Is there an easy solution to fixing the Los Angeles Chargers offense?
The Los Angeles Chargers offense has struggled after a fast start to the season, but is there an easy and obvious solution to get things back on track?
The Los Angeles Chargers started this season 4-1, spurred by an explosive offense that averaged over 28 points per game. Facing some better defenses has hurt over the last four games, but the offense has also lacked explosive plays while averaging just 19.3 points per game over that span.
According to Next Gen Stats, just seven of Justin Herbert’s 34 pass attempts in Week 10 against the Minnesota Vikings traveled futher than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage.
An effort by opposing defenses to take away the Chargers’ deep ball has shown in the numbers of one player.
Over the first five games of the season, wide receiver Mike Williams had 31 catches for 471 yards and six touchdowns-with most of that production in four of those games. Over the last four games, he has 10 catches (on 21 targets) for 137 yards.
ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky placed blame at the feet of Chargers’ offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi for Herbert’s recent drop-off. Orlovsky was Matthew Stafford’s backup when Lombardi was Detroit Lions offensive coordinator in 2014 and 2015, and suggested he almost got cut when he voiced his opinion on reigning in Stafford too much.
“I almost got cut for voicing it to the people who needed to hear it," Orlovsky shared.
Via the Los Angeles Daily News, Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen sees a solution to the team’s offensive woes.
I think we got to do a better job of getting him the ball,” Allen said. “Mike’s obviously a production guy. When he gets it, he produces at a high level and scores a lot for us. Obviously, we haven’t been scoring. It’s probably got to do with Mike not getting the ball. So yeah, just finding more ways to give him the ball.”
If it were as simple as getting Williams the ball more to unlock the Chargers offense, it probably would’ve been done already. Williams has always been a boom-or-bust player, but finding ways to target him on some shorter passes might be an order. His average depth of target this season is a shade over 10 or 11 yards depending on the source, so as Herbert has thrown less passes 10-plus yards downfield it’s no coincidence Williams’ production has fallen off a cliff.