The good news? The Los Angeles Chargers' defense looked much improved in Week 2 against the Las Vegas Raiders, operating effectively against the run and generating a healthy amount of pressure both with their pass rushers and their interior linemen.
The bad news? They still lost, and at least some portion of that outcome falls upon their secondary.
Breakdowns in coverage that we didn't often see under Jesse Minter have been the hallmark of Chris O'Leary's defense so far. Through two weeks, the Chargers are the league's sixth-worst passing defense. They got torn apart by Jacoby Brissett in Week 1, and although they looked slightly more solid against Kirk Cousins and the Raiders, there were still multiple deep completions in that game that ultimately put it out of reach.
Of course, not everything falls upon the secondary. But if the Chargers are going to stand any chance of upsetting the Buffalo Bills, who have the hottest offense in the league heading into Week 3, it's going to need to start with a major turnaround on that side of the ball.
With Elijah Molden's status still in doubt for this matchup, though, things could quickly get dicey again.
The Chargers need Elijah Molden back ASAP if they're going to keep this secondary intact
Molden is a sneakily underrated cog in the Chargers defense. Although he's not the best safety on the team (that title belongs to Derwin James, at least when he plays the position), Molden has proved himself as a solid playmaker who rarely blows his assignment. He's capable of both playing as a rangy deep safety and working his way down into the box depending on what's asked of him, and he's become a load-bearing piece for this Los Angeles defense across his first two full seasons with the organization.
When he left the game against the Cardinals in the third quarter with a hamstring injury, though, it seemed as though Los Angeles would have the depth to survive a temporary absence from him. They carried five pure safeties onto the 53-man roster this season, four of which (Molden, Genesis Smith, Tony Jefferson, and RJ Mickens) have flashed major upside at the position.
But that assumption didn't bear itself out in Week 2. The Chargers secondary, on the whole, performed poorly against what should've been a relatively limited Raiders passing game.
Cam Hart was targeted early in the game on in-breaking routes, and he got beat deep for the touchdown that helped the Raiders put the game away. Genesis Smith also blew coverage on a deep pass, allowing 74 total yards on just four targets. Mickens and Jefferon also looked relatively ineffective in coverage, although Jefferson had a solid game as a run defender.
The Chargers defense under O'Leary, so far, has looked unprepared and incohesive—a far cry from what we saw on a consistent basis over the last two seasons with Jesse Minter in the fold. His scheme was so dependent on solid, consistent, and smart play in the deeper parts of the field, limiting opposing passing attacks and stifling opposing offenses over the course of each game.
If Smith or Mickens isn't going to be able to step up into a completely reliable role, Molden needs to be the piece that holds the secondary together, at least on the back end. He didn't practice on Wednesday or Thursday, and it seems as though his status is still in doubt for this matchup.
The Bills, through two weeks, have amassed 566 passing yards and five separate passing touchdowns. Josh Allen has already completed three throws of 40+ yards.
This is the type of game where one well-timed deep shot can blow things wide open. The Chargers will need their remaining coverage assets to somehow make up for Molden's absence if they're going to have any shot of coming away with a victory.
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