Omarion Hampton (ankle) missed Sunday's win over the Las Vegas Raiders despite being a limited participant in practice throughout the week.
It falls in line with what the LA Chargers have done with most of their players returning from IR during the season in terms of giving them a ramp-up week. Luckily, RB Kimani Vidal was explosive against the Raiders in Hampton's absence with 25 carries for 126 yards and a touchdown.
The good news is that Hampton will probably be back for the team's next game against the Eagles. Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported on Monday that there is "optimism" within the Chargers' building for Hampton's game status vs. Philadelphia.
Omarion Hampton's time away from the Chargers won't last too much longer
There will be skepticism over just how much of the Chargers' rushing production against the Raiders was real. Even after yesterday's abysmal performance, the Raiders' run defense is still ranked 15th.
They were also very competitive with the Chargers in Week 2 as they largely bottled up both Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton. QB Justin Herbert led the Chargers in rushing yards with 31 when Los Angeles and Las Vegas faced off in September.
The Raiders' defense certainly fails to compare to top units like Philadelphia, Denver, or Houston remaining on the Chargers' schedule. But adding Hampton back into the mix makes Los Angeles' offense more versatile in how it can attack some run defenses.
Take, for example, the Chargers' next opponent in the Philadelphia Eagles. While they generally have a stout front under DC Vic Fangio, they have been beatable on the ground. Philadelphia is currently 24th in rush defense with 128.9 yards allowed per game.
Ben Johnson recently kicked up the Bears rate of outside zone runs with Kyle Monangai and D'Andre Swift-both RBs have a rushing success rate over 50% this season. The Bears put up 281 yards on the Eagles in their win last Friday.
The way the Chargers will be able to stay in games going forward, considering the offensive line situation is by being able to run the ball efficiently. If they get down early in games, they're not going to have much margin for error.
That was evident in their losses to Indianapolis and Jacksonville. Positive, consistent rushing game scripts will be needed to keep pace with Philadelphia and some of the other teams on LA's loaded schedule.
It's looking like the Chargers will finally have the Hampton-Vidal duo that the fanbase has been waiting for on Monday. And that might just give them a fighting chance against the Eagles.