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| Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn (L) talks to former Chargers kicker Nick Rose in the first half against the Oakland Raiders on December 31, 2017 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. Photo by Lori Shepler/UPI |
By The Sports Xchange, UPI
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers has only five games in his career in which he passed for more than the 424 yards he had in the 38-28 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Most of the news following the opener at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., was the yards Rivers could have gained if his receivers did not drop passes. The drops included potential touchdown passes to Tyrell Williams and Travis Benjamin.
"Very uncharacteristic," Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn said Monday. "Have not seen that out of this group, at all, out of Travis or Tyrell."
Lynn made the excuse Sunday that the drops were a result of the sweat from the heat, but on Monday he realized the Chiefs played in the same conditions and did not have an issue catching passes.
"Maybe they were pressing," Lynn said of Williams and Benjamin. "Maybe after you drop one ball, maybe you're pressing to make the next catch. I'm not quite sure.
"You don't flinch. You keep playing. Those guys, they're good receivers. They'll bounce back."
Lynn added that the dropped passes -- Rivers' receivers had at least four glaring ones -- will not be discussed often during practice leading up to Sunday's game at Buffalo.
"I don't dwell on it," Lynn said. "I try not to beat a guy down because of it. I try to encourage these guys so they can make the next play."
Lynn also said Monday he did not have an injury update for right tackle Joe Barksdale. Lynn mentioned that Barksdale is still being evaluated. Barksdale suffered a knee injury during the Chargers' third possession Sunday and sat out the rest of the game.
Sam Tevi, a 2017 sixth-round pick from Utah, replaced Barksdale. He will continue starting in Barksdale's place, Lynn said.
"Sam's been the swing tackle since Day 1 of training camp," Lynn said. "We knew if something went down he would step in at right tackle."
Forrest Lamp, the Chargers' second-round pick a year ago, has been working mostly at right guard. He is working his way back from a knee injury that sidelined him last season.
Lamp played in only the last game of the preseason. He was inactive Sunday.
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"[He needs] a little more confidence in what he's doing," Lynn said. "Just make sure he's safe. He just needs reps. This is a guy who hadn't played football in a long time.
"He has to have complete confidence in that knee but also [in] the techniques that we teach and the rushes that he's going to get. He's got to be able to perform, too."
NOTES:
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S Derwin James, a rookie, played all 56 defensive snaps in his NFL debut. He was in on three tackles, broke up two passes and had the Chargers' only sack.
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WR Keenan Allen posted the 19th 100-yard receiving game of his career. It pushed him into a tie with WR Anthony Miller for No. 7 in Chargers history. He also broke the team record for most multi-catch games, breaking a tie with Kellen Winslow.
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K Caleb Sturgis made his first two field-goal attempts from 45 and 35 yards, but missed a 50-yarder with under two minutes remaining to end any hopes for a comeback.
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QB Philip Rivers, with his second-quarter touchdown pass to Austin Ekeler, passed Fran Tarkenton for the sixth-most touchdown passes in NFL history (343).
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RB Melvin Gordon, who had 64 rushing yards, led the offense in receptions with nine for 102 yards.
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