The Chargers’ problems in Week 2 don’t stop with the offensive line. The pass rush has its own questions, and they’re starting to circle around first-round pick Akheem Mesidor.
That’s where the pressure sits heading into the matchup with the Raiders. Los Angeles went into the offseason trying to rebuild the trenches in front of Justin Herbert, but the ripple effects have shown up elsewhere too, including a defense that now needs real production from a rookie who was supposed to help stabilize the rotation.
Mesidor was a calculated swing by Joe Hortiz and Jim Harbaugh. The Chargers had already seen what Odafe Oweh could do after bringing him in and watching him break out in the system alongside Tuli Tuipulotu. Even so, they chose not to pay market value to keep Oweh in free agency, then used the first round on Mesidor, an “older” rookie meant to be more “pro ready” than "developmental" prospects.
That theory hasn’t paid off yet. In Week 1, Mesidor logged one pressure on 22 pass-rushing snaps. The Chargers, as a whole, produced only eight total pressures in the loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
The sample is still tiny, and Chris O’Leary is only getting started as coordinator. Mesidor also needs time to grow into the role.
But the Chargers didn’t draft him as a long-term project. They sold the pick as an Odafe-type answer in the rotation, part of a broader plan to support Tuipulotu and Khalil Mack.
That’s why the result against Jacoby Brissett landed as such a rough first marker.
Now comes a tougher stage: the Raiders, with Mack and Maxx Crosby on the same field. Los Angeles needs Mesidor to deliver a few of those splash moments and take some of the strain off the rest of the defense. If he does, the Chargers have a better shot at avoiding an 0-2 start.
If he doesn’t, the questions about the Odafe decision and the first-round gamble are only going to get louder.
In Other News...
Chargers Left Guard Problem Is About To Get A Real Answer
Trey Pipkins is set to miss the Chargers upcoming game with a knee injury, and that leaves Kayode Awosika in line to handle left guard for the full contest. The move gives Los Angeles something it has not had there this season: a clean look at one player instead of the back-and-forth rotation the staff had been using.
The split duties drew criticism because it cut into the offensive lines continuity, a particularly important issue for a unit trying to settle in early. Awosika also entered the conversation with some momentum after initial Pro Football Focus data in the season opener showed him grading better than Pipkins, so this weeks snap count should go a long way toward clarifying the Chargers best answer at the spot. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers O-Line Shuffle Is Exposing A Bigger Problem Than Harbaugh Wanted
The Chargers are still trying to sort out the interior of their offensive line, and the picture at left guard has already changed again by Week 2. Jim Harbaugh has moved away from a rotation there, but the answers have not come easily, with Trey Pipkins among the players asked to step in while the group deals with injuries and a lack of settled roles.
The bigger issue is what all of this says about the line as a whole. With center Tyler Biadasz sidelined and rookie Jake Slaughter starting at left guard, the Chargers are leaning on combinations that raise real questions about fit, experience and continuity. It is the sort of early-season instability that can linger long after the lineup card changes. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Already Face Mounting Doubt Before Raiders Showdown
The Chargers walked out of Week 1 with far more questions than they expected after a loss to the Cardinals as heavy favorites, a result that immediately complicated the early read on their season. Instead of looking like a team ready to establish itself, Los Angeles now heads into Week 2 with its playoff outlook already drawing scrutiny, even with oddsmakers still backing it by nearly a touchdown against the Raiders.
Las Vegas brings a matchup that is likely to test the Chargers in a different way, especially with analysts already flagging concerns about how the defense held up in the opener. The expectation is for a competitive game with points in the mix, which only adds to the pressure on Los Angeles to show that last week was a stumble, not a sign of a bigger problem. [Read more 🡒]