The Los Angeles Chargers turnaround hasn’t been spectacular, but it has reinvigorated one of the more steadfastly hopeful fan bases in the NFL. The biggest area of change has been to the defense. No matter how you slice it the moves the new regime has made on that side of the ball, from new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter to rookie fifth rounder Cam Hart, much better.
Chargers Injury Woes Haven’t Caught Up To Them…Yet
They are now one of the best defenses in the league less than a year removed from finishing at the bottom. And it isn’t if the unit hasn’t faced adversity. They have been without several starters; Asante Samuel Jr. was moved to the injured reserve six weeks ago. Joey Bosa has missed the better part of the last six weeks, dealing with a hip injury. And Kirstian Fulton and Ja’Sir Taylor have been fixtures on the injury report for weeks now.
All that said, it hasn’t had much effect on the success of the unit. But the question must be asked, is this sustainable?
In large part, this is due to the level of competition they have faced in recent weeks. The Cleveland Browns led by former first rounder and at one point third stringer, Jameis Winston and New Orleans Saints under Spencer Rattler/Jake Haener aren’t exactly the most formidable offenses. That said, they held the Arizona Cardinals, one of the league most explosive offenses, to just 17 points, although that was a losing effort.
Khalil Mack Down With Groin Injury
All of the players list above are still hurt and another starter cropped up on the injury report. Edge rusher Khalil Mack has yet to practice this week due to a groin injury. Can the Chargers continue walking the tight rope and expecting high level play from young inexpericend backups?
If Mack is unable to go, they will rely on Bud Dupree to take on more snap share. Mack has been the only Chargers to log more that 25 pressures this year. His 29 pressures is ranked 28th among all defenders. The Chargers have the second lowest pressure percentage in the league. Without Mack, the secondary will be under more stress.
If Kristian Fulton and Ja’Sir Taylor are limited or miss the game they will be relying on AJ Finley and Dicaprio Bootle. The best case scenario would be elevating midseason free agent addition Eli Apple.
Luckily for them, they face yet another bad offense in the Tennesse Titans.
