As the Los Angeles Chargers have begun the season 2-0, with huge victories over divisional opponents in the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders, the team has also lost a piece that is of vast importance to them: star edge rusher Khalil Mack.
Now, as Mack is set to miss multiple weeks with an elbow injury, his loss will sting even more as their Week 3 opponent, the Denver Broncos, struggles heavily against pressure.
While Tuli Tuipulotu and Bud Dupree present capable threats coming off the edge, they do not have nearly the presence or impact that Mack does, and, as they attempt to cobble together a pass rush in his absence, the Broncos may shed a light on just how massive this hole in the roster is.
Bo Nix struggles under pressure, and the Chargers need to bring it
Last season, although Denver finished 10-7 and eeked out a wild card spot, it was largely an up-and-down rookie season for quarterback Bo Nix. Across the 17 games he started, he threw for 3,775 yards and a 66.3 completion percentage, pairing that with 29 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions on the season.
At the same time, however, there were certain points for concern in Nix's game. According to Next Gen Stats, out of all quarterbacks who threw at least ten passes on the season Nix had the third lowest passer rating under pressure (only surpassing Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Mac Jones).
As bad as those statistics may look, his offensive line has held up well this year, and the young quarterback has only taken one sack in his two matchups so far this season.
Therefore, as they face the up-and-coming Denver defense, the Chargers will certainly need their defense to step up as well, and the fact that their pass rush is severely hobbled this week could be a serious hindrance.
Although Mack was a relative non-factor on the stat sheet against the Broncos last season, recording just one QB hit and three tackles across both games, his presence takes some of the pressure off of players like Tuipulotu and Dupree, allowing them to take on easier matchups on the offensive line and impact the game in conjunction with Mack's gravity.
For Los Angeles to win this game, their pass rush and their ability to disrupt Nix's usual reads and rhythm will be absolutely paramount. If they fail, the fact that they struggled to capitalize upon their opponent's most glaring weakness could be cause for serious frustration amidst Mack's absence.