SI’S 2019
PREDICTION
10 – 6
SEP T. 8
VS. IND
SEP T. 15
@ DET
SEP T. 22
VS. HOU
SEP T. 2 9
@ MIA
OC T. 6
VS. DEN
OC T. 1 3
VS. PIT
OC T. 2 0
@ TEN
OC T. 2 7
@ CHI
NOV. 3
VS. GB
NOV. 7
@ OAK
NOV. 18
(in Mexico City)
VS. KC
NOV. 25
BYE
DEC. 1
@ DEN
DEC. 8
@ JAX
DEC. 15
VS. MIN
DEC. 22
(Flex)
VS. OAK
DEC. 29
@ KC
The Chargers have made enough improvements on defense to offset their mild
concerns on offense, putting them at the front of the AFC’s second tier of contenders.
75
× THE OFFENSE HUMS ALONG. L. A .’s
lineup is not without concerns. Veteran
left tackle Russell Okung could miss sig-
nificant time early on after suffering a pul-
monary embolism on June 1. Guards Dan
Feeney and Michael Schofield are vulner-
able when forced to move
laterally. At receiver, the
top of the pecking order is
strong with Keenan Allen ,
budding star Mike Williams
and multitooled tight end
Hunter Henry, but there
is almost no proven depth.
Still, as long as Philip Rivers
is at the helm, the offense is
dangerous. The 37-year-old
doesn’t have the playoff wins
of revered veterans such as
Tom Brady and Drew Brees,
but he is very much in their
class. Rivers controls games at the line of
scrimmage, and he throws with tremen-
dous accuracy and anticipation.
× THE GROUND GAME PROVES RESILIENT.
Melvin Gordon is holding out, but the fifth-
year tailback, while good, is replaceable.
The Chargers have a well-constructed
rushing attack built largely (but not exclu-
sively) on the man-to-man blocking designs
that coach Anthony Lynn knows inside-
out, and they generate receiving yards from
the backs because Rivers knows when he
should check down quickly.
× JOEY BOSA AND MELVIN INGRAM GO
O F F. With the exception of the Bron-
cos’ Von Miller and Bradley Chubb,
Bosa and Ingram are the NFL’s
best edge tandem. Bosa’s unique blend
of quickness and strength is amplified
by clever technique. Ingram is uncannily
twitchy moving in any direction. Either
man can slide inside, allowing L.A. to
align them side by side, where they’re
explosive on stunts and twists. With the
development of last year’s
Day 2 picks, edge rusher
Uchenna Nwosu and tackle
Justin Jones, plus this year’s
first-rounder, Jerry Tillery
of Notre Dame, the Char-
gers have a strong enough
rotation to fuel their crucial
four-man pass rush. That
helps minimize the incon-
sistency that has hindered
this D the past few winters.
× GUS BRADLEY KEEPS
RUSHING FOUR. The defen-
sive coordinator began to
venture outside his hallmark Cover 3
zone scheme last season, incorporating
more tactical variety on third down. But
he still blitzed less than any defensive
play-caller, and that reliance on a tra-
ditional four-man rush remains after
All-Pro safety Derwin James’s foot in-
jury leaves the Chargers with no stud
to build blitzes around.
St
re
ng
th QB
5
RB
15
WR/TE
6
OL
27
FRONT 7
8
DB
13
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