The Chargers host the Bills on Saturday in the NFL’s first Peacock-exclusive broadcast.
Here are a few things to keep an eye on for in the matchup.
Quarterback run
Coming out of North Dakota State, Easton Stick ran a 4.62 40 yard dash, 4.05 20-yard shuttle, and 6.65 3-cone drill. All three of those numbers were in at least the 85th percentile of all quarterbacks to test since 2011.
All this to say – Stick is a good athlete. He also can’t make some of the throws we’re used to seeing from Justin Herbert. Consequently, the Chargers gameplan should lean a bit more into the quarterback run game, an area where Stick excels. Los Angeles did not let Stick use his legs much in Thursday’s cataclysm against the Raiders, but Stick also only had four days to prepare to start the game because of the short week.
With two extra days of planning coming into this one, expect to see more designed plays for Stick to showcase his athleticism.
Youth movement
The Chargers are quickly running out of reasons why they should continue playing some of their veterans. The season has been lost, the coach and general manager have been fired, and most of the vets are either free agents or potential cap casualties heading into an offseason that will completely reshape the look of LA’s football team.
Of course, Los Angeles still wants to be competitive and win games. But there are ways to see what you have in your young talent without tanking. Quentin Johnston will have to take on a bigger role with Keenan Allen out on Saturday. Daiyan Henley has no injuries in front of him, but it’s time to see him rotate in more often with the underwhelming duo of Eric Kendricks and Kenneth Murray, the latter of whom is a free agent at the end of the season. Isaiah Spiller has shown some flashes for a run game that has otherwise been dead on arrival – lean into that. With Nick Williams questionable with a shoulder injury, see what Otito Ogbonnia and Scott Matlock have in the tank.
The list goes on. This isn’t to say that the Chargers should bench their veterans, just that the snap share should be a little more equal on Saturday.
Simplification
One of the themes of Brandon Staley’s tenure was complexity. Staley’s defense was built to tie opposing offenses into knots, throwing so many different coverages at you from the same pre-snap look. Sometimes, it worked that way, but many other times, the complexity proved to be too much for LA’s own players. Blown coverages, missed assignments, and poor execution rooted in thinking, not playing, were all commonplace during the last three years of Chargers football.
With defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley taking over playcalling, expect Los Angeles to simplify things for their players. Doing this lets the Chargers defense play naturally, rather than constantly thinking about where to be in the middle of plays as we’ve seen for the last few years. Consolidate responsibility, especially for players like Derwin James, and the results may be surprisingly effective.
Interim bounce
Many teams go on a bit of a run with an interim head coach. There’s a revitalization that happens, as the interim is usually picked based on who the players resonate with the most and will rally behind. For the Chargers, that’s outside linebackers coach Giff Smith, who has been with the team since 2016.
It’s easy to tell why Smith is a favorite of Chargers players when hearing him give press conferences. On Saturday, that rallying process begins. While it may not result in a win against a competitive Bills team that’s been rising the AFC standings in recent weeks, it will probably feel like an actual football game for most of it. And that will be refreshing after what we’ve seen the Chargers go through this season.
