Heading into week four, most NFL teams are getting an idea of their direction in the season. While most teams are ready to win or lose, the Chargers are still somewhat of a question mark. With only one more game before the Bye week, the Bolts find their backs against the wall. LA will be hosting the defending champion Chiefs on Sunday, and they will likely be without some of their best to help ensure a victory.
The injury report came and it doesn’t give hope to Chargers fans. Joey Bosa, Rashawn Slater, and Junior Colson are out, while Joe Alt & Justin Herbert are still questionable. On top of this, star Safety Derwin James was suspended for the week following a questionable hit on Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth. The decision to suspend the star has caused controversy among fans, but the reality is that the Chargers will be without James against the Chiefs. With that, they have elevated former Ravens Safety Tony Jefferson, who many believe can make a name for himself again if given the chance.
Touching back on injuries, the offensive line will be intriguing to watch throughout the game. With LT Rashawn Slater out, LA will already be at a disadvantage. Assuming that Joe Alt will also miss Sunday with an MCL Sprain, things could get ugly. It is expected for current RG Trey Pipkins III to move back to RT, where he played before Alt was drafted. For the left side, Jamaree Salyer is expected to replace Slater. With that being said, taking Pipkins out of the Guard spot will likely make an already mediocre interior line worse going against Chris Jones and the Chiefs.
Chris Jones is the most worrying player for the Chargers this week. Patrick Mahomes will probably perform, but there is no telling what Chris Jones could do to the offense against a depleted offensive line. One of the premier interior defenders in the NFL will be going against an offensive line without their two best pieces. That means Chris Jones will go off, or the Bolts will be so focused on Jones that other threats like George Karlaftis and Nick Bolton could get in on the action.
Another decision that could decide the game is where the Chargers want to go with QB this week. Justin Herbert has seemed positive about his status this week despite being questionable. The QB is coming off a high ankle sprain suffered in week two and agitated in week three. With a week five bye, the best choice may be to rest the star and have him fully healthy by week six. With the previously mentioned depth chart in the offensive line, it is hard to imagine an injured Herbert leaving the game healthy.
If Jim Harbaugh and the training staff decide to sit Herbert, Taylor Heinicke will be the one under center for the Chargers. While Heinicke is one of the best backup QBs LA has had in years, he would need to play at a superhuman level to overcome their biggest weaknesses this week.
While it is not impossible to walk into the bye 3-1, the offensive line will likely be their Achilles Heel in this installment of the divisional rivalry. Without a strong line, the run game will be suffocated by Jones and Karlaftis. Without Dobbins or Edwards getting going, it will be a tall task for both Heinicke and Herbert to carry the offense to a win with their subpar receiving core. Especially against Trent McDuffie and the Kansas City secondary, Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and the other Chargers receivers will have trouble getting open. Unless the defense – which is also banged-up – can dominate against the greatest QB of this generation, the Chargers are probably looking at a .500 record going into their week 5 bye week. Of course, there is always a silver lining to every scenario, and this early bye can be the perfect opportunity for them to regroup and head into Denver healthy on October 13th.