https://chargerswire.usatoday.com/lists/chargers-ravens-takeaways-justin-herbert-kellen-moore-lamar-jackson/

Alex Katson
November 26, 2023 9:23 pm PT

Were you expecting something else?

Sunday’s game was the prototypical Chargers tale: shot after shot after
shot going directly into their own foot. Baltimore tried their best to
let Los Angeles back into it with a few missed fourth down conversions
and a rare Justin Tucker miss, but ultimately, nobody can Charger harder
than the Chargers.

Here’s what to take away from the game.

Khalil Back

LA is going to have a difficult puzzle to solve this offseason in order
to get back under the salary cap, but it’s becoming increasingly clear
that any solution needs to include bringing Mack back to this roster in
2024. That’s true even if it comes at the expense of Joey Bosa, whose
cap hit is similarly large. Bosa has played well when healthy, but his
health is getting less and less trustworthy by the season.

Mack, on the other hand, has summarily dismissed any and all questions
about his status as one of the league’s stars. He may not be a top ten
pass rusher as he was at his peak, but it’s getting more difficult to
hand-wave his production this season as a product of racking up six
sacks against the Raiders. On Sunday, Mack had another prime
performance, with two sacks and a number of strong plays against the run.

The former Defensive Player of the Year turns 33 in February, but we’ve
seen pass rushers of his age continue to put up productive seasons as
long as health allows in recent years. Mack has not dealt with any
weeks-long ailments this season, thanks in part to taking a veteran rest
day during the first day of each practice week. For a defense that
continues to struggle to find its way, Mack has been the North Star.

First down runs

It’s time to have the Austin Ekeler conversation. Last week was his best
game of the year, but even that performance was marred by his run off
the left side that had him clocked at a paltry 13 miles per hour.
(Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis, who weighs 330 pounds, got up to
nearly 18 mph against the Bills on Sunday.) Against the Ravens, though,
Ekeler came crashing back down to earth, averaging just 3.2 yards per
carry as the Chargers again failed to hit 100 yards rushing on the day.

Runs to Ekeler on first down were especially egregious. Since he
returned from an early-season sprained ankle, it’s been clear that
Ekeler does not possess the same level of explosiveness we’ve grown
accustomed to seeing from him. That’s prevented him from hitting holes
when they’re there and has caused catastrophe when they’re not.

Ekeler is still a productive safety blanket as a receiver – he had five
catches for 32 yards today. But Los Angeles is trying to throw screens
and designed passes to him like he’s the elusive back he was last season
when he led the league in touchdowns. That’s not the player on the field
in 2023, and it’s looking more and more like the Chargers will have no
choice but to move on this offseason.

Ball security

Fumbling the ball three times is usually not a winning strategy. Justin
Herbert also threw an interception, but that came on an end-of-half Hail
Mary with few consequences.

The fumbles also came from the players, which meant the most to this
offense. Herbert was stripped on a 3rd down in the red zone on the 19th
play of a Chargers drive that ate up most of the third quarter. Allen
fumbled in the second quarter on a bang-bang play close to being an
incomplete pass, wasting a chance after LA’s defense stopped Baltimore
on downs and gifting the Ravens a field goal. Ekeler fumbled on the next
possession, halting a two-minute drill before halftime.

Considering that Quentin Johnston left the game after being shaken up on
a target over the middle – Brandon Staley said afterward that Johnston
not returning to the contest was a coach’s decision, not a medical one –
the offense ran through Allen and Ekeler. It has run through Allen and
Ekeler since Mike Williams and Josh Palmer’s knee injuries. When those
two are also not executing, as was the case for the fumbles on Sunday,
it becomes a Sisyphean task for the Chargers to win the game.

Hurts the most

In many ways, the Chargers and Ravens are sister teams. Both are
snakebitten by injuries year after year. Both have an elite quarterback
pilloried by the media, both play a head-spinning brand of football. And
that made Sunday’s contest so nauseating: Los Angeles could very well be
the team in Baltimore’s position.

LA had the opportunity to select Zay Flowers in April’s draft. They met
with him multiple times in Las Vegas during the Shrine Bowl. Brandon
Staley said they did “a lot of work” on Flowers. They took Quentin
Johnston instead. There are still years and years and years of career
left for both players to determine whether that was the correct
decision, but in the shortsighted view, it’s hard not to look at the
other sideline and see what could have been. Flowers had five receptions
for 25 yards and a touchdown, narrowly missing a big play down the seam
on third down. He also put the nail in the coffin with a 37-yard
end-around touchdown with 96 seconds to go. Johnston had one catch for 7
yards.

The Chargers also did their homework on Ravens running back Keaton
Mitchell. Los Angeles sent a national scout, one that’s been with the
organization for almost a decade, to East Carolina’s pro day to see
Mitchell in person before the draft. Most organizations don’t do that
unless there’s some level of interest. Mitchell went undrafted, which is
where things get muddy. He got to pick where he went and his dad played
on the 2000 Super Bowl Ravens squad. But LA could have drafted him in
the seventh round instead of quarterback Max Duggan, who did not make
the team and has spent all season on the practice squad. Explosive
athletes on the offense were a known issue coming into the year.
Mitchell had nine carries for 64 yards against the Chargers on Sunday.
Los Angeles’ running backs combined for 13 carries for 40 yards.

Hindsight is 20/20, but it’s hard to look at how Baltimore won on Sunday
and not think about what could have been for Los Angeles.