Raiders Rival Preview: The Chargers Offense

When the Las Vegas Raiders invade Los Angeles to face the Chargers, they will see familiar faces. However, the Chargers will step on the field with a far different offensive approach than last year. The 2-1 Chargers welcome an undefeated Vegas squad that should provide the SoFi faithful with a thrilling time. With those ticket prices, these folks need to get their money’s worth.

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The Architect

When Joe Lombardi took the reins as offensive coordinator, questions abound about how the Chargers would look. First, Lombardi, a Sean Payton disciple, believes in a quarterback-centered offense. Now, most quarterbacks are in the middle of their offense. Yet, Lombardi entrusts his quarterbacks with a laundry list of play options at the line of scrimmage. In effect, through Herbert’s eyes, he will dictate which plays runs and the burden of choice falls upon his shoulders. Within this version of the Chargers offense, watch for deep rotations and playing with pace. The Raiders need to account for a faster style of play from Los Angeles. Gus Bradley will need to adjust for the breakneck pace.

The Quarterback

With Patrick Mahomes firmly ensconced as the best quarterback in the division, Justin Herbert stands alone with the upside factor. After a strong rookie season, the totality of this offense resides with him. After a year of big plays, Herbert looks a bit crisper. Simultaneously, he improved his accuracy and yards per attempt. Somehow, he’s taking more chances, but still remaining accurate. With those chances, a light emerges for the Raiders. In three games, Herbert threw three. Last year, he tallied only ten for the entire season. Herbert, blessed with a cannon for an arm will test the secondary vertically. More importantly, if the lay breaks down, he will venture outside the pocket, looking to pick up yardage. If the game is close, Herbert can will his team to victory. So far in 2021, Herbert engineered two fourth-quarter comebacks.

The Quietly Effective Ekeler

When discussing versatile backs, few mention Austin Ekeler. Yet, find a back with more receiving than rushing touchdowns while averaging 4.7 yards a carry. On top of that, an eighty-two percent catch percentage. Ekeler is a coach’s dream. You can split him out, run through a complete route tree. As a rusher, his quickness and balance get him positive gains. Don’t look for him to truck defenders. That is not his game. In a faster-paced offense, his job is to create mismatches.

Wideout Problems

The Raiders will see, as they have, for a number of years, two diverse talents at wideout. In Keenan Allen, Los Angeles enjoys an expert routerunner. For the acclaim that Hunter Renfrow receives within the fanbase, Allen traces better and deeper routes. He will give Justin Herbert a timing target that will meet the ball at the spot. On the other hand, Mike Williams provides a more vertical threat that will outjump corners to the ball. Hayward and Mullen will see no fewer than twenty combine targets for these wideouts.

Offensive Line Opening

Storm Norton, at right tackle, presents a favorable matchup for the Raiders. Despite good arm length and reach, Norton struggles to start this season. As a result, the Chargers need to help him with Maxx Crosby. If singled up, Crosby wins this battle all day. However, anticipate help via chipping. Meanwhile, Yannick Ngakoue will see Rashawn Slater. The rookie will need to account for snap anticipation. In all honesty, the Raiders win this game, based on the strength of their pass rush.