The LA Chargers were able to rebound from an ugly loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars with a win over the Houston Texans in Week 4. It was not perfect and the team looked ugly at times but at the end of the day, the win still counts the same as the Bolts are now 2-2 on the year.
Even in a win, there are a lot of things for a coaching staff to learn about its team and that is the case for the Chargers in this game. There are three distinct lessons that Brandon Staley and his coaching staff should have learned in this game.
If the team is going to reach its potential then it is important that the coaching staff recognizes these lessons and utilizes them to become a better football team moving forward.
1. Jamaree Salyer is the real deal for the LA Chargers
Instead of running out Storm Norton at left tackle for the injured Rashawn Slater, the LA Chargers turned to their rookie sixth-round pick Jamaree Salyer. Salyer had experience at tackle with Georgia but was viewed by many to be a guard at the NFL level.
We were cautious in expecting too much out of Salyer in his first NFL start in a position that he was not even projected to play. Salyer made us look silly in being cautious, as he turned in a fantastic game that has to leave the coaching staff feeling confident in him.
He is no Rashawn Slater, but Salyer proved in this game that he can at least hold his own and is not going to be the turn-style at tackle that Norton was. Better yet, this is very promising for the long-term future of the Chargers, as Salyer could be the left guard of the future after 2022.
It is just one game and the Texans admittedly don't have a great edge rusher to throw at Salyer. But he still turned in a very impressive performance that warrants confidence in him moving forward.
2. Sony Michel can't be utilized as much as he has been by the Chargers
The LA Chargers claimed Sony Michel off of waivers after the former first-round pick was waived by the Miami Dolphins before the 2022 season. At the time, it appeared that the Chargers added a veteran presence that would deepen the running back room.
A quarter of the way into the 2022 season it has become clear that Michel is not a productive member of this running back room. He is very obviously the worst member of the active running backs and at this point, we have to see Isaiah Spiller getting chances over him.
The running game worked really well for the Chargers in this game up until Michel ran the ball. Against the worst run defense in the league, Michel picked up only 11 yards on six carries. Meanwhile, Joshua Kelley provided a massive jolt in the drive that he got and Austin Ekeler had three touchdowns.
Ekeler might not be the same rushing back that he once was but he still is a lethal weapon in the passing game. More importantly, Kelley has been the best running back on the team this season and for some reason is not getting any looks.
I am not sure how you can justify giving Michel snaps after seeing the difference in play between Kelley and Michel. It just makes no sense.
3. Something needs to change in how the Chargers approach the second half
The LA Chargers escaped with a win after Justin Herbert put together a wonderful drive in the fourth quarter to put the team up 10. Before that game-clinching drive, the Bolts played a pretty poor half of football that allowed the Texans to creep back into the game and provide a scare.
We are four weeks into the season and we have not seen the Chargers play a good second half of football. Against the Raiders in Week 1 they played good defensively but allowed the Raiders to hang around in a game that they should have won four times over. In Week 2 the Bolts were unable to carry the momentum of a strong first half, allowing the Chiefs to come back.
In Week 3 we saw things snowball as the Chargers headed into the half in a game that they could have taken control of, but instead completely let it slip between their fingers. Finally, in this game, the Chargers let the Texans creep in and were bailed out by Herbert, Mike Williams and Austin Ekeler.
The team has come out flat and has played worse on both sides of the football (outside of Week 1) in the second half this season. That directly points to coaching. Whether it be the messaging at halftime or the lack of adjustments that the team is making, it is very obvious that the Bolts have been outmatched in the second half.
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LA will never make a Super Bowl run if they continue to play like this in the second half. It is imperative that they figure out this problem and fix it.