The Chargers are looking to get back on track after dropping their last two, while the Eagles are seeking to pull the upset on their home turf.
Here are five storylines to follow when Los Angeles takes on Philadelphia this Sunday at 2:05 pm PT:
Can early-down efficiency be established?
The offense being out of sync is one of the primary reasons the Chargers have come up short in their last two games. The team has still been in far too many late-down situations because of their inability to produce on first and second downs. A combination of pass protection problems, not being effective enough in the running game, being too conservative throwing the football, and playing two great defenses in back-to-back weeks has led them here after cooking opposing defenses the first quarter of the season. In order to get back to their winning ways, the Chargers must find a way to let Herbert cook again, which means playing to his strength by pushing the football more consistently.
Are the drops done and over with?
Herbert has not been at his best at times, with some of his passes being off the mark. However, there have been a handful catchable, but his pass-catchers could not reel it in, including some in crucial situations. For the season, Los Angeles has been credited with 16 dropped passes — the second-most in the league. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams have combined for 11 drops, while Jared Cook has three.
Will the blocking be better?
Without starters, tackle Bryan Bulaga and guard Oday Aboushi, Storm Norton and Michael Schofield have been tasked with handling the right side but have struggled immensely. Last weekend, the Chargers gave up 17 pressures to the Patriots, and Norton and Schofield combined for 11 of them. It has not worked even by using running backs and tight ends as extra blockers to mitigate it. Los Angeles will be going up against an Eagles defense that ranks No. 1 in pass rush win rate when they blitz, and Herbert is 28th against the blitz.
Can the Chargers slow down the run?
This is a question that goes through minds every week, and it’s only going to continue until the Chargers are no longer dead-last in this category. Last weekend, however, they took the strides in the right direction, as the Bolts held the Patriots to just 3.9 yards per carry. The return of defensive tackle Justin Jones aided the unit. Los Angeles will need that momentum carried into this weekend against an Eagles offense that is averaging the sixth-most rushing yards per game (131.6), third-most yards per carry (5.0), and rushing touchdowns (12). Furthermore, quarterback Jalen Hurts has 432 yards and five scores on 73 carries.
Can the secondary stand its own?
While the Chargers won’t be facing a premiere passing offense this weekend, it still does not help that the team will be without three key defensive backs: Michael Davis, Asante Samuel Jr., and most likely Alohi Gilman, all of whom are dealing with injuries. Brandon Staley has done a fine job of putting the lesser-known players in a position to succeed, with Tevaughn Campbell being an example of someone who has been playing some good football. However, the jury is still out for Ryan Smith and Mark Webb, who will be set for extended playing time.