Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers may have gotten a break from themselves in Week 2.
For all the noise around the Los Angeles offensive line, the biggest change heading into the matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders is simple: ESPN’s Kris Rhim reported that Harbaugh will not keep using a “rotation” at left guard against Las Vegas. That’s a notable shift after the Chargers opened the season with Trey Pipkins and Kayode Awosika cycling through the spot.
The setup has been messy from the start. Los Angeles came into training camp with about five players in the mix for the guard job, then rolled into the opener still trying to sort out the left side of the line. Add in a rookie center next to the guard spot, and the whole thing has looked unstable before a snap was even taken.
That instability has only been made worse by injuries. Tyler Biadasz’s absence changed the shape of the line, but even with him available, the Chargers were staring at a scenario that would have pushed rookie Jake Slaughter into the left guard role despite his college background at center.
That’s where the Chargers are now: a backup swing tackle, a journeyman free agent the team apparently doesn’t trust to fully start, and Branson Taylor, a former practice-squad player who is currently on injured reserve.
Pipkins remains part of the conversation, which says plenty on its own. He couldn’t win the backup swing tackle job after the rookie additions this offseason, yet he was still in the guard mix when the season began.
Maybe Awosika gives Los Angeles something useful against the Raiders. But this still looks like a temporary patch, not a clean solution. Once Pipkins is healthy and Taylor returns from IR, the same questions are waiting again.
And that’s what makes the whole thing hard to ignore: even with injuries complicating the picture, the Chargers are still stuck revisiting the same offseason criticism about how they handled the position.
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Chargers Already Have A Worrying Akheem Mesidor Problem
The Chargers went into the season needing answers on both sides of the trenches, and the early returns have not made life easier. Their offensive line is still being tested, and the pass rush has not consistently provided the kind of pressure that can cover for other issues on defense. That backdrop has made rookie Akheem Mesidor a particularly important player to watch, since he was brought in to help fill the role vacated by Odafe Oweh in the rotation.
Through Week 1, Mesidor has not yet delivered the kind of impact the Chargers were hoping for, which only adds to the concern around a defense trying to find its footing. The coaching staff still has time to get more out of him, and the need is obvious if the team wants to avoid digging an early hole. For now, the question is whether Mesidor can settle in quickly enough to become part of the solution rather than another reason for worry. [Read more 🡒]
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 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 🡒]