INGLEWOOD – Some investors will swear by real estate, others by treasury bonds. Apple, Microsoft and Amazon have all proved savvy additions to a portfolio.
Add Khalil Mack to that list of smart investments.
And DeAndre Carter, Gerald Everett and Zander Horvath.
Stock in Zion Johnson comes highly recommended too – especially if you’ve already struck gold with a quarterback like Justin Herbert, as the Chargers have.
After the Chargers came within a whisper of reaching the playoffs last season for the first time since 2018, they were as precise plugging holes this offseason as their prolific, proficient young signal caller is at finding them in a defense.
And good for them.
It would’ve qualified as a special category of white-collar crime for a team with Herbert on its roster not to do everything in its power to put him in position to win.
Because while Herbert threw 5,014 yards and 38 touchdowns last season, the second- and third-most in the NFL, the Chargers’ defense ranked last in defensive third-down conversion, 30th in total rushing yards allowed and 29th in total points allowed.
To their credit, General Manager Tom Telesco and Coach Brandon Staley couldn’t abide by such malfeasance.
So between January’s season-ending loss to the Raiders and Sunday’s season-opening 24-19 triumph against the same opponent at SoFi Stadium, they overhauled their defense.
They added interception magnet J.C. Jackson, former Ram Sebastian Joseph-Day, proven run-stuffer Austin Johnson, capable slot corner Bryce Callahan and two-time Super Bowl champ Kyle Van Noy.
And, yes, Mack, the 6-foot-3 outside linebacker whose resume is brimming with accolades. The Chargers traded a 2022 second-round draft pick and a 2023 sixth-rounder for the playmaker who was Defensive Player of the Year in 2016, is a three-time first-team All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler.
In his Chargers debut Sunday, he was the hero.
His strip sack of QB Derek Carr with 2 minutes to play put a fork in Las Vegas’ late surge.
The Raiders – who remain beloved in L.A., even with two NFL teams having taken up residence, a notion reconfirmed by the fact that black jerseys comprised at least half of the 70,000-plus crowd Sunday – chipped away after falling behind 24-10 with 6:42 left in the third quarter.
Las Vegas held Herbert and the Chargers’ offense scoreless from that point and put up nine points of their own, on a 55-year field goal by Daniel Carlson followed by a 3-yard touchdown connection from Carr to Davante Adams (who caught 10 of the 17 passes that went his way).
But the Raiders got no closer because Mack came plowing through their defensive line for his third sack, taking another bite out of his buddy Carr and sending those Raiders fans headed for the exits, turning the stadium purely powder blue as the official home team ran out the clock.
“Felt great to get out there with the guys and get familiar,” said Mack, who finished with five tackles and four quarterback hurries. “Especially … stepping out for the first time with everybody, getting to know who everybody is on the field. And so as you can see, this group, man, we’re capable. Just gotta stay on it. Stay on the grind.”
The group also intercepted Carr three times, with Drue Tranquill, Bryce Callahan and Asante Samuel Jr. all recording takeaways.
On the offensive end, the new guys announced their presence too, responsible for hauling in all three of Herbert’s touchdown throws. After a 3-3 first quarter, he connected first with the rookie Horvath on a wide-open 1-yard pass for the fullback’s first NFL touchdown in his first game with the team.
Herbert’s second TD pass was to Carter, who came aboard on a one-year deal, envisioned as a kick returner, though he’s quickly becoming a reliable target for Herbert, who threw his way four times Sunday – three of them completions for 64 yards.
Herbert’s third passing score was an impromptu beauty, delivered to Everett in the third period. The tight end, whose potential has previously might have outranked his production, on Sunday looked the part. He got free along the sideline and then backpedaled through a defender into the end zone to give the Chargers their biggest lead.
“We’re pretty complete,” Horbath said. “It doesn’t matter who’s out there, people are gonna be making plays.”
That includes on the offensive line, where the rookie Johnson made his NFL debut. The Chargers grabbed the 6-3, 312-pounder with the 17th pick in April’s draft, trusting he’d help protect their most valuable asset of all – Herbert.
He helped do the job Sunday, part of an offensive line that didn’t allow the Raiders’ stout defensive front to record a single sack. Las Vegas managed only three quarterback hurries.
The last time the teams met, in the Chargers’ win (or tie)-or-go-home Week 18 matchup last season, Herbert was dropped for a sack three times.
These new-look Chargers look improved in all the right ways, getting off to a start that Mack deemed “big.”
“But understand,” he added, knowing that smart investments can get more valuable as they mature, “that’s just the tip of the iceberg. First game of the year, everyone’s still getting their feet wet, so to improve on what you seen today, that’s all I care about.”
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