Tag: Chargers rushing offense

Stats that show how dominant the Chargers’ rushing offense was vs. Dolphins

The revitalized run game was the lone bright spot for the Chargers.

There wasn’t much good to take away from the Chargers’ loss to the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon. But the lone bright spot was their rushing offense.

Los Angeles finished with 243 yards on the ground on 40 carries. Austin Ekeler had 117 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, including a 55-yard rush in the first half. Joshua Kelley ran the ball 16 times, gaining 91 yards and scoring a touchdown.

According to NFL Media’s Next Gen Stats, Ekeler and Kelley combined for a league-high +66 rushing yards over expected in Week 1. The Bolts recorded a 70.0% rushing success rate, the 2nd-highest in a game over the last two seasons.

The Chargers brought in offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to improve the rushing attack, which came to fruition on Sunday. Moore’s downhill approach in the running game perfectly suits the skill sets of the offensive linemen, Ekeler and Kelley.

Holes were consistently being opened up at the line of scrimmage and Ekeler and Kelley read and pressed upfield to pick up positive yardage.

Having a revitalized rushing offense is great, as it will keep defenses honest on a weekly basis and allow for plenty more opportunities for Justin Herbert in the downfield passing game.

Corey Linsley says improving Chargers’ run game is a ‘collective effort’

Corey Linsley said that improvement in the Chargers’ running game will be a “collective effort.”

For all the fireworks that the Chargers brought to the offensive side of the ball last season, their running game was wildly inconsistent. Despite a herculean effort by Austin Ekeler to carry the team on the ground, Los Angeles couldn’t seem to find their rhythm when they ran the ball.

Still, center Corey Linsley is hopeful that L.A. can improve this key aspect of their attack in 2023.

Linsley spoke to the media after practice on Wednesday about what a fix for the running game might look like. Though the solution would, obviously, be complex, Linsley was optimistic that a more deliberate strategy to their ground game would pay dividends next season.

I think the focusing part of it will help us a lot. There was a little bit of where we didn’t ever get good at one thing last year in the run game. We had our plays that were successful, but they were individual plays. There wasn’t a scheme and we never felt like we got in a flow. Some of it’s on us, some of it is on coaches, some of it is on everybody, right? It’s a collective effort here and it always will be. Majoring in something, just like you said, I think it will help us take a step forward.

Having Ekeler back should help. The return of Rashawn Slater, who missed most of the 2022 season with a torn biceps should, as well. Additionally, offensive coordinator Kellen Moore will be a vital piece. In his four years as OC for the Cowboys, Moore coached the seventh-best rushing offense in that timespan.

With a more honed-in approach, the Chargers should be able to find far more sustained success when they run the ball. If Los Angeles can find its identity on the ground during training camp and the preseason later in the summer, the team could surprise opponents with a dynamic offensive attack that isn’t totally reliant on Justin Herbert to move the ball upfield and score points.