State of the Union: San Diego Chargers Defense Week 6

The San Diego Chargers defense heads into Oakland to face the Raiders and they should be excited. Rookie quarterback Derek Carr is expected to start and it will be a great game to rattle the young quarterback. This defense is rolling after shutting out the New York Jets and watch for them to pick up the tempo.

The Oakland Raiders come into this game at 0-4. Their run game is ranked last in the league led by Darren McFadden 151 yards and 1 touchdown in the last 4 games. He has not put the ball on the ground yet but look for Donald Butler and Corey Liuget to be in on the rush trying to force those fumbles. The Raiders are not likely to get any kind of run presence in the game so it will be up to the passing game for them to attack the Chargers.

The Raiders passing offense is ranked 24th in the league averaging 208.5 yards per game. Derek Carr has been starting as a rookie but has had issues staying healthy. He went out with an ankle injury in week 4 and had some rib injuries in his first couple weeks. If Liuget, Lissemore, and Reyes can rattle Carr in the pocket then he will be forced to make some poor passes. A secondary of Jason Verrett, Brandon Flowers, Jahleel Addae, and Eric Weddle should be prepared for some interception opportunities. Carr has had at least 1 interception in each game but look for the Chargers to get 2 picks and a few sacks in the game.

Defense wins championships and there are few defenses as hot as the Chargers. This is a great game for them to get at a young quarterback and play some tough football. They have had an issue forcing turnovers so look for them to capitalize on a good opportunity. The Chargers will head into Oakland on Sunday, October 12 with kickoff at 1:05 p.m. Pacific.