LA Chargers: 4 keys to winning the AFC West in 2021

2. Improve the run defense

While the LA Chargers will not play another team this season with the running attack that Cleveland and Baltimore have it is still important that the team improves against the run. While the Bolts can still make the playoffs with the current run defense, it is really hard to see them outlasting Kansas City with this kind of gap in the defense.

Teams have already figured it out and will continue to attack the weakness on the Chargers roster and teams that the Chargers are better than could win games because of it. A perfect example of this is the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick is absolutely going to attack the Chargers' weakness in their Week 8 matchup.

The Chargers are not going t completely fix the issue and expecting the team to have an above-average run defense is setting expectations too high. However, the team can absolutely address the issue and improve the outlook.

The run defense will naturally get better once Justin Jones, Kenneth Murray and Drue Tranquill get healthy. Yes, Jones is not an elite run defender but he is better than a practice squad player.

If the Bolts can pull off a trade for a run stuffer then the outlook is much different. The Bolts would not have to play Jerry Tillery on running downs, instead playing a trio of Linval Joseph, Jones and the new run-stuffing defensive tackle.

There are steps the Chargers can take to make an improvement and it is important that they make them, if possible.