Chargers roll past Jets 27-6 behind Ekeler's 2 TDs and sack-happy defense
Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers' offense didn't have to do much against the New York Jets.
Not when their sack-happy defense and opportunistic special teams were making big plays.
Derius Davis returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown, Austin Ekeler ran for two scores and Joey Bosa and Los Angeles' defense stifled Zach Wilson and the Jets' bumbling offense in the Chargers' 27-6 victory Monday night.
"The defense played terrific today, came up with some big stops and got a lot of turnovers," Herbert said. "Offensively, we can move the ball better. We did a good job not turning the ball over. We had a couple punts and a few miscues, but those are things that we could fix."
Herbert was 16 of 30 for just 136 yards, but became the fastest player in NFL history to 1,500 completions as the Chargers (4-4) snapped the Jets' three-game winning streak.
Keenan Allen had eight catches for 77 yards to reach 10,000 career yards receiving. Los Angeles, which forced New York (4-4) to fumble four times and recovered three of them, sacked Wilson eight times, including 2 1/2 by Bosa and two each by Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu.
"We did the things that good defenses do," coach Brandon Staley said. "I thought we were physical, we did a really good job against the run game and we rushed the passer. We limited the explosions in the deep part of the field and we were really good in the red zone.
"So it was a team win."
Wilson and the Jets couldn't get anything going despite facing the NFL's worst-ranked passing defense. Wilson was 33 of 49 for 263 yards, and New York went 3 for 17 on third downs and 0 for 2 in the red zone.
"Today was not good, obviously," coach Robert Saleh said. "We just never gave ourselves a chance."
After the Jets went three-and-out on their opening drive, Davis gave the Chargers a 7-0 lead when the rookie fielded Thomas Morstead's punt near the right sideline, avoided a tackle attempt, cut inside and took off — avoiding a few more tackle tries along the way — for an 87-yard touchdown return.
"It was electric," Staley said. "He's got the stuff that's hard to find. He's the one that deserves the credit because he found the crease and hit it."
It was the longest punt return in the NFL this season, and the Chargers' first punt return for a TD since Desmond King brought one back 68 yards against Denver in 2019.
The Jets moved the ball on their next drive, helped in part by a roughing the passer penalty on Bosa — the first such call in New York's favor since 2021. But Garrett Wilson lost a fumble on the next play on a hit by Alohi Gilman, with Derwin James recovering.
"Too many self-inflicted wounds," Zach Wilson said. "Just not good enough."
Los Angeles couldn't take advantage of that takeaway, but did so after Bosa strip-sacked Zach Wilson and recovered the fumble on the Jets' next drive.
From the Jets 21, Ekeler slipped two tackle tries and zipped downfield and into the end zone and celebrated a touchdown — but was ruled out at the 1. He got into the end zone again two plays later, but it was negated because D.J. Reed was called for defensive offside.
Ekeler celebrated again — and it counted this time — on the next play when he punched it in to make it 14-0 with 2:45 left in the opening quarter.
Greg Zuerlein's 47-yard field goal cut the Jets' deficit to 14-3 with 5:57 remaining in the first half. Cameron Dicker's 55-yarder as time expired made it a two-touchdown lead again for the Chargers heading into halftime.
Dicker's 38-yarder in the fourth quarter made it 20-6 on a drive helped by a circus catch by Allen, who fully extended to reach for a high throw and snagged it with his left hand before corralling it with both hands as he rolled to the turf for a 23-yard reception on third-and-4.
The sensational grab put Allen over the 10,000-yard milestone.
"You don't get to 10,000 yards without being that ultimate example of consistency," Staley said.
Ekeler ran it in from 2 yards out to make it 27-6 one play after Mack had a strip-sack of Wilson and Gilman returned it 48 yards to set up the sealing score.
HERBERT RECORD
Herbert got his 1,500th career completion in his 57th game, besting the record shared by Patrick Mahomes and Matthew Stafford, who did it in their 62nd games.
Herbert got it on his 11th completion, a 4-yard screen pass to Allen in the third quarter. He now has 1,505 career completions.
JOLLY RODGERS
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, eight weeks to the day of tearing his left Achilles tendon in the season opener, was on the field throwing passes again in warmups.
The 39-year-old Rodgers, who has said his goal is to return before the end of this season, dropped back and stepped into a few passes that traveled around 50 yards.
REVIS' RING
Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis received his Hall of Fame ring during a halftime ceremony.
The former cornerback and four-time All-Pro played for the Jets from 2007-12 and 2015-16 and was inducted into the hall in Canton, Ohio, in August.
UP NEXT
Chargers: Host the Detroit Lions next Sunday.
Jets: Head to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders next Sunday night.