Four members of the Chargers offensive line played 55 snaps. The other two contributors at left guard played a combined 55. Kayode Awosika led the way with 35 snaps while Trey Pipkins III got 20 at left guard.
This wasn't completely out of left field. Both HC Jim Harbaugh and OC Mike McDaniel were very honest about the possibility of a guard "platoon" or rotation. But anyone who watched the 2024 season knew that Pipkins at guard had already failed as an experiment when he played RG. The team trying it again was an indictment on their failed offseason along the offensive line.
Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh and OC Mike McDaniel should know better than to rotate the left guards.
Here's what Harbaugh had to say on the left guard rotation last night:
"We felt that was the best thing for us," Harbaugh explained. "Just how good those two players are. Have the rotation. That was our decision.”
Asked if they'd continue operating the Awosika/Pipkins rotation in the future, Harbaugh was noncommittal: "We'll take a look at that," he said.
In today's presser, Harbaugh reaffirmed that they'll assess whether the rotation should continue going forward.
Pipkins put up poor guard tape in 2024 and was switched back to tackle for a reason. At some point, the blame doesn't fall on Pipkins as opposed to the coaching staff who put him right back into an adverse position. In addition to getting blown up on a 4th and goal sack of Herbert, Pipkins was PFF's lowest graded offensive performer with a 37.1.
Kayode Awosika's run blocking and pass protection were much better on tape relative to Pipkins. At some point, the Chargers have to understand that their bed was made by not doing more in free agency. Having two halves of one guard is not an acceptable solution. It reduces the quality of the offensive line performance from both players and isn't fair to either.
Think about rookie center Jake Slaughter. He's had three weeks of first-team center reps since Tyler Biadasz's season-ending injury. From drive to drive, he does not know which guard he's going to be lined up next to. At some point, continuity along the offensive line has to matter. And this is a group that over the last few months has had truly very little of it-that's going to show up in games.
The Chargers' coaching staff knows that not getting a high quality left or right guard has sank some their offensive plans, whether they want to publicly admit it or not. But at the very least they can cut their losses by ending the LG rotation idea by starting Awosika full-time. It may not always look pretty considering some of Awosika's limitations. But it can't really be worse than limiting the on-field reps for both guards while putting the rest of the offensive line in a blender around them.
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