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A look at some reasons for optimism as the Los Angeles Chargers look to get back on track.
Despite the two tough consecutive losses to the Ravens and Patriots, there are a few reasons to remain optimistic as the Chargers look to get back on track against the Eagles this Sunday.
Let’s dive in.
It’s time to unleash the Chargers’ third-round pick.
Following a standout summer, Chargers rookie wide receiver Josh Palmer was viewed as the team’s clear-cut third option heading into the regular season.
The third-round pick out of Tennessee showed off his size, ability to separate and catch everything on a regular basis, finishing the preseason with 10 receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown.
However, his snap count has not been reflective of that role to the slightest.
Instead, Palmer has been buried behind Los Angeles’ No. 3 wideout, Jalen Guyton, who has been on the field nearly three times as much as Palmer, yet has not been as productive with his playing time.
On 304 snaps, Guyton has only caught ten passes for 139 yards on 20 targets. On the other hand, Palmer has seen just 102 snaps and has turned 11 targets into seven receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown.
As the Chargers’ passing offense has been underwhelming the past two games, it needs a spark and involving Palmer more frequently could lead to more positive results, as seen this past Sunday against the Patriots.
Amid all the drops, Palmer raised eyebrows with his touchdown grab in the end zone on the final drive. Over two defenders, he used body control, toughness, and hands to high-point and come down with the ball.
“When the ball’s in the air, I don’t think receivers think about the possibility of not catching it, you know we want to catch every ball,” Palmer said. “We put in a lot of work every day after practice just high-pointing the ball so that’s what I wanted to show.”
The problems with the passing game go beyond the drops that have come up as of late, and the inability to push the football down the field is one of them. Luckily, Palmer is a player who can shine on the vertical plane, possessing the separation skills off the line, deep speed and burst.
Palmer has stayed after practice to build chemistry with quarterback Justin Herbert since Day 1, and it is only a matter of time until we get to see that translate to live game action on more of a consistent basis.
WR Josh Palmer only had 475 yds / 4 TDS this year but two of them were long catches over Patrick Surtain II and Tyson Campbell đ pic.twitter.com/SW4rWFBx77
— Connor Rogers (@ConnorJRogers) April 3, 2021
Highlighting a few Philadelphia Eagles players who could make it difficult for the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Los Angeles Chargers take on the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday at 2:05 p.m. PT.
Here are a few Eagles players who the Bolts must hone in on to increase their chances of coming out victorious.
Hurts might not be one of the most prolific passers in the league, but he is one of the best at running the football. Like when he played Oklahoma, RPOs and zone-reads are staples of his, which he has been such a threat to opposing offenses. Hurts has carried the football 73 times for 432 yards (5.9 yards per carry) and five touchdowns.
A running back has fallen on this list every week, and it is going to remain that way until the Chargers show progress with their run defense. With Miles Sanders out, the Eagles will go with a committee between Scott, Jordan Howards, and Kenneth Gainwell, but the 26-year old is likely to lead the team in touches like he did last weekend against the Lions when he rushed for two touchdowns.
After Zach Ertz was traded to the Cardinals, Goedert has fully embraced the No. 1 tight end role the past two games. In Week 7 against the Raiders, Goedert was targeted five times and had three catches for 70 yards. In Week 8 against the Lions, Goedert was targeted seven times and had six catches for 72 yards. Unfortunately, the Chargers have been susceptible against opposing tight ends, as they have allowed five touchdowns this season.
Teams are realizing that the right side of the offensive line is a weak spot, with Storm Norton becoming a weekly culprit, and the Eagles have a player who can easily expose him. This season, Sweat has 22 quarterback pressures, 13 hurries, five QB hits, and four sacks.
Philadelphia’s fearsome front does not just stop at Sweat. Along the interior lies the team’s sack leader, Hargrave, who has six over eight games. Furthermore, he leads in pressures (25) and has 14 hurries and six QB hits. Left guard Matt Feiler will draw Hargrave the majority of the game, and it could be a mismatch because he has been up and down in pass protection.
Quarterback Justin Herbert will look to get back on track after two consecutive rough outings. Not only will the Eagles’ pass rush pose a threat, but they also have one of the best defensive backs that can also neutralize him. Through eight games, Slay is the fourth-highest graded CB (78.6), is tied for fourth in defensive stops (13), allowing the fourth-lowest yards per reception (7.2), and allowed under 20 yards in five games.
The Los Angeles Chargers had four players who did not practice and Justin Herbert was limited.
Following their loss to the Patriots, the Chargers returned to work in preparation for the Week 9 matchup with the Eagles.
Here is a look at Wednesdayâs injury report:
The Chargers had four non-participants: cornerbacks Michael Davis and Asante Samuel Jr., safety Alohi Gilman and running back Justin Jackson.
Davis left this past weekend’s game against New England with a hamstring injury. Jackson left with a quadriceps issue. Samuel did as well for a concussion and remains in protocol.
If Davis and Samuel are unable to play this weekend, Ryan Smith and Tevaughn Campbell would likely get the starts alongside Chris Harris Jr.
A surprise on the injury report was quarterback Justin Herbert, who was limited with a right hand issue. Herbert sustained it late in the Patriots game when it came in contact with someone’s helmet following a pass.
How much it is bothering him remains to be seen and will be closely monitored the remainder of the week.
The Chargers will see a familiar face on the opposing sideline this Sunday.
The Chargers will see a familiar face on the opposing sideline this Sunday.
Former Chargers offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, now the OC for the Eagles, will face his former team.
In his lone season as offensive play-caller, Steichen was credited with helping nurture Justin Herbert en route to being named Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Herbert recorded the most total touchdowns (36), most passing touchdowns (31), most completions (396), and most 300-yard passing games (eight) by a rookie quarterback.
“He’s big, he’s got a huge arm, he can stand in the pocket,” Steichen said about Herbert. That’s one of the biggest things I learned from being around him, is from a rookie last year, he’s able to stand in there when the blitz is coming and he can take hits, stand there deliver the throws.
He’s smart, he’s intelligent. He gets the ball out of his hands. You’ll see on tape, a lot of times he’s hitting his back foot, and boom, he’s getting the ball to the check down quickly. He has accelerated vision. Can do it all. Heck of a football player.”
While Herbert’s last two games have not been all sunshine and rainbows, Steichen knows, having coached him, how talented of a player he is, which is why defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon reached out to get insight on his strengths and weaknesses.
â[Steichen told me], âThis is what Herbert does really well and this is what we were trying to improve with him,ââ Gannon said. “âThese are the looks that he likes. This is how he wants to play.â Just with any quarterback, what is he comfortable doing, and what can we try to do to make him uncomfortable?â
This season, Steichen has not had the passing game as prolific with QB Jalen Hurts as he did with Herbert, as the Eagles are averaging just 216.4 yards per game. However, Philadelphia has had its way on the ground, rushing for 131.6 yards per game and five yards per carry.
In other notable ties, Gannon and head coach Brandon Staley played AAU basketball together near Cleveland when they were 10 years old. As they grew older, Gannon recommended Staley for the defensive coordinator vacancy at John Carroll University.
Chargers HC Brandon Staley said LB Kenneth Murray’s role is “evolving.”
Expected to make a leap in Brandon Staleyâs defense, which was viewed to cater to his strengths, Chargers linebacker Kenneth Murrayâs play did not reflect that before being sent to the injured reserve.
Even though he was given more downhill responsibilities, Murray struggled with them. While opportunities were there, he often missed tackles, over-pursued ball carriers, and struggled to shed blocks and work off contact.
Set to return to the field as he will be designated to return from the IR this week after missing the last four games, Murray could be put in a position where he will have more success.
At Wednesday’s media availability, head coach Brandon Staley was asked about giving Murray snaps as an edge defender, and he replied that his role is “evolving.”
While Staley did not elaborate on his response, this could indicate that the second-year player might transition to the position moving forward.
The change might be sudden, but it could pay dividends for a group that has not had the most production as of late.
Brandon Staley said Kenneth Murrayâs role is âevolving,â which means that he could get more snaps as a pass rusher when he returns from the IR.
At Oklahoma, he was an effective blitzer due to timing and play speed.#Chargers pic.twitter.com/4GXeCdEc76
— Gavino Borquez (@GavinoBorquez) November 3, 2021
During his three years at Oklahoma, Murray handled the Mike linebacker role. Even though he primarily patrolled the middle of the field, Murray had his occasional reps along the line of scrimmage, where he showed promise.
Murray possesses the explosiveness, play speed, timing, and body control to thrive as a true pass rusher.
Given how well Kyzir White and Drue Tranquill have played as the starters, broadening Murray’s tasks would allow their playing time not to be cut into, either.
With Murray back at practice, the Chargers have 21 days to activate him off the IR.
It remains to be seen if he will play this weekend against the Eagles, but when Murray does get back on the field, look for him to have more duties at getting after the quarterback.
Highlighting important things to know about the Chargers’ opponent ahead of Week 9.
The Chargers are set to take on the Eagles on Nov. 7 at 2:05 pm PT in hopes of getting back on track after losing their last two games.
Here are four important things to know about Los Angelesâ opponent ahead of the Week 9 bout:
Without starter Miles Sanders, who will be out this week with an ankle injury, Philadelphia will roll with a committee that consists of Boston Scott, Kenneth Gainwell and Jordan Howard. Up to this point in the season, Philadelphia is averaging the sixth-most rushing yards per game (131.6), third-most yards per carry (5.0) and rushing touchdowns (12). Furthermore, Jalen Hurts has 432 yards and five scores on 73 carries.
The Eagles are one of the better teams at applying pressure on opposing quarterbacks and a lot of the credit goes to the guys up front. Javon Hargrave, Josh Sweat, Fletcher Cox and Derek Barnett each have 25, 22, 18 and 17 pressures, respectively. The defensive line has largely attributed to the success of the team’s pass defense, which is allowing just 220.6 yards per game (8th).
Philadelphia does not have one of the most proficient passing offenses, averaging just 216.4 yard per game, but arguably the team’s best wide receiver is first-round pick DeVonta Smith. Smith has 33 receptions for 421 yards and one touchdown over eight games. He has dealt with some concentration drops as of late, but his ability to be a threat at all levels of the field is not to be taken for granted.
Shane Steichen, who helped guide Justin Herbert to his Rookie of the Year season in 2020, is now calling the plays for the Eagles. While the offensive systems differ under Joe Lombardi, Steichen is still helping defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon prepare for what Herbert likes and does not like.
âStuff like, âHey, this is what Herbert does really well and this is what we were trying to improve with him. This is the looks that he likes. This is how he wants to play.â Stuff like that,â Gannon said. âJust with any quarterback, what is he comfortable doing, and what can we try to do to make him uncomfortable? That would be the biggest thing for the quarterback.â
The Los Angeles Chargers open as slight favorites over the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Los Angeles Chargers (4-3) are currently 2.5-point favorites over the Philadelphia Eagles (3-5) heading into Week 9 of the regular season. The over/under is set at 49.5, per Tipico Sportsbook.
The Chargers most recently fell to the Patriots by the score of 27-24.
After trading touchdowns early on, the same ongoing mistakes continued to bite the Bolts. Those were lack of early-down execution, the run defense, punt coverage unit, dropped passes, and penalties.
Furthermore, quarterback Justin Herbert was not at his best for the second straight week, as he was held a completion percentage of nearly 50 and was picked off twice.
The Eagles, on the other hand, had a field day against the Lions. Their victory was highlighted by a dominant run game, which included 235 yards and four touchdowns. In addition, Philadelphia’s defense forced a turnover on top of sacking Jared Goff six times and hitting him on 11 occasions.
The last time these two teams met was back in 2017, in which the Eagles came out on top, 26-24.
Sundayâs contest between Los Angeles and Philadelphia will begin at 2:05 p.m. PT and be televised on CBS.
