Ahead of the Denver Broncos’ Monday Night Football showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers tonight, we asked Gavino Borquez of Chargers Wire five questions about the Bolts and their matchup against Denver.
Check out our questions and Gavino’s answers below!
5
Brandon Staley has faced some criticism for his 4th down decisions. Do you think he’s been too aggressive?
Hardly. Most of the criticism seems to stem from Staley’s decision to go for it on 4th and 2 against Cleveland last week, but I think the process in going for it was correct on that play. The playcall and execution are what failed the Chargers on that play. Staley’s fourth down aggressiveness has become subject to confirmation bias: people want to talk about him being overaggressive, so they key in on moments when LA doesn’t convert and point to it as evidence of such. But Staley has actually been much more conservative on 4th down this season, primarily because of how ineffective the run game has been. The Chargers, at least to this point, don’t seem to consistently have confidence in Austin Ekeler or any of their other backs in getting a yard or two on fourth downs.
4
What can we expect from the Chargers’ RB rotation – was last week a one-week fluke, or is Joshua Kelley getting more involved?
I think you’re going to see more of Kelley in the coming weeks. Chargers media members have been all over offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi about the third-year pro’s snap count, and rightfully so. Kelley has been arguably the best pure runner on the team this season. Austin Ekeler is going to keep the lion’s share of the touches; that’s just how the Chargers operate. But Sony Michel has been ineffective since LA picked him up after final cuts and rookie Isaiah Spiller hasn’t yet been able to crack the gameday roster. Kelley should solidly be the #2 on Monday as well as going forward.
3
Do the Chargers have any notable weaknesses on offense or defense that Denver might be able to exploit?
On offense, I think there’s been a certain lack of creativity through five games. Especially in the second half, Denver should be able to recognize play concepts as Lombardi repeats them. The offensive line is also all kinds of banged up: fill-in left tackle Jamaree Salyer has performed admirably, but right tackle Trey Pipkins (ankle) and center Corey Linsley (illness) are both questionable, although both are expected to start.
On defense, it’s primarily been the middle of the field giving LA trouble. Asante Samuel Jr. and Bryce Callahan have both been stellar to start the year, but the Chargers linebackers have struggled in zone coverage underneath and both they and the safety not named Derwin James have had issues tackling. JC Jackson has also gotten off to a slow start on the outside and may be exploitable if matched up with Courtland Sutton too often.
2
Does LA have an underrated player that Broncos fans should be aware of this week?
Assuming Patrick Surtain II is matched up with Mike Williams all night, I’d be keeping an eye out for DeAndre Carter on offense. Joshua Palmer is the hyped-up one in the receiver room, but something about his timing with Justin Herbert just hasn’t been right yet this season. If Williams is blanketed all game, I’d think Carter would be the one to step up operating out of the slot.
Defensively, I talked about the start Asante Samuel Jr. has gotten off to already, but I don’t think he’s gotten the national attention he deserves quite yet. Samuel has had a few hiccups finishing plays, notably against the Chiefs when an interception in the endzone slipped through his fingers. Still, the second-year man has held his own against the likes of Davante Adams this season, and a strong performance on Monday could be what he needs to break out onto a national stage.
1
What’s your prediction for Monday – who wins and why?
This is a hard one to predict – on the one hand, I think the Chargers offense should be able to move the ball because of the talent on that side of the ball. I think the Chargers’ defense should be able to keep the Broncos’ offense from finding a rhythm they haven’t had all season. But on the other hand, I’ve seen this team fail to play a 60-minute game five times this season. Moving the ball without over-relying on Mike Williams will require the run game to keep its momentum against a run defense miles better than the ones they’ve played in the last two weeks. Stopping Denver on offense will require sure tackling of Melvin Gordon and the running backs and better coverage on the outside, where Russell Wilson tends to target. The Chargers are also 2-4 in their last 6 against Denver and 3-8 in the last decade on Monday Night Football. But ultimately, I think they’ll find a way to get it done. Chargers 24, Broncos 23.
