The LA Chargers escaped a long plane ride home from Cleveland on Sunday as Cade York's missed 54-yard field goal resulted in a 30-28 victory for the Bolts. It was not a perfect game for the Chargers that they arguably should have lost but at the end of the day, a win is still a win.
Chargers fans might not feel great about the long-term prospects of the team with how the game went down. It is completely justified to have concerns about certain aspects of this team with how the 2022 season has gone thus far.
However, those concerns should not outshine the positives from this game that are going to have a favorable impact on the Bolts throughout the rest of the 2022 season.
4 long-term positives Chargers fans can take away from Week 5:
1. Trey Pipkins is not seriously injured
Trey Pipkins went down in the second quarter with what appeared to be a pretty serious injury. Storm Norton was back in the game at right tackle and Chargers fans felt a sense of doom as Norton has arguably been the worst tackle in the sport.
Thankfully, Pipkins returned to the game and continued his strong play in the second half. Pipkins has had a career season for the Chargers and has been instrumental in protecting Justin Herbert's right side. He has also been one-half of a talented run-blocking duo alongside rookie Zion Johnson.
Even though the Bolts dodged a bullet with this one, the team should still be in the market for a depth tackle of some kind to provide depth in case of another injury. Tom Telesco typically trusts "his guys" and Norton is one of those guys, but he has proven enough that he cannot be trusted.