Chargers Defense Exposes Raiders

One of the Chargers biggest problems last season was the turnstile play they had coming from the right tackle position. Storm Norton accounted for 60 quarterback pressures and nine sacks which was tied for second most in the league. Third round pick Trey Pipkins has had high expectations and has not lived up to them until last season. He displayed his potential in the NFL on a Thursday night matchup against the Chiefs where he won nearly all his one-on-one matchups. Now, he was really put to the test facing an elite pass rusher in Maxx Crosby,  and did not allow his quarterback to be sacked even once. It was an intense way for the third-year tackle to show the Chargers organization what he has. The work he has been putting in during the off season with Slater showed on Sunday afternoon.

The depth in the secondary has significantly improved since last season

There is no question that the reason the Chargers did not exceed expectations last season had a lot to do with their defensive play. The Chargers pass defense was not horrible by any means, but it also was not anything to brag about. While they did crack the top 10 in yards allowed per game, they were ranked 18th in turnover differential. With two forced fumbles, and three interceptions, after week one, the Chargers are ranked second with a +3.0-turnover differential. Second year cornerback Asante Samuel also played extremely well in the week one matchup, winning at least half of his matchups against All Pro Wide Receiver Devantae Adams.

Stopping the run is no longer a problem for the Chargers

The biggest problem that the Chargers had to endure last year was their inability to stop the run. The Chargers posted a miserable 140 yards per game allowed in 2021. Brandon Staley took this personally after being responsible for the best defense in football in 2020. He brought in proven run stoppers in former Raider Khalil Mack, as well as interior defensive linemen Sebastian-Joseph Day. In the week 18 matchup the Chargers allowed the Raiders to run for 174 yards which was a huge reason why they lost the win and in matchup. However, only 64 yards were allowed against the high-powered offense the Raiders have which is a huge testament to their improved defense

Justin Herbert is an absolute freak

                  In 2019 long time Chargers Quarterback Philip Rivers seemed to be on his way out.  Chargers fans were curious about the bleak future that might be coming. General Manager Tom Telesco undoubtedly saved his job after drafting superstar Quarterback Justin Herbert in the 2020 draft. Herbert continues to improve after posting the best, first two seasons of all time for a Quarterback. Herbert completed 76% of his passes against a stout Raiders pass rush and took full advantage of his offensive line play throwing for 273 yards and three touchdowns to nine different receivers. There was one throw that really stood out, and that only a handful of quarterbacks in this league can make. Stepping up in the pocket and avoiding pressure to hit Keenan Allen in stride for a 19-yard gain. The Chargers have clearly found the guy that has the capability to lead them to their first Championship.

The Chargers made an incredible Special Teams acquisition

Staley was one of the most notorious coaches in the NFL for going for it on 4^th down. He made some questionable decisions in his rookie season. This was due his lack of faith in the defense, and their inability to flip the field. The Chargers ranked 25^th in the league in average yards per punt with 44 yards and decided to cut ties this off season with Punter Ty Long and sign former Packer J.K. Scott. Scott was able to flip the field on Sunday averaging 49 yards per punt, including one that landed inside the two-yard line. To put that in perspective, the best average came from the Raiders with 50 YPP last season.

The Chargers were able to close out the Las Vegas Raiders in week one with a score of 24-19. They head into a short week facing the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night Football. The Chargers enter Arrowhead as 3.5-point underdogs. Late game play calling needs to be cleaned up, and they need to let superstar Quarterback Justin Herbert loose if they want to have any hope in competing with a team that has won the division for the last six seasons straight.

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