It was the Chargers’ first big chance to get back on track. But on fourth-and-1 in the season opener, it wasn’t Joey Bosa or Khalil Mack who made the play that sent the defense’s first warning shot of the Jim Harbaugh era.
It was Puna Ford and Otito Ogbonnia who took to the field.
The pair of 300-pound tight ends combined to stop the Las Vegas Raiders in the Chargers’ second defensive slump of the season, turning the team’s line from a question mark to a strength while setting the tone for the NFL’s stingiest scoring defense, allowing just 6.5 points per game.
The Chargers’ established defenders are the stars of the defensive front, and the inside linebackers are ready to make a name for themselves.
Morgan Fox is the vocal leader among the Chargers’ defensive tackles.
(Kyusung Gong/Associated Press)
“People don’t talk about us, they might think we’re not, but we know who we are as players,” defensive lineman Morgan Fox said. “Aside from the people in our room, we don’t care about anything and at the end of the day, we just want to prove ourselves.”
The Chargers (2-0) also allowed just one red zone drive, the fewest in the NFL. They beat the Raiders in their first game under their new offensive coordinator and dominated the Carolina Panthers, who fired second-year quarterback Bryce Young the next day.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, however, have a new challenge. Sunday’s game for the undefeated teams is a “playoff opener,” Harbaugh said, because it will be their first game against a team that made the playoffs last season.
The Steelers are 2-0 heading into the season for the first time since 1999, and Justin Fields, who started at quarterback for the injured Russell Wilson, is expected to resume that role Sunday at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.
The Chargers, already off to their best start since 2012, could finish 3-0 for the first time since 2002.
The Chargers are beginning a turnaround after finishing 24th in points last season. It started with defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who is in his first year as an NFL play-caller after two years as defensive coordinator at Michigan. Harbaugh, who coached with Minter at Michigan for two seasons, said the 41-year-old is “really good at what he does.”
General manager Joe Hortiz rebuilt the roster with minor acquisitions, including signing Ford to a one-year contract after the seven-year veteran had a disappointing season with Buffalo.
The 5-foot-11, 310-pound defensive tackle joined the Bills as a high-profile signing with hopes of making a Super Bowl run. He established himself as a consistent force in Seattle over five seasons, but had nine tackles for Buffalo and was listed as inactive on nine of 17 snaps.
Returning to the West Coast for the opener, Ford wasted no time showing his league potential with three tackles, including one for loss, and an interception against the Raiders.
“These guys are really hungry to prove that they are capable, really good NFL players,” Minter said, referring to tight end Christian Fulton, who was injured in Tennessee.
Ford, 28, is a veteran on a defensive line that joins just three players with more than three seasons of experience. However, Ford told reporters during the preseason that he would delegate many of the vocal and media duties of the defensive line group to Fox, 30, who is in his third year with the Chargers after stints with the Rams and Panthers.
Ford prefers to let his game speak for itself.
Defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia (93) has been impressive during the Chargers’ two wins.
(Kyusung Gong/Associated Press)
“This guy is a beast,” Ogbonia said, standing a few feet from Ford at the practice facility.
Ogbonnia, 22, was impressed by Ford’s consistent technique, which is always the same regardless of the game. Ogbonnia tried to adopt the same consistency and make a significant jump in his third season.
The UCLA graduate suffered a torn patellar tendon midway through his rookie season. He returned eight games last season with two starts, and the fifth-round pick cemented a starting role alongside Ford and Fox.
Harbaugh said, “I can’t think of anyone who’s improved as much and is as dynamic as Otito.”
“He’s really taken a step forward just to fit in the little details,” said Fox, who has four tackles and a half sack in two games. “Compatibility with the pad surface, compatibility with your hands. He’s really taken a step forward in that regard, because when he does that, he’s a very strong, very disruptive player.”
Ogbonnia feels at his best and emphasizes the “general violence” of his game. Even when his technique isn’t perfect, he wants his movements to display the power he hopes the defense can detect.
Ogbonnia wasn’t afraid to show that mentality when a Raiders offensive line tried to strip the ball from the defensive tackle on the first play. Ogbonnia held his facemask against his opponent until his teammates pulled him away.
It didn’t matter that he was facing fellow former UCLA Bruin Colton Miller.
