It’ll be a tale of two contrasting styles on Sunday. On one side, there’s the Los Angeles Chargers, a team that’s shocked the league with their revamped defense. Under the leadership of Jim Harbaugh and Jesse Minter, the Chargers have been protecting the endzone like their lives depend on it, allowing opponents to score just 13.1 points per game. The stingy defense has been the biggest storyline surrounding the team as of late.
LA is currently on a three-game winning streak, but that will be put to the test this weekend when they face Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. Don’t be fooled by the 4-6 record. The Bengals may have trouble closing out games, but it doesn’t change the fact that they boast one of the league’s best offenses. During their recent loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati racked up a total of 477 yards and five touchdowns.
It’s going to be a slugfest. And for the 6-3 Chargers, getting a win here is important for a playoff berth. Looking at their schedule, things won’t get any easier. After Sunday’s outing against the Bengals, LA will be facing the Baltimore Ravens (7-3), the Atlanta Falcons (6-4), and the Kansas City Chiefs (9-0), respectively. This stretch of games is arguably their toughest for the season, so emerging victorious on Sunday wouldn’t just be a good start, but would also be a momentum builder for the coming weeks.
For now, the focus will purely be on Week 11. How will the Chargers perform? To answer that, here are some bold predictions for Harbaugh’s squad.
The Chargers sack Joe Burrow at least three times
One noticeable thing about the LA defense is the amount of sacks tallied. They’ve already taken QBs down 31 times — fourth-best among all teams in total sacks this season. Additionally, their 31 sacks are the most among teams that have played nine games so far.
The formidable outside rushers at Minter’s disposal are assets that would make other defensive coordinators envious. Rising star Tuli Tuipulotu currently leads the team with 5.5 sacks. Behind him, Bud Dupree (5.0 sacks), Khalil Mack (4.5 sacks), Morgan Fox (3.5 sacks), and Joey Bosa (3.0 sacks) have all had their fair share of QB takedowns. Against the Tennessee Titans last weekend, the Chargers sacked Will Levis seven times.
While there’s a chance that Mack (groin injury) might not play on Sunday, it won’t stop the others from having another field day. The Bengals’ O-line has allowed Joe Burrow to be sacked 23 times already. On top of that, they’re currently depleted at the tackle spot. Following Trent Brown’s season-ending injury in Week 3, Cincinnati has been fielding rookie Amarius Mims at right tackle. Furthermore, the Bengals’ latest injury report shows that Orlando Brown Jr. is questionable, meaning that backup Cody Ford might anchor the left side again.
J.K. Dobbins rushes for no less than 100 yards
With Harbaugh at the helm, the Chargers have taken on a run-centric offense, something that…well…still needs a bit more juice. LA puts up 117.9 rushing yards per game and 4.0 yards per carry, placing them at the bottom half of the league in those two categories.
Still, there have been flashes of brilliance, like when J.K. Dobbins ran for 135 yards against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1 and followed that up with a 131-yard outing vs. the Carolina Panthers. And if there’s anything that the Bengals, Raiders and Panthers have in common, it’s that they all struggle against the run. Cincinnati, in particular, gives up 127.3 opponent yards per game on the ground.
That being said, the Chargers will most probably maximize Dobbins and Gus Edwards on Sunday. It won’t be surprising if Dobbins — who already has 670 total rushing yards (10th in the NFL) — reaches the 100-yard mark once more.
Justin Herbert throws two touchdown passes
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Justin Herbert hasn’t been passing the football as much as he did in years prior, as seen by how he’s thrown just 241 attempts in nine games. However, in those moments when the Chargers opt for an aerial strike, their QB1 has delivered. Herbert has committed just one interception this season. He’s also fifth-best among all QBs with a 103.2 passer rating, per ESPN. In LA’s last five games, Herbert has thrown for a total of 1,311 yards, completing around 66.7% of his passes.
Last Sunday, he went 14-of-18 for 164 yards and a touchdown against a Titans team that leads the NFL in pass defense (156.7 opponent passing yards allowed per game). With that in mind, imagine what Herbert might do against the Bengals, who give up around 220.2 passing yards each game. A two-touchdown game for the quarterback? It’s not hard to imagine.
Final thoughts
It’s still uncertain whether or not the Chargers can fully shut down Joe Burrow and the Bengals. LA’s best bet is to throw Burrow off with pressures and sacks. While Derwin James and the secondary have been spectacular, the Chargers love to play zone coverage, something that Burrow absolutely thrives against. Add in how Ja’Marr Chase — who currently leads the league in receiving yards — is coming off a three-touchdown, 264-yard outing against the Ravens. Oh, and there’s Tee Higgins, who is expected to return from injury on Sunday.
To end on a positive note, the best-case scenario for LA here is getting a tightly-fought win with around a three-point differential at most. It won’t be easy, but the Chargers’ track record indicates that it’s possible.