The 0-8 Chargers are on national television this week as they continue searching for their first win, hoping former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter will deliver it.
Here's what the Chargers need to do on offense to come away with a win Monday night against the Ravens.
Get offense from more than McConkey
Los Angeles snapped a 37-drive streak without a touchdown last week against Houston in the fourth quarter, but much of that streak overlapped with wide receiver Ladd McConkey's absence. With McConkey out last week due to pregame back spasms that also kept him from practicing Thursday and Friday, the Chargers have to prove their other weapons can threaten an NFL-caliber defense. That'll start with those pieces getting healthy themselves - running back Keaton Mitchell (hip), wide receivers
Tre' Harris (shoulder) and Brenen Thompson (hamstring), and tight end David Njoku (fibula) were all on the injury report on Thursday alongside McConkey.
Keep Justin Herbert off the ground
Herbert was sacked a career-high 8 times last week against the Texans, which culminated in a finger injury on his left hand that brought him out of a game that had already been decided. Herbert is good to go this week, so the Chargers need to do better against a Ravens pass rush that has struggled to get off the ground this season, as no Baltimore defender has more than 3 sacks this year. Again, that story will start with health - right guard Cole Strange will likely start despite being benched last week because both of his backups, Branson Taylor and rookie Alex Harkey, landed on the injury report. Los Angeles is still working to get guard Kayode Awosika and swing lineman Trey Pipkins III back from their own injuries as well.
Limit the turnovers
The Chargers have turned the ball over multiple times in five consecutive games and lead the league with 19 total giveaways. It's getting old to keep making this a point of emphasis for the offense, but until LA can get through a game without handing the ball to the other team, it remains worth harping on. Herbert is the only quarterback in the league to throw an interception in all eight of his team's games this season, but the Chargers have also struggled with ball security. It will need to tighten up for Los Angeles to have a fighting chance.
Stay at it in second half
In their last four games, the Ravens have been outscored 84-10 in the second half, an encouraging sign for the Chargers, since their best offensive quarter is usually the third. The Chargers are 17th in EPA/play coming out of the halftime locker room, a fairly respectable number, but they fall back to worst in the league in the fourth quarter. If they can sustain some of that third-quarter success and keep the pressure on a Ravens team that has run out of gas in recent weeks, they might slide past Baltimore and into the win column.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers' offensive keys to victory against the Ravens
