Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
The Chargers ruled out seven players, including Derwin James.
The Chargers are about 90 minutes away from kicking off Week 14 against the Dolphins.
Here is a look at their inactive players today:
Easton Stick
Derwin James Jr.
Jason Moore Jr.
Sony Michel
Bryce Callahan
Sebastian Joseph-Day
Trey Pipkins III
The Chargers will be without four key players when the Dolphins come to town.
The Chargers will likely be without four key players, three on defense and one on offense, when the Dolphins come to town.
Derwin James (quad), Bryce Callahan (groin), Sebastian Joseph-Day (knee), and Trey Pipkins (knee) were all held out of practice for the third straight day and have been ruled doubtful for the Miami game.
Meanwhile, Mike Williams is off the injury report and is expected to play. Williams missed the past two games with a knee issue.
Corey Linsley cleared concussion protocol and is also set to play.
With James out, Nasir Adderley and Alohi Gilman will be the starting safeties. Ja’Sir Taylor is set to start in the slot with Callahan sidelined.
Derwin James could be in danger of not playing Sunday night against the Dolphins.
Derwin James could be in danger of not playing Sunday night against the Dolphins.
James, who is dealing with a quad injury, was not present on the practice field for a second consecutive day.
James had a hip injury the week prior leading up to the matchup with the Raiders.
Also not practicing for the second straight day were Sebastian Joseph-Day (knee) and Trey Pipkins (knee).
Bryce Callahan, who was limited on Wednesday with a groin injury, was not a participant on Thursday.
Los Angeles could be getting some reinforcements back in Mike Williams and Corey Linsley, as they were full participants after being limited.
Williams has missed the past two games with a knee injury, which he aggravated in the Week 11 loss to the Chiefs.
Linsley missed Week 13 due to a concussion he sustained in Week 12 against the Cardinals.
The Chargers have one more practice on Friday before the final injury designations are released.
Justin Herbert did all he could.
The magic ran out on Sunday in the Chargers’ loss to the Raiders, as Justin Herbert and company could not produce any in the final minutes, like they did the week before in their victory over the Cardinals.
Herbert found little time to operate in the pocket, getting swarmed by the Raiders’ defensive front all game. He was sacked five times, hit 14 times and pressured 22 times.
“Yeah, they were getting after us today,” running back Austin Ekeler said. “We were trying to adjust, change some things up. We were able to give ourselves a chance at the end. But we knew it was going to be a battle and it was.”
L.A. was missing three starters from its offensive line, including Corey Linsley, Rashawn Slater, and Trey Pipkins, all dealing with injuries. This left Herbert vulnerable, and Las Vegas took advantage.
“I thought they did a great job of battling,” Herbert said. “It’s never easy going up against a front seven like that. I think they’re very talented, very well coached on that side of the ball. It was a tough day for us, but those guys stepped up, battled and I really respect that from them.”
Despite the constant pressure he faced, Herbert still performed well, throwing for 335 yards and a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. However, his coaches and supporting cast failed to help him in the must-win game.
The nightmare of a game has further complicated the Bolts’ playoff hopes, as Los Angeles is now 6-6 and has a 33.3% chance of making the postseason, down from 50.8% heading into Week 13.
The Chargers ruled out six players.
[sendtonews_embed video_id=”8wlbu6BJIZ-2394765-7498″]
The Chargers are about 90 minutes away from kicking off Week 13 against the Raiders.
Here is a look at their inactive players today:
WR Mike Williams
C Corey Linsley
OT Trey Pipkins
QB Easton Stick
RB Sony Michel
WR Jason Moore
RB Josh Jacobs (calf) and LB Denzel Perryman (wrist) both Questionable vs Chargers.
It took a herculean effort from Josh Jacobs for the Raiders to beat the Seahawks in overtime last week. If he has it in him again, he will have to fight through a calf injury to do it.
The league-leading rusher is Questionable against the Chargers on Sunday after being limited all week with a calf injury.
WR Mike Williams is OUT for #Chargers vs #Raiders pic.twitter.com/fHibHGT6dA
— Levi Damien (@LeviDamien) December 2, 2022
Also Questionable for the Raiders is LB Denzel Perryman who showed up on the injury report mid-week with a wrist injury. He was limited Thursday and Friday. DT Andrew Billings (fibula) and RB Brandon Bolden (calf) are also Questionable.
Missing the game will be TE Jesper Horsted (concussion) and DT Kendal Vickers (back).
The Chargers will be without several starters including center Corey Linsley (concussion), tackle Trey Pipkins (knee), and WR Mike Williams (ankle).
Late additions to the injury report this week were Breidon Fehoko and Drue Tranquil who both came down with an illness.
Here are five important things to watch during the Chargers’ matchup with the Chiefs.
The Chargers are looking to get revenge on the Chiefs after losing to them back in Week 2.
Here are five storylines to watch for Sunday’s matchup.
The Chargers could be getting some key contributors back at the right time. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are in line to play on Sunday, as the two were back at practice this past week.
Allen said he is “100%,” and it is now the coach’s decision whether he will play. Meanwhile, Williams said, “I’ll be out there.”
Allen sustained a hamstring injury, returned briefly, and played on a pitch count in Week 7 against the Seahawks, which was the same game Williams suffered a high ankle sprain.
Allen and Williams have been on the field at the same time for just 43 offensive plays this season. Their absences were a big reason the passing game was uneven.
Allen should aid in third-down and red zone situations, whereas Williams gives Justin Herbert a big-bodied target in the intermediate and deep areas of the field to open things up.
The Chiefs rank 22nd in pass defense DVOA.
The Chargers are excited about the returns of Allen and Williams. But, while they would give the offense a big boost, Austin Ekeler might be the best option to tear apart the Chiefs.
Kansas City ranks 26th in DVOA allowed on running back targets while surrendering a league-high 8.6 running back targets per game and third-most yards per game (51.2).
Meanwhile, Ekeler has averaged nine receptions and has five total touchdowns in the past four games.
Herbert will be eager to distribute the wealth to his top weapons again, but Ekeler could ultimately be the one who gives the Chiefs problems on Sunday.
The Chiefs rank No. 1 in offensive DVOA, and the primary reason for being the top dog is Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes is leading the league with 2,936 yards. He is on pace to throw for 5,545 yards, which would top Peyton Manning’s single-season passing yards record (5,545).
In Week 2, Los Angeles held Mahomes to 235 yards and two touchdowns. Aside from a couple of big throws, the defense compressed the pocket, kept contain, and got interior pressure to minimize him from working his magic. The coverage was tight down the field. Players rallied to the football.
They need to do the same thing to come out victorious this time, which might be a tall task without Joey Bosa, who played in the first matchup.
This time, Mahomes will be without some of his pass-catching options, JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion) and Mecole Hardman (injured reserve). Travis Kelce remains his top target. In the two team’s first meeting, Kelce caught five passes for 51 yards.
In addition, the Chargers will face the newest member of the Chiefs’ wide receiver corps, Kadarius Toney. Toney caught four passes for 57 yards and a touchdown and had two carries for 33 yards last weekend.
Herbert’s fractured rib cartilage occurred against none other than the Chiefs in the second week of the season. And Kansas City will look to put Herbert under duress early and often again.
Over the past two weeks of play, the Chiefs’ defense has come up with a whopping total of eight sacks, including five in Week 10 against the Jaguars.
The Chargers’ pass protection has been inconsistent over the past few weeks. While it’s been a few things for this issue, Trey Pipkins playing with a sprained MCL and missing last weekend’s game due to it is one of them.
Pipkins was removed from the injury report and is slated to start, which is great news.
The Chargers lost three interior defensive linemen for the remainder of the season in the past two weeks. First, it was Austin Johnson. Then, it was Otito Ogbonnia and Christian Covington. In addition, Jerry Tillery was waived.
Tyeler Davison was signed to the 53-man roster off the Browns’ practice squad. Joe Gaziano was signed from the practice squad to the active roster.
Davison brings plenty of experience, having appeared in 105 games and started 85 with the Saints and Falcons. He has the motor and hand usage to rush the passer and anchoring ability in the run game.
Gaziano made the most of his limited opportunities last season in both departments but will primarily be deployed as a pass rusher alongside Morgan Fox. He plays with quickness and good lateral movement.
Highlighting some reasons why it might be difficult for the Chargers to beat the Chiefs.
The Chargers have a make-or-break divisional game next for their second straight Sunday Night Football appearance.
Realistically, they must win this week versus the Chiefs to keep their hopes of winning the division alive. It’s a tough ask against a Kansas City team that is 6-3 against Los Angeles since 2018.
Here are four reasons to be concerned about the Bolts’ ability to get it done.
Vulnerable to the explosives
This is a Chargers defense that cannot seem to get out of its way and a Chiefs offense that has thrived on the explosive play since Patrick Mahomes became the starter in Kansas City. The Chiefs are third in the league with 6.4 yards per play, which has propelled them to the top of the leaderboard in offensive DVOA. While the rushing attack is just 20th by DVOA, Los Angeles gave up 9.3 yards per carry to Clyde Edwards-Helaire when these teams met in Week 2. That was before Jerry Tillery was waived and Austin Johnson, Otito Ogbonnia, and Christian Covington were lost for the season with injuries. The pass defense looks competent except for a few plays a game where they lose track of a receiver, and quarterbacks like Mahomes rarely miss those chances.
Inconsistent playcalling
Joe Lombardi has been lambasted by Chargers fans this season, and I get why. I’ve tried to take the middle road because of the injuries plaguing this team on offense. Justin Herbert has been dealing with his rib cartilage fracture. RB2, WR1, WR2, WR3, WR4, TE1, TE2, and three starters on the offensive line have missed time. But Lombardi does deserve blame for one thing, and that’s Los Angeles’ inability to craft a cohesive game plan. Sometimes, the offense brings out some genuinely creative run concepts and schemes Austin Ekeler into advantageous situations despite the OL situation. Those games are also the ones in which the passing game feels stagnant, and Herbert has to do everything himself to even give the offense a chance. When Lombardi fixes those issues, as he did last week against the 49ers, the run game immediately evaporates. It’s almost as though what this team wants to do running the ball and what they want to do passing it are fundamentally incongruent. If that continues on Sunday, it’ll be hard for L.A. to overcome.
Gassed defense
The Chargers are 26th in the league in opponent time of possession; Los Angeles’ opponents have the ball, on average, for 51.63% of the game. That’s resulted in some obvious moments of exhaustion for the defense, perhaps no more evident than down the stretch last week when each of the three healthy defensive linemen were visibly gassed. There are a few reasons for this, of course: injuries have decimated this team’s depth, so starters have to play more snaps. Sebastian Joseph-Day set a career-high in snap count last week, for example. The Bolts give up 5.8 yards per play, 26th in the league, allowing offenses to sustain long drives. The offensive playcalling has resulted in many three-and-outs, forcing the defense back onto the field with short rest. If L.A. can’t find a way to get their defensive personnel a break on Sunday, they will be gasping for air, trying to keep up with the Chiefs.
Justin Herbert’s bodyguards
The last time these two teams played, Herbert still had All-Pro Rashawn Slater protecting his blindside. Still, all it took was a poorly timed Corey Linsley injury for the Chargers’ protection to fall apart, causing the rib injury Herbert has been dealing with ever since. Slater has since torn his biceps, leaving sixth-round rookie Jamaree Salyer as the next man up. Linsley is finally back healthy after missing time with knee tendinitis and a case of food poisoning so bad that he was in the hospital. But now, right tackle Trey Pipkins is injured, having sprained his MCL and then aggravating it against Atlanta. He practiced in a limited capacity on Wednesday. Zion Johnson held his own against Chris Jones in Week 2 and made Chargers fans think he was on pace for a Slater-like rookie campaign, but he’s been up and down since then. This offense does not work in any fashion if Herbert doesn’t have time to let downfield routes develop. We saw that last week against San Francisco. If Pipkins is still not 100% and Johnson or Matt Feiler has a down game, it will be a long night.
For the second consecutive day, Mike Williams and Keenan Allen were limited participants.
The Chargers had their second practice ahead of the primetime showdown with the Chiefs on Sunday night.
For the second consecutive day, Mike Williams and Keenan Allen were limited participants. On Thursday, there was a new development on their return to the field.
Both players ran routes. That was not the case on Wednesday.
Keenan Allen and Mike Williams running routes today. That’s new. pic.twitter.com/nYIhNVDo2i
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) November 17, 2022
Along with Allen and Williams, Gerald Everett (groin), Trey Pipkins (knee) and Chris Rumph (knee) were listed as limited.
JK Scott did not practice for the second straight day due to an illness.
The Chargers will have one more practice on Friday.
The Chargers announced seven inactive players, including Trey Pipkins.
The Chargers are about 90 minutes away from kicking off Week 10 against the 49ers.
Here is a look at their inactive players today:
Easton Stick
Dustin Hopkins
Keenan Allen
Trey Pipkins III
Mike Williams
Keelan Doss
Chris Rumph II
Trey Pipkins is out with a sprained MCL. Foster Sarell will likely get the start at right tackle. Sarrell practiced with the first-team offense this past week.
