State of the Union: San Diego Chargers Offense Week 6

There are few offenses in the NFL better than the Chargers. Their strategy of controlling time of possession through smart play calling and no turnovers has led them to victory. While the passing game looks great, the backfield and offensive line are an issue.

Passing

The passing offense is led by Phillip Rivers playing at as high a level a quarterback can play. He currently has a QB rating of 116.3 through 1443 yards and 12 touchdowns. His receivers are staying healthy which opens up Antonio Gates, Eddie Royal, Keenan Allen, and Malcolm Floyd. Allen is still drawing a majority of coverage which is opening up the other 3 main targets. If defenses switch it up then it could be a mistake and we will see Allen explode. I expect the passing offense to stay strong and show no mercy as they get ready for Denver.

Running

Ryan Matthews is still out with an MCL knee sprain and could return after the bye week. Donald Brown suffered a concussion on Sunday and we are waiting to hear his status. It is important for Brown to be healthy because he is the between the tackles runner. A lot of people are loving Branden Oliver right now as he is coming off 114 yards rushing, 69 yards receiving, and 2 touchdowns. Oliver has stepped into the Danny Woodhead role but I do not believe he is the every down guy. Oliver is young, small, and is not suited for the starting workload. I believe for the Chargers to succeed they need Matthews/Brown to be the ground and pound then Oliver fills the receiving role. Shaun Draughn is on the roster for depth and Ronnie Brown was signed Tuesday for depth but also for veteran leadership.

Offensive Line

Nick Hardwick was lost for the season with a neck injury, Rich Ohrnberger has been out with a back injury, and now Doug Legursky is on injured reserve with a neck injury. Trevor Robinson was signed off the Cincinati Bengals practice squad. He comes in at 6 ft, 5 in. and 300 pounds. Robinson had some starting experience for the Bengals and the Chargers offense is suited to help him acclimate. Hopefully the bus stops here with injuries but all we can do is hope.

The Chargers next opponent is the 0-4 Oakland Raiders in Oakland. They are last in the league in rushing yards allowed and yet have an efficiency against the pass. The Chargers offense should be licking their chops at a chance to unleash their offense and continue to make Denver quake.