By Eric Smith|ChargersÂ
Welcome back to the Chargers Mailbag!
We’ll be running one of these every week during the regular season, so send in submissions for the Mailbag here on Twitter or by sending me an email.
A great question from Ed that allows us to give a big-picture assessment of the Bolts at the bye week.
And to answer his question, I’ll give one surprising thing on both offense and defense, beginning with the latter.
Coming into the season, the hope around the Bolts was that they could finally play the consistently sound defense that had been lacking in recent years.
Four games in, it’s clear that the Bolts have fielded one of the NFL’s top defenses. It’s worth noting that, yes, four games is a small sample size, but it’s also the same sample size for every other NFL team, too.
Here are two stats that sum up just how good the Bolts have been so far:
They are second in EPA per play allowed (-0.198), which means they are putting a “point” on the scoreboard once every five plays.
The Chargers also rank third in defensive DVOA at -16.3 percent, which means they are 16.3 percent more successful than the league average on a given play.
On the flip side, what has surprised me is that the Bolts have been so successful on defense without getting that much pressure on the quarterback.
They currently are tied for 17th with a pressure rate of 3.0 percent, which I thought would be higher given the deep and talented edge rusher group on the roster.
One explanation for the low rate is that opposing quarterbacks have generally gotten rid of the ball extremely quick, and it’s hard to get pressure on the passer when the ball is already out. I’m interested to see what this number looks like in a month or two.
Offensively, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the play of Ladd McConkey.
I wrote back in July that McConkey could end up being Justin Herbert’s favorite target by the time the season ended. But with 24 targets in four games, Herbert has already looked the rookie’s way more than anyone else on the team.
Expect Herbert and McConkey to continue developing their rapport as they have the potential to be one of the league’s top quarterback-wide receiver duos down the road.
It’s tough to give an offensive surprise on the other side of the coin given the plethora of injuries the unit has endured.
But the run game has felt a little boom (the first two games) or bust (the previous two games) thus far.
Again, missing your starting tackles for a game (or more) forced the Bolts to put together a makeshift offensive line against a pair of elite defensive fronts in Pittsburgh and Kansas City.
Over the long haul, I expect the run game to get back to where it was earlier in the season. A healthy offensive line would go a long way in making that happen.
No, I don’t think a trade for a tight end is in the cards right now.
The Bolts signed Will Dissly and Hayden Hurst as free agents this offseason while keeping Stone Smartt on the roster from last season. Eric Tomlinson was added to the active roster just before Week 1.
Given the investment the Bolts made at the position in free agency, especially with Dissly on a multi-year deal, the plan is likely to keep this group together for now.
In saying that, perhaps this is a position that gets addressed in the offseason in free agency or the draft, but that’s a long way away.
As for the second part of your question, that’s certainly an interesting storyline coming out of the bye.
Herbert hasn’t eclipsed 180 passing yards in either of the first four games, which could have been my answer above for the most surprising part of the offense.
But the Bolts have said ad nauseam since February that they want to run the ball and are committed to that.
The Chargers are tied for ninth in rushing attempts (115) and are last in the NFL with only 93 total pass attempts.
If Herbert can get healthy after the bye (which means an increased mobility), perhaps we see an uptick in pass attempts while still keeping the mindset of being a physical team up front with the run game.
I mentioned last time in your mailbag if the team would make a trade for a WR? Do we think it’s more evident now that we need to make a move before the deadline? (Seth via email)
Another trade question!
For reference, we’re 34 days away from the trade deadline, which ends at 1 p.m. (PT) on November 5.
Much like my answer above, I don’t foresee a trade here, mostly because wide receiver DJ Chark is eligible to come off Injured Reserve after the bye week.
Think of him as a trade deadline acquisition of sorts, especially he provides some big-play ability in the passing game.
Overall, the Chargers wide receiver room has been as expected thus far.
McConkey and Quentin Johnston have each shown flashes. Joshua Palmer has battled injuries while Derius Davis is mostly being used on special teams. Simi Fehoko is a strong blocker and Brenden Rice is still growing early in his NFL career.
Let’s hope Chark’s return gives this unit a boost if he comes back immediately after the bye.
