Tag: Khalil Mack

Where the Chargers rank statistically ahead of Week 18

The Chargers have found a spark offensively while continuing to boast one of the league’s top defenses.

The Chargers head into the regular season finale on Sunday with a 10-6 record and a spot in the playoffs locked up.

Los Angeles has found its spark on the offensive side of the ball in recent weeks while continuing to boast one of the league’s best defenses.

With Week 18 coming up, how do the Bolts compare to the rest of the NFL? Here is where Los Angeles ranks:

Offense

Category Stat Rank
Points per game 23.0 ppg 12th
Passing offense 205.8 ypg 21st
Rushing offense 109.1 ypg 18th
Total offense 314.9 ypg 23rd
3rd down conversions 39.61% 14th
Red zone scoring 56.82% 16th
Sacks allowed 43 19th
Turnovers 9 2nd

Defense

Category Stat Rank
Points allowed 17.6 ppg 1st
Passing defense 205.8 ypg 8th
Rushing defense 122.4 ypg 16th
Total defense 328.1 ypg 12th
3rd down conversions 36.28% 9th
Red zone defense 44.74% 1st
Sacks 46 6th
Takeaways 20 13th

 

3 Chargers players named to AFC Pro Bowl roster

Three Chargers players were recognized for their efforts this season.

Three Chargers players have made the NFL’s 2025 Pro Bowl roster, the league announced Thursday.

Edge defender Khalil Mack, safety Derwin James and offensive tackle Rashawn Slater will start for the AFC team, which will be coached by Peyton Manning.

Mack is nowhere near his career-high 17 sacks that he totaled in 2023, but he can still get after the quarterback, currently with 47 pressures and seven sacks. He’s also impactful as a run defender. His PFF grade is 88.1 in that department.

James continues to be an imposing presence on the backend of the defense. He is up to 90 tackles, nine tackles for loss and six pass breakups. But James has also shined as a pass rusher, as he has a career-high 5.5 sacks.

Slater has cemented himself as one of the top tackles in all of football. A wall in pass protection, he has a 90.4 pass block grade, which ranks third. Running backs have had success running to the left side, largely because of Slater, who owns a 82.8 run block grade.

Several Chargers players were listed as Pro Bowl alternates: Quarterback Justin Herbert, kicker Cameron Dicker, wide receiver Derius Davis, offensive tackle Joe Alt, edge defender Joey Bosa, fullback Scott Matlock, linebacker Nick Niemann, center Bradley Bozeman and wide receiver Ladd McConkey.

Pair of Chargers named to PFF’s top free agents of 2025

The Chargers will have two good players set to hit the market.

Free agency doesn’t start for another two and a half months, and the Chargers’ primary focus is playing beyond the regular season. However, they will eventually have to retool their roster for the future, which will involve deciding whether to re-sign some of their own players.

Among the crop of soon-to-be unrestricted free agents who will take the highest priority are edge defender Khalil Mack and cornerback Asante Samuel. Mack and Samuel were named to Pro Football Focus’ early list of the top 50 free agents of 2025.

Mack checked in at No. 5, with his top free agent comparison being Von Miller in 2022.

Mack has enjoyed a late-career resurgence over the past two seasons, proving he can still be a force as a pass-rusher and a run defender. His 88 quarterback pressures in 2023 marked his highest total since 2016, and his 86.3 PFF pass-rushing grade was his best since 2020. Mack’s situation entering free agency is eerily reminiscent of Von Miller‘s back in 2022, as his six-year, $120 million contract with the Buffalo Bills was more like three years and $52.5 million, in reality.

Despite being 33, Mack has shown that he can play at a high level. He’s nowhere near his career-high 17 sacks that he totaled in 2023, but Mack can still get after the quarterback, currently with 43 pressures and six sacks. He’s also impactful as a run defender. His PFF grade is 88.6 in that department.

Samuel came in at No. 26 and was compared to DJ Reed in 2022.

After posting PFF coverage grades of 75.6 or better in each of the past two years, Samuel struggled early in his first year with defensive coordinator Jesse Minter at the helm but played just four games before being placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Likewise, Samuel’s tackling woes — a problem that’s reared its head throughout his career — were exacerbated, with the cornerback missing a whopping 22.2% of attempts. That said, Samuel’s youth, pedigree and experience will still be very appealing.

Samuel has spent most of this season on the sidelines while dealing with a shoulder injury. Over his first three seasons, he was solid in coverage, finishing with 11 passes defended during that time. However, Samuel has struggled in run defense.

Only 25 years old, a team, even if it’s not the Chargers, will give up the money for his youth and ball production.

Statistical Breakdown: How the Chargers and Patriots stack up before Week 17 game

Here’s how the Chargers and Patriots stack up statistically on offense and defense ahead of Saturday’s matchup.

The Chargers and Patriots are set to square off this Saturday.

Here’s how Los Angeles and New England stack up statistically on both sides of the ball ahead of the Week 17 matchup:

Offense

Category Chargers Patriots
Points per game 21.9 ppg (18th) 17.3 ppg (30th)
Passing offense 200.8 ypg (28th) 178.5 ypg (32nd)
Rushing offense 106.5 ypg (23rd) 119.7 ypg (14th)
Total offense 307.3 ypg (24th) 298.3 ypg (29th)
3rd down conversions 37.89% (18th) 35.75% (26th)
Red zone scoring 57.50% (14th) 47.73% (31st)
Sacks allowed 43 (21st) 47 (26th)
Turnovers 9 (2nd) 21 (20th)

Defense

Category Chargers Patriots
Points allowed 18.3 ppg (1st) 24.1 ppg (24th)
Passing defense 213.9 ypg (15th) 212.4 ypg (12th)
Rushing defense 124.1 ypg (17th) 130.4 ypg (24th)
Total defense 337.9 ypg (15th) 342.8 ypg (21st)
3rd down conversions 37.07% (10th) 42.08% (25th)
Red zone defense 44.74% (1st) 62.75% (24th)
Sacks 42 (7th) 28 (31st)
Takeaways 19 (14th) 12 (29th)

 

How Week 16 win affected Chargers place in NFL power rankings

The Chargers stood steady in the NFL Power Rankings after their win over the Broncos.

The Chargers improved to 9-6 after beating the Broncos last Thursday.

After Week 16, let’s see where Los Angeles stands in NFL power rankings:

USA Today: 12 (Previous: 16)

“It took a 48-year stretch, but the Bolts have now converted the NFL’s last two successful fair catch kicks. Bummer that Bill Belichick, who enjoys an arcane football rule as much as anyone, won’t be on the sideline at Foxborough on Saturday when the Chargers visit.”

NFL: 10 (Previous: 13)

“First things first: The Chargers earned some serious nerd points from me with their fair-catch free kick. Like Jim Harbaugh, I find it to be my favorite play in football. Fair-catch free kicks come around about as often as Halley’s Comet, and they’re almost never successful, so that one from Cameron Dicker was a big yes from me, dawg. And when Justin Herbert carried his team on his back with a gutsy effort against the Broncos on Thursday — with the free-kick field goal giving them a boost heading into halftime — it reinvigorated me a bit when it comes to the Bolts, who have their flaws but remain plucky. I’m not quite convinced that the final 2.5 quarters of defense atone for everything we saw over multiple games prior to that point, but it was a much-needed start. If Los Angeles’ D can perform like that again at New England on Saturday, I’ll buy back even more shares. The Patriots don’t score a ton of points, but Drake Maye can stress the Chargers’ secondary if they’re not careful.”

ESPN: 11 (Previous: 12)

Rookie of the year: Wide receiver Ladd McConkey

“Right tackle Joe Alt and cornerback Tarheeb Still have strong cases, but McConkey has been the Chargers’ most important offensive player not named Justin Herbert. McConkey and Herbert have already become one of the league’s best quarterback-receiver pairings. Out of 34 QB-receiver combos with at least 75 targets this season, the two rank in the top five of QBR, completion percentage and yards per attempt. McConkey leads the Chargers in receptions (69), targets (94) and yards (960).”

CBS Sports: 12 (Previous: 13)

“The Chargers bounced back from the blowout loss to the Bucs with a nice division victory over the Broncos. One more victory and they are in the playoffs.”

Sports Illustrated: 12 (Previous: 14)

“Roughly 11 compensatory draft picks for Jim Harbaugh to completely overhaul the front end of this roster.”

Bleacher Report: 13 (Previous: 10)

“Watching two of the NFL’s stingiest defenses allow 55 points was a little odd, but this was an impressive gut-check win the Chargers. The run game in Los Angeles remains a question mark (this week’s stats were skewed by one long Gus Edwards run), but the Chargers play excellent defense and have the sort of high-end quarterback in Justin Herbert who can make all the difference in the world in a playoff game. The Bolts are not a team folks want to have to face in the Wild Card round.”

How Week 15 loss affected Chargers place in NFL power rankings

After their loss on Sunday, the Chargers took a little bit of a slide.

The Chargers fell to 8-6 after losing to the Buccaneers last Sunday.

After Week 15, let’s see where Los Angeles stands in NFL power rankings:

USA Today: 16 (Previous: 12)

“After surrendering no more than 20 points in their first nine games, they’ve allowed at least 27 in three of the past five, including a forty-burger to the Bucs in Sunday’s loss.”

NFL: 13 (Previous: 9)

“Holding a 17-10 lead with just over five minutes left in the second quarter on Sunday, the Chargers fell on a Bucs fumble, and the game appeared to be tilting in their direction. From that point on, Tampa outscored L.A. 30-zip. The Bolts have had some unbelievably poor halves this season, but they absolutely crumbled after halftime in this one and were completely out of it midway through the fourth quarter. It was a hard fall for this team, which has now dropped three of the past four games and appears to be treading water — at best — even with a pretty darned good grasp on a playoff spot. A few weeks ago, the Chargers looked like the kind of first-round opponent no division winner wanted to face in the postseason. Now the defense has been humbled, and a flatlining Justin Herbert is dealing with a left ankle injury heading into a big game against Denver with seeding on the line.”

ESPN: 12 (Previous: 9)

Biggest improvement: Play-action offense

“Before the Chargers’ Week 5 bye, they used play-action just 25.4% of the time. And it wasn’t particularly effective, either, as quarterback Justin Herbert had a QBR of 40.1 on those plays. Some of this likely had to do with his high ankle sprain from Week 2. Still, since Week 6, they’ve run play-action 34.4% of the time and Herbert has a 61.1 QBR. He also averages 12.1 yards per completion and 7.7 yards per attempt on these plays in that span, which is higher than the first four weeks of the season.”

CBS Sports: 13 (Previous: 9)

“That was a horrible showing against the Bucs. They have lost two straight and now face a big Thursday game on the road against the Broncos.”

Sports Illustrated: 14 (Previous: 13)

“I have been accused of being a silver linings guy and that’s a disposition I’m happy to have been saddled with. So I’ll say this after the Chargers were totally boat-raced by the Buccaneers: this isn’t indicative of some developing issue, it’s merely the point in which Los Angeles’s current level of talent and health has met the realities of their situation. I think we can all agree that this team has looked and felt different than the cardiac Chargers of the past, but Jim Harbaugh was saddled with one of the worst rosters—QB removed—in the NFL and is counting on a lot of young talent.”

Bleacher Report: 13 (Previous: 10)

“Sometimes, statistics don’t tell the whole story about a team. Los Angeles came into Week 15 with the No. 1-ranked scoring defense, slowing down mediocre and below-average offenses, some of which were led by rookies. Whenever Los Angeles plays a high-scoring opponent, its defense looks more porous than stout. The Buccaneers dropped 40 points on the Chargers at SoFi Stadium, and it should leave you questioning whether this club can hang with playoff-caliber teams.”

Statistical Breakdown: How the Chargers and Buccaneers stack up before Week 15 game

Here’s how the Chargers and Buccaneers stack up statistically on offense and defense ahead of Sunday’s matchup.

The Chargers and Buccaneers are set to square off this Sunday.

Here’s how Los Angeles and Tampa Bay stack up statistically on both sides of the ball ahead of the Week 15 matchup:

Offense

Category Chargers Buccaneers
Points per game 21.3 ppg (20th) 27.9 ppg (5th)
Passing offense 198.1 ypg (25th) 241.0 ypg (6th)
Rushing offense 111.5 ypg (19th) 138.3 ypg (7th)
Total offense 309.5 ypg (24th) 379.3 ypg (3rd)
3rd down conversions 38.37% (15th) 47.17% (2nd)
Red zone scoring 54.55% (19th) 68.63% (4th)
Sacks allowed 38 (23rd) 32 (16th)
Turnovers 6 (1st) 18 (20th)

Defense

Category Chargers Buccaneers
Points allowed 15.9 ppg (1st) 23.8 ppg (22nd)
Passing defense 206.1 ypg (8th) 253.4 ypg (30th)
Rushing defense 117.6 ypg (14th) 115.2 ypg (11th)
Total defense 323.7 ypg (11th) 368.5 ypg (28th)
3rd down conversions 35.03% (7th) 41.92% (23rd)
Red zone defense 41.94% (1st) 51.02% (10th)
Sacks 39 (5th) 35 (11th)
Takeaways 17 (10th) 16 (14th)

How Week 14 loss affected Chargers place in NFL power rankings

Despite their loss on Sunday, the Chargers did not move that much in the power rankings.

The Chargers fell to 8-5 after losing to the Chiefs last Sunday.

After Week 14, let’s see where Los Angeles stands in NFL power rankings:

USA Today: 12 (Previous: 12)

“Pretty good effort Sunday night at Arrowhead, especially with RB J.K. Dobbins and WR Ladd McConkey, the Bolts’ leaders in yards from scrimmage, both unavailable. Their six turnovers are the league’s fewest, yet it still feels like a conservative, mistake-mitigating approach is one that isn’t going to pay many dividends in the playoffs.”

NFL: 9 (Previous: 9)

“With no Ladd McConkey against the Chiefs, the Chargers’ offensive struggles reached near-doldrum levels early on, coming off a win where they never reached the end zone offensively. Sunday night’s loss stings, for sure, and it gives the Bolts an idea of what more they need to do to beat quality teams. That’s now three straight one-score losses to Kansas City. Even still, Justin Herbert kept dealing and kept making big throws, and the play-action and run games both started working again. I think the offense will be OK once McConkey returns to the lineup, and as long as the Chargers don’t flounder down the stretch, they will be in the playoffs and will make for an especially thorny first-round opponent.”

ESPN: 9 (Previous: 9)

Most shocking ranking: 19th in rushing

“Throughout the offseason, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman boasted about the dominant rushing offense they would build in L.A., but it hasn’t panned out that way. Averaging 111.5 yards per game, the rushing offense is slightly improved from where the Chargers finished last season (25th), but it has largely been a disappointment and by far the worst of Harbaugh’s NFL career. During Harbaugh and Roman’s four seasons in San Francisco, they had the second-best rushing offense in the NFL; the lowest the 49ers ranked was eighth in Harbaugh’s first season.”

CBS Sports: 9 (Previous: 8)

“That was a tough loss to the Chiefs on the road, but they rallied back and the defense played well, which has been their calling card all year. At 8-5, they would be the sixth seed right now.”

Sports Illustrated: 13 (Previous: 9)

“Quentin Johnston has had issues with his hands since college, but the explosive get off from the line of scrimmage on Sunday night against Kansas City and the ability to hold on to the ball during a massive collision was impressive. If Johnston can develop on this kind of timeline we could have a beast on our hands in Year 3.”

Bleacher Report: 10 (Previous: 9)

“Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers are more physical. They play tough defense. It’s a squad built to win. Yet they still can’t overcome the bully in the AFC West, with two regular-season losses to the Kansas City Chiefs. While Los Angeles remains in line to capture a wildcard postseason berth, it’s clear the Chargers aren’t quite ready to handle the league’s elite. A playoff run is possible, though it doesn’t feel likely since four of the Chargers’ five losses came against potential postseason opponents.”

Where the Chargers rank statistically after Week 14

The Chargers held the Chiefs to less than 300 yards of total offense, so how did that impact them in the rankings?

The Chargers fell to 8-5 after losing to the Chiefs on Sunday night.

Los Angeles’ defense held its own, limiting Kansas City to less than 300 yards of total offense and containing Patrick Mahomes for most of the game. Offensively, the Bolts couldn’t get anything going in the first half but had a surge in the second half.

With Week 15 coming up, how do the Bolts compare to the rest of the NFL? Here is where Los Angeles ranks:

Offense

Category Stat Rank
Points per game 21.3 ppg 20th
Passing offense 198.1 ypg 25th
Rushing offense 111.5 ypg 19th
Total offense 309.5 ypg 24th
3rd down conversions 38.37% 15th
Red zone scoring 54.55% 19th
Sacks allowed 38 23rd
Turnovers 6 1st

Defense

Category Stat Rank
Points allowed 15.9 ppg 1st
Passing defense 206.1 ypg 8th
Rushing defense 117.6 ypg 14th
Total defense 323.7 ypg 11th
3rd down conversions 35.03% 7th
Red zone defense 41.94% 1st
Sacks 39 5th
Takeaways 17 10th

 

Chargers defense can’t make critical stops in loss to Chiefs: ‘Just gotta finish the game’

The defense was good for most of the game, but couldn’t come up with a stop when needed the most.

The Chargers defense was effective for nearly the entire game before failing to make a stop on the final drive in Sunday night’s 19-17 loss to the Chiefs.

“Just gotta finish the game,” Daiyan Henley said, per the team’s official website.

They had their chances, however.

It started with a kickoff penalty on Cameron Dicker, which allowed the Chiefs to start at their own 40.

On 3rd-and-10, Patrick Mahomes connected with Xavier Worthy for a 14-yard gain to move the chains.

A few plays later, on 3rd-and-7 at the Chargers 20, Mahomes evaded an attempted open-field tackle by Henley and hit a wide-open Travis Kelce for nine yards and the first down to let the clock bleed.

“We thought it was likely [they would throw],” Jim Harbaugh said. “We predicted a couple of those, the roll pass early. But just executed, it wasn’t a surprise or a shock.”

Matthew Wright’s 31-yard field goal hit off the left upright and in for the win as time expired.

It was the same story, just a different day with Mahomes getting the ball at the end of the game.

The Chargers held the Chiefs to less than 300 yards of total offense. Mahomes was kept contained for most of the game and sacked three times, but that doesn’t matter when you can’t close out Kansas City.

“We gotta be ready,” Derwin James said. “As a defense, we want to be on the field, we want that challenge and I feel like we didn’t make the plays in the third and fourth quarter to get off the field.

“I know looking at the tape, we’re going to be sick to our stomach,” James added.