Chargers Look Brand-New In Close Loss To Buffalo

Nobody saw this coming.

Much to everyone's surprise, the Bolts, who were expected to lose by 12 points, played a surging Buffalo Bills team incredibly well – losing 24-22 on a go-ahead field goal with 28 seconds to play.

The Chargers came out looking great on both sides of the ball, jumping out to a 10-0 lead and holding the Bills to 3 points in the first quarter, despite them starting with the football. 

On the whole, they had more first downs, won the turnover battle 3-0, and were penalized quite a bit less than Buffalo, all signs of a team playing very disciplined football. 

Of course, all Cinderella runs (however short this one was) come to an end, and the Bolts eventually folded. 

This was a great look for interim coach Giff Smith, however, as well as offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, as he had the offense looking highly innovative and efficient. 

The team clearly rallied around the firing of Brandon Staley and Tom Telesco, performing far, far better on both sides of the ball than anyone could've expected. For the first time in weeks, they averaged over 4 yards per carry on the ground, with QB Easton Stick completing passes to 9 different receivers. 

The Chargers' defense was the most impressive unit on either side of the ball for either team today, which is something that hasn't been said in quite some time. With little to play for besides pride, they came out strong, forcing 3 turnovers and holding Bills RB James Cook to just 3.5 yards per carry (and a fumble), despite his absurd efficiency as of late against top defenses (5.8 YPC vs Kansas City, 7.2 YPC vs Dallas). 

With two games left on the calendar against the Broncos and Chiefs, expect the Bolts to continue playing hard, especially against divisional opponents. This remains a key audition period for Giff Smith, Kellen Moore, and new defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley, as all 3 could easily be retained on next year's staff – or find solid roles with other teams.