Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
0-0
28
FINAL
41
Los Angeles
Chargers
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn an explosive start to the 2028 season, the Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 41-28, showcasing their offensive prowess. With both teams eager to establish momentum, the Chargers made a statement in their home opener, setting the tone for what could be a promising campaign.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was the star of the show, throwing for an impressive 378 yards and three touchdowns, connecting with Ladd McConkey, who racked up 116 receiving yards. Bucky Irving led the Buccaneers in rushing with 87 yards, but it was Herbert's aerial assault that kept the Chargers in command throughout the contest.
On the defensive side, the Chargers made key plays to halt the Buccaneers' momentum, including an interception by D.J. Reed that shifted the tide in favor of Los Angeles. Despite a solid effort from Tampa Bay's Drue Tranquill, who recorded 10 tackles, it was the Chargers' ability to create turnovers and pressure the opposition that ultimately defined the game, allowing them to maintain control and secure the victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Herbert | QB | 43 | 26 | 378 | 3 | 0 | 112.3 |
| Julian Sayin | QB | 42 | 24 | 284 | 1 | 1 | 75.8 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucky Irving | HB | 10 | 87 | 8.7 | 1 | 45 | 0 |
| Ray Davis | HB | 9 | 69 | 7.7 | 1 | 30 | 0 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 14 | 61 | 4.4 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| Julian Sayin | QB | 3 | 11 | 3.7 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Justin Herbert | QB | 4 | 7 | 1.8 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Kenny Gainwell | HB | 4 | 6 | 1.5 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| T.J. Moore | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quentin Johnston | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ladd McConkey | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| David Njoku | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladd McConkey | WR | 8 | 116 | 14.5 | 1 | 49 | 2 |
| Quentin Johnston | WR | 4 | 109 | 27.3 | 2 | 70 | 0 |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 8 | 93 | 11.6 | 0 | 22 | 1 |
| T.J. Moore | WR | 2 | 86 | 43.0 | 1 | 64 | 0 |
| Oronde Gadsden | TE | 7 | 76 | 10.9 | 0 | 21 | 1 |
| Cade Otton | TE | 4 | 43 | 10.8 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Chris Godwin Jr | WR | 5 | 38 | 7.6 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| Brenen Thompson | WR | 2 | 30 | 15.0 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| David Njoku | TE | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| Jake Rendina | FB | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Hunter Luepke | FB | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Eli Finley | TE | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kayden Luke | FB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drue Tranquill | WILL | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| D.J. Reed | CB | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Genesis Smith | SS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Elijah Molden | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Akheem Mesidor | REDG | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daiyan Henley | WILL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rueben Bain Jr | LEDG | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tarheeb Still | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Riley Moss | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antoine Winfield Jr | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kristian Fulton | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Emmanuel McNeil-Warren | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tykee Smith | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| David Stone | DT | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joshua Uche | REDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Blake Cashman | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jacob Parrish | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Zyon McCollum | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chop Robinson | LEDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jayson Jones | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Braden Fiske | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Redmond | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jordan Jefferson | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aaron Chiles | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josiah Trotter | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Elijah Roberts | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jonah Williams | SS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Smyth | K | 2 | 3 | 2 | 54 |
| Cameron Dicker | K | 2 | 2 | 5 | 34 |

