LA Chargers offensive line:
- Trey Pipkins, Forrest Lamp, Mike Pouncey, Trai Turner, Bryan Bulaga (Projected starters)
Now, this is where the massive difference is. Philip Rivers has been playing behind a terrible offensive line for most of his career and while he gets bashed for his interceptions, that is going to happen when you have pressure in your face 24/7.
The Chargers have (ironically) gotten better with him leaving. Trai Turner and Bryan Bulaga are great additions that shore up the right side and the hope is that Pouncey can return to form. However, there are still a lot of questions about the left side of the line, which is an issue.
The team does have decent depth options in Dan Feeney and Scott Quessenberry and has traditional tackle backups in Sam Tevi and Trenton Scott, but it is still not a great outlook.
Could the Chargers surprise everyone and have the O-line be league-average or better under new coach James Campen? Absolutely. But there is still a big threat of it falling apart, per usual.
Indianapolis Colts offensive line:
- Anthony Castonzo, Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, Mark Glowinski, Braden Smith
Yeah, it’s Colts by a mile. They had one of the best offensive lines in the entire league last season and that is carrying over to this season. Their entire offensive line from last season is returning.
Quenton Nelson is someone who Charger fans could only dream of. He has been in the league for two seasons and is arguably already the best left guard in the game. Rivers is finally going to get an offensive line that protects him and the big narrative is going to be how he performs without the pressure in his face.
Offensive line advantage: Colts, by a mile