Chargers’ Bud Dupree had revenge game vs. Titans – can it continue?

Chris Roling | Nov 11, 2024

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Not too long ago, Los Angeles Chargers edge rusher Bud Dupree was the cause of much fan frustration. 

But with his team missing the injured Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa on a pitch count, Dupree stepped up in a big way with two sacks during the Week 10 win over the Tennessee Titans, one of his former teams.

"When you're missing your top dogs like that, you have to make sure you step up to the plate," Dupree said, according to Chargers.com’s Omar Navarro. "We got to make sure we got K-Mack's back. Each and every day he puts it all into it for us, we have to put all into it for him."

Dupree’s two sacks against the Titans helped him finish as one of the Chargers’ top-five graded players on defense and brought his total on the season to five. 

Not bad for a guy who, exiting Week 8, had a 38.5 PFF grade and some costly penalties. 

The question now is whether Dupree can keep this level of performance up the rest of the way. He and Tuli Tuipulotu were on fire in the rotation with Bosa while Mack hardly played. There’s always a chance that in his first year with the team, Dupree is only just now starting to hit his stride in the system. 

And if that turns out to be the case, what has already been one of the NFL’s best defenses with a coordinator getting head coach hype already, the unit will be ready for grind-it-out playoff football come the winter. 

— Enjoy free coverage of the Chargers from Los Angeles Chargers on SI —

More Los Angeles Chargers News:

Former Chargers star needed 1 catch to score TD with new team, hurt LA

Chargers benefitted from controversial replay overturn vs. Titans

Did Khalil Mack suffer injury setback during win vs. Titans?

NFL issues statement after ref's controversial Titans vs. Chargers call

Chargers playoff picture: How AFC seedings changed with win over Titans