Tag: Chargers 2021 season

Chargers HC Brandon Staley among ‘bandwagons to hop on in 2021’

All aboard the Brandon Staley hype train.

When the Chargers fired Anthony Lynn after the 2020 season, many believed that the franchise was going to hire an offensive-minded head coach to maximize quarterback Justin Herbert’s potential.

Instead, Los Angeles decided to bring in Brandon Staley, the defensive guru, to be the man in charge.

Staley was brought onboard after overseeing the Rams’ top-ranked defense last season. Since he entered the building in his new role, Staley has inspired optimism with his additions this offseason, both new players and the coaches, paired with his vision for the team.

On top of that, Staley’s defensive expertise and his ability to get the best out of players — with playmakers highlighted by Derwin James, Joey Bosa, Kenneth Murray, Michael Davis, Chris Harris Jr. and rookie Asante Samuel Jr. — also brings plenty of intrigue.

NFL Media’s Adam Schein, who recently made a list of the best bandwagons to jump on ahead of the 2021 season, and he listed Staley at No. 3 in his rankings.

Here’s what Schein said about Staley:

He’s just SO well-regarded by everyone who has been around him. Last season with the Rams, in Staley’s first year as an NFL defensive coordinator, he churned out the No. 1 scoring and total defense in the league. That unit undoubtedly had special talents in Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey, but what do you call Joey Bosa and — when healthy — Derwin James? The offense will keep rolling with Herbert under center, and the defense will maximize its talent with Staley at the controls.

Historically, attention to detail and culture have let the Chargers down. That’s about to change. The Bolts were wise to invest in Staley. You should, too.

What matters the most is that Staley will have to be better in areas where former head coach Anthony Lynn’s failures cost the team a lot of close games the past few seasons: game management, strategy in crucial situations and special teams competence.

However, the bottom line is that Staley hasn’t even coached a single game yet, but the reasons listed above are all valid as to why he is one of the most enticing individuals heading into the 2021 season.

Derwin James is Chargers’ biggest X-Factor in 2021

When safety Derwin James is on the field, there’s a greater chance for success.

When referring to an X-factor, we’re not talking about a player who lines up in the “X” position as a wide receiver. Instead, we’re talking about a player who steps up for the team in a big way to make a difference.

There are going to be several players on the Chargers who make an impact on both sides of the ball, but safety Derwin James’ might be the most significant.

That is why James was listed as Los Angeles’ biggest X-factor entering the 2021 season by Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon.

If the Bolts are going to hang with Mahomes and the Chiefs and, if a trade happens, possibly even Rodgers and the Broncos in 2021, they’ll need more from that unit. That includes help for elite pass-rusher Joey Bosa up front (ideally from young first-round picks Jerry Tillery and Kenneth Murray as well as Melvin Ingram III replacement Uchenna Nwosu), but the key might be a bounce-back year from Derwin James in the secondary.

Football is a team sport, but James is a one-man wrecking crew that has dictated a large portion of the team’s success.

In 2018, which is the year James did play a complete season, he was an All-Pro and the Chargers were 12-4 and in the playoff. The past two seasons, in which he was hurt, they had a losing record and missed the playoffs both years.

Now fully healthy, James will have a chance to return to his original form and display his versatility in new head coach Brandon Staley’s defense, where he will be used in a variety of roles.

When James is on the field, opposing offenses are more prone to struggle due to his rare skillset against the pass, run, or as a blitzer.

In two seasons, James has 139 tackles, three interceptions, 3.5 sacks and 14 passes defensed.

At the end of the day, if James is on the field then there’s a greater chance of Los Angeles making a deeper run.

Chargers’ Chase Daniel playing key role in quarterbacks room

Chargers quarterback Chase Daniel’s mentorship skills are paying dividends.

Chargers quarterback Chase Daniel’s money has been made not on the field, but from the sideline.

Signed in March to serve as Justin Herbert’s backup, Daniel’s presence has been paying off in the early stages of preparation for the upcoming season.

As Herbert learns the new offense under Joe Lombardi, Daniel has been aiding in the transition since he spent four seasons as Drew Brees’ backup with the Saints, which is what the system will draw parallels to.

“Chase has just brought a wealth of experience,” quarterback coach Shane Day said. “He’s helped us tremendously. He’s helped me tremendously. We have some great conversations in the quarterback room, and he’s able to bring all that experience that he’s had in the Saints offense and kind of bring it alive.

And he’s also got a great personality. He’s been great for the room that way, too. I’m glad that we were able to get him, not only from the standpoint of teaching and kind of mentoring Justin, but he’s been able to give me some real-life experience, which is great, for this offense that I haven’t been a part of. So he’s been outstanding.”

According to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, Daniel has been monitoring Easton Stick on the second field while listening and observing Herbert over on the first field during the play calls since New Orleans’ offense possesses more complex wordage.

Daniel and Stick will be in competition for the No. 2 spot, but the veteran has the leg up due to his mentorship skills and familiarity with the offense.

PFF: Pair of Chargers listed among top-32 front-seven players

The Los Angeles Chargers possess one of the best edge defenders and linebackers in the league.

The Chargers were well-represented among the offensive players in Pro Football Focus’ annual rankings of the top 32 players at each position entering the 2021 season.

PFF began ranking the defensive side of the ball this past week, where Los Angeles had two members among the defensive linemen and linebackers.

Edge defender Joey Bosa and linebacker Kenneth Murray found themselves listed with the best of the best.

Bosa checked in at No. 3, only behind Bears’ Khalil Mack and Steelers’ T.J. Watt.

It didn’t take long for Bosa to establish himself as one of the league’s top pass-rushers. He notched 59 pressures as a rookie back in 2016 despite not seeing the field until Week 5 and has only continued to improve in the four years since. Bosa is the only active edge rusher with a pass-rush win rate higher than 20% since 2016, sitting at 22.0% since entering the league. The biggest question heading into the 2021 season is whether he’ll remain healthy throughout the year.

After becoming the highest paid edge defender in the NFL, Bosa showed why he was worth every single penny. Despite missing four games due to various injuries, he ended his 2020 campaign with 39 tackles (29 solo), 7.5 sacks and one fumble recovery.

Bosa was a major factor of the passing game, as he logged 41 quarterback pressures and 27 hits. He also came up clutch on multiple occasions against the run. The outcome was him being named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl.

Heading into the upcoming season, the 25-year old Bosa will be an integral piece of the defensive line.

Murray, on the other hand, was tabbed as the No. 23 overall linebacker.

Rookie linebackers have struggled hugely to hit the ground running in the NFL over recent years, but Kenneth Murray did as good a job as any of the bunch a season ago,” says author Sam Monson. “He endured the typical struggles in coverage but brought an obvious physical presence to the Chargers’ defense, making three pass breakups. Year 2 could be when we see Murray really emerge as a star at the position.

Drafted No. 23 overall in 2020, Murray recorded 107 tackles, three passes defended and one sack in his rookie season.

The former Oklahoma product experienced growing pains right off the bat, but he made consistent growth week in and week out.

In 2021, Murray could experience a breakout season playing under head coach Brandon Staley, who should implement a system that plays to his strengths.

Chargers top 5 breakout season players in 2021: S Nasir Adderley

Heading into Year 3, Chargers safety Nasir Adderley is in prime position to turn things around.

Every season, there are players who break out onto the scene who may not have been dominant the season before, whether they had limited snaps, dealt with an injury or just improved as a player in the offseason.

This is the first story in a five-part series counting down the top Chargers players who I believe are most likely to have a breakout season in 2021.

Part 1: WR Tyron Johnson

Part 2: DT Jerry Tillery

Part 3: EDGE Uchenna Nwosu

The Chargers drafted Nasir Adderley in the second-round of the 2019 NFL draft out of Delaware with the hopes of pairing him with Derwin James to create a dynamic safety tandem.

Unfortunately, Adderley’s rookie season was short-lived as a hamstring injury kept him out for the majority of the season. After being fully recovered last season, while he showed some flashes in spurts, he was inconsistent in defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s system.

Adderley allowed 14 catches on 18 targets (77.8%), four of which went for touchdowns, and missed 12 tackles in 2020.

Heading into Year 3, Adderley is in prime position to turn things around, as he will be playing under head coach Brandon Staley, who has had plenty of success at maximizing his defensive player’s potential. Staley has full faith in Adderley, despite his struggles.

“He’s our type of safety,” Staley said. “He can see in the deep part of the field. He’s smooth. He’s got a lot of DB traits for us. We really think that he’s a smooth athlete. We think he’s going to be a good fit for how we want to play.”

Instead of relegating Adderley to the free safety position, Staley believes that he will be able to make full use of him by utilizing his versatility, where he can be flexed in the slot (Star) and fill a sub-package safety-linebacker hybrid role (Money).

While he has the athleticism and range to play in the deeper parts of the field, Adderley’s instincts, short area quickness and ball skills could go a long way closer to the line of scrimmage.

If everything clicks, Adderley will be an integral part of the backend of the defense.

Chargers top 5 breakout season players in 2021: EDGE Uchenna Nwosu

Chargers edge defender Uchenna Nwosu could garner contract extension consideration.

Every season, there are players who break out onto the scene who may not have been dominant the season before, whether they had limited snaps, dealt with an injury or just improved as a player in the offseason.

This is the first story in a five-part series counting down the top Chargers players who I believe are most likely to have a breakout season in 2021.

Part 1: WR Tyron Johnson

Part 2: DT Jerry Tillery

After being relegated to a rotational role the past three seasons, Uchenna Nwosu, the team’s second-round pick in 2018, is positioned to take a big leap this upcoming season.

Last season, Nwosu proved to be the team’s second best pass rusher behind Joey Bosa and a consistent run defender, but he was never rewarded for his efforts.

Instead of being given a set role, Nwosu was used as an off-ball strongside linebacker as well as a situational pass-rusher.

Now heading into his fourth season, Nwosu currently projects as a starting edge defender in head coach Brandon Staley’s 3-4 system, with Melvin Ingram no longer taking the spotlight.

With his defensive snaps being under 40% in 45 career games, Nwosu has still totaled 10 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, 59 quarterback pressures and 44 hurries.

The anticipation with Nwosu going into the 2021 season is real.

Not only has he flashed enough to be an impactful starter, but the sky is limit knowing what Staley could do to Nwosu’s game when factoring in what he was able to do with Leonard Floyd with the Rams last season.

Floyd is coming off his most productive year as a pro, totaling career-highs in sacks (12.5), tackles (55) and quarterback hits (19), as well as a career-best 52 total pressures.

Staley also helped turn Broncos 2019 fifth-round pick Justin Hollins into a starter for the Rams.

Under the guidance of Staley and outside linebackers coach Jay Rodgers, Nwosu could be in for a big season, one that may earn him a contract extension next offseason.

“I think Chenna can be a high-level player in this league. We love how he plays,” general manager Tom Telesco said.

Chargers set to travel fifth-most miles in 2021

The Los Angeles Chargers will be spending quite a bit of time in the air.

The Chargers spent a lot of time in an airplane last season, finishing as the fourth-most traveled team in the NFL.

How do the Bolts fare this upcoming season with the amount of miles that’ll be tacked up?

Traveling quite a bit will once again be a common thing for the Chargers this year as they are set to travel nearly 25,000 miles, which marks the fifth-highest, right behind the Seahawks, Jaguars, Rams and 49ers.

This statistic shouldn’t come as much of a surprise because L.A. is furthest on the west coast.

While there are more local games like those against their rivals in the AFC West, the Chargers have to go all the way to the east coast to take on the Ravens, Eagles, Bengals, as well as the season opener against Washington Football Team.

Regardless of the location, the Bolts are eager to pick up as many victories as possible in hopes of making the playoffs under first-year head coach Brandon Staley.

3 questions for the Chargers heading into 2021 season

The Los Angeles Chargers are receiving plenty of hype at the moment, but there are still some questions the team faces.

There’s plenty of optimism around the Chargers at the moment.

They have one of the best-looking rosters that they’ve had in quite some time and a new coaching staff.

Still, there are questions that Los Angeles faces heading into and during the 2021 season.

Analysts predict outcome of Chargers season in 2021

National analysts and writers predict how the Los Angeles Chargers will do in 2021.

The Chargers schedule was released on Wednesday night, and shortly after I released my game-by-game predictions.

How do others feel about Los Angeles heading into the 2021 season?

Let’s take a look at the records and win totals national writers and analysts are predicting L.A. to finish with.

Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine: 9-8

“The Chiefs weren’t the only team in the AFC West who spent the offseason retooling the offensive line. The Chargers found their franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert last year. They showed they know the importance of protecting him in 2021.

The group of pass-protectors was brutal last season. Herbert absorbed 32 sacks, an additional 70 hits and pressure on 28.7 percent of his dropbacks last season. He still managed to win Rookie of the Year.

Selecting Rashawn Slater with the 13th pick was a perfect marriage of value and need. It also completed the remodelling after they signed likely starters in center Corey Linsley, guard/tackles Matt Feiler and Oday Aboushi to go with Bryan Bulaga at right tackle.

There are some questions on defense. The Chargers finished 18th in defensive efficiency last season, and their moves on that side of the ball may be net neutral. Drafting Asante Samuel Jr. in the second round should be helpful in the secondary, but they also lost Casey Hayward and safety Rayshawn Jenkins.

New head coach Brandon Staley, the former defensive coordinator of the Rams, will hope to have a positive impact on the group, but if Herbert sees a sophomore slump, the defense might not be able to carry the Chargers in games.

As long as Herbert continues to progress, though, the Chargers should be in the thick of the AFC wild-card race. “

ESPN’s Shelley Smith

“The Chargers will make the playoffs for only the third time since 2009 and beat the two-time defending AFC champion Chiefs at least once. They also have the Raiders and Broncos in their division and will beat them as well.”

CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani

“The Chargers appear to be on the right track, but Brandon Staley will have to prove himself as a head coach and this team as a whole will have to prove it can stay healthy. Expect Herbert to continue to prove he’s the future at quarterback with the additions Los Angeles made on the offensive line, but the AFC West is a very tough division. I’m expecting the Chargers to go around .500 — whether that be 9-8 or 8-9.”

Pro Football Network’s Tommy Garrett: 11-6

“After Herbert’s impressive rookie campaign, the Chargers will be expecting to take the next step forward in 2021. Their schedule should facilitate them having another strong season, provided Herbert does not experience a sophomore slump.

With a new coaching staff, much will depend on how things gel in terms of schemes and personnel. If they hit the ground running in September, this roster can challenge for the playoffs in the AFC. However, we have seen this roster have fragilities if they get off to a bad start. If that happens, we will quickly learn about what new head coach Brandon Staley brings to this franchise.”

NFL Media’s Cynthia Frelund: 9.1 wins

“This season may not start out so pretty for the Chargers, with games at Washington (Week 1), vs. Dallas (Week 2), at Kansas City (Week 3), vs. Cleveland (Week 5) and at Baltimore (Week 6) all coming before their Week 7 bye. But given the current personnel configuration within the AFC West (that is to say, with Aaron Rodgers not being on the Broncos), the Bolts could make a second-half surge.”

Chargers-Patriots named one of the most intriguing matchups of 2021

The Los Angeles Chargers will be looking to get revenge this upcoming season.

The Chargers are set to face the Patriots for the second consecutive season in 2021.

This time around, Los Angeles should be more hungry than ever after suffering the worst loss in a franchise history to New England a year ago, where they were shutout by the score of 45-0.

The matchup between the two teams which comes in Week 8 was named one of the most intriguing games on the 2021 schedule by Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield.

Here’s what Schofield wrote about the bout:

Let’s look at when the New England Patriots have the football. Sure there have been a ton of new additions — including former Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry — but now the Patriots offense will be squaring off against Brandon Staley and a new-look Chargers defense. Let’s not forget, Staley’s defense did a number on this Patriots team a year ago when he was the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams. The chess match between Staley and New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will be fascinating to watch unfold.

Then when the Chargers have the football, young QB Justin Herbert will get his second shot at a Bill Belichick defense. Belichick has often enjoyed success against younger quarterbacks, and last year’s game was no exception, but year two of Herbert might find the young passer with a few more tricks up his sleeves.

The Patriots suffered a rough patch in their first season without quarterback Tom Brady. But the team brought in a handful of reinforcements this offseason for their presumed starter, Cam Newton, as well as their future, Mac Jones.

New England went on a free agency frenzy, acquiring former Chargers tight end Hunter Henry, TE Jonnu Smith and wide receivers Nelson Agholor and  Kendrick Bournce, among others, as they look to get back to their winning ways.

Last year, the Patriots offense was too much for Los Angeles. But it should be a different story knowing that Brandon Staley had no problem stymieing them last season when he was the Rams defensive coordinator, and the pieces on the defensive side of the ball are capable, if healthy.

In addition, the special teams department cost them this game, too. The Bolts allowed a punt return touchdown, and also had a kick blocked that the Patriots returned for a touchdown. New ST coordinator Derius Swinton II and the players brought in should help to avoid a repeat.

On the other side that could determine the outcome of this game is the play of quarterback Justin Herbert.

Bill Belichick is one of the best in the business at getting the best out of young quarterbacks, which is what he did last season, holding Herbert to a 49.1% completion percentage for 209 yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions.

Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi’s game plan for Herbert and the rest of the offense could ultimately decide the fate of L.A. in this game.