Quarterback is unquestionably the most important position in football. Good teams are made better with an elite QB at the helm, while bad teams can often be dragged to relative success with the right talent under center.
Let’s look at the signal callers the Chargers defense is set to face in 2022, ranked from least to most threatening.
14. Seahawks: Geno Smith/Drew Lock
Seattle faces a training camp battle after trading longtime star Russell Wilson to Denver (more on him later), but neither option is particularly frightening from a defensive perspective. In my opinion, former Chargers backup Smith is more likely to win the job, but he’s a known quantity at this point. At 31 years old, Smith will keep the ship steady but won’t win you any games you weren’t already going to win. On the other hand, Lock theoretically has the talent to win games, but he’s never quite put everything together. There’s a reason Denver was willing to move on from him this offseason. However, he is 3-2 versus the Chargers as a starter.
13. Browns: Jacoby Brissett
I’m operating as if Deshaun Watson will be suspended for the Week 5 contest against the Browns because, frankly, he should be. If he plays a single down this season, it’s an indictment of how the NFL puts money over morality, plain and simple. With Watson grounded, the Chargers will be facing veteran Brissett instead. It’s much the same story as Geno Smith: solid player, has hung around the league for good reason, is not going to be the main reason you win a game. I’d be much more worried about stopping the rushing attack of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in this one.
12. Falcons: Marcus Mariota
The former No. 2 overall pick, Mariota resurfaces as a starter after two seasons as Derek Carr’s backup in Las Vegas. It’s possible that rookie third-rounder Desmond Ridder could be starting by the time Atlanta meets up with the Chargers in Week 9, but the connection between Mariota and head coach Arthur Smith from their time in Tennessee makes me think they’ll give him a bit of a longer leash. Mariota will be familiar with the Chargers’ defense from his time as a Raider, where he did get into the game on occasion as a gadget player. Still, don’t expect him to be torching the Bolts’ defense.
11. 49ers: Trey Lance/Jimmy Garoppolo
Jimmy G has been the subject of trade rumors from the second the 49ers’ season ended, but he remains on their roster as of today. It seems unlikely that will remain true come Week 10, but stranger things have happened in the NFL. If Garoppolo is the starter, expect the Chargers linebackers to flex their coverage muscles while he checks down to the RB and TE for most of the game. Lance, San Francisco’s likely 2022 starter, is much more of an X-factor. He barely played as a rookie or in 2020 because of the cancellation of the FCS fall season, which means the majority of data on him comes from games played almost three seasons ago against small-school competition. Yet, his talent is undeniable, and his running ability gives Kyle Shanahan yet another way to get creative offensively.
10. Texans: Davis Mills
Mills razed the Chargers a season ago to the tune of 254 yards and 2 TDs in a surprise 41-29 loss to a moribund Texans team. His first half was especially lethal, as he went 11 of 13 for 131 yards and both TDs. So what gives? Why is Mills this low? Well, for starters, the Chargers play a ton of well-established veterans this season, so there’s not much room for improvement here. Also, consider that Derwin James, Joey Bosa, Michael Davis, and Justin Jones all missed the Texans game because of COVID-19 or injury. Los Angeles started Davontae Harris at cornerback in that game. This isn’t meant to take away from Mills, who had a standout rookie season despite being pretty much an afterthought in the 2021 draft class. But in context, it’s hard to say that he carved up the Chargers last season because the defense they put on the field was a fraction of its true self.
9. Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa
It’s a make-or-break season for Tagovailoa, and best believe he’ll have the Chargers game circled to prove he was a worthy investment. Remember that Tua was the Dolphins’ choice one pick before Los Angeles selected Justin Herbert, which (unfortunately for Tua) has intertwined their fates for good. While he hasn’t been the superstar Herbert was, Tagovailoa is still a very good quarterback on short and intermediate routes over the middle. With speedsters Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, as well as tight end Mike Gesicki, Miami is playing to his strengths, which could very well make him look like a much better player this season. The Chargers-Dolphins matchup doesn’t come until Week 14, so expect Miami to have their offense down pat by then.
8. Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence
As the prince who was promised to come out of Clemson in 2021, I’m far from ready to write off Lawrence as a bust because of his lukewarm rookie season. Urban Meyer was coaching in name only, Lawrence had to beg to get his best players on the field during games, and most of his receivers flat out couldn’t catch. The stats are unimpressive, and the interception numbers certainly need to come down, but Lawrence is low on the list of reasons why the Jaguars ended up with the #1 pick again for back-to-back seasons. With big-money signings like Christian Kirk entering the building and starters returning from injury, the Jacksonville offense should at least resemble professional football this season. And honestly, that might be enough to open people’s eyes to Lawrence’s immense talent. A Week 3 matchup with the Chargers will be one of the first real tests he’ll face, and if he’s as good as we all thought he was, it could end up being more of a dangerous game than Chargers fans were bargaining for.
7. Titans: Ryan Tannehill
Tannehill’s career arc reminds me a bit of Alex Smith because they both were benched at their original landing spots before becoming an upper-level starter for their second team. Much like Smith with the Chiefs, Tannehill has the sometimes unseemly label of game manager for a very good Titans team, but his ability to keep the ball safe and move the team down the field is all they need to ask of him. Elongating drives to tire out opposing defenses, only for Derrick Henry to come barreling towards them for the umpteenth time, has been Tennessee’s bread and butter for years at this point. Although he loses AJ Brown, Robert Woods and rookie Treylon Burks provide him a bit more variety in the passing game. Tennessee is a team that never goes away easily, and Tannehill will ensure that’s the case against LA in Week 15, a game that’s likely to have far-reaching playoff implications.
6. Colts: Matt Ryan
I’m tired of hearing about how washed Matt Ryan is. He’s certainly on the decline, don’t get me wrong, but he’s a very good NFL QB still. It’s difficult to showcase that talent when you’re a less-than-mobile QB stuck behind the five traffic cones Atlanta called an offensive line last season. It’s even harder when Russell Gage and Kyle Pitts are the only players on your entire team that can get open. With a change of scenery to Indianapolis, I fully expect Ryan to remind people why he’s been highly thought of for 10+ seasons. The Colts have a solid offensive line (although left tackle is a bit of a question mark), with a bunch of tall receivers who Ryan can trust to go up and get a jump ball. I’m not saying the 2022 Colts will trick anyone into thinking they’re the 2012 Falcons, who featured Ryan with Julio Jones, Roddy White, and Tony Gonzalez, but I am saying that this supporting cast fits the veteran infinitely better than last season’s Falcons crew did.
5. Raiders: Derek Carr
Yes, this is the first in-division QB, a testament to how strong the AFC West will be this season. Carr cranked his passing yardage total to 4,800 in 2021, more than 700 yards above his previous career high. That’s, of course, aided by the 17th game in 2021, but he only threw for 186 yards against the Chargers in the season finale a year ago, so it’s clear he still made strides. With former college teammate Davante Adams now in silver and black as well, it stands to reason that those numbers will only continue to inflate in 2022 and beyond. The Raiders will be installing a new offense under head coach Josh McDaniels, so Week 1 may come with some growing pains, but the Week 13 matchup with divisional standings likely in the balance will be a difficult one.
4. Cardinals: Kyler Murray
Murray and Kliff Kingsbury have brought the Air Raid to the NFL with great success so far, although the team has yet to make substantial noise in the postseason. What makes the former No. 1 overall pick so dangerous is his ability to warp the pocket and extend plays, which forces the secondary to stick to their man for an extra 2-3 seconds. Creep up in your zone to hedge against the running threat and Murray will simply launch a dart over your head to the open man you just abandoned. With Hollywood Brown now in the fold in lieu of Christian Kirk, the offense will only be faster and more explosive than ever. Keeping Murray contained and forcing him to win from the pocket will be paramount in the Week 12 contest.
3. Broncos: Russell Wilson
Wilson has gotten some flak in recent seasons, especially for being allergic to throwing the ball over the middle and inflating his line’s sack numbers, but he’s still among the league’s best QBs. Don’t believe me? Ask the Broncos, who traded two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and three players to get Wilson in the building as they prepare to make a run at another Super Bowl. Denver has the personnel for the perimeter-based offense that Wilson prefers, too, big-bodied receiver Courtland Sutton. Expect both Broncos games to come down to which defense can limit the aerial assault of their respective QB opponent more effectively.
2. Rams: Matthew Stafford
Long underrated because of a subpar roster in Detroit, all Stafford did in his first year as a Ram was lead them to a Super Bowl victory over the Bengals. No big deal. Heading into 2022, Stafford is in the top ten in MVP odds across most sportsbooks, a testament to the numbers Vegas expects him to put up with another season in Sean McVay’s offense. Stafford is an underrated play-extender with the wheels and arm strength to get outside the pocket, reset, and deliver darts to freelancing receivers. After delivering on high expectations before last season, Stafford will only be expected to perform at a higher level as the Rams seek to make back-to-back Super Bowls. If the 34-year-old continues to deliver, expect Week 17 to be a tough matchup.
1. Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes
It just so happens that the best quarterback in the league is in the division, a major source of annoyance if you’re a Chargers fan. At least Mahomes doesn’t have a statement play against LA yet, like his left-handed throw against the Raiders or his other left-handed throw against the Broncos. He has a 5-2 record against the Bolts, with a 96.3 QB rating and 16 TDs to just 5 interceptions in those seven games. The former Texas Tech Red Raider is one of the most electric players in all of football, thanks to his ability to extend plays and adjust his arm angle to throw death-defying completions. Losing Tyreek Hill to Miami will be cause for adjustment, but don’t expect Mahomes to completely fall off without his #1 target.