Recapping Week 8 of the 2023 NFL season.
Week 8 of Sunday Night Football did not field a battle of heavyweights, but the Los Angeles Chargers rightfully proved they're better than the Chicago Bears with a 30-13 win.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert had a stellar individual night, taking charge of the offense like he needed to.
Rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent started again in place of the injured Justin Fields, but Chicago's issues extend far wider than his rather decent showing.
Los Angeles moved to 3-4 with the win, keeping pace with the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders in a tight AFC West. The Bears, though, dropped to 2-6 to stay in last in the NFC North.
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In the end, the Chargers needed a win more, and they certainly played like they wanted it. Let's analyze the game with five standout players:
QB Justin Herbert, Chargers
Herbert needed to be the best player of this game, and the Oregon product did just that. He completed 31 of 40 passes for 298 yards, three touchdowns and no picks, taking no sacks in the process. He's struggled in recent weeks dealing with a finger injury, but that didn't seem to hinder him against a defense he needed to post commendable numbers against. If he can play at this level against the more elite defenses, the Chargers can be serious contenders.
NFL
RB Austin Ekeler, Chargers
Ekeler makes more noise in the passing game than he does on the ground, which was the case in this one. He rushed for just 29 yards on 15 carries, with a seven-yarder being his longest. It was the opposite through the air, though, as he caught seven passes on eight targets for 94 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown was his first receiving one of the season as he ran 39 yards to the house.
TE Cole Kmet, Bears
Only one Bear will make this list given a pretty poor all-around performance from all three units. The standout here is tight end Cole Kmet, who led Chicago in receiving with 10 catches on 10 targets for 79 yards. Bagent, who completed 25 of 37 yards for 232 yards, no touchdowns and two picks, needed his receivers to be consistent to have a chance. His options beyond Kmet didn't deliver, most notably Velus Jones who inexcusably dropped a perfect deep ball from Bagent in the end zone. But Kmet was a lone bright spot with his production.
WR Quentin Johnston, Chargers
The Chargers gave Herbert more receivers this offseason, though injuries and inconsistent production have impeded some growth on that front. Rookie first-rounder Quentin Johnston has been one of those inconsistent performers. Despite having a good physical profile at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, he has yet to assert himself in games and get open consistently. But he fared better vs. Chicago, recording five catches on six targets for 50 yards. Both the catches and yards were career highs for the TCU product who needs to use this game as a launching pad and become a real piece.
DE Joey Bosa, Chargers
Bagent dealt with Los Angeles' pressure farely well, only being sacked once. That sack came courtesy of Joey Bosa, who like Johnston, had his best individual game of the season. Bosa logged four tackles (two solo), one sack, one tackle for loss and one QB hit. The sack marked his fourth of the season and first in two weeks. The individual matchups for the Chargers' defense all went in their favor vs. the Bears' weapons, and Bosa and Co. made sure that illustrated itself on the scoreboard.
