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Washington fans have talked about the Commanders offense lately as if Kliff Kingsbury has abandoned the run. Far from it. Washington is 2nd in the NFL in rushing yards per game — and that is despite
the fact that Kliff did actually abandon the run in Week 2 vs Green Bay when Washington running backs had only 12 carries for 34 yards.
In the other three games this season, Washington has rushed for a total of 568 yards — an average of 189 yards per game. In the three non-Green Bay games, Kingsbury’s offense has rushed for 220, 201, and 147 yards.
All three backs have contributed heavily. For the season, Bill has 172 yards and 2 touchdowns at an average of 5.9 yards per carry. Jeremy McNichols is the ypc leader at 10.6, with 106 total rush yards and a TD. Chris Rodriguez, playing in just two games so far, has 98 yards at 5.4 yards per carry.
Unlike 2024, the Commanders run game has not really been QB-dependent in 2025. That said, the QBs are integral to the overall rushing attack; Jayden Daniels has rushed for 85 yards at 4.7 ypc, while Marcus Mariota has added 60 yards at 7.5 ypc.
The Chargers are more of a passing team — unusual for an offense designed by offensive coordinator Greg Roman, but an obvious recognition of the arm talent of Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.
Herbert’s season has been a tale of two halves through September. In his first two outings, he completed over 71% of his passes, throwing for 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. In the two most recent games, one of them a road loss to the then-1-3 Giants, Herbert completed under 58% of his attempts, throwing 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. The difference seems to be related to the amount of pressure applied by opposing pass rush. This past Sunday, the Giants pressured Herbert on more than 50% of his dropbacks.
The health of the Chargers offensive line is relevant here. Both of the team’s planned starting tackles, Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, are out at the moment. Backup LT Austin Deculus is considered particularly vulnerable. If Joe Whitt can scheme up some pressure from Washington’s defensive unit, that may help mask the deficiencies that have been obvious in the Commanders’ secondary through 4 games in which they have surrendered an average of 246 passing yards per game — ranked 27th in the NFL.
Washington’s own passing game is missing two top receivers — Noah Brown and Terry McLaurin — for the 2nd consecutive week. Tay Martin has been elevated from the practice squad again to enhance the available depth. The return of Jayden Daniels at quarterback should add an extra dimension if he is not limited by his knee injury, but his receivers may be strongly challenged by the Chargers defense that is allowing just 6.7 yards per attempt (second in the league).
The Chargers have maintained their reputation for strong defensive efficiency, ranking high in defensive Expected Points Added (EPA) per pass. With a solid foundation in their 3-4 defensive scheme, the Chargers continue to be a top-tier defense in 2025.
LA was vulnerable to Jaxson Dart’s mobility a week ago, and the threat of Jayden Daniels running may be sufficient to unlock some big plays for the Commanders offense. Their ability to shut down opposing offenses in the air, paired with a developing front seven, makes the Chargers defense a legitimate threat every week — but so does Jayden Daniels’ dual threat ability.
Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt have both talked a lot about the importance of “producing the ball” or creating turnovers. So far in 2025, Washington’s defense has not created much. Despite the Commanders’ offense losing the ball just two times (Marcus Mariota fumble & interception — one in each game played) Washington is -1 in turnover differential this year. The Chargers are -2.
If the Commanders can take care of the ball on offense, pressure Herbert defensively, and continue to get the kind of outstanding play from special teams that have been a hallmark of the young season, the opportunity exists for the underdog Commanders to earn a much-needed road win this afternoon.
