The Chargers are back from their bye and heading into Sunday’s 1:05 p.m. PT matchup with the Rams, and there’s no shortage of danger on the other side of the field.
Los Angeles enters Week 8 at 3-4, sitting third in the NFC West after snapping a two-game losing streak with a 35-21 road win over the Raiders. That result put the Rams right back on track, and it also reminded everyone how well they can function when both the passing game and the run game are rolling.
At the center of it all is Matthew Stafford. The veteran quarterback leads the NFL with 1,989 passing yards through seven games, and he added another major milestone in the win over Las Vegas. Stafford threw three touchdowns to become the Rams’ all-time passing touchdown leader with 155, making him the only quarterback in league history to hold the career touchdown record for two different franchises, the Lions and Rams.
The Rams haven’t needed Stafford to carry every snap by himself lately, either. Sean McVay has leaned into a run game that looked especially sharp against the Raiders, when the backfield piled up 199 rushing yards.
Kyren Williams finished with 99 yards and a touchdown, while Blake Corum added 93 yards and a score. Both backs averaged more than 5.0 yards per carry in that game.
On the season, Los Angeles has totaled 875 rushing yards on 186 carries, good for 4.7 yards per attempt, along with eight rushing touchdowns.
That balance matters because the passing game has had to adjust around injuries. Davante Adams is expected to miss at least a few weeks, which puts Puka Nacua squarely at the center of the offense.
Even while dealing with a mid-week calf issue in Week 7, Nacua still handled a heavy target load. In only five games this season, he has 45 catches for 485 yards and two touchdowns.
The Rams also bring a defense that has been hard to move the ball against. They rank third in total defense at 294.0 yards allowed per game and fourth in passing defense, giving up just 186.3 passing yards per game. That production has come despite injuries to key trench players Kobie Turner, Poona Ford and edge rusher Myles Garrett.
In Other News...
Jets Dream Trade Raises An Awkward Question About Their Future
With the Jets searching for a spark and the trade deadline approaching, one idea floated by Mike Ginnitti was at least flashy enough to get attention: a possible deal for Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. It is the kind of speculative swing that says as much about New Yorks current frustration as it does about Herberts standing around the league, since the Los Angeles quarterback remains one of the few names capable of changing a franchises direction overnight.
The problem, of course, is that this is far more fantasy than fit. Herberts status gives him significant control over where he plays, and any path out of Los Angeles would have to start with him choosing to leave. For now, the Chargers can keep building around a quarterback whose performance still makes him one of the leagues most intriguing assets, even as the conversation around his future continues to invite the kind of outside interest that would not stop with the Jets. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Land In Trade Buzz For A Reason Fans Will Debate
The deadline chatter around the Chargers has not exactly turned into an aggressive selling campaign, but it has at least put a few familiar names into the conversation. ESPNs Jeremy Fowler framed Los Angeles as a team that still appears more inclined to hold than deal, even while pointing to players such as Khalil Mack, Quentin Johnston and Donte Jackson as the sorts of pieces that would draw attention if the front office ever changed course.
For now, that leaves the Chargers in the familiar spot of being discussed as much for what they might do as for what they actually plan to do. Around the league, teams such as Kansas City and the Jets are also being watched for possible deadline movement, and those ripple effects can matter in a hurry if a market starts to form for veterans or young players with upside. Whether Los Angeles ever steps into that market is still the bigger question, and it is the kind of one fans will keep debating until the deadline passes. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Backfield Suddenly Feels More Complicated Around Kimani Vidal
A quiet part of the Chargers' backfield picture got noisier this week when Greg Desrosiers Jr. left the organization and landed with the Giants. Desrosiers had been sitting on Los Angeles' practice squad after a strong preseason showing, the kind of production that can make a depth-running-back stash feel like a small luxury until another club comes calling and opens a spot.
Kimani Vidal is the name adding even more intrigue now, because there have also been reports that teams are checking on his availability. Nothing has been finalized, and the Chargers still have decisions to make about how they want to sort out the depth behind their lead options, but the combination of a departed practice-squad back and outside interest in Vidal makes the room feel more unsettled than it did a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]