LA Chargers: Grading the team in its dramatic win over the Bengals

Linebackers and the secondary

The defense was firing on all cylinders for most of the game, but it came with one major blow. Drue Tranquill broke his ankle in the first quarter and had to be carted off the field. It’s a heartbreaking injury for the second year talent, especially considering that some had Pro Bowl expectations for him.

It was interesting that Nick Vigil was the first one to come in for the injured linebacker. Vigil had an OK game after appearing to be a little unsettled at first. Going forward, one has to assume his veteran experience will earn him a more sizable role in the rotation than he had before due.

Kenneth Murray was flying around the field today. While Burrow burnt him on a few coverages, no one expected him to be a refined product when it came to pass defense. In terms of bottling up the run and causing havoc though, Murray was a great presence and showed why he was a first-round pick.

Denzel Perryman forced a fumble and showed why he’s still decent when it comes to early-down action. Kyzir White wrapped up well with a great tackle for loss.

The secondary was my favorite part of the team this week. A.J. Green was held in check by Hayward, especially in the second half. Chris Harris was able to confidently shut down Tyler Boyd, who I thought would be a much bigger factor in this game.

Other than the couple coverage breakdowns on C.J. Uzomah‘s catches, it was a good all-around performance. Nasir Adderley struggled on the touchdown run by Burrow but had a decent enough game, all things considered.

Linebackers: B

Secondary: A-