Los Angeles Chargers schedule is tailor-made for defensive success
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Chargers have one of the most exciting defenses in football and have the perfect schedule to put on a show this season.
The Los Angeles Chargers have one of the best one-two defensive punches in the NFL next season.
Los Angeles boasts one of the best pass-rushing attacks, led by the best set of exterior lineman in the NFL in Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa. Along with solid defensive tackles and some good pass-rushing outside linebackers, the Chargers are going to have plenty of sacks next season.
Behind that great pass-rush is a great secondary that will smother opposing receivers and give the pass-rush even more time to get to the quarterback.
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The only weakness in this Chargers’ defense is the lack of a run game and that should also be improved upon next season. Adding a healthy Denzel Perryman to the mix is huge and drafting Justin Jones and Uchenna Nwosu should also help the cause.
While the Chargers will not be an elite team in stopping the run, it will do well enough to hold it down.
Plus, the schedule that has been handed to the Los Angeles Chargers will only help the defense even further. For the most part, the schedule plays into the strengths of the team without having to deal with too many elite running backs to pick apart the running defense.
The best running backs the Chargers are set to face this season is Kareem Hunt twice, David Johnson, Le’Veon Bell and Todd Gurley. While that is an elite group, the Chargers are capable enough to keep them at bay.
However, it is the quarterbacks the Chargers are facing that will ultimately lead to success. As good as running back can be, you need a good quarterback to control the game and lead the team to victory.
Amongst the young, inexperienced quarterbacks the Chargers are facing are Patrick Mahomes (twice), Jimmy Garoppolo, Josh Rosen and Josh Allen. Those four could all be solid, especially Mahomes and Garoppolo, but they are still inexperienced and that will show against a great pass-rush.
Los Angeles is also facing some mediocre veterans as well. Joe Flacco, Andy Dalton, Tyrod Taylor and Case Keenum, twice. Right there should be at least four wins for the Chargers against bad quarterbacks.
Then you have the likes of Derek Carr and Jared Goff, who are both certainly talented but could struggle when the pocket collapses and the secondary is smothering. Goff has a run game to rely on, Carr, while it is solid, not so much.
Ben Roethlisberger is good but is so banged up constantly that it is hard seeing him have a great showing against a defense like the Chargers. Russell Wilson is elite but has no pieces around him and Marcus Mariota had a lackluster season and is built to struggle against a team like the Chargers.
Having Alex Smith out of the division is huge, the Broncos not having a great quarterback also helps. Carr has the biggest potential to do the most damage but last season did no damage whatsoever.
Next. Bold predictions for Philip Rivers. dark
Realistically, the Los Angeles Chargers should have no problems with any of the quarterbacks listed and should have a great defensive showing each and every game.