The Los Angeles Chargers take on the Buffalo Bills this week, and both teams appear to be on totally different trajectories in the early going of the 2026 NFL season. The Chargers are 0-2 and struggling mightily on offense. The Bills are 2-0 and are absolutely cruising on offense. Will those trends continue, or will each team creep closer to the mathematical mean?
One impedement for the Chargers this weekend is health, as Los Angeles is dealing with a slew of injuries at key positions. They are without
six players this weekend—and that’s not counting players like tight end David Njoku, who is already on injured reserve. With a gauntlet of a schedule upcoming, and including, this week, Los Angeles knows just how much it needs a win.
How can the Bills prevent a desperate team from stealing a win in their house? They can start by taking advantage of some of those backups while limiting the Chargers’ key players. Here are five Chargers to watch in Sunday’s game.
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QB Justin Herbert
The Chargers’ quarterback has not taken the steps forward most fans and pundits expected. Although it’s a small sample size, Herbert is completing just 59% of his passes through two games; he has two touchdown passes and three interceptions, and he’s already taken six sacks. With a new offensive coordinator, Mike McDaniel, calling the plays, we could point to the growing pains of a new offensive system, but poor protection from an injury-ravaged offensive line also likely has something to do with it. If Buffalo can continue to generate pressure with just four rushers, it’s going to be a long day for Herbert and the Bolts. McDaniel would be wise to call some quick-hitters early and often, forcing Buffalo’s underperforming secondary to make tackles early and often. Using motion to create miscommunication could help, as well, since we’ve seen plenty of communication breakdowns on the back end for the Bills. However, if Herbert is under duress and Buffalo can continue to limit the run like they have through two weeks, it’ll be a good Sunday for Buffalo.
WR Ladd McConkey
Keon Coleman’s 2024 NFL Draft mate was the apple of some fans’ eyes, and while he’s had some success, he’s also dealt with his share of disappointment. After an excellent rookie season (82/1,149/7 on 112 targets), McConkey struggled last season as dealt with a number of nagging injuries. While he saw nearly the same number of targets (106), he caught just 66 passes for 789 yards and six scores. So far, McConkey is LA’s leading receiver, as he’s caught eight passes for 117 yards and a score. He’s a shifty route-runner who can cause matchup problems from multiple alignments, and while Buffalo has had top corner Christian Benford traveling with opposing No. 1 wideouts this season, that strategy hasn’t come with a great deal of success so far. The trouble for Buffalo is that slot corner Dee Alford has also been hit-or-miss, and more miss than hit, so containing McConkey could become difficult if the Chargers find a matchup they like. I’d like to see Maxwell Hairston on him this week, as the second-year man’s speed and athletic profile give him an edge over the Bills’ other options. Benford could then deal with the more physical Quentin Johnson on the outside. However the Bills choose to defend McConkey, they’ll need to take him away, as he’s really Herbert’s best receiving option.
The Interior Offensive Line
Tyler Biadasz is on injured reserve. Trey Pipkins III and Kayode Awosika are out. The Chargers’ interior line has been decimated by injury thus far, which likely will limit now only their ability to protect Herbert, but their ability to open holes in the running game for Omarion Hampton. Buffalo’s defensive line has been sharp this year, and while Greg Rousseau and Bradleey Chubb have combined for 5.5 sacks so far, arguably the most impressive player up front has been nose tackle Deone Walker. If Ed Oliver is able to suit up, it will make it that much more difficult to handle Walker, who has quickly ascended to one of the best interior defensive linemen in football. The game is won in the trenches, and on paper, the Bills have a huge advantage in the middle of the line. They need to exploit it.
LB Del’Shawn Phillips
Phillips is a real success story, as he has taken the long way to a role as a starter. After signing with the Atlanta Falcons as a rookie free agent following the 2019 NFL Draft, Phillips was waived and joined Buffalo’s practice squad. He did not appear in a game for the Bills that year, but he signed a reserve/futures deal and remained with the club the following season. After failing to make the 53-man roster, Phillips signed with Buffalo’s practice squad. He made his NFL debut on special teams for Buffalo, as he was elevated twice during the 2020 season. He did not register a tackle, but he showed enough to warrant further looks around the league. After stops with the New York Jets in 2021, the Baltimore Ravens in 2022 and 2023, and the Houston Texans in 2024, he seems to have found a home in Los Angeles. He was named Second-Team All-Pro as a special teams player last season, notching a league-leading 24 tackles in the third phase of the game. This season, he has 13 total tackles and he has started both of the Chargers’ games. Not bad for a guy who entered the league as a UDFA way back when. It’s always cool to see a player stick with it and earn the opportunity he’s longed for since he was young, and whether it’s with the Bills or not, I love to see a former Buffalo player overcome those long odds.
NCB Tarheeb Still
Buffalo should be able to find quality matchups against a Chargers’ secondary ranked No. 28 against the pass so far this season, but given some of the injury issues Buffalo’s receiving corps is dealing with at present, this matchup might be a big one. Safety Derwin James is likely to deal with tight end Dalton Kincaid, so I assume that Stll will see a healthy dose of Khalil Shakir this weekend. Shakir is one of quarterback Josh Allen’s favorite targets, and he’s put together a solid, if unspectacular, start to the season by catching seven passes for 88 yards on twelve targets. If DJ Moore (shoulder) and Keon Coleman (ankle) both play, it’s safe to assume they’ll be a bit limited by their injuries. If either of them sit, it will be that much more imperative to keep Shakir contained. As it stands, I like this matchup for Buffalo whether the Bills’ top outside options play or not.
