It's not controversial to say the Los Angeles Chargers didn't look great in their Week 1 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
They were outplayed and outgunned by the suprisingly efficient Cardinals offense over the course of the game, struggling to prevent Jacoby Brissett from racking up completion in the intermediate parts of the field. Brissett finished the day 27-for-37 with 277 passing yards and a touchdown. Even for a first-time NFL playcaller in Chris O'Leary, that's an unacceptable result.
The immediate temptation might be to put the blame upon the secondary. After all, who's ultimately responsible for breaking up passes and completing tackles in the open field? They deserve at least part of the fanbase's ire, and it's going to take a series of majorly improved performances from them over the coming weeks if Los Angeles wants to regain its footing.
But where the onus truly falls is upon the defensive line—and O'Leary's ability to generate pressure with the weapons the Chargers have available there. Part of what made Jesse Minter such an effective defensive playcaller was his ability to scheme up pressure without blitzing, specifically working Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, and Odafe Oweh off of each other last season to create pure pass-rush opportunities.
In Week 2, though, that task for O'Leary starts along the interior. If pieces like Jamaree Caldwell, Teair Tart, and Justin Eboigbe are able to get active against Las Vegas' sub-par interior protection, things could look much different for Los Angeles.
The Chargers need their interior defensive linemen more active in the pass rush in Week 2 against the Raiders
For all the faults along the Chargers defense in Week 1, perhaps the most concerning was their inability to generate pressure. They posted just eight over the course of the matchup—their fewest since their Week 11 bout with the Jacksonville Jaguars last season.
Some growing pains are to be expected. Rookie outside linebacker Akheem Mesidor is still an unknown quantity at the NFL level, and O'Leary's defense as a whole is going to need time to mesh. But when the defensive line struggles to create pressure, it puts unnecessary strain on the Chargers' zone-heavy coverage schemes, especially against a pass-heavy offense like the Cardinals'.
If Mack (who had two pressures in Week 1) and Tuipulotu (who had just one) are able to get activated, that should make O'Leary's job much easier. But the Raiders' tackles were among the best in the league in Week 1. Kolton Miller and DJ Glaze combined to allow just one pressure against the Miami Dolphins.
Where the weakness for the Raiders (and the strength for the Chargers) lies is along the interior. Tyler Linderbaum is obviously one of the best centers in the league, but there's matchups to be exploited there with Spencer Burford at left guard and Jackson Powers-Johnson on the right side.
The only Chargers interior defensive lineman to post a pressure in Week 1 was Caldwell. Tart, Eboigbe, and Tomlinson combined for zero across a total of 56 pass-rush snaps. But each of them has the size and the explosiveness to be a threat in certain situations, especially if O'Leary is able to draw extra attention by slotting Tuipulotu or Mesidor to the inside when needed.
Obviously, pressure from the edge rushers is where NFL defenses earn their daily bread. But if the interior can wear down the opponent's protection scheme over the course of a game and help collapse the pocket on a routine basis, things can often lighten up for the true stars of the pass rush.
The opportunity is there for the Chargers to turn things around on the interior in Week 2, and it may very well be foundation that any sort of defensive resurgence for Los Angeles is ultimately build upon.
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