Los Angeles Chargers: Can improved team beat the Chiefs?

Improving on offense

Score more points, win more games. With a defense that could potentially hold teams to less than 20 points per game, it won’t take a lot to beat the Chiefs. The problem, however, is execution; the Chargers need to focus on attacking the right ways while limiting turnovers. Let’s take a look at any additions or changes on offense that reflect a positive trend in either category…

Allow Melvin Gordon to flourish

The Chargers must beat the Chiefs on the back of a strong rushing attack, and Gordon must be ready to be a true workhorse within these games. Before missing most of the second half of his Week 3 battle with the Chiefs, Gordon had picked up 78 rushing yards and a touchdown. If not for Rivers’ untimely turnovers (more on that soon), those hard-earned yards may have translated to more points.

The “easiest” way to help a running back is to improve the offensive line. Notable acquisitions/returns this offseason with that in mind are:

• Mike Pouncey, C, free agency
• Forrest Lamp, RG, returning from injury
• Dan Feeney, LG, who missed their first game and should improve
• Scott Quessenberry, G, fifth round selection

Pouncey and Lamp are the really important pieces here, as the former combination of tough but lower-than-average starters Spencer Pulley and Kenny Wiggins are replaced by a potential (and certainly former) Pro-Bowl center in Pouncey and one of the highest graded offensive linemen drafted last year in Lamp, respectively. They’re two additions with technique and nastiness that will surely open up bigger running lanes for the running backs.

The emphasis for Gordon, however, should be on touches, not just how many rushes. In the Week 15 tilt last year, Gordon put up 169 total yards of offense on 25 total touches, good for 6.76 yards per touch. He was dynamic in the open field and especially effective receiving the ball, weaving across the field for some massive gains.

Protecting Philip Rivers

For all we love about No. 17, running under pressure isn’t something we praise him for. If you’ve ever played football with shin splints and just finished running two miles, you’re probably still faster than Rivers. Center play like this has the potential to get him killed:

Fans have watched their quarterback get pummeled by Chiefs defenders for years, with a four-sack effort by Justin Houston four years ago to almost set the single-season record coming to mind. The additions mentioned previously that benefit go hand-in-hand with supporting Rivers.

Blitzing the A-gap for years has been the easiest way to get to Rivers, but two potentially dominant interior linemen with an ascending left guard in Dan Feeney look to give him the first legitimate line he’s had in almost a decade. Given ample time to throw, Rivers is unstoppable, and doesn’t make the brutal mistakes that cost the team. Speaking of which…

Cutting down turnovers

This one is key. Two teams played two games, one with zero total turnovers and one with seven. Guess what, the team with seven lost both games. Rivers in particular was the culprit, tossing six picks on balls that had zero business being thrown into sometimes double or triple coverage. The seventh turnover was on Austin Ekeler, who fumbled when his hand was broken (a trend I don’t expect to continue).

There are two ways Rivers’ turnovers can be eliminated. The first is learned: Don’t force the ball. But at this point in his career, I’m not sure he can help himself. The next logical step is to take the ball out of his hands and put it with a combination of Gordon, Ekeler, and Justin Jackson. Model the Tennessee Titans, who eventually broke the Chiefs in the playoffs on the back of 6.5 yards per carry and a total of 202 rushing yards.

Keep the game close, and let the inexperienced Mahomes make the forced errors. I can’t say the Chargers have added any players to specifically eliminate turnovers, but there is an argument to be made that the offensive linemen, Virgil Green, and Jackson additions show a willingness from the coaching staff to put the ball in the hands of a strong running game where careless mistakes are less likely.

Next: Chargers Mailbag: Trade bait players and more

Tom Telesco has done a good enough job to prepare the Chargers to beat their AFC West rivals; nowhere is this more apparent than in his defensive draft additions and offensive line acquisitions. I can confidently say that the team has improved enough to beat the Chiefs. Stopping Hunt will likely be the biggest challenge heading into their Week 1 tilt, but the Chargers are roster-ready.

A broken losing streak to the Chiefs will likely correspond with a future playoff berth for the Bolts. It’s hard for me to get too excited, though, when the team makes awful mistakes over and over to lose games.