In 64 seasons of Chargers football, no player has over rushed for more yards in their debut with the team than running back JK Dobbins did on Sunday in Los Angeles' 22-10 win over the Raiders. For the game, Dobbins rushed for 135 yards, averaging a whopping 13.5 yards per carry and notching the fifth 100-yard game of his NFL career. For his efforts, Dobbins was awarded the game ball by new Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh.
So why exactly was the fifth-year running back so disappointed with his performance after the game?
Well, on two long runs — runs that looked like breakaway touchdowns — Dobbins was caught from behind by Raiders defenders, prompting the 25-year-old to make a bold statement about his conditioning after the game.
“I gotta' get in shape,” Dobbins said after the game, according to Kris Rhim of ESPN.com. “I thought I was in shape, but I was not.”
Dobbins not being in peak shape is understandable. He's just one year removed from suffering a torn Achilles tendon in Baltimore's opening game of the 2023 season.
Fortunately — or I suppose, unfortunately — JK Dobbins is no stranger to working his way back from serious injury. On the first carry of his senior season at La Grange High School, Dobbins went down with a brutal ankle injury that required season-ending surgery. After a promising rookie year in which he rushed for 805 yards and 9 touchdowns on just 134 carries, Dobbins then missed the entire 2021 season thanks to a preseason ACL tear.
Now, JK Dobbins looks to find good health in his new home, playing for a coach he used to torment while at Ohio State.
JK Dobbins, Jim Harbaugh united in Los Angeles
In Ohio State's 2019 regular season finale, JK Dobbins rushed for 211 yards and four touchdowns against Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines. The Buckeyes won convincingly by the final score of 56-27. Now, former collegiate rivals are on the same side in Los Angeles, and Dobbins seems to be happy about it.
“It’s good. We are the same side now. That's all I can say, and we're going to keep working together,” Dobbins said after the game.
Jim Harbaugh, who is now 5-0 in NFL season openers in his career, was just as excited about the partnership with the former Buckeye.
“J.K. Dobbins, what an incredible game,” Harbaugh said following the win, according to Tyler Dragon of USA Today. “Breaking those two long runs and just the tough yards.”
Jim Harbaugh coached teams are always going to grind wins out and get the tough yards on the ground. Hopefully Dobbins can withstand the workload and stay healthy for another 16 games.
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