Chargers OL Zion Johnson named to PFF’s 2022 NFL All-Rookie Team

Zion Johnson was recognized for his efforts during the 2022 regular season.

The Chargers’ year is not over, as they are set to go toe-to-toe with the Jaguars in a playoff matchup on Saturday night.

But players are starting to be recognized for their efforts during the regular season, and among them is rookie Zion Johnson.

Pro Football Focus released its 2022 NFL All-Rookie Team, and Johnson made the cut.

Johnson didn’t quite live up to his NFL-ready billing as much as the Chargers would have hoped, but he was still easily the NFL’s best rookie starter at guard. He finished with a 64.8 overall grade, although that was mainly down to his performance as a run-blocker, as he allowed 40 pressures on the year.

Selected No. 17 overall out of Boston College in the 2022 NFL draft, Johnson was thrown into the fire in his first season, filling in as the team’s starting right guard from the get-go.

He appeared in every game, playing 100% of the offensive snaps, except for Week 11 against the Raiders when he came off the field for 11% of the snaps due to a shoulder issue that he experienced.

Johnson experienced rookie growing pains, particularly in pass protection, as he was tasked to go up against elite competition. However, he was steadily strong as a run blocker alongside Trey Pipkins.

With another full offseason to work on his game, Johnson could grow into a good player at the position for years to come.

Chargers’ depleted offensive line outmatched in loss to Raiders

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.

Chargers’ causes for concern vs. Chiefs in Week 11

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.

Studs and duds from Chargers’ victory over Falcons

Here’s who came through and who disappointed in the Chargers’ victory over the Falcons.

The Chargers escaped with a 20-17 victory over the Falcons on Sunday following a game-winning field goal by rookie Cameron Dicker.

Here’s who pulled through for the victory and who needed help from their teammates to pull it out.

Stud: Drue Tranquill

Tranquill’s breakout season continued Sunday morning with another stellar performance. The linebacker has excelled as a blitzer this season, a trend that carried through the bye week as Tranquill added another sack by dominating Falcons guard Matt Hennessy on his way to the quarterback. Cordarrelle Patterson did truck Tranquill on his second TD of the game, but for the most part he got into position as a defender and got the job done. With ten total tackles and two for loss, Tranquill continued to show why he deserves a contract extension.

Dud: Drops

This was mostly a third-quarter issue, but drops killed multiple drives for the Chargers that made this game closer than it needed to be. Gerald Everett dropped a pass up the seam on the first play of the second half, causing them to go three and out. On the following drive, Josh Palmer dropped a pass directly at his chest, leading to a Justin Herbert interception off the tip. Everett and Palmer have had drop issues all season, and they’re lucky their mistakes this week did not cost Los Angeles the game.

Stud: Michael Davis

Davis performed very well after being reinserted in the starting lineup after J.C. Jackson’s patellar tendon injury, and it’s clear that this defense is more frequently on the same page assignment-wise when Davis is on the field. Davis was at his best when he was able to jam Drake London at the line of scrimmage, as he did when the Falcons ran London on a fade in the end zone in the second half. The corner was also in position to make tackles when playing as a zone defender and was one of the few defenders who did not noticeably miss any tackles.

Dud: Sony Michel

With Joshua Kelley on injured reserve, the past few weeks have been Michel’s opportunity to cement himself as the clear RB2 option, at least until Kelley returns. Instead, the veteran was phased out in favor of rookie Isaiah Spiller, who out-touched Michel seven to one in this game. Michel was another victim of a costly drop on a second down play and was barely visible in the game after this. Spiller, meanwhile, took seven carries for a pedestrian 29 yards but showed flashes of brilliance as a pass protector. Even if Michel and Spiller are equals at this point, there’s no reason not to play Spiller over the veteran to continue to develop the rookie.

Stud: Run blocking

Trey Pipkins looked healthier in this game until leaving late in the fourth quarter, and it showed in the run game against Atlanta. Pipkins and Zion Johnson moved the Falcons off the line of scrimmage, opening lanes for Ekeler and Spiller to at least get a few yards. Hopefully, Pipkins’ injury is not serious because the Chargers finally looked like they had their rest-of-season offensive line at something resembling 100% in this game. Between Jamaree Salyer, Matt Feiler, Corey Linsley, Johnson, and Pipkins, L.A has the potential to at least keep the run game afloat to keep defenses honest.

Dud: Run fits

Defensively, the trenches have work to do. The Chargers continue to struggle to fit the run even with their free-agent additions, largely because their second-level defenders are simply not performing at a high level. Kyle Van Noy played better than Chris Rumph has in the past few weeks, but he still doesn’t quite have the mass to set the edge on the outside. If Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson, who left the game with a knee injury, do not play every play perfectly, it’s guaranteed to be a seven to ten-yard gain. It’s hard to say what the issue is at this point. The team is dealing with injuries, Joey Bosa chief amongst them. It shouldn’t be a talent problem, given the additions. Whatever it is, something needs to be adjusted.

Stud: Khalil Mack

The stat-sheet doesn’t show that Mack had a huge impact on this game, but he’s on here primarily for one play only. Taking the ball away from an NFL receiver as Mack did is a grown-man play. There’s no other way to say it. The situation that play came in is an important factor to consider: the Chargers were leading 14-10 when Mack forced this fumble. Atlanta would have been inside the five-yard line if London went down, and the way their run game was working, they would’ve almost certainly scored a touchdown. Instead, Mack preserved the lead going into halftime and retained LA’s momentum.

Dud: Defensive gameplan

I don’t think the Chargers’ defense played this Falcons’ offense as well as they could have, but they were bailed out on numerous occasions by Marcus Mariota simply missing throws. In their defense, Los Angeles was forced into making some of the decisions I specifically thought they should try to mitigate because of the game state. But Atlanta found success on play-action readily as defenders crashed down to defend against the run, and Mariota frequently put flat defenders into conflict by getting outside the pocket with a short route over the top. Yes, L.A. held Atlanta to 17 points, which should be credited accordingly. But they allowed 201 rushing yards and would’ve given up two or three huge passing plays if Mariota was able to hit a few of the throws that he missed today.

Studs and duds from Chargers’ victory over Broncos

Here’s who came through and who disappointed in the Chargers’ victory over the Broncos.

The Chargers moved to 4-2 on Monday night, grinding out a 19-16 overtime win in one of the ugliest games in the NFL this season.

Neither offense could move the ball effectively, turning the game into a slopfest mercifully. It ended only with Ja’Sir Taylor’s heads-up play on punt coverage leading to a muffed punt and Los Angeles recovery.

Dustin Hopkins was able to nail a 39-yarder to lift the team over the Broncos for just the third time in seven tries and win a game for the fourth time in 12 tries on Monday Night Football.

Here’s who contributed to the win and who could’ve done more.

Stud: Dustin Hopkins

After injuring his quad on his first kick of the night, it looked like Hopkins might be down for the count. We all know the narrative around Brandon Staley’s fourth-down decision-making. JK Scott, while lacking NFL kicking experience, kicked four field goals and ten extra points collegiately at Alabama. Scott also proved he had the leg to handle kickoff duty throughout the second quarter and second half. And yet, there was Hopkins, trotting out there for a 37-yard field goal with less than a minute in the first half. He fell to one knee, grimacing in pain while making the kick, but he did make it. Still, it looked like the second half would be field goalless.

And then Hopkins kicked two more, looking like he was in more and more pain each time. The broadcast showed him wearing a device on his quad whenever he wasn’t on the field. But every time, Hopkins went out there and nailed his kick.

Oh, and he hit the game-winner, too. It was one of the grittiest performances by a Charger in recent memory.

Dud: JC Jackson

Something isn’t right about Jackson’s fit in this defense. Maybe it’s his ankle preventing him from turning and running with KJ Hamler down the sideline late in the first half. Maybe it’s the adjustment to a heavy dose of zone coverage, leading to the mistake that left rookie Greg Dulcich wide-open for Denver’s only touchdown of the game. Whatever it is, it’s not working, and the Chargers know it. Jackson was benched in favor of Michael Davis to open the second half, after which the defense seemed to instantly be on the same page on every play. Luckily for Jackson, there’s only one more game before the bye week, which should give him extra time to recover (if it’s injury-related) or grind film (if it’s mental-related).

Stud: Austin Johnson

Both Johnson and Sebastian Joseph-Day had their best games of the season as run defenders against a Denver interior that had all three of their regular starters in the game with the return of Quinn Meinerz. Denver leaned away from the rushing attack for most of the game, running 23 times for 98 yards, good for a per carry average of 4.3. That’s down from the Chargers’ league-worst mark of 5.8 yards per carry coming into this game. I give the stud nod to Johnson over Joseph-Day tonight because he seemed to be in the backfield the most consistently late in the game. Make no mistake, though, both players did a fantastic job directing Latavius Murray and Melvin Gordon back into the teeth of the defense.

Dud: Zion Johnson

The Chargers’ first-round pick had a tough matchup with DJ Jones across from him, but we’d seen him stonewall Chris Jones to the point that the Chief flipped to the left side to find success in Week 2. The Broncos’ Jones had no such issue, baiting Johnson into three holding penalties and overall causing problems for the Chargers’ offense. Without the benefit of the All-22 tape, it’s hard to say if Johnson’s struggles were due to having a new center in the game and a less-than-healthy Trey Pipkins to his outside shoulder. Regardless, the offensive line as a whole failed to protect Herbert to the level we’d come to expect from the ragtag unit after the Rashawn Slater injury. Johnson was the public face of that struggle tonight as the one drawing penalties. 

Stud: Joshua Palmer

Credit to Palmer, whose hype was rapidly fading after five weeks of drops and timing issues with Justin Herbert. But with Mike Williams shut down against Patrick Surtain II, LA needed another receiver to step up and move the ball in this game. Palmer answered that call, turning a season-high twelve targets into nine receptions for 57 yards, two of which went for first downs and another two of which brought the team within a yard of one. The former Tennessee product also drew three pass interference flags down the field, a key factor in LA’s field position in the first half. Palmer’s performance tonight is an encouraging sign that he and Herbert have worked out their issues, and a drop-free game will only endear him further to his quarterback.

Dud: Justin Herbert

When the lights are brightest, you need your franchise quarterback to step into that spotlight and win you the game. Essentially without your top two receivers, you need your franchise quarterback to elevate other talent and keep the offense humming. Tonight, Herbert simply didn’t have it. He missed throws high, rotated his eyes late, and failed to feel pressure. Maybe the pressure got to him more than usual with Will Clapp in the lineup and Zion Johnson struggling. Maybe it’s the playcalling. Maybe the ribs are bothering him more than he’d ever let on. Whatever the case, Justin Herbert theoretically is on this planet to generate explosive football plays, yet he was 1-of-7 on passes of 15 or more yards. Credit to Denver’s defense, which we knew was a strong one.

Stud: Drue Tranquill

Tranquill had just about the game of his life, logging two sacks in critical situations. With 9 minutes left in the game, tied 13-13, Tranquill found his way home to bring Wilson down and force a Denver field goal. On the next drive, Tranquill came unblocked on a blitz and brought Wilson down in 2.25 seconds, the fourth-quickest sack in the league this season. Nobody on Denver’s offense could stop Tranquill from getting to the QB, as he also logged a third QB hit immediately before Derwin James’ big third-down sack that got the Chargers moving in the right direction. Tranquill was also second on the team in tackles with eight total, completing a standout performance.

Dud: Stick

Joe Lombardi has to diversify his go-to playbook. Credit to him, the Chargers overall called a more creative and effective game than usual, especially on the ground, where Austin Ekeler and Sony Michel got things going for the third straight week. They even took a deep shot on the first play of the game, drawing a pass interference penalty! And then they hardly ever did it again, returning to the bread and butter of stick, spot, and Hank for the rest of the game. Denver’s corners knew it was coming, too, consistently triggering on routes fast enough to cause PBUs and tipped balls, leading to interceptions. It’s one thing to like a play, another to run it frequently enough to be a staple. But to come back to it time after time, to the point that everyone knows it’s coming as soon as Herbert drops into shotgun, is entirely different. Hopefully, the bye week brings some extra installs.

Joshua Kelley coming on strong as Chargers’ second running back

It was only a matter of time until the Chargers started to feed Joshua Kelley.

It was only a matter of time until the Chargers not only got their running game going but deciphered Austin Ekeler’s running mate in their win over the Browns.

While Ekeler stole the show with his 172-yard rushing performance, Kelley also raised eyebrows with 49 yards and a touchdown on ten carries. He had big runs of 16 and 12 yards.

In addition, Kelley was effective as a pass-catcher, turning two receptions into 33 yards.

On the ground, Kelley looked exactly like he did during training camp and preseason play: confident, decisive, and explosive.

The play below shows outstanding contact balance from Kelley to shake off an attempted tackle and still stay on his feet to pick up positive yardage.

Kelley had been the shadow of Sony Michel, despite outproducing him statistically (4.2 yards per carry to Michel’s 2.5 YPC). Further, he was more efficient as a pass protector and made more extensive contributions on special teams.

But on Sunday, the script was flipped. Kelley tallied 12 touches to Michel’s one, an indicator that Los Angeles finally has the backup backfield situation figured out.

As for rookie Isaiah Spiller, the jury is still out for the fourth-round pick. Spiller has yet to make his regular-season debut. Brandon Staley said he is fully healthy but needs to prove himself on special teams.

Given that Michel did not produce in the backup role and has not taken a special teams snap this season, it’s only suitable to activate Spiller and give him some touches to see what they have in him, right? We shall see.

The bottom line is that Kelley finding his footing in Year 3 is a positive sign for the Chargers as they look to maintain a balance between their passing game and running game.

Studs and duds from Chargers’ Week 2 loss to Chiefs

Here’s who showed out and who was quiet in the Chargers’ loss to the Chiefs in Week 2.

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Despite a 27-24 loss to the Chiefs, the Chargers played well on Thursday night in Arrowhead Stadium.

However, as always, a few players did more to stand out, whether in good or bad ways.

Here are Los Angeles’ studs and duds from Week 2:

Stud: WR Mike Williams

There was a lot of concern about Williams’ involvement, or lack thereof, in Week 1. But without Keenan Allen and in Arrowhead Stadium, a place Williams has historically thrived, the 27-year-old showed why LA paid him $20 million a year this offseason. With eight catches for 113 yards and a touchdown, Williams was Herbert’s favorite target all game, even late in the game with Kansas City dedicating two defenders to him. It’s the third time Williams has had at least six catches and 100 yards against the Chiefs in his last four matchups with them. The touchdown in the third quarter was Williams’ 7th at Arrowhead, the most by a visiting player in stadium history.

Dud: OC Joe Lombardi

Lombardi once again got stuck in a rut as a play-caller, relying on short passing concepts like stick far too often for a team with a QB as physically gifted as Justin Herbert. The Chargers refused to get Austin Ekeler going early for the second straight game, giving Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo the go-ahead to adjust out of his normal Cover 0 and Cover 1-heavy scheme and play further back to keep things in front of his Chiefs defense. Lombardi never adjusted and kept calling short concepts – their first pass of over 30 air yards came late in the fourth quarter as Los Angeles tried to come back. Kansas City also jumped the stick concept at the goal line for rookie Jaylen Watson’s pick-six that turned the tide for good. Lombardi has received a lot of criticism during his tenure, a lot of it unfairly so. But tonight, his refusal to adjust the game plan and attack the Chiefs’ defense lost the Bolts’ the game.

Stud: LB Drue Tranquill

Tranquill was all over the field, especially in the first half. In the first quarter, Tranquill instantly beat right tackle Andrew Wylie while Khalil Mack came into the pocket unblocked, giving Patrick Mahomes nowhere to escape and leading to a Mack sack. In the second, Tranquill had a key run fit on third and one that forced the Chiefs to punt from around midfield. He and Kenneth Murray Jr. have looked like better players than they were a season ago. Whether that’s because the defensive line is keeping them cleaner or because they feel freer in year two of the defense is unclear, but Tranquill looked like someone the Chargers need to re-sign beyond this season.

Dud: CB J.C. Jackson

It wasn’t the greatest Chargers debut for Jackson in his first game back since undergoing surgery to remove an extra bone from his ankle. Without a verifiable threat on the outside, Los Angeles tried to move Jackson around, but he was less effective on Travis Kelce than Derwin James was. Jackson was also beat by Chiefs receiver Justin Watson for a touchdown on Watson’s first play of the game after he entered for banged-up receiver Mecole Hardman. Los Angeles has always said that the surgery would not affect Jackson’s athleticism and explosiveness, and that didn’t look to be the problem on Thursday. For LA’s sake, hopefully, the problem is just a bit of rust that needed knocking off.

Stud: G Zion Johnson

I wrote earlier today that one of the keys to the game for the offense would be how Johnson performed against Chiefs DT Chris Jones, one of the best interior pass rushers in the league. Perform Johnson did, stonewalling Jones for two and a half quarters before Kansas City adjusted and matched Jones up with left guard Matt Feiler. Jones proceeded to beat Feiler multiple times throughout the second half. Considering how solid Feiler was last season and how often he got beat by Jones, it’s an insane performance by Johnson in just his second career game. It’s still early, but it looks like LA may have hit on another first-round offensive line selection.

Dud: Offensive line depth

The Chargers better hope Johnson keeps it up and stays healthy because the depth looked rough on Thursday. Both Corey Linsley and Trey Pipkins left the game with injuries, which brought Will Clapp and Storm Norton into the game. Clapp was never going to be the same level conductor as Linsley is, but it looked to me like the miscommunications spiked as soon as Linsley left the game. Norton’s first drive was the one on which Justin Herbert faced pressure on three straight drives before going three and out. Later in the game, as the pressure continued getting to Herbert, the losses on the offensive line left Chiefs rusher Mike Danna free to deliver a clean hit on Herbert that caused the rib injury that visibly limited the face of the franchise for the remainder of the game. Linsley and Pipkins proved they were key cogs through their absence on Thursday, and if Herbert can’t go for any length of time, the loss of those two linemen may be what costs LA their season.

Stud: CB Asante Samuel Jr.

I don’t care that Samuel dropped an interception in the end zone that likely would have been a 99-yard pick-six. I especially don’t care that the referees overturned another potential Samuel pick in the third quarter. I don’t care about that because Samuel looked like the Chargers’ best corner on Thursday. After Samuel’s stellar game against Davante Adams and the Chiefs, continuing that momentum against a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes is a hugely positive sign for the second-year player. Samuel has an uncanny ability to stay in phase with receivers and the quick twitch athleticism to jump every route on earth. All that’s left to do now is get his hands right.

Dud: Turnover luck

Yeah, I’m gonna cop out by naming two non-players as duds. Sue me! Most of the Chargers played exceptionally well given the circumstances, especially on defense, for most of the game. But I wrote this morning that the defense would have to capitalize on their chances to force turnovers if they wanted to hang with Mahomes. They failed to do that – two interceptions were called back due to pass interference penalties, Samuel had a pick overturned on review and the dropped INT in the red zone, and Kyle Van Noy should have had one in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Kansas City capitalized on their only turnover of the game immediately. Gerald Everett was gassed on that goal line play, with the Chargers yet again running stick. Rookie corner Jaylen Watson showed outside leverage before the snap but shaded back inside as soon as he recognized Everett’s route. Herbert didn’t see him come back inside because Willie Gay Jr. was bearing down on him, forcing the quarterback into a rare mistake. Watson made a great play on the ball and took it back the other way for six. That was the difference.

Chargers’ offensive keys to victory vs. Chiefs

Here is what the Chargers must do on the offensive side of the ball to beat the Chiefs.

Justin Herbert and the Chargers offense’s ability to move the ball in a big Week 2 matchup against the Chiefs will be important with Patrick Mahomes on the other side.

Here are four keys to the gameplan for the offense to be successful:

Chunk plays early

Per Timo Riske of PFF, the Chargers gained a first down on just 8% of their first down plays in Week 1, the second-lowest in the league. The lowest was the Cowboys, who were also the only team not to score a touchdown in the opening week of the season. 20% of the Chargers’ first down conversions came on third down, while 36% came on second down. The Chiefs, meanwhile, held the Cardinals offense to 3-of-12 on third down in Week 1. Arizona is a talented offense on paper, so those numbers seem to suggest Kansas City’s defense is much improved in 2022. Keeping the chains moving on early downs to stay out of those third-down situations will keep the Chargers from digging themselves a playcalling hole. 

Keep the foot on the gas

Even offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi knew he got “a little conservative” late in the game against the Raiders. That lack of inspiration from a playcalling standpoint allowed the Raiders to get back in the game as LA stagnated. The Chargers’ five fourth-quarter drives ended with a punt, punt, missed field goal, punt, and victory formation. The Raiders struggled to capitalize, throwing two interceptions in the fourth quarter, but LA can’t expect that result on Thursday against Mahomes. If the Chargers are in a similar position as they were on Sunday, they must keep the pedal to the metal and win the game rather than hope their opponent loses it.

Capitalize on young players’ mistakes

It’s a youth movement on defense for Kansas City, and those efforts resulted in a visibly faster, more athletic squad in Week 1. But with young players come more mental mistakes, by and large. Especially against a linebacker trio of Willie Gay (24), Nick Bolton (22), and Leo Chenal (21), the Chargers should rely on Justin Herbert’s ability to manipulate defenders to keep the ball moving downfield. It’s a big reason why savvy veteran Keenan Allen will be missed, as he’s unlikely to play Thursday with a hamstring injury. That could lead to a bigger role for vets Austin Ekeler and Gerald Everett.

Zion Johnson, trial by fire

Kansas City will almost certainly try to get Chris Jones on an island with the rookie Johnson, who only gave up one pressure in his NFL debut last week, per PFF. Still, Johnson is far from proving he’s a stalwart at right guard, and lining Jones up across from him rather than Matt Feiler or Corey Linsley will, on paper, be the most advantageous matchup for Kansas City. We’ve seen what Herbert can do with time to throw last week, and that’s the player LA will need to keep pace with a high-powered Chiefs offense.

Chargers’ causes for concern vs. Raiders in Week 1

A look at some causes for concern as the Los Angeles Chargers gear up to face the Las Vegas Raiders.

There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the Chargers’ season, set to kick off on Sunday with a home game against the Raiders.

We know both teams will bring the energy for a heated rivalry game, though, and there are a few reasons to be concerned about the matchup with Vegas.

Here are four of them:

J.C. Jackson injury

Jackson hasn’t yet returned to practice after undergoing ankle surgery two weeks ago, which seems to suggest he’ll be out on Sunday. That leaves Michael Davis and Asante Samuel Jr. as the two starting corners on the outside. One of them will have to cover Davante Adams for the majority of this game, with Bryce Callahan in the slot against Hunter Renfrow and Derwin James likely manning up Darren Waller. The Chargers should be confident in Callahan and James to get their jobs done, but Davis and/or Samuel on Adams could be a bit of a pain point. The injury to Jackson also weakens the depth in the secondary – if anyone else goes down, rookies Ja’Sir Taylor and Deane Leonard are next up in the rotation.

Unclear running back rotation

Isaiah Spiller continues to nurse an ankle injury, leaving his role in Week 1 a bit unclear. Joshua Kelley and newly signed Sony Michel will likely split the second running back duties, but there are reasons to be cautious about both. While Kelley has looked much improved this offseason, he has yet to prove he can be a high-impact player in games that count. Michel has struggled with his health, which has partially contributed to a declining yards per carry average over the past few seasons that led to him getting cut by the Dolphins earlier this offseason. If the Raiders can limit Ekeler, one of the three other options will have to step up. But will any of them get consistent enough reps to get into a groove?

Offensive line chemistry

Rashawn Slater and Matt Feiler return on the left side. They’re not the issue here. What could be one, especially for Week 1, is the chemistry between rookie Zion Johnson and his compatriots. Center Corey Linsley didn’t play a single snap of preseason action as one of the Chargers’ many bubble-wrapped veterans, but he’s also had a series of mysterious vet rest days in practice. That leaves him and Johnson without a full complement of reps in practice and zero live opportunities to work out the kinks. On the other side, Johnson has had to build chemistry with both right tackles: Trey Pipkins and Storm Norton. Pipkins eventually won the job, and his chemistry did look better with Johnson. But again, it’s only half the number of reps the rookie could’ve had with his right tackle. Those hiccups could lead to pressure on Justin Herbert or rapidly closing holes for Ekeler and the running game.

Return game threats

Maybe it’s just because my childhood is marred with memories of the Raiders blocking multiple Mike Scifres punts back in 2010, but special teams is always one of my focus areas whenever these two teams meet. This year, I think the biggest concern is in the return game, especially after watching Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin torch the Chargers for a kick and punt return touchdown. Raiders kick returner Ameer Abdullah is tied for third among active NFL players in kick return average with 25.4 yards per return, behind only Cordarrelle Patterson and former Charger Andre Roberts. Abdullah is also fourth in total kick return yardage among active players behind Patterson, Roberts, and Tyler Lockett. Hunter Renfrow is a lesser threat as a punt returner, but his shiftiness is not to be underestimated. If Los Angeles hasn’t patched the holes that led to Turpin’s huge preseason game, it could be a rough afternoon for them.

All-22 analysis: 5 offensive takeaways from Chargers’ preseason loss to Rams

Analyzing the notables on the offensive side of the ball in the Chargers’ loss to the Rams.

With the All-22 coaches’ film from the Chargers preseason opener now available, I revisited the game from a new angle to draw some more conclusions.

Here are some of the takeaways from the offensive side of the ball:

Joshua Kelley’s development

Watching the game live, it was clear that Kelley has made strides this offseason with the added pressure of an RB2 competition. The coaches’ film shows even more signs of that improvement:

This play calls for Kelley to follow fullback Zander Horvath through the hole between rookie linemen Jamaree Salyer and Zion Johnson. But Kelley sees that Johnson’s assignment is pushing him back into the hole, while Salyer is losing leverage against his man. Kelley takes one step and cuts hard to the outside, using his speed to reach the edge and turn it into a positive play. Previously, Kelley would follow his blocks and gain maybe a yard or two.

The other hyped area for Kelley this offseason has been receiving, where he’s had a limited role to this point. He’s always been a good pass blocker, but on Saturday he showcased his pass-catching chops:

Kelley does a good job securing the ball before turning upfield even with a defender crashing at his ankles. The balance to keep himself upright gains him an extra few yards. Ideally, he keeps his feet under him trying to juke the DB and follows the open field all the way home for a TD, but it’s still a good rep.

Zion Johnson looks pro-ready

It’s unfair to Johnson to expect him to play at the level of Rashawn Slater’s 2021 season, in which the tackle was named a second-team All-Pro. But those in the building have said Johnson’s approach to the game reminds them of Slater’s and have had high praise for the rookie’s potential.

Here, Johnson’s power is on display. With Will Clapp helping him out, Johnson drives the defensive lineman into the gap the linebacker is supposed to be defending, thus knocking both defenders out of the play as the linebacker is forced to readjust. Meanwhile, Johnson stays locked up with the lineman and continues to drive him off the ball through the whistle.

Johnson did get beat on a swim move in this game, but overall his play was that of a competent NFL starter. It looks more and more possible that the Chargers have struck gold for the second season in a row with their offensive line draft pick.

Jamaree Salyer is a future starter

Offensive line is hard to evaluate without the benefit of All-22, so it’s hard to blame you if you thought Salyer looked merely solid in his NFL debut. With the benefit of an end zone angle, however, Salyer looked like a player drafted three or four rounds higher:

This is the kind of hand replacement you see from multi-year NFL starters, not sixth-round rookies who played tackle in college. Every move from the Rams’ defensive lineman is perfectly countered, leading to a decisive victory for Salyer. He also had this picture perfect block against a stunt the Rams ran:

You simply cannot do any better than this as an offensive lineman. Salyer hits the interior defender directly into the clutches of left tackle Foster Sarell, then slides back over to drive the looping edge rusher completely out of the play. Pause the clip after Salyer latches on to his second block and you can see Easton Stick had a wide-open running lane if no receivers were open downfield.

Right tackle battle far from decided

Both Trey Pipkins and Storm Norton looked like improved players on Saturday. For Norton, the focus is pass blocking, where he had several plays that looked somewhat like this:

As he does here, Norton takes an incredibly wide set, which forces him to operate on an island. Last year, losing those reps led to instant pressures and flushed Justin Herbert out of the pocket. On Saturday, Norton showed that he has the chops to win those battles for just long enough. In the clip above, he stays connected to the defender even as his head dips and he bends at the waist, usually trademark signs that a tackle is losing ground. That allows Chase Daniel to make a play.

In this clip, Daniel does not have such an opportunity. But I still liked what I saw from Pipkins:

99% of the time, this is a win for the offensive tackle. With Justin Herbert in the game, this is a win. With anything short of perfect coverage, this is a win. But it just so happens that every receiver is covered up and the much less mobile Chase Daniel is under center on this play, forcing a throwaway and overshadowing the technique of this rep. Pipkins anchors well against the bull rush and straightens up to continue his block as the defender rises up to attempt a pass deflection. In regular season action, we would be praising this sort of play ten times over.

Michael Bandy is an NFL route runner

I assume that Bandy has been following Keenan Allen around everywhere he goes ever since the Chargers signed him out of San Diego as a 2020 UDFA. There’s really no other explanation for how he’s developed this kind of route running savvy:

This looks like a basic play, but it’s a good job by Bandy to execute. With the DB showing off coverage, Bandy knows he has a free release. He shows good tempo, forcing the DB to stay honest against a potential vertical route. Then, with no wasted movement, he gets to the middle of the field, hauls in the pass, and makes a linebacker miss before being wrapped up by a host of Rams tacklers.

Of course, there was also his touchdown catch:

This one made the rounds even before the All-22 was available, but with the benefit of the sideline angle, you can see just how much space Bandy creates for himself on this play. The Rams line up in single high, meaning all Bandy has to do is beat his man, and he’s home free. Again, his tempo is what wins him the battle here: the hard sell on an in-breaking route followed by a quick pivot back outside breaks his DB’s ankles, and he has five yards of space around him in every direction. It’s an easy score.