Brandon Staley’s Chargers defense is far from a finished product

COSTA MESA — Brandon Staley needed lone 1 play arsenic the antiaircraft coordinator to crook the Rams into the top-ranked defence successful the NFL.

But arsenic the Chargers’ first-year caput coach, Staley has had occupation getting results from his defense, particularly connected 3rd down and against the run.

The Chargers are past successful the NFL successful rushing yards allowed per crippled (145.3) and fertile 31st successful third-down conversion percent (48.9%).

Staley has prima defenders Derwin James and Joey Bosa connected his side, but helium needed to alteration a 4-3 strategy into a 3-4 defence with galore unproven players with the Chargers, which could beryllium wherefore the results person been minimal 11 games into the season.

Staley had a antithetic concern with the Rams, but the goals remained the aforesaid for the Chargers’ antiaircraft play-caller.

“Where we request to get is wherever they don’t adjacent privation to tally it,” Staley said Wednesday. “That they can’t tally it adjacent if they try. Then, present we get into second-and-pass, third-and-pass and present we tin spell play football. It’s been a fight, a work-in-progress. I deliberation we’re improving. Hopefully, down the agelong here, we play our best.”

The Chargers don’t onslaught fearfulness the mode Staley wants them to yet bash and that’s wherefore opposing offenses are moving the shot often against them. The Cincinnati Bengals volition apt springiness moving backmost Joe Mixon a dense workload Sunday erstwhile the Chargers sojourn Paul Brown Stadium.

“We person to halt their run,” James said. “We cognize Joe Mixon is 1 of the apical backs successful the league. At contact, helium knows what helium is doing. We person to travel retired and beryllium acceptable to halt the run.”

For the archetypal six games of the season, the Chargers’ defence struggled to get disconnected the field, often uncovering themselves successful third-and-short situations owed to the mediocre tally defense. Lately, the Chargers person gotten into much third-and-long situations, but they’re having sum issues due to the fact that injuries bug person plagued the secondary.

Cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. didn’t play past week against the Denver Broncos and was sidelined versus the Philadelphia Eagles successful Week 9 due to the fact that of concussions. Cornerback Michael Davis missed games against the Eagles and Minnesota Vikings. Safeties Nasir Adderley and Alohi Gilman person besides missed games successful caller weeks.

With the injuries, the Chargers’ defence has mislaid its lone strength, which was minimizing the explosive plays successful the passing game. The deficiency of stops connected 3rd down has besides wounded the Chargers’ discourtesy erstwhile it comes to uncovering a rhythm.

“I americium decidedly frustrated with that due to the fact that erstwhile you person a squad successful third-and-10, third-and-12, particularly with the benignant of backmost that we have, we person to springiness him the ball,” James said. “We person to get the consciousness successful those situations. We person to support moving connected those situations successful practice, putting ourselves done them. That way, successful the game, we’ll beryllium ready.”

The Chargers person allowed 24 points oregon much successful 7 consecutive games. For the season, the Chargers are allowing 26.6 points per game, 29th successful the NFL.

The Chargers’ defence is acold from a finished merchandise and volition person a pugnacious clip uncovering results against a well-balanced Bengals discourtesy that features second-year backmost Joe Burrow and rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

“I deliberation that if we tin item our tally defence up and play the mode that I cognize that we’re susceptible of, we’ll beryllium capable to decorativeness this play strong,” Staley said.

DEALING WITH DROPS

The Chargers person dropped 28 passes this season, the 2nd astir successful the NFL, trailing lone the Miami Dolphins with 29, according to Sportsradar.

Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen, who has 5 drops this season, isn’t definite wherefore the discourtesy has struggled successful that area, but helium declined to blasted it connected Justin Herbert’s fastball passes. The Chargers had 24 drops each of past season.

“I’ve ne'er been a instrumentality of idiosyncratic saying that,” Allen said. “Gotta drawback the ball. If helium throws it excessively hard, past spell retired determination and crook the JUGS instrumentality up and get acceptable to drawback the fastball. If he’s throwing the shot to you, you amended drawback it. I privation the ball. Throw that (expletive) however you privation to propulsion it.”

The Chargers’ dropped passes person travel astatine important times successful games this season, and their champion playmakers person contributed to that. Wide receiver Mike Williams has six drops and moving backmost Austin Ekeler has 5 drops, including past week erstwhile a walk bounced disconnected Ekeler’s hands and turned into a pick-six for the Broncos.

“Lack of execution,” Allen said astir the drops. “I support saying it. We gotta execute. We gotta marque plays. … That’s conscionable what it is. I don’t cognize however to hole it.”

JOSEPH UPDATE

Chargers antiaircraft tackle Linval Joseph is eligible to instrumentality to the progressive roster Thursday disconnected the COVID-19 reserve list.

But Joseph is besides dealing with a enarthrosis injury, which caused him to miss the Pittsburgh Steelers crippled successful Week 11.

“Yeah, it’s getting better,” Staley said astir Joseph’s shoulder. “We’re benignant of hoping that’s the metallic lining of his clip distant is that helium tin get that happening adjacent much strengthened. So that we person him for the agelong tally arsenic adjacent to afloat wellness arsenic we can.”

Joseph was placed connected the COVID-19 reserve database Nov. 22 and has been sidelined the past 2 games.

FEILER RETURNS TO PRACTICE

The Chargers’ violative enactment struggled without near defender Matt Feiler past week against the Broncos. Feiler practiced Wednesday arsenic a constricted subordinate due to the fact that of the ankle injury.

Gilman (quadricep) and Samuel (concussion) missed Wednesday’s practice.