The Los Angeles Chargers defense continues to play at a high level despite dealing with injuries across most position groups. One of the most inflicted has been at edge rusher. While it hasn’t been widespread, it has bitten the top two at the position. Joey Bosa has been dealing with a lingering hip injury since Week 1. Khalil Mack hit the injury report for the first time this week. The result was both were limited in the team’s game against the Tennessee Titans in Week 10.
The defenders who Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter looked to were veteran Bud Dupree and sophomore Tuli Tuipulotu.
Chargers Defenders Shine With Mack And Bosa Limited
Ahead of this game, Tuipulotu had already played a high snap share with Bosa limited or completely out of the lineup. But Dupree saw his playing time jump from about 60 percent of defensive snaps up to 70 percent. Bosa played just 21 of 55 snaps and Mack played just four. But there wasn’t a drop-off in production. In fact, they had one of their best pass-rushing days of the year.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Chargers racked up 21 pressures and seven sacks and that was with Dupree and Tuipulotu leading the way with two sacks each. Dupree had four pressures and Tuipulotu had seven, a mark he has reached three times in his career. Dupree’s was second-best of the season, behind five against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Despite limited playing time, Bosa proved he is still dominant at times picking up a sack on his only pressure of the day. Linebacker Daiyan Henley added a sack as well as one from defensive tackle Poona Ford.
Surprisingly, any Chargers defender not named Khalil Mack has struggled to get pressure on quarterbacks. Before this game, no player had more than 15 pressures, almost half as many as Mack has generated. This has resulted in the second-lowest pressure percentage in the league. They may climb the ranks after this game.
