As J.K. Dobbins sprinted towards the end zone after a dazzling 43-yard run, his main thought was: Don’t get caught.
And, he thought, why not finish this run with something memorable?
Dobbins completed a somersault into the end zone on Sunday, scoring his second touchdown of the season and helping the Los Angeles Chargers beat the Carolina Panthers 26-3. This victory marked their second straight win of the season under first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Dobbins made history by becoming the first Chargers running back to have back-to-back 100-yard rushing games to start the season, a notable achievement given LaDainian Tomlinson’s Hall of Fame career.
In the game against Carolina, Dobbins had an impressive performance, rushing for 131 yards on 17 carries and setting the tone for the team’s offense.
“I saw an opening and I took it,” Dobbins said. “Last week, I got caught and I wasn’t going to let that happen this week and hopefully not again. If someone runs a 4.2 — I don’t run a 4.2 — they might catch me.”
In these first two games, Dobbins looks better than ever, averaging 9.9 yards per carry and 133 rushing yards per game. But a forward flip into the end zone is a strong sign that he’s fully recovered from his injury.
Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz, however, might prefer fewer flips.
“He told me, ‘no more flips!’” Dobbins said with a laugh.
Dobbins has made a strong comeback after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in last year’s season opener while playing for Harbaugh’s brother John in Baltimore. The injury ended his season and led to a long, tough rehab process.
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh expressed his joy for Dobbins.
“Those are injuries that take a long time to recover from, and people are immobile for months and muscle atrophy happens,” Harbaugh said. “Just for a regular person to get back to walking without a limp, it takes a lot of rehab. For an elite athlete to return to the highest level of football, it’s even more challenging.”
While Dobbins’ quick return might surprise some, he said he isn’t surprised by his own performance.
