Keenan Allen

Three weeks into the NFL season and already the Chargers have planted a flag atop the AFC West — and a Mt. Rushmore collection of coaches.

They dispatched of the Denver Broncos on Sunday, after beating the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders in the previous two weeks.

If you’re keeping a scorecard, those are wins over Andy Reid, Pete Carroll and now Sean Payton, all Super Bowl winners, in a historic start for Jim Harbaugh, who is quick to remind people not to “put me on that dance floor” because he has yet to win a ring.

But Sunday’s 23-20 triumph might have been the most impressive considering the Chargers were flat as day-old soda for a considerable stretch yet still found a way to come back and win.

“It’s a signature win,” said Harbaugh, whose 3-0 start matches the club’s best since 2002.

His team’s first home game of the season, when the SoFi Stadium stands were mostly orange, had the Chargers taking a 10-0 lead before surrendering 17 unanswered points that left them chasing the entire second half.

The game-tying touchdown was a beauty, a sidearmed, cross-body, 20-yard sling by Justin Herbert to ageless receiver Keenan Allen, who was blanketed in the end zone yet still came up with the catch.

“I was lower than he was,” Allen said of cornerback Riley Moss. “I put my hands out there and the ball just kind of stuck.”

Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen, right, celebrates with tight end Oronde Gadsden II after catching a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter Sunday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Everyone in the stadium watched in amazement. Everyone, that is, but Herbert. He was on the ground, so he didn’t see the touchdown but heard it.

“I’m sure it was an incredible catch by Keenan,” said the quarterback, who planned to watch the replays when he got home Sunday evening. “The defender wasn’t looking. That’s advantage Keenan.”

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Sam Farmer breaks down what has gone right for the Chargers over the course of their 3-0 start to the season.

That play locked the score at 20-20, but it was the ultra-accurate Cameron Dicker who broke that tie a couple minutes later with a 43-yard field goal as the clock expired. It was the eighth winning kick of his career and extinguished a remarkable effort by the Broncos, who sacked Herbert five times and pulled off the most creative touchdown in Payton’s two-season tenure with the team.

The play in question came with 46 seconds left in the first half with Denver trailing, 10-0, and facing a fourth-and-two at their 48.

Denver gave every indication it planned to run, and the Chargers called timeout to prepare their defense. When the Broncos emerged from the timeout, they loaded up the right side of their line with both starting tackles and a tight end between them. The ball was definitely going to that side.

Quarterback Bo Nix rolled right then surprised everyone by throwing left to a wide-open Courtland Sutton who essentially was ignored by defenders and raced untouched 52 yards for a score. It was the longest Broncos touchdown pass on fourth down since 1978 and a testament to the play-drawing artistry of Payton.

“He’s a master at scheming it up,” said Chargers safety Tony Jefferson, in his 11th season. “Ever since I got into the league, I’ve played the Saints so much [Payton’s former team] and you’ve always got to be on your P’s and Q’s with them.”

The Chargers had to watch their P’s and Q’s, and their old J.K. — running back J.K. Dobbins, who played for them last season and Sunday made them pay. He caught a screen pass for the Broncos at the beginning of the second half and turned it upfield for a 19-yard touchdown. He dashed down the sideline as if sprinting on a tightrope before diving across the goal line to give Denver its first lead of the day.

Cameron Dicker kicks the winning field goal as time expires in the Chargers’ 23-20 win over the Broncos on Sunday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Payton lamented his team’s slow start and the 10 penalties, compared to three for the Chargers.

“Tomorrow’s an important day,” he told reporters afterward. “Tomorrow’s more important than the game we just played. Because we’re in this accelerated … we’ve got to get better fast. And if we do, I think this will be all right.”

Whereas Dobbins led all rushers with 83 yards, the Chargers are still looking to get their ground attack rolling. That just got a lot tougher as the team lost veteran running back Najee Harris to an ankle injury in the second quarter. He had to be helped off the field, and the replays were cover-your-eyes cringeworthy, although the severity of his injury was not disclosed.

That piles even more of the running burden onto the shoulders of rookie first-round pick Omarion Hampton, who ran for 70 yards in 19 carries including his first NFL touchdown, from three yards out.

The Chargers, who had to reshuffle their offensive line with the loss of left tackle Rashawn Slater before the season, had to do so again Sunday when right guard Mekhi Becton sustained a concussion.

Those are the realities of the game, though, just as the Chargers already had to adjust to losing edge rusher Khalil Mack (shoulder) as well as defensive backs Elijah Molden (hamstring) and Cam Hart (hip).

Chargers linebacker Troy Dye (43) tackles Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin in the third quarter Sunday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“That’s the unfortunate part of the NFL,” Herbert said. “You’re going to have to deal with adversity.”

Against the Broncos, the Chargers dealt with it and wound up on top. That makes this victory particularly impactful, a touchstone that Harbaugh and others can point to in future high-pressure situations.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if this does a lot for morale, and that was already high,” said Harbaugh, adding his team has “gravel in our gut.”

With that in mind, they have sent an unambiguous message to their three division foes: kick rocks.

The Chargers embracing an opposite approach in play-calling — moving away from a run-heavy philosophy — left many bemused during their season-opening win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil.

Justin Herbert was given free rein to showcase his arm, firing pass after pass against the defending AFC champions. This approach hinged on trust; not necessarily in Herbert’s ability, but in his receivers’ capabilities.

“It’s all about having a clear mind and trust,” Quentin Johnston said. “Trusting the play call, and then trusting yourself to get open. Trusting Justin that the ball will be in the right place when you get open.”

A byproduct of learning a new system last year, with young receivers thrust into pivotal roles, Herbert and his wideouts looked out of sync at times, whether from a lack of trust, chemistry or rhythm.

With Week 1 as a litmus test, the dynamic looked much improved, thanks to another year of bonding with Johnston and Ladd McConkey and the added reliability of a returning Keenan Allen.

“We were all really close last year and bonded well, so this is just a continuation,” McConkey said. “We know the offense. We have a year under our belt with it, and now we can play more freely, be ourselves.”

A group of “regular guys,” as McConkey puts it, the bond has only grown stronger as the connection off the field has grown through beach volleyball sets, casual board game sessions and rounds of golf.

“Everybody comes in with a positive attitude,” Johnston said. “Never a dull moment with us. Always in the meeting room, just bouncing ideas off each other. I’m having fun on the field, between plays, cracking jokes.”

Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen, right, celebrates with Ladd McConkey, center, and Quentin Johnston after making a touchdown catch against the Chiefs on Sept. 5.

(Buda Mendes / Getty Images)

That camaraderie has been most vivid in times of adversity.

As a rookie in 2023, Johnston was a lightning rod for ridicule on social media for his inconsistent performances — particularly drops — with many expecting more from a former first-round pick.

But after making two touchdown catches in the best prime-time performance of his three-year career in Brazil, Johnston was showered with positivity.

Herbert called Johnston a “special player” and would continue to “find ways to get him the ball, because good things happen.” McConkey added that “there’s nobody better” when Johnston is playing with confidence.

“First thing that jumps into my mind is, ‘In your face,’” said coach Jim Harbaugh, referring to Johnston’s critics. “If I were Quentin, that’s what I’d be saying, so allow me to say it for him.”

Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (1) celebrates with Ladd McConkey (15) and Omarion Hampton after scoring a touchdown against the Chiefs on Sept. 5.

(Buda Mendes / Getty Images)

For Johnston, support from Harbaugh and his teammates means everything to him.

“These are the guys I come to work with, and go to war with every day. So to have the main dude on the team just be there, always uplift me, it feels good.”

With Johnston, McConkey and Allen, Herbert has a formidable arsenal. The trio were targeted on 26 of his 34 pass attempts and they combined for 221 yards and three touchdowns on 20 receptions.

“Those guys, especially on third down, they came in clutch,” Herbert said. “To have Q, Ladd, Keenan, those guys make plays on third down. It’s only going to help our offense.”

When the Chargers needed an opening-drive score, Johnston hauled in a pass in the back of the end zone. With the offense looking to extend the lead before the half, McConkey made an acrobatic first-down catch. And when they needed to sustain a crucial fourth-quarter drive, Allen picked up just enough yardage to keep it alive after just scoring one of his own.

All on third down.

For Allen, clutch execution has become expected, even at 33. All-Pro safety Derwin James Jr. coined the phrase “Third and Keenan,” a standout soundbite from James’ mic’d-up audio during the game.

“I was trying to express to them [the young guys] what it means having a guy like that,” James said.

From what James saw during the opener, the phrase could extend beyond Allen: “It can be ‘Third and Ladd too.’ You want to double Keenan, Ladd’s gonna do the same thing.”

With a decade more experience than the next-longest-tenured wideout, Allen has been a well of knowledge.

“He’s made a big difference,” Johnston said. “He’s a Chargers legend. So, having a guy like that to look up to and bounce ideas off is always good.”

As the group continues to feed off each other, Allen gave high praise to what could be his final receiving corps.

“I’ve been in some solid receiver rooms — this one’s right up there,” Allen said.

Even before Keenan Allen returned to the Chargers last week, he was already having an influence in the receiver room.

As a rookie, Ladd McConkey studied Allen’s practice film on his team-issued iPad, trying to absorb lessons from one of the league’s best route runners — the very player whose rookie records for receptions and receiving yards McConkey would eventually surpass.

“You sit in team meetings, pull up your iPad and just watch,” McConkey said. “Watching his one-on-one stuff from previous years, when he was here. I’m going to check this out, see what he’s got.”

Now, the 33-year-old Allen and 23-year-old McConkey are inseparable on the field. Throughout practice, McConkey picks the veteran’s brain — something he says “would be dumb if I didn’t.”

“He’s been doing it at a high level for a long time, so any knowledge I can get, I’m going to take it,” McConkey said. “He’s very decisive and smart… He knows how to win using leverage. He doesn’t just run past you — he can set you up at the top, stick and he has great hands.”

The prospect of the two playing in the same offense excites McConkey, who says any doubts about their chemistry can be set aside because “in this offense, we can all move around.”

“We can all rotate in different positions and scheme it up the way they want,” McConkey added. “That’s something that’s really good about our receivers, and we’re all very versatile.”

It was the first day the two were able to participate in the same 11-on-11 session, with McConkey returning from an undisclosed injury that sidelined him for several practices and Allen just coming back last week.

Offensive coordinator Greg Roman said Allen’s presence has already made a difference, noting, “We always knew he was a great player, but now that he’s here, he’s proven it once again… Keenan creates flexibility for us and also makes us stronger.”

“Our training staff is doing a great job acclimating him, getting him up to speed,” Roman said. “We’re taking it slow, in a gradual manner… Getting into football shape.”

Running back rotation

At times last season, when healthy, the Chargers rotated as many as three-deep at running back.

With Najee Harris — expected back at some point — and first-round pick Omarion Hampton projected to handle the bulk of the carries, there’s still an opening for a third back in Roman’s system.

With Hampton sitting out Sunday’s preseason game against the New Orleans Saints, plenty of reps were up for grabs. Roman called it a “wide-open competition.”

“There’ll definitely be a rotation no matter what happens,” Roman said. “We’ll try to keep guys fresh throughout the game. I think the days of one running back taking every rep are going the way of prehistoric creatures.”

That leaves the spot up for grabs between second-year back Kimani Vidal — who started Sunday and finished with six carries for 16 yards — and undrafted rookie Raheim Sanders, who had 10 carries for 42 yards and a touchdown.

“He [Sanders] did a great job, kind of created some things on his own,” Sanders said. “Leaned on the defense in the fourth quarter… A lot of it [drive] was him pounding the rock. He did a really nice job for his first game.”

Sanders faces an uphill climb, though. Vidal is coming off a rookie season in which he worked his way from a fringe roster hopeful to contributor, making the 53-man roster and appearing in 10 games.

At practice, the two continue to fight for a good share of reps, with Hassan Haskins mixed in.

Etc…

Quarterback Trey Lance sat out full-team drills Tuesday, which Roman said was simply a rest day after Lance played most of Sunday’s game — stressing it was not injury-related… Guard Mekhi Becton has now missed two full weeks of practice as he continues to “work through something.”

The Chargers are reuniting with a former franchise star to bolster their receivers unit.

Keenan Allen, who racked up more than 10,000 receiving yards during an 11-season stint with the Chargers before being traded away in a salary-cap move, agreed to a deal with the team Tuesday.

The one-year deal is worth $8.52 million, according to NFL Media.

“Obviously, we know how good he’s been throughout his career,” Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz said, “and he’s out there on the market still, and [it was the] chance to bring someone of his caliber back we know can help us win games.”

Allen spent last season in Chicago after the Chargers traded their then-longest tenured player to the Bears in an attempt to become salary-cap compliant after the start of free agency. He caught 70 passes for 744 yards and seven touchdowns in the Caleb Williams-led offense but was not re-signed by Chicago.

Allen worked out with the Chargers on Friday, with coach Jim Harbaugh remarking that Allen did “a lot of Keenan Allen things.” Responding to a viewer on Twitch stream over the weekend, Allen said his meeting with the team “went good, man. The meeting was straight.”

After the sudden retirement of Mike Williams at the start of training camp, the Chargers were in need of a wide receiver, and Allen was among the top options remaining on the free-agent market. At 33, Allen’s best days are probably behind him, but the six-time Pro Bowl selection proved last season he is capable of staying healthy and being productive.

Still, the idea of signing Allen didn’t materialize entirely after Williams retired.

“I think Mike leaving may have opened more opportunity, but … Keenan was an option throughout,” Hortiz said. “We’ve had conversations with him and his agent … and it kind of came to fruition.”

Second only to Hall of Famer Antonio Gates atop the Chargers’ all-time receiving yards list, Allen joins a pass-catching corps led by second-year standout Ladd McConkey and former first-round pick Quentin Johnston, who had a promising sophomore season in 2024 after struggling as a rookie.

Allen will be the graybeard of a Chargers receivers group that has several promising pass-catchers. Jalen Reagor is the only receiver other than Allen on the roster with more than five years of NFL experience. Highly touted rookies Tre’ Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith, in addition to Reagor, Derius Davis and Brenden Rice, will be competing with Allen for targets.

As for a potential redundancy with Ladd at slot receiver, Hortiz is confident Allen can adjust to the Chargers’ needs.

“I think he can help us in multiple roles. I really believe that,” Hortiz said.”I think he’s been that way his whole career, and don’t see that being any different now. … You guys know how Keenan has been used everywhere he’s been, you’ll see the same thing. A lot of versatility.”

The wild card in all of this might rest on how well Allen can reestablish chemistry with quarterback Justin Herbert. In four seasons together, Allen caught 380 passes for 4,125 yards and 25 touchdowns.

If Allen can get close to the numbers he posted in 2023 (108 catches, 1,243 yards, seven touchdowns), the rest of the AFC West should be wary.

“This is where he grew up. This is where he became Keenan Allen,” Hortiz said.

Writer Benjamin Royer contributed to this report.

Keenan Allen achieved quite a bit in his career with the Chargers — and that’s probably one of the reasons why they’d like to give him another chance.

The veteran wide receiver, who was a salary-cap casualty when the Chargers traded him last year, was scheduled to meet with the team Friday to discuss a possible reunion, according to a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly.

A potential move to sign the six-time Pro Bowl selection makes sense for a Chargers team in need of a veteran receiving option after Mike Williams’ surprising retirement at the start of training camp.

Allen was the longest-tenured player on the Chargers when they traded him to the Chicago Bears in March 2024 to become cap compliant. He caught 904 passes for 10,530 yards and 59 touchdowns over 11 seasons with the franchise. He caught 380 passes for 4,125 yards and 25 touchdowns playing alongside Justin Herbert.

Allen caught 70 passes for 744 yards and seven touchdowns with the Bears last season, but at 33, his best days are probably behind him — which explains why he’s still a free agent in August.

Still, with some unknowns in the Chargers’ receiving corps outside of Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston, it makes sense that they would want to bolster their passing game with a more known quantity in a player such as Allen.

Staff writer Sam Farmer contributed to this report.