Chargers LB Perryman out for the season

Los Angeles Chargers starting linebacker Denzel Perryman will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. Perryman left Sunday's victory over the Oakland Raiders early in the first quarter. He suffered damage to his lateral collateral ligament (LCL) and needs surgery to repair an injured hamstring. The two injuries will prevent Perryman from returning this season. "We found out today we're going to lose Denzel for the rest of the season," Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said. "That was definitely a blow to our defense. It's going to (require) surgery. He's gone for the year. ... Injuries, you can't control those. (Denzel is) very frustrated right now. All he can do now is get healthy, have a good attitude, go to rehab every day and help his teammates the best he can." His recovery time is estimated to be 2-3 months. The 25-year-old Perryman was a key component of the Chargers' defense. He has started all nine games and played in nearly 65 percent of the team's defensive snaps during the 2018 season. He has recorded a team-high 64 tackles, and also has an interception. "I think the rush defense is where we're going to miss him the most," Lynn said. "We didn't really (use him to) pressure a lot but he did a nice job of dropping in zone and tipping balls. I believe the rush defense is where everyone is going to have to pick it up a notch. ... Denzel is a starter for a reason. Our rush defense is a lot better with Denzel in there. We're going to have to pick it up collectively as a group now." Last season, Perryman had 37 total tackles in seven games, including six starts, for the Chargers. Perryman has played in 42 NFL games, including 35 starts, during his four seasons in the league. He was a second-round pick out of Miami in the 2015 NFL Draft, and is in the final year of his rookie contract. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. --RB Melvin Gordon ran the ball 18 times for 93 and hauled in five passes for 72 yards and a 66-yard touchdown. It was his fifth straight game with over 120 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown, becoming only the second running back in the past decade to accomplish that feat. Jamaal Charles did it in 2013. --DL Melvin Ingram had a strip-sack of Derek Carr in the second quarter Sunday, giving him 40.5 sacks for his career, becoming the seventh Charger to record at least 40. Ingram has now sacked Carr 4.5 times. --QB Philip Rivers passed for 223 yards and two touchdowns with an interception on 18-of-26 passing (69.2 pct.), good for a 105.1 passer rating. He extended his streak of games with a TD pass to 22, the third-longest streak in Chargers history and second-longest active streak in the NFL. --PK Michael Badgley set a team record for points scored by a kicker in Chargers history through the first three games of his career without a missed kick. On Sunday, he connected on a pair of field goals (41, 27) and extra points. --LB Denzel Perryman will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury suffered in Sunday's victory over the Oakland Raiders. He suffered damage to his lateral collateral ligament (LCL) and needs surgery to repair an injured hamstring. The two injuries will prevent Perryman from returning this season.