Despite Chargers head coach Brandon Staley being a defensive-minded guy, there was always a question mark surrounding the inconsistency of the team’s defense last season.
It’s only the first game of the season, but it seems as though the Los Angeles defense is no longer a weakness for the team, and instead, it is rebuilt as a strength for the Bolts after their slew of off-season acquisitions.
One of the newest additions to the team is edge defender Khalil Mack who has been a defensive threat for several seasons in the league.
In his debut as a Charger, Mack terrorized blockers all game long. He finished with three sacks, three tackles loss, four quarterback hits, and a forced fumble.
One of Mack’s sacks was a forced fumble on a fourth-and-8 late in the fourth quarter. It led to a turnover on downs, which ultimately sealed the deal.
“It’s team ball, man. It’s all team ball,” Mack said. “The coverage guys were doing an excellent job. They did a lot. It’s been a while since I got coverage sacks.
They were balling. Whatever it took to get [Davante Adams], especially on those downs I knew [Carr] was looking for him, they had a special game.”
Mack was one of the missing pieces to the Chargers’ defense. His presence allowed for more one-on-ones because Joey Bosa was opposite him. Bosa being double and triple-teamed happened far too often last season.
“It’s real special,” Mack said about his relationship with Bosa. “Just being able to talk ball on the sideline, communicating about what we’re getting on either side and trying to figure out what each tackle is giving us.
We’re able to bounce ideas off each other throughout the game. I feel like they switched a guy in at some point.”
Mack’s performance Sunday afternoon serves as an exciting preview for Chargers fans of the reality that the Bolts’ defensive woes from last season may be in the rearview mirror.
Is it too soon to say that the Chargers are legitimate Super Bowl contenders with their defense coupled with the star power of Justin Herbert?
