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The Los Angeles Chargers are on a roll with a three-game
in Maps Discussion Sat Nov 17, 2018 8:03 amby huangjian123 • Farseer | 342 Posts | 3420 Points
winning streak.Philip Rivers is determined to keep the momentum going Youth Casey Hayward Jersey , even with an overseas trip and a game in London looming."The guys have been great and we know we're in kind of a groove right now," the 36-year-old quarterback said. "This is a different week, but our mindset is whatever you normally do, just do it. We want to keep this going."The Chargers returned to the practice field Wednesday, brimming with confidence after their 38-14 victory over the Browns three days earlier. The decisive win raised their record to 4-2 and kept them one game behind AFC-leading Kansas City.The team remains in Cleveland and is training at suburban Baldwin Wallace University, hoping to maintain some normalcy before its Sunday game against the Tennessee Titans at Wembley Stadium in England."We practiced today at the same time that we'll play (6:30 a.m. Pacific time), so that should help our bodies get accustomed to the time change," said Rivers, who has thrown 15 touchdowns and has the second-best passer rating in the NFL at 115.1."As a player, Wednesday always feels like the start of the workweek — and we were all ready for it today. The challenge will be Thursday night to Friday morning with us flying all night to get to London."Los Angeles linebacker Denzel Perryman joked that avoiding jetlag will be easy, saying, "If you get some sleep medicine, you'll be all right."The fourth-year pro turned serious when asked if the Chargers' focus was where it should be, namely stopping Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota and running backs Derrick Henry and Dion Lewis."It's a different environment and different weather here, but we got some good work done today," Perryman said. "We know Tennessee has got a lot of nice weapons and an explosive offense with a nice duo back there. And Mariota, he can run and pass, so he's a difficult matchup. But we'll be ready for them, no doubt."The extended road trip has taken on special significance for Rivers, who has only played in London once in 15 pro seasons. He threw a costly late interception in the Chargers' 37-32 loss to New Orleans on Oct. 26, 2008.Rivers noted this will likely be his last game in England Youth Joe Barksdale Jersey , given his age and the league's rotation of all 32 franchises for international games."It's been 10 years, but shoot, I remember everything about it," he said. "Staying right next to the stadium before the game, and every time the ball went in the air, there were oohs and aahs."That was one of the first times the NFL had been to Wembley, so it's a little more common now, but I'm sure we'll see a lot of Chargers and Titans fans there supporting their favorite teams."Making this trip even more important, a win would make Los Angeles 5-2 on the season, which Rivers has only experienced twice before in 2006 and 2014. The latter team faltered down the stretch and missed the playoffs.With Melvin Gordon now one of the top running backs in the league and standout defensive end Joey Bosa expected back in early November from a left foot injury, Rivers doesn't want to let this opportunity slip away."We've got a chance to get to 5-2 and we've got to do whatever it takes to get there," he said. "If you had told us back in August we'd be in this position, we'd have taken it. We feel pretty good about ourselves right now."NOTES: Chargers coach Anthony Lynn expects linebacker Jatavis Brown (groin) and kicker Caleb Sturgis (right quadriceps) to be game-time decisions. Michael Badgley made his NFL debut filling in for Sturgis against the Browns, making all five of his extra points and his lone field-goal attempt. ... C Mike Pouncey (knee), WR Travis Benjamin (foot), TE Virgil Green (ribs), NT Damion Square (shoulder) were limited in practice, while Bosa and LB Kyzir White (knee) remain out. Opposing defenses are learning that Austin Ekeler is just as effective a running back as Melvin Gordon for the Los Angeles Chargers.The second-year running back scored his third touchdown of the season on a 44-yard swing pass from Philip Rivers to lead the Chargers to a 26-10 victory over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday."He's got some juice now. He can really run," Rivers said. "I think he's one of those, you don't realize how fast he is running until you have to chase him, which I never have Youth Trevor Williams Jersey , but I've seen a lot of guys do it. That was impressive."Ekeler, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2017, made two Oakland defenders miss at the Raiders 40, got a block from Keenan Allen and then went up the left sideline, putting the Chargers ahead for good."Moves into open space, that's how you can make your money in this league as a running back," Ekeler said. "That's where I think I excel and what I'm going to keep doing, winning one-on-ones."Ekeler has 410 yards from scrimmage, with 207 coming via receptions. He has six touchdowns in his career and is three away from tying Dan Reeves for most TD catches by an undrafted player in his first two years in the league. Reeves had nine with Dallas 1965-66."You wish we would have signed him. He's running hard, he's making people miss," Raiders coach Jon Gruden said. "He has the flexibility to line up in the backfield or in the slot. He's a sharp customer who knows how to play the game."Ekeler and Gordon are averaging 201 yards from scrimmage for the Chargers. Gordon is third among NFL running backs at 119 yards per game, and Ekeler is 12th at 82.Gordon had 120 yards from scrimmage against the Raiders (58 rushing, 62 receiving), including a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to put the Chargers up 17-3.Rivers was 22 of 27 for 339 yards with two touchdowns and a 143.4 passer rating. He completed passes to seven players, but as he noted, no one had a big yardage day."It wasn't an eight-catch, 150-yard day for anybody, but you look up and there's 330 yards passing and a lot of guys touched the ball," Rivers said. "It was efficient. We ran it well enough and we didn't turn it over. When you do that you have a good chance for a win."Here are some other things to know from Sunday's Raiders-Chargers game:STURGIS' FUTURE IN DOUBT?The Chargers signed punter Donnie Jones last Tuesday to also be the holder on field goals and extra points, thinking that it would help solve Caleb Sturgis' struggles. If the results of one game are any indication, it hasn't.Sturgis made two field goals http://www.chargersfootballauthentics.com/keenan-allen-jersey-authentic , but he also missed his fourth extra point of the season and was wide left on a 48-yard attempt on the last play of the first half.The sixth-year kicker has missed four extra points this season, equaling the amount he had over three seasons in Philadelphia from 2015-17."The extra point did bother me a little bit, but we'll figure out what happened there," said Chargers coach Anthony Lynn when asked about Sturgis' struggles. "He's been kicking with a lot of confidence, so I'm not concerned about it."ON THE LINEThe Raiders had a pair of rookie tackles starting in a game for the first time since the 1970 merger, with Kolton Miller at left tackle and Brandon Parker on the right side. Oakland allowed three sacks, but quarterback Derek Carr wasn't ready to single them out."I thought they played really well for it being a tough environment for them, against a great blitz package," Carr said. "Everyone has plays. It's easier to just find, 'Ah, rookie offensive tackle, let's blame him."COSTLY MISTAKEOakland was putting together a nice drive during the third quarter and got to the Chargers' 1 before Derek Carr threw an interception to Melvin Imgram in the end zone. A touchdown would have brought the Raiders within 10 with 1:05 remaining in the third quarter, but it basically ended all hopes for a comeback.Carr has more interceptions (eight) than touchdowns (seven) after the first five games in Gruden's offense. Gruden says that the fifth-year quarterback is progressing, but Carr admitted after the game that he needs to quit pressing."Those are the kinds of things where with my aggressiveness and his aggressiveness, we are learning and he does a great job communicating with me after stuff like that," Carr said. "He doesn't want me to stop being aggressive, but at the same time not forcing them, not pressing and sometimes to not make too many plays."LONDON CALLINGBoth teams have "home" games at London's Wembley Stadium the next two weeks. The Raiders will face the Seattle Seahawks next Sunday, while the Chargers take on the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 21.Oakland will practice at its facility before flying to London later in the week. Los Angeles will stay in Cleveland for four days after facing the Browns next Sunday before making the trip abroad.Follow Joe Reedy at joereedy
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