From Jeff Miller: Torched again, the smell of the Chargers’ burnt pass defense permeated Sunday even into a performance during which the group gave up only two touchdowns.
Brandon Staley faced repeated questions related to his defense following a 23-20 loss to Green Bay, the inquires reaching a point where the head coach turned plenty defensive himself.
“There were a lot of other things that caused us to lose today,” Staley said. “It certainly wasn’t our defense. It was the way we played as a team.”
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He cited a one-for-four offensive red-zone showing, three glaring dropped passes and a pair of sacks Staley described as “killer.”
The Chargers also lost a scoring chance early in the fourth quarter when running back Austin Ekeler fumbled inside the Packers’ 10-yard line.
And the carnage was even more real. Edge rusher Joey Bosa was lost to what appeared to be a significant foot injury on the first series of the game.
All totaled, the Chargers fell to 4-6 thanks to their third two-game losing streak during a season that seems to be sliding toward something that resembles mediocrity, at best.
Forecast to contend for a playoff berth and perhaps even a division title, they today find themselves with a better record than only Tennessee and New England among the AFC’s 16 teams.
“Stop making it about one unit because that’s not what happened out there today,” Staley continued. “Our team lost, and I’m fully responsible for it.”
Chargers vs. Packers by the numbers
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RAMS
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is pressured by Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love during the Rams’ 17-16 win Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
From Gary Klein: It looked like a knockout hit, a play that would send Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford to the sideline and out of the game.
Instead, it ignited a comeback.
Stafford rallied the Rams from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter en route to a 17-16 victory over Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in front of 72,704 at SoFi Stadium.
Lucas Havrisik kicked a 22-yard field goal with 1 minute 31 seconds left and the Rams survived Jason Myers’ failed 55-yard field-goal attempt to end a three-game losing streak and improve their record to 4-6.
Puka Nacua and Darrell Henderson scored touchdowns and cornerback Derion Kendrick intercepted a pass for the Rams, who saw star receiver Cooper Kupp leave the game in the first half because of an ankle injury.
Rams vs. Seahawks by the numbers
LAKERS
Lakers star LeBron James dunks over Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason on Sunday night.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
From Dan Woike: LeBron James barreled through the lane from left to right, fighting through contact to muscle the ball up and off the backboard and through the rim.
As his momentum carried him toward the corner of the Lakers’ bench, his teammates stood and cheered.
This wasn’t just any basket against any opponent. This was two points over Dillon Brooks. And that’s why James made sure to put his hand down near the court.
“Too small” was the message.
James was again excellent, scoring 37 points and hitting the winning free throw with Anthony Davis on the bench having fouled out in a 105-104 win against Houston on Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena.
But Brooks — who instigated things with James last spring in the playoffs as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies — wasn’t going to back down.
From J. Brady McCollough: Put away the pitchforks, UCLA fans.
Would school administration have made a move on Chip Kelly if his Bruins had backed up their lifeless performance against Arizona State by rolling over for USC in the Coliseum? Only UCLA president Gene Block, athletic director Martin Jarmond and a handful of others know the answer — which is now irrelevant.
UCLA outclassed the Trojans on Saturday, further exposing the alarming state of Lincoln Riley’s program and making it clear that despite some obvious warts in Westwood, only one team in town is potentially built for Year 1 in the mettle-testing Big Ten.
I feel for the die-hard Bruin backers after Saturday. They want the program to take the next step — to win a conference championship for the first time since 1998 — and have plenty of evidence to suggest that won’t be happening under Kelly. Those UCLA fans will be able to separate the fun of whipping a flawed USC team from the reality that the Bruins probably have a 9-3 ceiling as they’re currently constructed.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
From Bill Plaschke: Memo to Chip Kelly, the UCLA coach on the hot seat.
Scoot over.
Make room for Lincoln Riley.
The two men met Saturday in the crosstown rivalry, yet only one of their teams showed up.
Only one of their teams really cared about its biggest game of the season. Only one of their teams played with desperation, fought with fury, competed with heart.
It was the struggling team with the embattled leader who could be fired next week, not the privileged team with the glamorous boss who seemingly was just getting started.
It was the anonymous team that has spent years in the shadows, not the starry team with the buzz, the pedigree and a quarterback who last season won the Heisman Trophy.
USC BASKETBALL
From the Associated Press: Boggie Ellis scored a season-high 28 points and Isaiah Collier had 24 to lead No. 16 USC to an 81-70 victory over Brown on Sunday at Galen Center.
The Trojans also received more good news as Bronny James warmed up with his teammates before the game, which was the first time he has done so this season. He has yet to make his college debut after he suffered cardiac arrest during a workout at USC in July.
Sunday’s victory wasn’t easy. Ellis scored 16 points in the first half for the Trojans (3-1) and was pivotal late in holding off the pesky Bears.
DUCKS
From the Associated Press: Jake Neighbours and Pavel Buchnevich scored in the first period and the St. Louis Blues ended a two-game California losing streak with a 3-1 win over the Ducks on Sunday night at Honda Center.
Joel Hofer made 30 saves as the Blues won on the second night of a back-to-back after falling 5-1 to the Kings on Saturday. St. Louis had given up a combined 10 goals in consecutive games against San José and the Kings.
Alexey Toropchenko also scored for the Blues, who improved to 1-2 during a stretch in which they will play six of seven games on the road.
“I think a start always is a priority for us,” Neighbours said when asked if the opening period was a priority on the tail end of a back-to-back. “The first 10 minutes we want to be effective, and north and direct. And I thought we were that tonight.”
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1934 — Busher Jackson scores four third-period goals to power the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Eagles.
1960 — Jerry Norton of St. Louis intercepts four passes to send past the Washington Redskins 26-14.
1969 — Brazilian soccer legend Pelé scores his 1,000th goal.
1977 — Walter Payton rushes for an NFL record 275 yards, and the Chicago Bears edge the Minnesota Vikings 10-7.
1979 — Red Holzman of the New York Knicks wins his 500th game, a 130-125 overtime victory over Houston at Madison Square Garden. Holzman is the second coach, after Red Auerbach, to reach that mark.
1983 — Seattle’s Dave Krieg passes for 418 yards and three touchdowns, lifting the Seahawks to a 27-19 victory over the Denver Broncos.
1983 — Steve Bartkowski throws a 42-yard desperation pass that is deflected to Billy Johnson at the 5-yard line, and he then fights his way into the end zone to give the Atlanta Falcons a 28-24 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
1994 — Tisha Venturini scores twice and Angela Kelly, Sarah Dacey and Robin Confer add goals for North Carolina, which beats Notre Dame 5-0 for its ninth consecutive NCAA women’s soccer championship.
1997 — A.C. Green breaks the NBA record for consecutive games — his 907th straight appearance in the Dallas Mavericks’ 101-97 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Green surpasses Randy Smith’s mark of 906 set from 1972-83.
1999 — TCU’s LaDainian Tomlinson rushes for an NCAA Division I record 406 yards on 43 carries with six touchdowns in a 52-24 victory over UTEP.
2001 — Ball State beats No. 3 UCLA 91-73 in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational, one day after knocking off No. 4 Kansas in the opening round.
2010 — Mikel Leshoure of Illinois rushes for a school-record 330 yards and scores two touchdowns in the Fighting Illini’s 48-27 win over Northwestern at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. All offensive plays are run toward the same end zone because a brick wall, although heavily padded, is too close behind the other one.
2011 — Brittney Griner has 32 points and 14 rebounds while Baylor establishes itself as the clear No. 1 team with a 94-81 victory over No. 2 Notre Dame in the preseason WNIT championship game.
2011 — Landon Donovan scores in the 72nd minute on passes from Robbie Keane and David Beckham, and the Los Angeles Galaxy’s three superstars win their first MLS Cup together with a 1-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo.
2012 — Jack Taylor scores 138 points to shatter the NCAA scoring record in Division III Grinnell’s 179-104 victory over Faith Baptist Bible in Grinnell, Iowa.
2016 — Jimmie Johnson ties Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt with a record seven NASCAR championships when he defeats Carl Edwards, Joey Logano and defending champion Kyle Busch at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Compiled by the Associated Press
And finally
Lakers President Jeanie Buss stopped by the Times Lakers Show to talk about the team, their offseason approach and what she hopes the Lakers will accomplish before the Boston Celtics do. Check it out here.
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.