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Chargers must overcome another early blow to O-line in pursuit of 1st playoff win under Jim Harbaugh
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- Chargers must overcome another early blow to O-line in pursuit of 1st playoff win under Jim Harbaugh
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (11-6)
Expectations
The Chargers are coming off back-to-back 11 win years, but they're under pressure to translate regular-season success into a playoff run. Coach Jim Harbaugh, in his third season, and quarterback Justin Herbert , in his sixth, are still seeking that elusive first victory. Dare they dream to be playing in Super Bowl LXI at their SoFi Stadium home? The health of the offensive line will be paramount, just as it has been in recent years. They've already lost veteran center Tyler Biadasz to a season-ending knee injury after using $30 million of their significant cap space to sign him from the Washington Commanders . Getting Pro Bowl tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt back healthy is huge for the O-line.
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New faces
OC Mike McDaniel, DC Chris O'Leary, Biadasz, CB Donte Jackson , C Jake Slaughter, OL Akheem Mesidor , TE David Njoku , DT Dalvin Tomlinson , RB Keaton Mitchell , G Cole Strange, G Kayode Awosika , TE Charlie Kolar , FB Alec Ingold , C Jacob Spomer.
Key losses
OLB Odafe Oweh , WR Keenan Allen , RB Najee Harris , C Bradley Bozeman , G Mekhi Becton, DE Da'Shawn Hand, G Zion Johnson, CB Benjamin St-Juste .
Strengths
McDaniel, the former Miami Dolphins coach, has the talent to revamp a struggling running game and better protect Herbert, who endured a league-high in total pressures last season. Herbert led the league's only offensive unit that had four players each with 40 receptions, 600 yards receiving and three TD catches last year. The offense gets an immediate boost with the return of a healthy RB Omarion Hampton and Alt, who missed a combined 19 games last season. Coach Chris O'Leary takes over one of the league's top defenses and although he has just one year of NFL experience, there should be little tinkering given he's a pupil of former DC Jesse Minter. The defensive line is led by Teair Tart , who's coming off a breakout season, and expectations are high for Tomlinson, who started all 17 games for Arizona last season.
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Weaknesses
The offensive line was dealt a major blow when Biadasz got hurt during a joint camp practice with the San Francisco 49ers . The newcomer was expected to fill a huge hole. Now, it'll be up to rookie Slaughter, who played center at Florida before the Chargers initially had him at guard during camp. It's the second straight season the O-line took an early hit; last year, Pro Bowl tackles Rashawn Slater and Alt fell to season-ending injuries. The pass rush lost Oweh, who left as a free agent, and 35-year-old Khalil Mack is fighting Father Time in his 13th season. C Cam Hart is looking for a revival after a second-season slump.
Camp development
LB Tuli Tuipulotu sat out of team drills as training camp began due to contract negotiations for an extension before returning to practice. He said he'll play the season without a new deal. The defense looked fast and physical under O'Leary, who sometimes had to dial back the aggressive intensity to keep everyone healthy. Slaughter's move to center created a gap at left tackle, and Awosika moved into the leading candidate for the job.
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Fantasy player to watch
Hampton will be the starting running back heading into the opener and he'll be looking for a breakout season under McDaniel. With a team built to run the ball, Hampton is poised to post big numbers while juggling a heavy workload. His rookie season was interrupted by ankle injuries that limited him to 10 games. Still, the 6-foot, 220-pounder flashed his potential with five touchdowns in 156 touches and gained 737 yards from scrimmage.
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