The Chargers’ 34-6 loss to the Ravens in Week 6 unveiled a few things that needed to be tidied up during the bye last week.
Among the noteworthy was the early-down offense.
One of the storylines this season has been the success on third and fourth downs. However, the issue is that they have been in those situations far too often, primarily due to the lack of production on first and second downs.
Run plays, or short throws to keep the offense in front of the chains, have been leaned on. But then, quarterback Justin Herbert has been forced to push the ball down the field on late downs more so than none.
Although the offense has been one of the most efficient on late downs, Los Angeles found out against Baltimore it is too risky to be in those scenarios consistently.
Moving forward, the Chargers could be making the point to let Herbert play to his strengths by letting it loose early on now to ensure they are not staying behind the sticks.
At Wednesday’s media availability, running back Austin Ekeler said the most significant emphasis over the bye week was figuring out a way to win on first and second downs by being more creative and aggressive in play calling.
It should not be a difficult adjustment for an offense that has been one of the most productive this season. We will see what offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi has up his sleeves this Sunday against the Patriots.