A Keenan Allen dropped pass stopped a promising drive in the opening quarter. Allen finished with two drops on the day. According to ESPN Stats & Information, it’s the first time in his five-year NFL career that Allen had multiple drops in a game.
Casey Hayward dropped an interception that he could have returned for a score in the first half.
And Joey Bosa jumped offside and stopped playing, resulting in a free play and a 5-yard TD pass to Bennie Fowler III from Trevor Siemian that gave the Broncos an early 7-0 lead.
Anthony Lynn became the first Chargers head coach to not win his debut since Marty Schottenheimer in 2002. Norv Turner and Mike McCoy both won their first games as head coach of the Chargers.
Speaking of McCoy, now the offensive coordinator for the Broncos, the former Chargers head coach had to be smiling after this one, as Denver appeared to be in the Bolts’ huddle at times.
However, the Chargers made things interesting late.
Down 24-7 heading into the fourth quarter, the Chargers used back-to-back turnovers to work their way back into the game.
Rookie Desmond King’s deflection on a pass to Fowler was picked off by safety Adrian Phillips.
The Chargers took over at Denver’s 43-yard line and six plays later, Rivers found Allen for a 5-yard touchdown, cutting Denver’s lead to 24-14.
The Chargers then forced a second straight turnover when linebacker Korey Toomer stripped the ball from Jamaal Charles, with Hayward scooping it up and returning it 11 yards.
With two minutes left, Rivers marched the Chargers into field goal position with the hopes of overtime.
Undrafted rookie Younghoe Koo made the first kick, but the Broncos called timeout before the snap.
On Koo’s second try with five seconds left in the game, his 44-yard attempt was blocked by Shelby Harris, helping the Broncos escape with a win.
Although the Chargers now sit at 0-1, they play their next three games at home at the StubHub Center, beginning on Sunday.
Rivers finished 22-of-33 for 192 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Melvin Gordon totaled 54 rushing yards and Tyrell Williams led the Chargers with seven receptions for 54 yards.
In the past five editions of the Champions League, England has produced just two semi-finalists: Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea in 2013-14 and Manuel Pellegrini’s Manchester City in 2015-16.
It seems money can’t buy success. The Premier League’s lucrative television deals grant its clubs huge purses in the transfer market, but there hasn’t been an English winner since Chelsea beat Bayern Munich in the 2011-12 final.
So, with five English teams joining the group stages for the first time – Manchester United was granted entry through its procurement of the 2016-17 Europa League title – the country’s governing body will hope that strength in numbers will help stage an assault in the Champions League’s later rounds.
Here are each of the five teams’ chances of success in Europe’s elite club competition rated:
Chelsea
Group opponents: Atletico Madrid, Qarabag, Roma
A popular criticism of Antonio Conte’s managerial credentials is to highlight his record in European club competitions, and on paper his three years at Juventus didn’t exactly see the Italian outfit inflict damage on its continental rivals:
Season
Champions League exit
2011-12
N/A
2012-13
Quarter-final
2013-14
Group stage
But when you delve deeper you can see that using these finishes for evidence is a tad unfair. Luigi Delneri’s seventh-placed finish in the 2010-11 Serie A term meant that there was no European tour in Conte’s inaugural season, and the following two campaigns saw elimination at the hands of eventual winner Bayern Munich, and an exit from a group featuring champion elect Real Madrid and a Galatasaray side which scored late goals against Juve in both meetings.
Despite his previous disappointments, Conte could prioritise the Champions League after claiming last season’s English crown. The Italian has successfully bulked up his squad with know-how in all of Europe’s top leagues in Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Antonio Rudiger, and Andreas Christensen, who returned after two years on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach. That added depth can help the Blues take top spot in Group C and test their continental playing style beyond the Round of 16.
Chances of reaching quarter-final stage or later: 8/10
Tottenham Hotspur
Group opponents: APOEL Nicosia, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid
There’s no such thing as the Wembley curse, but in England there is a case for teams circling a trip to Tottenham Hotspur’s temporary home as a rare opportunity to claim a result at the historic ground. Teams on the continent shouldn’t share that level of motivation, but Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid will be comfortable playing in a packed, huge venue.
It’s a very tough quartet for Spurs, and there was nothing from last season’s efforts – elimination from both the Champions League group stage and Europa League Round of 32 – and their transfer business that indicates Mauricio Pochettino’s ranks are equipped for a European surge.
It appears to be a transition year for Spurs as they prepare to move into their new White Hart Lane abode, so their focus should lie in consolidating their place in England’s top four as they cover high costs for that stadium project.
Chances of reaching quarter-final stage or later: 3/10
Manchester City
Group opponents: Feyenoord, Napoli, Shakhtar Donetsk
Manchester City fans’ difficult relationship with UEFA means that winning the Premier League is their priority but, after an outlay that has given Pep Guardiola the most expensively assembled squad in history, the club’s hierarchy will insist on a strong European showing. The CIES Football Observatory found the Spaniard’s throng to be worth €853 million – up €242 million from last year.
City’s deepest run in the tournament in 2015-16 was helped by a kind draw against Dynamo Kyiv and some odd tactical decisions by Laurent Blanc when he was in charge of Paris Saint-Germain. However, the upgrades since then – Fernando has given way to Ilkay Gundogan, Leroy Sane and Bernardo Silva were brought in while Jesus Navas returned to Sevilla, and Gabriel Jesus takes Wilfried Bony’s spot – suggest a forceful rush into the knockout rounds is nigh.
1 – Manchester City’s first ever Champions League match came against Napoli in September 2011, drawing 1-1. Circle.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 24, 2017
The Achilles heel in Guardiola’s side is well-documented: The defence. Napoli has a strong chance of taking first place in Group F, with Maurizio Sarri’s pacey attack capable of ravaging Nicolas Otamendi and Vincent Kompany.
Chances of reaching quarter-final stage or later: 6/10
Liverpool
Group opponents: Maribor, Sevilla, Spartak Moscow
The most entertaining show in England will leave the European crowds gasping – particularly when Sevilla is lining up on the other side of the halfway line.
Liverpool’s start to the season has delivered everything that was anticipated – absenteeism in defence, and lunacy in attack – which should set up appetising meetings against Sevilla’s flowing forays. Besides that, the Reds have been handed a group where they will have no excuses if they don’t finish in the top two.
Unfortunately for Jurgen Klopp, there’s still an unfinished look to his squad. Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius aren’t dependable between the sticks; raw youngster Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dejan Lovren, Ragnar Klavan, and Alberto Moreno should be defensive backups and no more; and returning star Philippe Coutinho will likely learn the ropes in a new(ish) role behind the front three, whether the Barcelona target likes it or not.
Liverpool appears to be a work-in-progress and too thin to sufficiently challenge both domestically and continentally.
Chances of reaching quarter-final stage or later: 5/10
Manchester United
Group opponents: FC Basel, Benfica, CSKA Moscow
Mourinho electing to field David De Gea in the Champions League after Sergio Romero’s residency in last season’s Europa League XI suggests the Portuguese manager is going all out in Manchester United’s English title pursuit and in Europe.
The experience gained in that successful Europa League venture could be priceless – Chelsea and Atletico Madrid both followed recent victories in that tournament with strong Champions League runs a season or two later – and the quick work in the summer transfer window has resulted in a team that is already gelling in domestic play.
Stoke have scored as many goals today vs. Man Utd (2) as they managed in their previous 3 Premier League games this season.
Exciting stuff. pic.twitter.com/gAOrfG4csX
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) September 9, 2017
Like many Premier League outfits, United’s vulnerability lies in defence. Phil Jones was bullied and Eric Bailly was clearly rattled in Saturday’s 2-2 draw in Stoke City, and in reserve is Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof, both of whom are trying to win the trust of Mourinho. The left side of the backline isn’t inspiring either, with the sluggish Daley Blind and oft-unfit Luke Shaw vying for minutes.
Chances of reaching quarter-final stage or later: 8/10
LOS ANGELES — At last, Aaron Donald is back. The Los Angeles Rams’ star defensive tackle ended his holdout Saturday and passed his physical. He will not play in Sunday’s regular-season opener, and he still doesn’t have the contract extension he seeks. But he’s here, and that is a very important first step. I’ll try to answer some of the key questions regarding his situation.
Aaron Donald has been ruled out for Sunday’s Rams opener but could see the field in Week 2. Kevin Reece/Icon Sportswire
What is his roster situation?
The Rams sought a roster exemption for Donald, which is typical under these circumstances. It allows them to place Donald on the active roster — and thus ensure he gets paid for that game — without having to cut another player to get back down to 53. They’ll make that decision after Sunday’s game, and my guess is that it will be a center who gets cut. The Rams have four right now. Donald was previously on the reserve/did not report list.
What about his fines and compensation?
Donald was fined $40,000 for each day he did not report during training camp and the preseason, adding up to somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.4 million. But as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, the Rams waived those fines. Pro Football Talk also reported that Donald will not lose any of his signing-bonus money. If his holdout would’ve lingered beyond Sunday’s 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff, Donald would not have been paid one of his 17 game checks (players are paid during their bye weeks). Donald’s base salary this year is $1,802,250, so he would have lost out on a little more than $106,000.
Tough to say right now. There’s little doubt on the Rams’ side that Donald stayed in shape while working out in Pittsburgh, but strapping on the pads and repeatedly taking hits along the interior is completely different. They’ll know more during practice this coming week, and they won’t rush him. If they’re confident he’s ready to play Week 2 against Washington, great. If they have to wait until Week 3 (the following Thursday in San Francisco) or Week 4 (Oct. 1 in Dallas), they’ll be fine with that, too. The Rams — and, clearly, Donald — are looking long term here.
Does this mean they’re close to a deal?
Not necessarily. Donald’s showing up doesn’t mean there has been a major breakthrough in negotiations. There really hasn’t been. The 26-year-old wanted to be back around his teammates, and, of course, he didn’t want to miss a paycheck. The Rams’ front office traveled to Atlanta the day before the final preseason game to meet with Donald’s representatives at CAA, but they didn’t really make much progress. They just want to keep the conversations going. I presume they will continue.
What’s the holdup?
It has been pretty clear to me that the Rams understand if they’re going to give Donald an extension, they basically need to make him the game’s highest-paid defensive player. J.J. Watt is the best comparison in this situation, because he was considered the game’s best defensive player when he signed his extension (with the Texans in 2014) and because he had completed only three NFL seasons by then. Watt’s deal ultimately made him the game’s highest-paid defensive player. There’s no reason Donald wouldn’t believe he’s worthy of that, too, particularly when you consider that the top earner at his position, Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, is very nearly the game’s highest-paid defensive player.
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With that being the case, I would have to think it comes down to either ensuring that Donald is the highest-paid defensive player for a while — which might mean blowing past the Von Miller deal, which includes $70 million guaranteed — or giving him as much of his guaranteed money as possible up front. That could be a little tough. The Rams have only about $4.5 million in salary-cap space, according to ESPN’s Roster Management System. They can restructure player contracts to open up more room, usually by turning base salaries into signing bonuses that are prorated over the length of a contract. But the Rams don’t like doing that. They like minimizing what they prorate to maximize their salary-cap flexibility.
The best bet would probably be to give Donald a big chunk of his guaranteed money as a roster bonus that would be paid next spring. But what if Donald suffers a devastating injury before then? Maybe that’s a concern on his side. Keep in mind: These are assumptions; I am not privy to what has been offered and what has been asked.
How does the defense look with and without him?
With Donald out, the Rams will start rookie Tanzel Smart at the 3-technique spot, alongside nose tackle Michael Brockers and defensive end Ethan Westbrooks. Smart is a sixth-round pick out of Tulane. Veteran offensive lineman Rodger Saffold, who blocks Smart every day in practice, said Smart has “outrageous potential.” But he is also raw and a bit undersized. The Rams are fully healthy now. And when Donald returns, they should look very good on defense, especially in their front seven, with Robert Quinn, Alec Ogletree, Mark Barron and Connor Barwin making up a strong linebacking corps. ESPN’s Football Power Index ranks the Rams defense 14th heading into the year, but Wade Phillips can do better than that.
