The Chargers are sitting just outside the top 10 in Bleacher Report’s latest NFL Power Rankings, and the reason is pretty clear: the offense might finally be ready to carry its weight.
Jim Harbaugh’s team comes in at No. 11, a spot that reflects both what went wrong last season and what could go right this year. The ranking, assembled by Gary Davenport, Kris Knox, Maurice Moton, and Brent Sobleski, puts the Chargers in the upper half of the league as training camp approaches. Sobleski handled the AFC West teams, and his case for Los Angeles centered on two things - a rebuilt offensive line and a new voice calling the plays.
“First, Los Angeles' offensive line was held together last season by duct tape and bubble gum,” said Sobleski. “Starting offensive tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt are both expected back after suffering season-ending injuries.
The organization also bolstered its offensive interior by bringing in veteran center Tyler Biadasz, signing Cole Strange after a solid outing with the Miami Dolphins and drafting Jake Slaughter in this year's second round. The team drafted four offensive linemen in total.”
That overhaul matters because the Chargers’ front was a mess a year ago. Slater missed the entire season, while Alt, who slid over to left tackle in Slater’s place, appeared in only six games.
Pro Football Focus ranked the unit 30th in the NFL, and the Chargers gave up 60 sacks in the regular season, tied for the second-most in the league. They added six more in the playoff loss at Foxborough.
Sobleski’s second point was just as important.
“Second, Mike McDaniel steps in as the squad's offensive play-caller,” added Sobleski. “His quarterback-friendly and proven system should place Justin Herbert in the MVP conversation and make the Chargers more potent.”
If the line holds up, Herbert should have a much cleaner path to producing at a higher level, and running back Omarion Hampton could benefit too. Hampton, the Bolts’ first-round pick a year ago, was limited to nine regular-season games.
The defense didn’t get much attention in the ranking, which is telling in its own way. New coordinator Chris O’Leary’s group wasn’t singled out, and that makes some sense given that the Chargers’ defense has generally done its job.
For a team that has finished second in the division in each of the past two seasons, the bigger question is whether this is finally the year it breaks through. The Chargers haven’t won the AFC West since 2009, and that was also the last time they hosted a postseason game. If Harbaugh’s team can knock off the Denver Broncos, who sit at No. 3 in Bleacher Report’s rankings, that could change fast.
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