Chargers Vs Titans: Five Things To Watch For, Including An Injured Chargers’ Secondary

The Los Angeles Chargers had a big win against the Vikings last Thursday and need to keep the momentum going.

Below are some things to watch for as they face the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

Run Defense Against Titans Running Back Tony Pollard 

The Chargers have been struggling at times against the run. Part of the problem is injury-related, with missing players like edge Khalil Mack and linebacker Denzel Perryman, who luckily returned against the Vikings. But beyond the injuries, the run defense hasn’t been very tight.

Week 7 against the Colts was a disaster, with Colts running back Jonathan Taylor having a third game with three rushing touchdowns. And in Week 6 against Miami, running back De’Von Achane had his highest rushing yardage (128) so far of the season.

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When it comes to this week’s matchup against the Titans, Titans running back Tony Pollard hasn’t quite reached the heights of when he was in Dallas, but fingers crossed, this next matchup isn’t his breakout.

The Chargers will need Mack, Perryman, and linebacker Daiyan Henley to perform at the top of their game to make sure the run is shut down. 

Whether The Chargers Defense Will Come Away With More Than One Turnover 

Titans quarterback Cam Ward has had at least one interception per game since Week 3, and the Titans’ offense in general hasn’t been clicking, especially since one of their big receiving targets, Calvin Ridley, has been out with a hamstring injury for the last two weeks. Could the Chargers repeat their performance against Miami and have three interceptions?

If Ridley does play, the Chargers’ secondary will have to make sure no explosive plays occur, but along with the several interceptions, Ward has also had five fumbles, so Ridley is not going to completely fix the offense if he returns.

So even if the defense can’t get turnovers through the air, edge Tuli Tuipulotu, defensive lineman Teair Tart, or cornerback Cam Hart should be able to still do damage. 

More Heroics From Quarterback Justin Herbert And No Interceptions? 

Herbert was in fine form during last week’s matchup against the Vikings. He had his highest rushing yardage of the season so far (62), and despite the pressure, was able to keep making completions, with a 72% completion percentage, up from his game against the Colts, where, despite throwing for over 400 yards, he had only a 67% completion percentage.

The return of offensive tackle Joe Alt was the much-needed boost to giving Herbert more opportunities to slow down, as his average time to throw on all dropbacks was the highest it’s been (3.20 seconds) all season.

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Despite the better pass protection and the scrambling, Herbert still had one interception. And at this point in the season, he has now reached his interception number (seven) for 2023 and 2024. 

Perhaps in the next game, Herbert can clean up the negatives, like the turnovers, and keep some of the positives, like the rushing yardage.

The Titans can bring the pass rush, especially if defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons is healthy enough to play, as he’s been out with a hamstring injury. There are others to keep an eye on in that area, like Titans outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones, who had the most quarterback hits of his career last year (11) and has had a sack each game since Week 6.

If the majority of the offensive line can remain healthy, as there were injuries to right guard Mekhi Becton in the last game as well as Alt, and Herbert can stay accurate, he should be able to keep up his stats and deliver mostly mistake-free football. 

If Tight End Oronde Gadsden II Will Have Another Dominant Performance 

For the first few weeks of this season, Gadsden hadn’t yet looked like the dominant player that we saw in the offseason, as he saw a few targets but hadn’t made any big splashes. And then in the last two weeks, he’s emerged as one of Herbert’s favorite targets.

He had another receiving touchdown against the Vikings and had the most receiving yards (164) so far of his young career against the Colts in Week 7. He’s someone to watch very closely in this next game. 

How The Ailing Chargers’ Secondary Fares In Game Action

Both cornerback Tarheeb Still and safety Derwin James Jr. were injured in last week’s game, and both are key to the defense. Still is batting a knee injury, and he’s been a constant, currently leading the team in passes defended, according to ESPN. And James is critical as his abilities in run defense, pass rush, and coverage are undeniable, and though the Chargers did pretty well without him for the majority of the game against the Vikings, it’s a big hole to fill if he doesn’t play.

Luckily, head coach Jim Harbaugh said as of Tuesday that he expects James to be able to practice, and it has now been reported that he should be good to go for tomorrow’s game.

There were also some injuries to safety Tony Jefferson, while safety Elijah Molden has also been battling the injury bug, so it’s really some bad luck across the entire Chargers’ unit. Players like Hart and rookies like safety R.J. Mickens will be counted on, including any new players like safety Marcus Williams, who was just added to the practice squad and could be elevated, to close the gap.