Murray took a bad break on the ball, and players at the second and third levels could not tackle him.
Currently, the Chargers are now 30th in rush defense DVOA.
Slow starts
The Chargers need to play a lot more disciplined on defense in the first quarter. Coming into Week 9, they ranked 31st in first-quarter points allowed per game.
Against the Falcons, they allowed 10 points in the first quarter, marking them losing by double digits in the first quarter for the fourth straight game.
The same can be said about the offense, which failed to score points in its last three games in the first quarter.
The preparation and execution early in the game must be better, especially against two really good teams in the 49ers and Chiefs back-to-back weeks.
Spiller flashes
Rookie Isaiah Spiller had a career-high 13 offensive snaps and made the most of his reps. Spiller was physical and decisive with the football in his hands. He had seven carries for 29 yards.
Spiller was also good in pass protection. In particular, he picked up a blitz on a first down in the third quarter, holding linebacker Troy Andersen at bay in the gap.
Spiller showed that he is deserving of more snaps than Sony Michel, while Joshua Kelly remains on the injured reserve.
Pretty good pass defense
The Chargers were sound in coverage, limiting Marcus Mariota to 12-of-23 passing for 129 yards.
With J.C. Jackson out, Michael Davis and Asante Samuel Jr. are the outside corners moving forward. They had good performances to minimize Atlanta’s top pass catchers, Drake London and Kyle Pitts, to just five catches for 50 yards combined.
Davis was targeted nine times in the game and only allowed three receptions for 18 yards, according to Pro Football Focus. Samuel, on the other hand, did not give up a reception.
