Chargers dominate the New York Giants

INGLEWOOD (News4usonline) – Now that the Los Angeles Chargers have gotten the New York Giants out of the way with an easy 37-21 win that the team recorded at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, the focus is now trying to win the AFC West Division. That starts with a home game matchup against the division leader Kansas City Chiefs in a Thursday Night Football square dance.

“We’ll be ready,” Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said during his postgame press conference. “They’re a tough cover no matter how many days. If it was a bye week playing them, it would be tough cover there. They’re really good football team in all three phases. It’s going to be a tough cover, but that’s what I think makes games like this so unique, is both sides have to go through it. It’s going to be a great ball game. It’s going to be great for the NFL. We have to get right to work.”

The quick turnaround presents an interesting dilemma for players and coaches. While the benefits after playing a Thursday Night Football game result in teams having an extra 10 days off for their next contest, the lead-up features putting together an effective game plan and preparation in a dense amount of time.

Not everyone is on board with having to play another football game so quickly. Staley said he is with the players on this debate.

“My side is with the players,” remarked Staley. “As a coach, that’s where my side is, what they what they feel because they’re the ones that have the hard job, not me or you. What I want to do is what’s best for them and their health and safety. If everyone thinks that that’s a good thing, that they can do it, then we’ll do it. I think that’s going to be a topic that continues to be explored. I know that it’s good for television and all that. I’m thinking about our players, that’s who I’m thinking about. We’ll be ready.”

Without wide receiver Keenan Allen and safety Derwin James taking the field, Staley had his players ready to go for the Giants. The Chargers took apart New York with a methodical approach. Los Angeles didn’t have a magic formula. They sort of controlled and dominated the game on both sides of the ball.

The Giants, playing the game without starting quarterback Daniel Jones, were simply outclassed in this game. After going up 37-7, the Chargers let New York have a couple of gimme touchdowns late in the game. Otherwise, it was complete domination for the Chargers.

“There were some things in the fourth quarter that I’m not comfortable with,” Staley added. “But, for three-and-a-half quarters, I’m really comfortable with that type of performance. Some of the ending stuff was us trying to make sure that our team was safe and sound for Thursday.

“We have to have a cleaner operation from punt standpoint, and the hands team at the end, for sure. But, I really liked the way that we competed in the game today. I felt like we played with a lot of purpose. I felt like it was a complete performance. When you take a look at how we started that game on defense, forcing five punts — outside of one play, really played a dominant first half.”

Just how inept was New York’s offense? The Giants had seven possessions in the first half. Five of those ended with punts. Outside the two late touchdowns that the Giants got in the fourth quarter, New York’s offense also sputtered on three of five of their ball possessions in the second half.

Quarterback Mike Glennon, who finished the game with 191 passing yards and two touchdowns for the Giants, talked about his team’s inability to move the ball effectively in the first half as the Chargers jumped out to a 24-7 lead.

“It was disappointing for me because we get the ball back on the 45-yard line,” Glennon said. “That is on us as an offense. We need to get points in that situation whether it is a field goal or touchdown, it has to be something. To go three and out and give the ball back to them, that falls on me. In situations like that, we need to get points.”

With the win against the Giants, the Chargers have now won two games in a row. While the Chargers offense and quarterback Justin Herbert are making most of the headlines, the team’s defensive unit has quietly gotten better during the last part of the season.

And with their last three of four contests being division games in the regular season, Staley is going to need his defense to step up to meet the challenge of stopping Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, Teddy Bridgewater, and the Denver Broncos, and Derek Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders.

Leading that charge is linebacker Kyzir White, who registered 10 tackles against the Giants. White now has 106 tackles on the season.

“I just talked to this guy in there, Kyzir White,” Staley said. “This guy is having a fantastic season and today was a great example of where he’s going with his game, developmentally — being able to run the show. The communication was clean. There was some hurry-up because they were behind. That communication, being able to be in the middle of it all, I’m just so proud of him. He’s definitely one of us. We’re very fortunate to have him.”

Featured Image Caption: Los Angeles Chargers edge rusher Joey Bosa (97) gives chase to New York Giants quarterback Mike Glennon (2). Photo by Ser Baffo/News4usonline