The Chargers kept pace with the Giants and Titans in the race for the fifth overall pick on Sunday.
Here’s what to take away from the performance on the field.
Third down woes
Los Angeles was 2 for 11 on third downs on Sunday, which was actually an improvement over their 0 for 12 mark against the Broncos earlier this month. In the two matchups combined, the Chargers converted just 2 of their 23 third downs.
That is generally not a winning formula. There’s a pretty direct throughline you can draw between those third-down conversion numbers and Los Angeles’ inability to score against Denver: in the two matchups, the Chargers scored 7 and 9 points. Denver matched that output just on Sunday.
The first time around, the issue was that Los Angeles was under extreme pressure on every third down. Not the case Sunday: Stick was hit only twice and sacked once all game. But without Keenan Allen or Joshua Palmer, LA’s receivers struggled to get open against the Broncos, forcing Stick to nail tight window throws that he couldn’t make at a high enough clip to keep the Chargers competitive.
Derwin James resurgence
James looked looser on Sunday, turning in perhaps his best performance of the season. His 12 total tackles were the second-most he’s had in a game this year. He notched his second sack on a hustle play to chase down Jarrett Stidham. His two pass breakups matched a season-high.
Beyond the stat sheet, James seemed like he had remembered how to play fast on Sunday. A number of plays, especially in the first half, were punctuated with big hits from the former All-Pro, whether the Denver player had the ball secured or not. It was the first time James consistently laid the wood like that since early-season penalties forced him to play more timidly.
It’s clear that simplifying James’ role in Derrick Ansley’s modified defense has rebuilt a portion of his confidence as a player. Moving into 2024, there’s room for a player of James’ caliber to stay on the roster and make a big impact, but the new regime must already have learned the lesson it took this iteration of the Chargers 15 weeks to realize.
Let Henley loose
Third-round rookie linebacker Daiyan Henley did not start despite Kenneth Murray Jr. missing Sunday’s game with an injury. Instead, it was Nick Niemann on the field alongside Eric Kendricks. Niemann was serviceable, for the most part, but the Chargers also know at this point that he likely won’t ever be more. Henley entered the game for Niemann on one drive and instantly had four tackles, only to retreat back to the bench and watch the rest of the defensive snaps from the sideline.
It’s the latest frustrating example of the Chargers declining to give their young players an opportunity to learn on the job. Los Angeles is eliminated from playoff contention. They were already losing the game when Henley entered for that drive midway through the contest. There is far less to gain from playing your “best” players to try to win a meaningless game than there is playing your young players with unknown potential to give them confidence going into 2024.
In the season finale, there’s little reason why Henley shouldn’t take a decent chunk of the snaps at linebacker, even if Murray is back on the field.
"Talented" roster
The CBS broadcast crew continued to refer to the Chargers as one of the most talented rosters in football on Sunday, a myth that has yet to be dispelled for reasons unknown to anyone except major media analysts.
Injuries have taken their toll on the roster, there’s no doubt about that. Losing Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Joshua Palmer, Corey Linsley, and Joey Bosa would do damage to any team. But even with those players on the field in an ideal world, there’s still room to question how talented this roster is. Williams and Bosa can’t be trusted to stay healthy even when they are for the moment. Austin Ekeler has regressed mightily this season. Rashawn Slater, Zion Johnson, and Trey Pipkins have all taken a step back on the offensive line. Quentin Johnston has yet to show that his talent translates to any sort of on-field success.
Defensively, the theoretical trio of Bosa, Khalil Mack, and Tuli Tuipulotu is worth rating highly. Austin Johnson has regressed on the interior, and so had Sebastian Joseph-Day before he was put on waivers last week. Kenneth Murray has not developed and Eric Kendricks has not lived up to his billing as a high-profile free agent. Outside of Derwin James, the best player in the secondary is Asante Samuel Jr. and Alohi Gilman, both of whom profile as average starters long-term.
All of this also neglects the fact that a number of these players will be gone next season. At least two of Allen, Williams, Bosa, and Mack will be released for cap reasons. Linsley seems likely to retire due to a heart issue. Ekeler, Murray, Kendricks, and Gilman are all free agents. Los Angeles does not have clear in-house replacements for the overwhelming majority of those players.
