Chargers Week 9 injury impact: Packers star on brink of returning

With a close win against the Chicago Bears, the 3-5 Los Angeles Chargers are still alive in the AFC playoff chase. How will injuries impact the Chargers in an important matchup against the Green Bay Packers?

While the win certainly helps the Chargers’ hopes for the 2019 season, they are still in hot water at 3-5, and the firing of offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt shows the Chargers are serious about making something of this season.

How will the Chargers adjust their game plan to incorporate returning players and mask the absence of players that are still missing? Find out below.

Chargers’ Injuries

Geremy Davis, Wide Receiver – Questionable (Hamstring)

For the past couple of years, Geremy Davis has been a core special teamer. This year, he has been pressed into some receiving duties but has largely been beat out by Andre Patton as the team’s third receiver without Travis Benjamin.

The Chargers should not have to do much to compensate for Davis’ injured hamstring, besides finding a replacement for him on special teams.

Cortez Broughton, Defensive Tackle -Out (Illness)

Justin Jones, Defensive Tackle – Doubtful (Shoulder)

Brandon Mebane, Nose Tackle -Doubtful (Knee)

Despite missing two starters and a rookie who has played decently so far this year, the interior of the Chargers defensive line has held up fairly well the past couple weeks.

In place of starters Justin Jones and Brandon Mebane are now Damion Square and Jerry Tillery, with a good helping of Sylvester Williams thrown in. Williams had a significant 30 snaps last week, as compared to 60 for Square and 43 for Tillery. And what have those three players done with these increased snaps?

While Tillery still seems to be gathering his footing in the NFL, he made a few good plays against the Chicago Bears. Damion Square and Sylvester Williams have been surprisingly disruptive to the point that they should continue to receive significant snaps when the two starters return.

Take it from this article discussing why Damion Square was one of last week’s best players for the Chargers as they stifled the Bears, and this thread of game film analysis demonstrating Sylvester Williams’ disruptiveness. While the return of Jones and Mebane would improve depth at a position where players are frequently rotated, the Chargers are doing well at the present moment with their backups.