Chargers running back Ryan Mathews ran for a season-high 110 yards and scored his first rushing touchdown on Sunday, but he didn’t want the credit afterward.
When reporters approached Mathews after the game, he told them that the offensive linemen were the ones who deserved attention.
“Interview the linemen,” Mathews said, via U-T San Diego. “They deserve some credit. Go get them. Give them their time to shine.”
The linemen do deserve a lot of credit for the way they played on Sunday. Left tackle King Dunlap got hurt, then his backup, Mike Remmers, got hurt, too, and the Chargers’ line still did an outstanding job protecting Philip Rivers (who completed 22 of 26 passes and was only sacked once) and opening holes for Mathews. Chargers center Nick Hardwick credited his linemates for not missing a beat.
“Rotating, in flux, guys are just football players,” Hardwick said. “Stepped up and just played ball. Everyone’s cross-trained. . . . It’s a flexible group that just loves to play ball and get after it.”
With the line banged up, the Chargers’ bye comes at a good time. But Mathews is right to deflect attention to the way a patchwork line played on Sunday.
