Column: “Fight for L.A” will mean more to Chargers, Lynn in credibility department

Go easy on the “Fight for L.A.” shtick this week and not just because the Lakers and Dodgers already own L.A. or that the Rams blared “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” before facing L.A.’s uninvited NFL team in an exhibition last summer.

Sunday’s game against the Rams is a chance for Team Spanos to do something large that’s unrelated to the Big Sprawl.

The Rams are a good team, and although it would be logical to think otherwise, the Chargers have encountered only a few good teams — losing to each one — in their 18 games since Dean Spanos moved them north.

For the last time the Los Angeles Chargers defeated a good team, you must go back to Sid Gillman’s 1960 club that played in the Coliseum, which is home to this week’s game.

Admittedly, “good” is subjective — but it’s also obvious that beating the Rams would qualify as the L.A. newbies’ first victory over a no-doubt good opponent.

The Rams were able enough last year to win the NFC West and lead the NFL in scoring, before losing in the playoffs as 6.5-point favorites against the Falcons.

Off to a 2-0 start this year, the Rams seem improved on defense with the additions of 2016 All-Pro cornerback Marcus Peters, interior force Ndamukong Suh and corner Aqib Talib.

It’s true that the Rams also parted with significant talent in March and that their Week 1 opponent was a Raiders team that’s learning two new systems and lost its best player to a trade a week earlier.

While the Rams’ victory Sunday was against a bad Cardinals squad, the 34-0 score caught the eye of the San Diegan who quarterbacks L.A.’s new neighbor.

”You go and shut out a team in the NFL — you’ve got a heck of a defense,” Philip Rivers told the Dan Patrick Show on Monday.

Rivers no doubt noticed the shutout came at the expense of Cardinals coordinator Mike McCoy, an architect of San Diego Chargers offenses that Rivers directed from 2013-16.

Anthony Lynn replaced McCoy but retained his coordinator and play-caller, Ken Whisenhunt.

Rivers was sharp in the win Sunday over Buffalo, and the offense showed more creativity running the ball to the perimeter. An offseason addition, tight end Virgil Green, was moved around and blocked to good effect.

So, in recognition of the brutes in the core of the Rams’ line and Peters’ infamous aversion to tackling, wouldn’t it make sense to attack the edge with runs and quick passes?

Though Lynn’s team figures to be without edge rusher Joey Bosa for a third straight game due to a foot injury, the defense has shown improved speed with the addition of rookies Derwin James, Kyzir White and Uchenna Nwosu.

Yet for Lynn’s program, which went 0-4 against its top 2017 opponents (Chiefs, Patriots and Jaguars) and lost to the visiting Chiefs in Week 1 this month, this game presents a rare growth test.

The eight games that follow will serve up teams that are less established than the Rams, and although fortunes can change fast in the NFL, it seems probable that Team Spanos will be favored in all eight of those games on betting lines.

For the Rams, even as a 7-point favorite on opening lines, the match is certainly a step up in class from Weeks 1 and 2 largely because Rivers has completed 73.1 percent of his passes and has six touchdowns against one interception.

Not done yet

An off-the-football-path moment in Monday’s chat came when Patrick asked Rivers if wife Tiffany and he will stop at eight children.

“No, heck no,” Rivers said. “Hoping not.”

He said of Tiffany: “She’s all in.”

Rivers has six daughters, oldest of whom is 16. Rivers joked that if a boy were to come to the house to take his daughter on a date, it would be interesting to have teammates Melvin Ingram and Bosa on hand when the door is opened.

Tom.Krasovic@SDUnionTribune.com; Twitter: SDUTKrasovic