The Los Angeles Chargers enter Week 9 at 4-3 after a big win against the New Orleans Saints.
The victory also put them in the No. 7 spot of the AFC playoff picture with Indianapolis’ loss to Houston.
Of Los Angeles’ next three games, all three are against teams with losing records, beginning this week in Cleveland, who is 2-6. That is followed by three straight home games with the first two against Tennessee (1-6) and Cincinnati (3-5) before a matchup against Baltimore.
So, the opportunity is there to gain some ground against some playoff teams over these next few weeks.
However, looking back on the first seven games, there has been one key position that has been monumental, but an under-the-radar successful piece in the Los Angeles Chargers offense.
Los Angeles Chargers tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater
That’s right. It is the tackles.
Chargers rookie right tackle Joe Alt and veteran left tackle Rashawn Slater have played a big part in the success of the team, especially on offense.
Against the Saints, Slater and Alt were one of two tackle duos in the NFL to not allow a single pressure in Week 8 with the only other duo being from Denver.
Size also plays a critical role in protecting quarterback Justin Herbert. The 21-year-old Alt stands at 6-foot-8 and weighs 322 pounds while the 25-year-old Slater stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 315 pounds.
To compare how good Alt has been, Steven Haglund noted that Alt has a 75.4 pass-blocking grade, a 73.3 run-blocking grade, 6 pressures allowed, and a 97.9 pass-blocking efficiency rating.
Just five other rookie tackles have hit similar marks through eight weeks in the PFF era in Slater, New England’s Mike Onwenu, Indianapolis’ Braden Smith, two-time AP First-Team All-Pro Jack Conklin from Cleveland, and former Tennessee Titan and three-time Pro Bowler Taylor Lewan.
“He’s been a football player. That’s the thing that comes to mind the most,” head coach Jim Harbaugh said of Alt. “Really, the highest compliment you can give a football player.”
For Slater, he continues to excel as he recorded the third-highest Pro Football Focus grade on the team against the Saints at 87.6.
Slater, who was a Pro Bowler, an AP All-Pro Second Team honoree, and finished fourth in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, all in his first season in 2021, has committed just one holding penalty this year. In addition, he has not committed a false start penalty since his rookie campaign.
The way that those two have controlled the line of scrimmage is monumental for Herbert to move the chains.
“I think both are playing at [the] highest level among tackles across the league,” Harbaugh said to the media Wednesday. “Rashawn, he’s been great in every way and he’s conscientious about everything. Every step he takes, every way he approaches the meetings, the training environment, the practice environment, he’s always doing and thinking. It’s the student of the game cliché.”
“I see Joe in the back pocket. I see Joe doing that and then some, too. Six in the morning, Monday morning, I know where to find Joe. He’ll be by himself with the strength trainer pulling the sled just outside of the weight room. It’s cool. You know, Baby Face Giant getting extra work, doing the work,4 and playing really good. Glad both on our team.”
Also read: Los Angeles Chargers Top The List of Best Rookie Performances
How does Alt and Slater’s production affect the Chargers offense
As a result, that production, or more importantly that protection, has led to Herbert having more success as of late in the offense. He has had 2.96 seconds to throw, which is tied for the eighth-best mark in the league this season.
Furthermore, he has a 95.0 PFF grade over the last two weeks, which is the best of any NFL player in that span.
Herbert has recorded his most passing yards in a game in each of his last two games. He threw 349 yards at Arizona and 279 yards against New Orleans. That is 50 more yards than he has thrown across his first four games, where Herbert did not even surpass 180 yards earlier this year.
Part of it is the adjustment to the passing game under new offensive coordinator Greg Roman as well as how successful the run game has been early on.
Those adjustments, especially mixed in with the success of Alt and Slater have led to Herbert having that time in the pocket to build that rapport with the receivers, such as Ladd McConkey, who recorded his first career 100-yard game and first career multi-touchdown game against New Orleans.
Similarly, that pocket presence has prevented Herbert from turning the ball over through the air.
He has just one interception on the season, the same as Buffalo’s Josh Allen, Pittsburgh’s Justin Fields, and the Colts’ Joe Flacco, who returns as the starter this week with Anthony Richardson getting benched.
Having a strong offensive line goes a long way to success for the rest of the offense, whether it is the protection for the quarterback or the ability from the offensive line to block and set the edge for players like J.K. Dobbins in the Los Angeles Chargers run game or when running screen plays.
Also read: Is The Los Angeles Chargers Offense Trending Up Or Still A Bottom-Dweller?