Things to Watch For
As a Chargers fan, I do want them to beat the Raiders, but I will be looking at a few different aspects of the game for each of these teams. After the devastating Chargers’ loss to the Raiders in the final regular season game last season, the Chargers will be looking for their revenge. The Raiders ended the Chargers’ playoff hopes in that game, and the Chargers have made many upgrades to ensure that it won’t happen again. The biggest few things to watch in this game is how each team’s new pieces fit together.
Khalil Mack and the Chargers’ Defense
The Chargers have made quite a few moves to improve their roster this offseason, mostly to bolster their defense. The biggest of these moves are probably the acquisitions of Khalil Mack and JC Jackson. They traded a second-round pick to get Mack from the Bears, and Khalil Mack is possibly a top 10 defender in the league. Mack is a former Defensive Player of the Year and has consistently been an elite edge defender in the league. He has gotten five 90+ grades from PFF, which is elite, out of his eight seasons in the league. It will be interesting to see how Mack rushes his former teammate Derek Carr after Mack suffered an injury last season that sidelined him for nine games.
JC Jackson was a huge addition to the defense but unfortunately won’t play in week one due to having recent ankle surgery. The Chargers made a few other additions to help out their atrocious run defense from a season ago. The Chargers ranked 24th in defense last season, and a big reason that it was so low is because of how bad the run defense was. They now have former Rams defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day, a run defense specialist. I would really like to see how Staley can run his defensive scheme with some more help on that side of the ball.
Raiders Offense with Davante Adams
Much like the Chargers, the Raiders made some off-season moves of their own, headlined by Davante Adams. Big play ‘Te is possibly the best receiver in the league and also happens to be Derek Carr’s college teammate, so they should have immediate chemistry. Davante could unlock some things in this offense, which could also help Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller, who are great receivers in their own right. It will be interesting to see how the Chargers adjust to guard such an incredible receiver like Davante.
At this point, one of the biggest problems for the Raiders might be their offensive line. They have one good player in tackle Kolton Miller, but there are holes along the rest of the entire line. I will be watching to see how they hold up against this now very strong Chargers defensive front. Maybe the Raiders change their game plan a bit to get extra blockers on the line or in the backfield to help against the Chargers’ elite pass rushers.
Biggest Thing to Watch
I’ve already talked about the Chargers’ defense and their shiny new players, but I am excited to watch how Staley’s scheme looks now. The Chargers’ defensive scheme requires pretty specific types of players at certain positions. It relies heavily on the defensive line being able to stop the run without help because Staley runs a two-high safety defense in his cover-four shell. With Mack and Joseph-Day making it easier on the rest of the defense, I want to see if Staley dials it up and runs more man coverage on defense.
Of course, I couldn’t write about the Chargers without mentioning Derwin James. Derwin is the heart and soul of this Chargers defense and one of the best (if not the best) safeties in the league. He is certainly the most versatile defensive back in the league, playing over 225 snaps at each slot corner, box safety, and deep safety. I want to see how Staley deploys him this season with all the talent that now surrounds Derwin. He could really be a Defensive Player of the Year candidate with all of the stats he can rack up by playing a variety of positions.
In Summary
There are a few different things to watch for come Sunday in this in-division matchup. The biggest things come down to how this revamped Chargers defense plays against the Raiders offense with newly-added Davante Adams. I really want to see how Staley deploys some of his players and changes his scheme a bit and how Josh McDaniels of the Raiders game plans with Davante Adams now opening up this offense.
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