The Los Angeles Chargers are getting some much-needed rest this week. After a 2-2 start to the season, the Chargers are in their bye week, re-adjusting and preparing to get back to their winning ways for the rest of the season. Head coach Jim Harbaugh has three key adjustments he needs to make during the team’s bye to get the Chargers back on track.
Get the ball into the hands of the playmakers
The Chargers have two impressive young wideouts in their lineup. Rookie slot receiver Ladd McConkey has quickly emerged as the team’s top receiving option, posting 15 receptions for 176 yards and two touchdowns in four games.
Meanwhile, second-year wideout Quentin Johnston is beginning to break out, totaling 11 receptions, 142 yards, and a team-high three touchdowns through the first four weeks of the season. It’s been a solid start to a bounce-back campaign for Johnston, who struggled greatly last season as a rookie.
McConkey and Johnston have had a few moments of brilliance this season. However, their opportunities need to be increased. The Chargers are a run-first offense and passing the football has been difficult for them due to injuries to the offensive line as well as star quarterback Justin Herbert. However, finding ways to get the football into the hands of their two young playmakers will help get the offensive attack back on track.
Lean further into J.K. Dobbins as the workhorse back
The Chargers entered the season hoping to implement a sort of running-back-by-committee approach to their ground attack. They signed both J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards this offseason to share the workload and help instill Coach Harbaugh’s run-first mentality. However, so far this season, Edwards has not been pulling his weight.
Dobbins has totaled 342 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 56 carries for an average of 6.1 yards per attempt. Meanwhile, Edwards has received 38 carries but produced just 113 yards and zero touchdowns for an average of 3.0 yards per attempt.
Edwards has yet to rip any big runs with his longest rush of the season being only 10 yards. Dobbins has an extensive injury history which has encouraged a split workload in the Chargers’ backfield. However, it’s clear and obvious who the more effective rusher has been this season. The Chargers need to make Dobbins their workhorse back and reduce the touches that Edwards is receiving.
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The Chargers’ offensive line needs to get and stay healthy
Injuries are part of the game and they are not necessarily something the team has any control over. However, the biggest key to getting this season back on track for the Chargers will be to get this offensive line healthy and to keep it that way.
A fully healthy Chargers offensive line helped lead an utterly dominant rushing attack through the first two weeks of the season. But after their starting tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt got banged up, the wheels began to fall off and the offensive attack as a whole has crumbled as a result.
Thankfully, it does seem like Alt will be returning to the lineup sooner rather than later. Despite missing the team’s Week 4 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs with a knee injury, Alt was practicing during the bye week, and seems like he is trending in the right direction. He could be back in the lineup as early as Week 6.
Slater was also out in Week 4 and it’s unclear how soon he will be able to return. Getting Slater back on the field will be crucial, though. His 96.92% pass-protection win rate ranks third in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. His absence was felt in Week 4. Once Slater and Alt return to the field, this Chargers offense should be able to get back on track.
