J.K. Dobbins scores, trolls former Chargers after Broncos win

Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins posted a pointed message to the Los Angeles Chargers on social media after helping his new team secure a 23-17 victory over his former club on Sunday. The win moved the Broncos to a 3-2 record and a 2-0 mark within the AFC West, while the Chargers fell to 0-5, remaining winless through five weeks of the NFL season.

Dobbins opened the scoring at SoFi Stadium with a two-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. He finished the game with 68 yards from 18 carries and a touchdown, averaging 3.8 yards per carry. His longest run went for 14 yards, and he added two catches for six yards on two targets. The workload was notable for Dobbins, as his 18 carries were well above his 11.5 per game average entering the week.

The Broncos had ranked 29th on the ground coming into the game but found enough production to get past Los Angeles. Head coach Sean Payton, who took over as Denver’s offensive playcaller, emphasized a run-first approach, resulting in the Broncos running more often than they passed during the contest.

After the win, Dobbins credited his relationship with Payton for helping him settle into the offense. “Coach Sean Payton knows me well. He knows me very well. He knows me well and I know him well. You can see the chemistry between us and the team, the offence. So that’s what was different. I just got the opportunities,” Dobbins said.

Dobbins spent the 2024 season with the Chargers before joining Denver. The Broncos had lost their first meeting with the Chargers last season before winning the second matchup without Dobbins on the field. The Chargers had placed an unrestricted free-agent tender on Dobbins, giving themselves exclusive negotiating rights, before he signed with Denver.