Los Angeles Chargers: 5 Keys To Victory Against The Cardinals

The Los Angeles Chargers got a much-needed “W” against the Denver Broncos on Sunday and are looking to extend that streak in primetime on Monday night. Here are some ways they can be successful in doing so.

Chargers Keys To Victory

Contain Kyler Murray

The Chargers pass rush has been on point this year, even with the absence of edge rusher Joey Bosa , and the run defense has been way better than in years past. Cornerback Kristian Fulton and safety Alohi Gilman have a lot to do with the great run defense, while edge rushers Khalil Mack , Tuli Tuipulotu, and Bud Dupree, along with defensive lineman Morgan Fox, have been keeping it up on the pass rush side.

Hopefully, Fulton will be able to play this week after suffering an injury on Sunday. There were a few instances in Week 6 where Broncos quarterback Bo Nix escaped the pocket, slipping out of pressure, as he had the most first downs of the Broncos offense at five . Daniel Popper of The Athletic mentioned the loss of Fulton during the game “had a major impact” given that cornerbacks Asante Samuel Jr. and Ja’Sir Taylor were not playing due to injury. Samuel is currently on injured reserve.

Murray is a rushing quarterback and the fact that he has the second-most rushing yards of his team this season ( 261 ) is no accident. Similarly to Steelers quarterback Justin Fields and Nix in the last matchup, even with personnel changes, the Chargers cannot let Murray make plays with his legs as he’s so fast, he’ll beat them every time. The pass rush and run defense will be needed in full force.

Cardinals running back James Conner is also a factor when it comes to their ground game, so the Chargers will have to take note of him.

Keep Mixing In The Passing Plays

Quarterback Justin Herbert had his highest passing yardage of the entire season during Sunday’s game against the Broncos ( 237 yards). Now, it wasn’t a flawless performance, but he was finding his rhythm for the first time all season. He had some great completions to wide receiver Joshua Palmer and uncorked a bomb during the first quarter for a runaway touchdown from running back Kimani Vidal .

Besides a few breakdowns on the defensive side in the second half, everything felt like it was firing on all cylinders for the Chargers as Herbert was able to rush better and his protection was holding up. And if this continues, and Herbert can keep letting it rip, the Chargers should be in good shape against the Cardinals.

Shut Down Cardinals Wide Receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

Now Marvin Harrison Jr. went out with a concussion against the Packers in their game on Sunday, so it’s not clear if he’ll be able to suit up against the Chargers, but if so, the Chargers will need to be all over him because he’s their biggest offensive weapon, accounting for 279 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. If he can’t play, the Chargers will have to be on the lookout for Cardinals wide receivers Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch as well as tight end Trey McBride .

The Chargers receiver coverage could’ve been better in the second half of the game on Sunday, as Broncos wide receiver Devaughn Vele almost had a runaway touchdown on a completion during the fourth, with cornerback Tarheeb Still in coverage. Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton had a diving one-handed grab for a touchdown, with Still also in coverage, on the Broncos’ next drive of that quarter. The Cardinals can make things difficult, so hopefully Fulton can play to boost the defense, while safeties Gilman and Derwin James Jr. will need to do better this next game.

Vary the Receiving Targets

Herbert did a great job of utilizing his offensive weapons, and each wide receiver from Palmer to Simi Fehoko , Ladd McConkey , and Derius Davis , to running back Vidal, to tight ends Will Dissly and Stone Smartt , all made an impact. Though McConkey still had the majority of the targets, Herbert got everyone involved. Hopefully, that will continue this next game, because if Herbert spreads around the ball enough, it’ll be harder for the defense to know where to direct their attention.

Keep the Run Blocking Up

The run blocking was good this week as running back J.K. Dobbins was back to his rushing dominance with 96 rushing yards, a rushing touchdown, and six first downs. There was even a moment in the second quarter where center Bradley Bozeman, left tackle Rashawn Slater , and right guard Trey Pipkins helped to block tight end Dissly as he rushed up the sideline for a first down.

The run game found its spark again and will need it for this next matchup. The run defense for the Cardinals has been good with players like linebacker Mack Wilson Sr., and safeties Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson posing the biggest threat as each has run defense grades averaging in the 70s according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). While Baker in particular has the most STOPs of the team at 20 . The protection for Dobbins and others like Vidal will be needed to keep the offense dynamic.

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