https://chargerswire.usatoday.com/lists/chargers-titans-week-2-overreactions-brandon-staley-justin-herbert/

Juliette Jones
September 19, 2023 7:42 pm PT

The discussions amongst fans and media following the Chargers’ loss to
the Titans have spanned all sides of the spectrum – from being factual
and objective to being completely over-reactionary.

Here are two truths and two overreactions from Week 2:

Truth: The offense crumbles in the 4th quarter

The Chargers have tried to create an identity on offense in just two
weeks. The run game was much better in week one when Austin Ekeler
wasn’t injured, and the passing game was much smoother and more
interesting than the previous season – but in both games, the offense
could not close out the fourth quarter despite having multiple
opportunities to do so. The Chargers offense couldn’t score a single
touchdown in four offensive possessions this past Sunday near the end of
the game. They also failed to score in overtime, giving the ball back to
the Titans after a very quick three and out, resulting in a loss by just
a field goal. The offense is struggling in the passing game, with
defenses easily covering a relatively slow and undynamic offense.
Without speed, separation, and a healthy Ekeler, the Chargers’ offense
will continue to suffer as opposing defensive coordinators will be able
to predict the next round of playcalls and cornerback matchups will be
able to cover the big body wide receiver corps without much struggle. It
is imperative that quarterback Justin Herbert unlearns some nasty habits
from his time under previous offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and
allows himself to confidently close out games the way he used to while
the defense continues struggling on the other side of the ball.
Herbert’s lack of rushing and unwillingness to roll out of the pocket is
dampening what could be a thrilling offense – these are all easy fixes,
but they will have to be done sooner rather than later, or else these
late struggles may continue to be a trend.

Overreaction: Drafting Quentin Johnston may have been a mistake

The Chargers opted to take Johnston in the first round over multiple
other wide receiver threats who were still available after him. Not a
knock on Johnston, but there are several targets who would have been a
better suit for this Chargers offense and unless he starts seeing the
field more, then it seems like it may have been a waste of a pick. This
past Sunday, Johnston played only ten snaps all game, which is one less
snap than fourth-round pick Derius Davis. By no means does this mean
that Johnston is not a great wide receiver or that there are problems
with his skillset. It does mean that the Chargers did not fill a
necessary hole with their first-round pick and instead drafted someone
who was in line with the team’s archetypal wide receiver. Assuming that
Mike Williams might no longer be a Charger next season – since the cap
space will be dwindling – then Johnston may have been the pick to
replace him, which would make the most sense. Still, him receiving such
limited snaps doesn’t bode well for his ability to progress as a rookie
and have a practical learning experience. With the Chargers taking both
Johnston and Davis in the 2023 draft, and each of them seeing only 10
and 11 snaps, respectively, it would have made much more sense to draft
someone like WR Zay Flowers, who instead would have been able to take on
21 snaps per game and provide the offense with the speed and agility
that they are lacking. This also would have freed up round 4 for the
Chargers to use on another defensive player. Hopefully, Johnston can
start taking on a more prominent role in the offense, meaning Joshua
Palmer would see the bench more frequently. If not, then we made the
wrong pick.

Truth: The defense is still in rough shape, but performed better than in
Week 1

The Chargers defense in Week 1 against the Dolphins was abysmal. There
were no sacks, hits, hardly any passes defended and they allowed over
500 yards and 36 points. This week, the Chargers managed to make some
important plays with five sacks – two of which came from Joey Bosa, who
was on limited snaps all game, and the defensive line held Derrick Henry
to under 100 yards, which is no easy feat. Still, the Chargers struggled
in the passing defense and not only allowed 27 points this week but also
allowed Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill to rack up a 123.3 RTG and a
completion percentage of 83% – the second-best in his entire career.
After watching Tannehill have a horrendous game in week one, with a
rating of just 28.8 after throwing three interceptions for 0 touchdowns,
most people expected him to have a similar – if not only slightly better
– performance, but the Chargers instead handed his WRs to him on a
silver platter. The Titans offense carved through the Chargers’ passing
defense like butter and unnecessary penalties were drawn throughout the
game as Los Angeles continued to be undisciplined. A silver lining in
this defensive performance was Kenneth Murray, who was torn to shreds
online and on paper last week after having one of the worst defensive
performances in the league. This past Sunday, Murray wore the green dot
and made an excellent case for why he should continue doing so in the
coming weeks. Murray was all over the field – in a good way – and logged
multiple tackles, hits, and was reading the offense much more clearly.
It might be time to let Murray take the reins and call the plays on the
field if it means that his production is truly that much better when he
does.

Overreaction: The Chargers could very well go 0-6 to start the season

In one of my biggest overreactions, I’m starting to get incredibly
worried about the direction the Chargers are going. The team is
currently on a four-game losing streak. Each of those games, the
Chargers offense was logging fantastic points, but the defense failed to
hold the other team back, and when it mattered most, the 4th quarter
offense couldn’t get it done. The Chargers have yet to bounce back from
last season, and while head coach Brandon Staley assured the media this
past Sunday that the Jaguars loss isn’t hanging over anyone’s heads,
it’s hard not to think that it still is when so many players seem
checked out. Khalil Mack and wide receiver Keenan Allen both believe
that there “is something missing” on their team, though they aren’t sure
what. The Chargers should be winning these games, but they continue to
struggle and make terrible mistakes on the field and in the coaching
area. The team is relatively predictable and boring, and the most
reliable part is the kicking squad – which, for Chargers fans, is a
crazy statement to read. The schedule coming up is challenging, with the
Vikings starting this next round of games. The Chargers defense is the
thing I am most worried about. They will have difficulty locking up WRs
Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Although the Raiders had a terrible
game against the Cowboys this weekend, they scored 34 points against the
Rams defense the week prior, which doesn’t bode well for the upcoming
Week 4 matchup. The Chargers then move on to face the Cowboys and the
Chiefs. Both teams have challenging offenses to cover, and Dallas has a
defense that scares even the best teams in the league, which will be an
actual test for offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who was coaching
there last season. In any case, the Chargers will have to arrive at the
stadium next week with changed attitudes and better game plans.
Otherwise, it’s not looking good.

On Wednesday, September 20, 2023 at 7:48:08 PM UTC-7, Robin Miller wrote:
> https://chargerswire.usatoday.com/lists/chargers-titans-week-2-overreactions-brandon-staley-justin-herbert/
>
>
> Juliette Jones
> September 19, 2023 7:42 pm PT
> Overreaction: The Chargers could very well go 0-6 to start the season
>
> The schedule coming up is challenging, with the
> Vikings starting this next round of games. The Chargers defense is the
> thing I am most worried about. They will have difficulty locking up WRs
> Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Although the Raiders had a terrible
> game against the Cowboys this weekend, they scored 34 points against the
> Rams defense the week prior, which doesn’t bode well for the upcoming
> Week 4 matchup. The Chargers then move on to face the Cowboys and the
> Chiefs. Both teams have challenging offenses to cover, and Dallas has a
> defense that scares even the best teams in the league, which will be an
> actual test for offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who was coaching
> there last season. In any case, the Chargers will have to arrive at the
> stadium next week with changed attitudes and better game plans.
> Otherwise, it’s not looking good.

The secondary has been the biggest problem area through two games, and they're about to face Justin Jefferson and Davante Adams before the bye, followed by CeeDee Lamb and Travis Kelce after the bye. 0-6 is definitely not out of the question at all.

Michael