3 years ago
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Growing pains were predicted successful Chargers grooming campy with a caller coaching unit and galore newcomers connected the roster. That was rapidly forgotten aft the Chargers started 4-1 with Justin Herbert playing astatine an MVP level.
It seemed Brandon Staley’s Chargers weren’t a twelvemonth away. They appeared acceptable to contend present with AFC West wins against the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders successful the archetypal period of the season.
But the cracks showed aboriginal connected defence and person caught up to the Chargers connected offense. The Chargers are 5-4 and person mislaid 3 of their past 4 games with an inconsistent discourtesy and a defence that has struggled to halt the run.
Staley has helped the Chargers adjacent retired games with assertive coaching, but the Chargers are 4-3 successful one-score games due to the fact that Staley has shown his ain increasing pains arsenic a first-year caput coach. Herbert proved his memorable rookie of the twelvemonth was nary fluke, but he’s inactive learning however to play against the analyzable defenses of the NFL.
The Chargers are talented capable to contend successful the AFC West this twelvemonth due to the fact that the Chiefs person their ain issues and are lone fractional a crippled up for archetypal place. But the Chargers’ inconsistencies accidental they’re a fringe playoff squad and not the contenders galore assumed they would beryllium aft a 4-1 start.
QUARTERBACK
Analysis: Herbert has had A-plus performances wherever he’s playing similar 1 of the champion quarterbacks successful the NFL. But he’s had 3 clunkers against the Ravens, Patriots and Vikings that served arsenic a reminder that he’s lone successful his 2nd season. Herbert has had occupation speechmaking disguised coverages, but he’s besides been rushed by mediocre pouch protection. Not galore quarterbacks are amended than Herbert erstwhile he’s clicking, but he’s inactive going done the increasing pains.
Relevant numbers: Herbert passing rating: 96.3 (16th successful the NFL). Herbert passing touchdowns: 19 (6th). Herbert passing yards: 2,545 (6th).
Grade: B
RUNNING BACK
Analysis: Austin Ekeler is 1 of the fewer moving backs who prefers to stock carries, but his backfield teammates person failed to measurement up. Ekeler hasn’t been capable to lend much successful the passing crippled due to the fact that of the struggles of Larry Rountree III, Joshua Kelley and Justin Jackson. Rountree and Kelley are missing holes and person struggled successful walk protection. Ekeler has had a coagulated play and has done capable to springiness the Chargers’ immoderate balance, but can’t beryllium astatine his champion until idiosyncratic emerges arsenic the No. 2 moving back.
Relevant numbers: Rushing yards per game: 100.2 (21st). Ekeler rushing yards: 523 (1st connected the team). Herbert rushing yards: 117 (2nd connected the team).
Grade: C+
WIDE RECEIVER
Analysis: Keenan Allen is having different Pro Bowl-worthy play and Mike Williams mightiness person been playing amended than Allen successful the archetypal period of the season. But Williams has disappeared since his monster show against the Browns successful Week 5. When Allen and Williams are clicking, determination aren’t galore defenses who tin halt the Chargers’ offense. But Allen and Williams person had a fewer important drops and they’re missing a No. 3 wideout. Rookie Josh Palmer and Jalen Guyton person been quiescent successful the archetypal fractional of the season.
Relevant numbers: Williams receiving yards successful archetypal 5 games: 471. Williams receiving yards the past 4 games: 137. Palmer and Guyton receiving yards combined: 284.
Grade: B
TIGHT END
Analysis: The Chargers’ discourtesy is hard to halt erstwhile they’re receiving contributions from aggregate choky ends. Jared Cook, Stephen Anderson and Donald Parham Jr. played large roles successful the wins against the Raiders and Eagles. At times, Chargers violative coordinator Joe Lombardi has had bully rotations for keeping them involved. But the Chargers request much from their trio of choky ends to debar sluggish violative performances.
Relevant numbers: Cook receiving yards: 318. Parham receiving touchdowns: 3. Combined touchdowns betwixt choky ends: 6.
Grade: B-
OFFENSIVE LINE
Analysis: The Chargers mightiness person the champion near broadside successful the NFL with near tackle Rashawn Slater and near defender Matt Feiler. They’re creating lanes for the moving game, blocking downfield successful the surface crippled and protecting good successful the passing game. But it’s been the other communicative for the close broadside with close defender Michael Schofield and close tackle Storm Norton. The 2 backup linemen are filling successful for the injured Oday Aboushi and Bryan Bulaga. Aboushi isn’t returning this play due to the fact that of a torn ACL and there’s a accidental Bulaga returns aboriginal this season. Schofield and Norton volition request to amended oregon the Chargers mightiness beryllium forced to marque changes connected the violative line.
Relevant numbers: Sacks allowed: 16 (tied for 6th). Average clip of possession per game: 28:30 (26th).
Grade: B
INSIDE DEFENSIVE LINE
Analysis: Linval Joseph has had a beardown 12th NFL season, but helium saw galore treble teams to commencement the play due to the fact that of the lack of Justin Jones. That led to the Chargers ranking astatine the bottommost successful tally defense. The Chargers person shown betterment since Jones returned from the calf wounded that sidelined him for 5 games. The Chargers continued to person inconsistent performances from Jerry Tillery, the team’s 2019 first-round pick. Tillery has provided walk rush, but has struggled against the run.
Relevant numbers: Rushing yards allowed per game: 155.1 (32nd). Joseph full tackles: 43. Tillery sacks: 2.5.
Grade: C-
EDGE
Analysis: The Chargers person lacked accumulation connected the other broadside of Joey Bosa. Neither Kyler Fackrell nor Uchenna Nwosu has emerged arsenic a prime No. 2 walk rusher. Nwosu had a beardown outing against the Vikings past week, but the Chargers request much from the 2018 second-round pick.
Relevant numbers: Bosa sacks: 5.5 (1st connected the team). Sacks combined betwixt Nwosu and Fackrell: 3. Total squad sacks: 17 (27th).
Grade: C
INSIDE LINEBACKER
Analysis: The Chargers person had a beardown duo astatine this position, but neither of them is named Kenneth Murray. Kyzir White had a beardown grooming campy to triumph a starting occupation and hasn’t looked back. Drue Tranquill stepped up aft Murray suffered an ankle wounded successful Week 3 and missed 5 games. Murray started against the Vikings, but that mightiness not person been the lawsuit if Tranquill wasn’t connected the COVID-19 reserve list. Murray, a 2020 first-round pick, has been shaky astatine linebacker and the squad is experimenting with him arsenic an borderline rusher.
Relevant numbers: White full tackles: 65 (2nd connected the team). Tranquill full tackles: 42 (5th connected the team).
Grade: B
SECONDARY
Analysis: The Chargers seldom allowed explosive plays successful Staley’s two-high information strategy successful the archetypal 7 games of the season. Injuries successful the past 2 games person allowed DeVonta Smith and Justin Jefferson to get the champion of the secondary. The Chargers volition apt bounce backmost erstwhile cornerback Michael Davis and information Nasir Adderley instrumentality from injury. Cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. is having a standout rookie play and information Derwin James has returned to his All-Pro form.
Relevant numbers: Passing yards allowed per game: 206.0 (4th). Team interceptions: 6 (tied for 19th). James full tackles: 80 (1st connected the team).
Grade: B
SPECIAL TEAMS
Analysis: This portion mightiness person received a little people if it weren’t for the midseason acquisitions of instrumentality specializer Andre Roberts and kicker Dustin Hopkins. The instrumentality and kicking games person drastically improved since the Chargers added the newcomers past month. But the Chargers proceed to conflict successful punt sum with galore rookies connected the field.
Relevant numbers: Special teams DVOA from Football Outsiders: -6.0% (31st). Return yards allowed per punt: 13.4 (31st).
Grade: C-
COACHING
Analysis: As a caput coach, Staley has recovered the look to winning adjacent games by being assertive connected 4th down and making it a precedence to extremity games with the ball. As a antiaircraft play caller, Staley has struggled to get results from his beforehand seven. Lombardi’s diligent play calling has acceptable up timely downfield shots for Herbert, but the dilatory attack with abbreviated throws hasn’t ever paid off.
Relevant numbers: Fourth-down conversions: 11 of 17. Total yards per game: 370.2 (10th). Total yards allowed per game: 361.1 (17th).
Grade: B
OVERALL
Analysis: The Chargers person flashed precocious imaginable and are susceptible of winning the AFC West this season. But they person plentifulness of holes connected the roster and are searching for a No. 3 wide receiver, a No. 2 walk rusher and No. 2 moving back. The Chargers are astir apt a twelvemonth distant from being a existent contender successful the AFC. They’re going done the increasing pains of a caller coaching staff, but they’re talented capable to marque it to the postseason this season.
Relevant numbers: One-score games: 4-3. Offense DVOA: 11% (6th). Defense DVOA: 2.2% (18th).
Grade: B-
Cumulative GPA: 2.5
MIDSEASON AWARDS
Offensive MVP: Herbert. It’s casual to hide Herbert is simply a second-year backmost due to the fact that of his sensational performances against the Eagles and Browns and however helium operated successful crunch clip versus Washington and Kansas City. But problems person arisen with the Chargers losing 3 of their past 4 games. Herbert needs assistance astir him, similar astir quarterbacks, but he’s susceptible of carrying his squad astatine times.
Defensive MVP: James. The interaction plays haven’t been casual to spot due to the fact that James hasn’t had galore sacks and takeaways, but he’s the crushed wherefore the defence has done capable to support games close. James is playing 5 roles for a young defence and he’s been forced to cleanable up the messiness from the beforehand 7 successful the tally game. This bend-but-don’t-break attack works due to the fact that James is connected the field.
Top newcomer: Corey Linsley. The Chargers’ caller halfway has been amended than advertised. Linsley rapidly developed chemistry with Herbert and has been a stout blocker successful the moving and passing games. Linsley’s enactment and acquisition person helped Slater and Feiler signifier a partition connected the near side.
X-Factor: Williams. There was nary slowing down this Chargers’ discourtesy erstwhile Williams was successful the midst of a blistery streak successful the archetypal 5 games of the season. The Chargers request him to instrumentality to that signifier if they privation to contend for the AFC West crown. When Williams is producing, that leads to one-on-one opportunities for Allen and it creates abstraction successful the abbreviated crippled for the choky ends and Ekeler successful the surface game. Williams is the cardinal for this discourtesy to find consistency this season.
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