Chargers player of the game from loss to Dolphins

Austin Ekeler goes 55 yards!

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The Chargers had a challenging game. The defense wasn’t clicking, there were mistakes all over the field and the passing game was faltering – but a silver lining amongst all of it was Kellen Moore’s run game, featuring running back Joshua Kelley, and this week’s standout player RB Austin Ekeler.

Ekeler lit up the Dolphins defense on nearly every drive. Averaging 7.3 yards per carry, he found holes in Miami’s defense and bullied his way through tackles to make every carry count. Over the past several seasons, Ekeler has solidified himself as one of the top backs in the league, touting impressive stats in both rushing and receiving, as well as having 20 touchdowns in 2021 and 18 in 2022 – the most touchdowns out of any non-quarterback in the league two years in a row.

Ekeler impressed in today’s game, totaling 117 yards on 16 carries and one touchdown. Last season, he had only two games with over 100 rushing yards, so seeing this level of rushing production from him this early on is phenomenal. It was expected that Ekeler would continue to carry most of the load in the run game, but having Kelley there to share the number of carries made a big difference in Ekeler’s ability to remain explosive and productive throughout all four quarters of the game. The offensive line was also doing a fantastic job of making holes for him to run through, one of which resulted in a massive 55-yard run from Ekeler, which set up a touchdown for Justin Herbert and Donald Parham.

It’s exciting to see the run game come alive the way it did and alleviate some of the pressure from Herbert and the passing game. If Ekeler can continue this level of elite rushing production, then the Chargers’ offense should be a major threat to any defense they will face this season.