Joey Bosa has expressed in recent weeks that he felt healthy after dealing with a couple of injuries early in the season.
And he sure has looked like it on Monday Night Football.
The Chargers outside linebacker shined in primetime, finishing the game with a monster stat line of 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble, fumble recovery and tackle for loss.
With the Bolts getting an early lead and never looking back, it was an opportunity for Bosa and company to pin their ears back and rush the passer on the way to a big 27-6 win over New York.
“It feels great,” Bosa said after the game. “I think the energy is good, the mindset was really good the last couple of weeks, especially following a couple of tough losses. I think we’re heading in the right direction, just have to keep with it.”
“It’s fun. Especially when you’re up, it’s fun knowing that they’re going to throw the ball,” Bosa later added about rushing the passer. “You can get after them a little bit.”
Bosa was not alone however, as the trio of Bosa, Khalil Mack and rookie Tuli Tuipulotu all had big days, helping each other wreak havoc on the game. Mack and Tuipulotu added 2.0 sacks each.
The unit finished with 8.0 total sacks, four tackles for loss, seven passes defensed and three takeaways. It was the team’s fourth game of 5.0-plus sacks in 2023, tied for most in the NFL as they are now tied second-most sacks in the NFL at 31.
This is what the unit looks like when healthy — something they have not had the luxury of at certain parts of the season.
“Just when we’re healthy that’s how they’ll rush,” Chargers Head Coach Brandon Staley said after the game. “They just haven’t been healthy together for very long, but when they’ve been healthy together, that’s how they’ve played.
Staley added: “That’s why we have to keep them that way, but then when you get the other guys rushing, you know, when you have Tuli rushing as well as he is, Foxy [Morgan Fox], those interior guys, Derwin [James Jr.], it’s going to create more opportunities for everybody.”
Alohi Gilman made sure to set the tone early in the game.
On the Jets opening offensive possession and facing a third-and-6, Gilman raced over the middle of the field to break up a potential first down pass, delivering a hit on Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard in the process.
The next play after Gilman’s pass breakup? Derius Davis’ punt return touchdown.
It was a sign of things to come.
“We always want to be the people that set the tone early, be aggressive early,” Gilman said. “That’s what we’ve been trying to do these past couple of games. It’s been something that’s been working for us. Having them play on our terms is kind of what we’ve been going for.”
On the following Jets possession with their offense driving, it was Gilman who once again delivered the momentum shifting play.
With New York on the Chargers side of the field, he knocked the ball away from Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson. James recovered it to give the ball back to the offense.
Gilman added a fumble recovery late in the fourth quarter for good measure, as he nearly took it back for his first NFL touchdown.
It was just another example of what the fourth-year safety brings to the Chargers defense — and why he is one of the Bolts many defensive playmakers that can shift a game at any moment.
“I think you see what Lo’ brings to us,” Staley said about Gilman. “He brings that play style, that swagger, he’s a commander back there.”
“He’s made a lot of big plays for us since he’s been here and I think you see that trust that he creates for everybody else on the defense,” Staley later added. “You know, the safety position that’s very important to the job description is how you make others play. You’ve got to be that quarterback back there that makes everybody play calm and he’s just playing at a high level for us.”
Gilman returned from injury last week after not playing since Week 3, something that was a tough pill to swallow for the safety.
But it was not all bad, as the safety was able to learn a lot from his time missed.
“I’m excited, super blessed,” Gilman said. “Obviously being out wasn’t fun, but I learned a lot. I was able to have a better understanding of what it takes to be out there and grateful for God giving me this opportunity.”
All Gilman has done is make plays in the Bolts secondary, and with his return comes that steadiness that the unit has become accustomed to.
“He’s consistent,” James said. “When you’re consistent and you work hard and you mix with all that God blessed him with, it’s no better teammate I rather have out there than Lo.
“He’s a baller for us, he makes plays everywhere, consistent and fun,” James added.
