Chargers aim to build on opening win, keep Panthers down

The Los Angeles Chargers were encouraged by what happened in the first game of the season, which only serves to heighten their thirst to excel even more.

They’ll take on the host Carolina Panthers, who are trying to ensure better days are ahead, on Sunday afternoon.

The Chargers (1-0) topped the Las Vegas Raiders 22-10 in Jim Harbaugh’s debut as Los Angeles’ coach. That provided motivation to fix glitches and show improvement in the second week.

“Nothing like winning a game but still having a lot there on the table where you can get better,” Harbaugh said.

The Panthers (0-1) had the most-lopsided opening-week loss with a 47-10 blowout at New Orleans. That can’t be the focus, though preventing another downward slide is critical.

There’s no sense for Carolina to continue to dwell on the breakdowns.

“Hopefully, everyone can understand the discipline that is required to be in the moment, to be present in this week,” first-year coach Dave Canales said. “I have to be really cognizant of what I’m asking our team to do.”

The Panthers’ approach is geared toward building confidence for a team likely lacking it. Rather than worry about handling adversity, Canales has put the emphasis on other areas in preparing for the Chargers.

“There’s so much fundamental basic stuff to clean up for this game,” Canales said. “It’s a trust factor. … It starts with us combing through all of it to see if there’s a way we could help more.”

There are several reasons that Sunday’s assignment doesn’t appear to be a good matchup for the Panthers.

The Chargers are well-equipped at quarterback with Justin Herbert, while Carolina has questions with Bryce Young. The second-year pro had just 13 completions in the opener, while throwing two interceptions.

“I think he’s learning some of his (receivers),” Canales said. “We’ve got to keep accumulating those reps.”

The Chargers are bound to harass Young. Stars Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack would be expected to lead that charge — if Bosa plays. The linebacker sat out practice Thursday and Friday due to a back ailment and was listed as questionable for Sunday.

“You can tell as a defense they work really well together,” Young said. “Ton of respect for this and we want to focus on executing the best we can.”

Los Angeles was so overpowering on defense that the Raiders took only one snap in the red zone in the entire game.

And for Harbaugh, the best part might be what he has seen from his team as it gets ready for the cross-country trip. He knows the focus is on improving.

“The way they work,” he said. “It’s all about the team. It’s all about the work that they put in.”

Meanwhile, Herbert will test Carolina’s defense and should have plenty of help. J.K. Dobbins rushed for 135 yards on 10 carries in the opener.

“J.K.’s performance, I loved it in all ways,” Harbaugh said.

Herbert had only 144 passing yards, yet he’s bound to top that mark on most days.

The Panthers put standout defensive tackle Derrick Brown on injured reserve with a season-ending knee injury earlier this week.

Former Carolina center Bradley Bozeman plays along Los Angeles’ offensive front.

The Panthers have won six of seven meetings with the Chargers, who picked up their only win in the series in Charlotte in 2004.

The Chargers listed safety Alohi Gilman (knee) as doubtful for the game. In addition to Bosa, Los Angeles running back Hassan Haskins (toe), wide receiver Josh Palmer (knee) and cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor (fibula) were considered questionable.

The Panthers listed five players as questionable: punter Johnny Hekker (back), guard Damien Lewis (groin), tight end Tommy Tremble (hamstring/back), offensive tackle Taylor Moton (back/knee) and running back Raheem Blackshear (personal).

–Field Level Media

Lions host Buccaneers in another playoff rematch

The Detroit Lions had to open the campaign against a team it eliminated from the playoffs last season. The second week of the season will be no different.

Following a 26-20 overtime win against the visiting Los Angeles Rams, the Lions host Tampa Bay on Sunday. Detroit ended the Bucs’ 2023 season with a 31-23 win in the divisional round of the NFC Playoffs.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff doesn’t want to overemphasize last year’s playoff game while preparing for Sunday’s rematch with the 1-0 Buccaneers.

“You can look at it. You can play the game all day long of, ‘OK, we did this, and they did that, so how are we going to counter this and then we’ve got to counter that.’ And that’s a long rabbit hole you can go down,” he said.

“So you just try to prepare for it like it’s another game and watch that tape as if it’s another game and understand there are some certain things that they were trying to take away from us. But at the same time, I’m sure they’ll try to take away something else this game, so we’ll have to adjust as we go.”

The Rams did a good job of taking away some of the Lions’ offensive weapons in Sunday night’s opener. Goff was held to 217 passing yards, with 52 coming on a touchdown heave to Jameson Williams. All-Pro Amon Ra St. Brown was held to 13 yards on three receptions and Sam LaPorta also had a relatively quiet night (four catches, 45 yards).

Detroit coach Dan Campbell expects the Bucs, like the Rams, to challenge for their division title.

“They are certainly going to be competitive and be right there in the race, and so this is a chance to get an early one,” he said. “You get an early one and you just don’t know what this is going to mean down the road and if you can put some money in the bank early in the season, it will pay big dividends for you down the road. So, I think that’s the way you have to look at it.”

Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles says there’s “absolutely nothing” his team can take away from its last trip to Detroit.

“That was last year in the playoffs. They knocked us out,” he said. “We’re 1-0, we’re trying to win a ballgame to go 2-0.”

Bucs receiver Chris Godwin is looking forward to the challenge.

“Just more excited about the opportunity to go back there,” he said. “It’s a great environment. The fans, in that last game, they were rocking. They’re very excited about how good that team is, and they have a right to be. … As a competitor, it’s really fun to go into places like that.”

Godwin’s season got off to a strong start with eight receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown in the Bucs’ 37-20 win over Washington. Mike Evans added 61 yards and two TD grabs. Baker Mayfield completed 24 of 30 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns.

Mayfield passed for 349 yards and three touchdowns in the playoff game but was also picked off twice and sacked four times. The Lions didn’t have a turnover while St. Brown and LaPorta combined for 17 receptions.

“They’re talented all the way around, no question about it,” Bowles said. “They can hurt you in a lot of ways.”

Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr. didn’t practice all week due to an ankle/foot injury and was ruled out, along with starting defensive tackle Calijah Kancey (calf), right tackle Luke Goedeke (concussion) and reserve cornerback Josh Hayes (ankle). Starting cornerback Zyon McCollum (concussion), starting defensive end Logan Hall (foot) and rookie safety Tykee Smith (illness) are questionable.

For the Lions, safety Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle) and wide receiver Isaiah Williams (abdomen) were ruled out, while defensive end Marcus Davenport (groin) is doubtful. Jameson Williams and starting right tackle Penei Sewell are questionable with ankle injuries, and starting safety Kerby Joseph (hamstring) is also questionable.

–Field Level Media

Jets remain optimistic heading into clash with Titans

At least Aaron Rodgers made it through his first game this season with the New York Jets.

The Jets’ hopes of being 1-0 didn’t last too long past halftime of a 32-19 Monday night loss at San Francisco that really wasn’t close. A garbage-time touchdown with backup Tyrod Taylor running the offense masked the true, non-competitive nature of most of the second half.

New York and Rodgers shoot for a better result and better play Sunday when they visit Nashville, Tenn., for a clash with another 0-1 team, the Tennessee Titans.

Jets coach Robert Saleh said Tuesday that 0-1 with a healthy Rodgers feels better than 1-0 did in 2023 with Rodgers on the shelf for the year. The 40-year-old Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon on his fourth snap in last year’s opener against Buffalo, leaving New York’s offense an incoherent mess during a 7-10 season.

“I think our offense is in a really good place,” Saleh said. “I thought it was a good first outing in terms of, you know, for the quarterback, he hadn’t played in so long. But there was a lot of encouraging things and I know it’s going to be a lot better once we balance out this team.”

Rodgers completed 13 of 21 passes for 167 yards with a touchdown and a deflected interception but showed some rust, missing throws he had made over and over during his 18 years with the Green Bay Packers.

A bigger concern for Jets fans might be a defense that was shredded by the 49ers for 401 total yards and 24 first downs. San Francisco possessed the ball for more than 38 minutes, but Saleh isn’t concerned about that unit.

“I know we’re going to get the defense fixed,” he said. “It’s not a problem.”

Playing Tennessee should shed more light on whether Saleh is right. The Titans blew a 17-0 lead in Week 1, losing 24-17 in Chicago as its offense sputtered in the debut of coach Brian Callahan.

Will Levis played more like an uncertain rookie than the now-second-year quarterback who excited Tennessee at the end of last year. Levis was 19-of-32 passing for just 127 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. The first one was a pick-6 by Tyrique Stevenson that gave the Bears the lead for good.

Levis played to a meager quarterback rating of 52.5 and Callahan wasn’t happy after the game. On Wednesday morning, the coach softened somewhat.

“I’d say so far, Will has handled it great,” Callahan said. “Even after the game, he was in a good place — understood the mistakes, understood what he had to correct and was ready to move forward.”

The result canceled out an excellent performance from the defense, which permitted Chicago only 148 total yards and 11 first downs. The Titans notched two sacks and forced a turnover while not allowing the Bears’ offense into the end zone.

“It was almost as if we’d just punted on first-and-10 every time, we might have won the game, the way we gave it away,” said Callahan.

The Titans own a 25-20-1 lead in the teams’ all-time series. The Jets won the most recent meeting three years ago in overtime.

Jets starting cornerback D.J. Reed (knee) did not practice Friday after being limited Wednesday and Thursday. He is questionable to face the Titans, as is defensive lineman Micheal Clemons (triceps). Defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw (personal reasons) did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday and was limited on Friday, but carries no game designation.

The Titans have no players with a game designation for Sunday. Safety Jamal Adams (hip) will make his team debut after missing Week 1, and he will go up against the team that drafted him sixth overall in 2017. Adams made two Pro Bowls in three seasons with the Jets.

–Field Level Media