The Los Angeles Chargers will be attempting to come away with their first win of the season in Week 9.
That, at least theoretically, seems like an attainable task. While the Houston Texans offense as a whole has looked somewhat improved, their defense has nosedived from the elite status it found last season. They've struggled to prevent explosive plays, and they haven't come close to matching their turnover rate from last season—leaving Los Angeles, again theoretically, with a chance to find even a semblance of offensive momentum in this matchup.
But we've spent weeks hoping for the first win. It will come when it comes.
Here, instead, are three storylines to watch in this game, independent of a potential victory, that will be worth monitoring as the season continues to unfold.
3 questions to be answered in the Chargers' Week 9 matchup vs Texans
1. Can Travis Burke and Joe Alt hold up against the Texans' pass rush?
The Los Angeles Chargers got a glimmer of hope for their protection last week when Joe Alt returned from his neck injury and delivered an overall solid performance, allowing zero pressures on 39 pass-blocking snaps and, more importantly, incurring zero penalties over the course of the matchup.
But even though Rashawn Slater is eligible to return from the IR next week, it's unclear when exactly his return from his high-ankle sprain will come. That means that, for the foreseeable future, rookie tackle Travis Burke will be taking on duties on the right side of the line. Burke has been promising across his three starts for the Chargers, especially in the run game, but he's struggled to win his reps against faster pass rushers, allowing nine pressures across those three outings. Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson certainly have the speed to take advantage of that weakness, and Burke will likely be matched up with one of those two edge rushers on almost every rep on Sunday.
If both Burke and Alt can hold up well, regardless of how the interior performs, that will be another step in the right direction for both players.
2. What does the distribution of touches look like in the backfield?
The way the Chargers have handled their backfield has been a source of frustration, among many, for fans this season. Omarion Hampton plainly hasn't been utilized in the way a first-round pick should, and the run game has suffered from the lack of rhythm that a continuous rotation between backs has induced.
But both Jim Harbaugh and Mike McDaniel indicated this week that they're re-evaluating the share of touches between Hampton, Kimani Vidal, and Keaton Mitchell—presumably meaning that Hampton's workload should increase over the remainder of the season. But this team has promised adjustments since Week 1, and we've seen essentially the same on-field product since then.
Hampton hasn't surpassed 15 touches in a game since Week 2, so that's likely the threshold that should be set here for any indication of a real change in strategy. But even if he does see an enhanced workload, does that have an overall effect on the run game?
3. Does another disappointing loss do anything to change Joe Hortiz's mind about the trade deadline?
The answer to this is likely no. Joe Hortiz has consistently stood by his position that the Chargers won't be stripping back this roster at the deadline in exchange for late-round draft capital, and now that we're just two days away, that stance suddenly feels final.
But if there's any chance of a reversal on that, it could come as the result of another blowout loss in Week 9. If the Texans offense is able to find a way to capitalize on the positive field position that the Chargers will inevitably grant them, this is a game that could be over quickly depending on how viable the air attack is as a whole. For Hortiz, "giving up" on this season isn't an option—but if there aren't any improvements two weeks after the bye, what other choice do you have?
Perhaps I'm speaking into the void here, and the Chargers stance on the trade deadline is already final no matter the result of this game. It can't hurt to hope, though, that Los Angeles finds a way to maximize their assets before the deadline strikes on Nov. 10.
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