The 0-8 Chargers are on national television this week as they continue to search for their first win, hoping that former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter will be the one to give it to them.
Here's what the Chargers need to do on defense to come away with a win Monday night.
Plug up the run game
Baltimore ranks 10th in the league with an explosive run rate of 12 percent, but both their success rate and EPA/rush are about league average this season. Essentially, the Ravens have leaned on big plays to get their run game going this season. For a Chargers defense that does not load the box often against Derrick Henry, it will be key for the first LA defender to hold Henry up and get his teammates to rally to the ball. Stacking the box a touch more against Jacoby Brissett,
starting his first game as a Raven after being traded from the Cardinals, may also be a prudent idea.
Get aggressive
In a similar vein, the Chargers have been happy to play off zone coverage this season and avoid explosive passing plays by giving up completions underneath. That tendency may not play well against Brissett, who already carved up the Chargers in Week 1 as a Cardinal by checking the ball down, with only a week to learn Baltimore's playbook. With receiver Zay Flowers turning short completions into explosive plays frequently this season as well, the Chargers may need to play away from their type to get into favorable looks on Monday.
Prevent a lead
Baltimore's EPA/play offensively craters when they trail, ranking 22nd when down one possession and last in the league when down two scores. That's compared to 12th when the game is tied, 8th when leading by one possession, and 18th when up two scores. So if the Chargers can keep the game from slipping away early, they should be able to hang around and potentially steal the win. The Ravens have been horrible on offense in the second half of games as well, ranking 29th in third-quarter EPA/play and 26th in the fourth quarter.
Force kicks
The Ravens are on their third kicker of the season, with Tyler Loop on injured reserve and backup kicker Jake Moody signed to the Falcons off of Baltimore's practice squad after a solid showing last week. Baltimore signed Riley Patterson, who was cut earlier this season by the Dolphins, to kick on Monday. The Ravens are Patterson's 10th NFL team. (Baltimore also signed former Rams kicker Harrison Mevis to the practice squad but have said Patterson will be the kicker this week.) Patterson was released by Miami after missing kicks in back-to-back weeks, and although he is 6th among active kickers in accuracy, he does not have the same caliber of leg as most other kickers do, with a career-long of 54 last season with Miami.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers' defensive keys to victory vs. Ravens in Week 10
