The Los Angeles Chargers are now 0-6, and for those of you who are keeping track, they're also in sole possession of the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. If it wasn't time to start keeping tabs on some of the top prospects (looking at you, Jeremiah Smith) it certainly is now.
Almost nothing has gone right for Los Angeles this season. The scheme is disjointed, Justin Herbert clearly isn't playing like himself, and injuries continue to stall any momentum the Chargers can even start to gain on the offensive side of the ball.
At the very least, they have the bye week ahead of them to re-evaluate and figure out what direction they want to take from here. But after another week with almost no improvement in the on-field product, it's hard to chart any sort of upward trajectory when they return to action against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8.
Chargers offense falls flat again in Week 6 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs
1. This may just be a doomed season for Ladd McConkey
As painful as this season has been for the Chargers, it's been almost more painful to watch Ladd McConkey's season steadily unravel, especially given the expectations there were for his performance this offseason.
With his speed, catch-point skill set, and potential for YAC, McConkey was seen as a major candidate for a resurgence in McDaniel's scheme. With the way this offense has performed so far, it's hard to see that happening even if McConkey was fully available. But he's been limited from virtually the start of the season after suffering a rib injury in Week 1, a foot injury in Week 4, and now a concussion that limited him to just a handful of snaps in Week 6.
He'll likely be ready to go for Week 7 considering the extra week the Chargers get with their bye, but this injury is just another one to pile onto Los Angeles'—and McConkey's—growing list.
2. What is happening in the Chargers' backfield?
McDaniel's distribution of touches in the Chargers' backfield has been the subject of ample controversy this year—although the run game as a whole has performed relatively well, his usage Omarion Hampton has seemed, at times, to be downright nonsensical.
The Chargers started the game today by funneling the ball to Vidal multiple times, and he finished the game with just one fewer carry than Hampton. Hampton posted six on the night, while Vidal finished with five. Neither surpassed 2.5 yards per carry. Mitchell, for what it's worth, only saw two.
It's reasonable to argue for more opportunities for Vidal given his explosive potential between the tackles, but this is another week where the final box score in the backfield is downright astounding.
3. A slight step back for Chris O'Leary's defense—especially against the run
If there's been a bright spot this season for Los Angeles, it's been O'Leary's performance as a first-time defensive play caller at the NFL level. There were certainly some bumps in Weeks 1 and 2, but he's since largely figured out how to leverage the Chargers' coverage scheme and maximize their operators in the pass rush, leading to solid performances against the Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, and Denver Broncos even with some major contributors out of the mix.
The Chiefs offense was always going to be a tough matchup, but things looked rougher today than expected. Patrick Mahomes completed 16/20 passes for 210 yards, and more concerningly, Kenneth Walker III went for 106 rushing yards on 16 carries. The Chargers may very well still be a top-10 passing defense after this game, but the secondary struggled to finish tackles while the run fits, especially from the linebackers, simply weren't sufficient to limit the explosive Kansas City offense.
Perhaps the (hopeful) returns of Donte Jackson and Derwin James Jr. after the bye will help the unit regain some momentum.
4. One big reception is all Quentin Johnston needed; is that enough to help him turn things around?
Let's just pretend we didn't see that drop on third down towards the end of the game. The one truly inspiring play the Chargers had on offense in this matchup was a 57-yard bomb to the struggling Johnston, who caught it while contorting his body in double coverage. Naturally, it didn't result in a touchdown as a holding penalty stalled the Chargers in the red zone, but it was an encouraging sign for a receiver that desperately needs to get something going this season.
Johnston missed the Week 5 matchup with a chest injury, but before that he had been about as disappointing and as inconsistent as we've seen him in his career, posting just seven receptions for 108 yards and going without a touchdown through the first four weeks of the season. With Johnston, it's likely as much a mental thing as it as a schematic one, so perhaps bringing down that massive catch heading into the bye week can give him some time to reset on that front.
Needless to say, Los Angeles needs Johnston operating at top capacity if they want to unlock any of the explosive-play potential this offense has left.
5. KeAndre Lambert-Smith may be a real option for targets in the middle of the field.
It'll be interesting to see how the target shares unfold when (or if) this receiving corps is whole again, and it's not necessarily surprising that KeAndre Lambert-Smith saw some action upon his return from the injured reserve in Week 6. He finished the night with just two receptions for 12 yards, but it seemed as though he was the only player capable of working against his man consistently in tight coverage and of getting open in the middle of the field.
It's certainly not a good sign if Lambert-Smith is your top option leaving the bye, but it's worth wondering if there's any sort of breakout in store here as the Chargers desperately scramble to find solutions to their offensive woes.
Add us as a preferred source on Google