Led by rookie quarterback Justin Herbert, the Chargers offense is doing everything they can to win games. Los Angeles’ offense ranks No. 2 in the NFL, but somehow the results do not replicate that.
That’s when the attention gets shifted to the defensive side of the ball, where a common trend of starting hot but struggling to close out games has been the primary reason for the team’s meltdowns.
The defense ranks in the middle of the pack in the league from a statistical standpoint, but the issues lie much deeper.
Despite injuries to key players like safety Derwin James, linebacker Drue Tranquill and cornerback Chris Harris Jr., the team has enough talent to stymie the best offenses, which has been illustrated. But once the second half comes around, the unit goes into a shell.
So what’s going on? That’s when the spotlight shines on defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
Bradley, the man who deploys a heavy dose of zone coverage and very little blitzing, found himself having his infamous defense exploited and having issues with ball security and not so many takeaways, primarily in critical situations.
Playing zone comes at a risk. The zone defense limits big plays but provides windows for quick throws, and it doesn’t help when the pass rush is exhausted at the end of games.
Therefore, he’s mixed it up with more man defense, called a few more blitzes and utilized the defensive backs in different spots.
But the results have still been lackluster, and it became even more evident when the Chargers lost a 21-point lead last Sunday against the Broncos. Los Angeles remained in prevent defense, which allowed quarterback Drew Lock and company to dink and dunk their way back to a comeback victory.
It has gotten to the point where fans are calling for Bradley to be fired. The woes are clear, and that’s why while he might not be let go of right now, coach Anthony Lynn said that he may take a more “hands-on” approach with the defense going forward.
Prior to the season, Lynn but a big emphasis on winning the turnover battle, and defensively, it’s not where he would like it to be. Los Angeles has only forced six turnovers this season, which ranks second to last in the NFL.
The team has the reinforcements to get job done, but now we will find out if they can piece it all together the rest of the way out. If not, somebody will likely be out of a job.