Los Angeles Chargers Vs. Raiders: 5 Things LA Must Do To Win

Pressure The Quarterback

The Chargers pass rush has improved in recent weeks, led mostly by the efforts of edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu, who had three sacks last game and holds the most sacks of the team (five).  Jimmy Garoppolo was sacked four times on Sunday and still had 324 passing yards with two passing touchdowns. Garoppolo is currently in concussion protocol, so if he plays, the Chargers need to make sure they’re on their A-game to stop him from getting the ball to Adams. And if he doesn’t play, the same sentiment applies to his backup, Brian Hoyer.

Contain Josh Jacobs

The Chargers struggled all last season against the run and had a handful of explosive plays cripple them. Jacobs had 144rushing yards against the Chargers in Week 13 of 2022, complete with one rushing touchdown, and a crazy flea flicker where Derek Carr handed it off, Jacobs tossed it back, and Carr threw a bomb to Adams for a 45-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

Jacobs so far only has 108 rushing yards on the season and no rushing touchdowns. This is similar to last year, as he took a few weeks to kick into gear. The Chargers don’t want this to be the game where everything clicks and he demolishes them, so they have to find a way to make sure that the defensive line is tight. This would be the perfect game to have Eric Kendricks back, who’s been dealing with a hamstring injury. 

Keep Justin Herbert Mobile and Protected

With the absence of Chandler Jones, edge rusher Maxx Crosby is the heart of the Raiders defense with two sacks on the year, 15 quarterback hurries, and nine solo tackles. Crosby had one sack in the 2022 Week 13 matchup against the Chargers along with one hit and six hurries.

The offensive line needs to be ready to contend against such a ruthless rusher. Herbert also needs to do his best to be as mobile as possible. In this last game, we got to see a few plays of Herbert moving out of the pocket, avoiding pressure, and making some great completions. The offensive line and pass protection also held up as there was only one sack. Having Herbert on the move and having his protection at the top of their game is going to be crucial. 

Adapt the Offense to Run Without Mike Williams

I wrote a piece at the start of the week about the recent Williams injury, which was pretty devastating for the offense. On Tuesday the Chargers signed Simi Fehoko from Pittsburgh to the roster, so he’ll be an added depth piece to prop up that receiver room. How the Chargers contend against this Raiders defense without the weapon of Williams will be telling. If Quentin Johnston can carve out his place and Josh Palmer can have a repeat performance of his stats from last year, I do think they have enough to do well on this front, especially since they still have Keenan Allen.