Riding a two-game winning streak after primetime victories over the Bears and Jets, the Chargers find themselves back in the thick of a tight AFC playoff race.
Whether they’ve upgraded themselves to contenders or remain pretenders will be tested on Sunday with a strong Lions team coming to Los Angeles.
Here are four reasons to be optimistic about a Chargers win.
Skittish under pressure
There are two main quarterback archetypes in the modern NFL: game-breaking scramblers who force defenses to warp and bend to account for additional threats and pocket passers who excel with pinpoint accuracy but are prone to pressure.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff falls in the latter category, one of the league’s less mobile signal-callers whose longest-standing criticism is the way his game falters when the pass rush starts to get home. That trend has continued in 2023, as 5 of Goff’s 6 turnover worthy plays have come when pressured, per PFF. The Lions have only allowed pressure on 33.1% of Goff’s dropbacks, a product of a strong offensive line, but his TD:INT ratio falls from 10:1 to 2:4 when sped up.
The Chargers have hit their stride as a pass rush in recent weeks as Joey Bosa’s health has improved, giving them a legitimate three-headed monster on the edge with Bosa, Khalil Mack, and Tuli Tuipulotu. All three players had at least two sacks on Monday against the Jets, the first time Los Angeles stuffed the box score in that fashion since 2012. Detroit’s offensive line is stout with Penei Sewell at right tackle and center Frank Ragnow working back from injury, but LA’s ability to move their three impact players around has proven to generate pressure against anybody on their schedule.
Healed up
Sunday marks six weeks since Justin Herbert’s bone punctured the skin of his left middle finger, completing the timeline originally given for him to heal from the injury. Whether Herbert plays without the splint he’s had on since breaking the finger is yet to be determined.
Outside of Herbert, the Chargers did not put a single player on Wednesday’s estimated injury report, a rare occurrence for any team this deep into the season. It’s especially rare for a Los Angeles outfit that’s normally down to practice squad players and lucky fans at two or more spots on the field by now. It’s worth mentioning that Wednesday was not a practice day for the Chargers, which raises the possibility that more players pop up on the report on Thursday.
Regardless, going into Sunday’s game with few cuts and bruises outside the longer-term Mike Williams, Joshua Palmer, and Corey Linsley ailments will be a boon for the Chargers. With Herbert’s finger injury also quickly approaching the rearview mirror, it’s possible Los Angeles finally puts fireworks together on the field on Sunday.
Celebration committee
Two weeks ago, this Chargers team seemed like they were down for the count. Brandon Staley said they needed a “reset”. Herbert told the media “no one is going to panic”. They sounded like hollow words meant to keep the walls from closing in on yet another lost season for just a moment or two longer.
Since then, the energy around SoFi Stadium has done a 180. Defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley had his unit form a celebration committee to bring the defense closer together. They used every single one of their planned celebrations against the Bears and had to adlib another one after a Derwin James interception to ice the game. The offense has sputtered at times, but is beginning to find its way with or without Palmer despite what the box score may say. Ryan Ficken’s special teams unit has been the steadiest – Cameron Dicker has hit 50+ yard field goals in three straight games and Derius Davis’ punt return touchdown against the Jets set LA up for their dominant night.
With two straight wins now under their belt, the Chargers feel like they’re beginning to believe in themselves again. Whether they’ve convinced everyone outside the building – fans, opponents, pundits, and everyone in between – is a more complex question.
Completionist
The past two weeks have been perhaps the closest the Chargers have come to playing complete football in the Brandon Staley era. The 2021 team was plagued by a horrendous special teams unit and the worst run defense in the history of football. Last season’s team was just as bad against the run, but the stretch run at the end of the regular season had its moments as Staley cooked up a few choice gameplans.
And yes, the last two weeks have come against the Zach Wilson Jets and Tyson Bagent Bears. Nobody is suggesting that the Chargers have beaten good teams on this run. But it’s the bones of what they’re doing – offense answering after poor drives by the defense, defense stepping up to relieve a struggling offense, special teams adding margin for error – that makes it seem so much more sustainable against good teams.
Granted, LA has not beaten a good team yet this season. (Unless you count the Vikings, who dropped to 0-3 with their loss to the Chargers but are now 5-4.) But LA also hasn’t played this level of complementary football against a good team yet, either. Against a Lions team that has also struggled at times to play a complete game, the Chargers could find themselves with a bit more wiggle room.
