5 storylines to follow when Chargers face Raiders in Week 4

Following a statement win on the road against the Chiefs, the Chargers will look to carry that momentum back at home in primetime, as they take on the undefeated Raiders on Monday.

With that being said, here are five things to watch for in Los Angeles’ Week 4 bout with Las Vegas:

How will Gus Bradley fare against Justin Herbert?

After practicing against him all of last season, Bradley is now faced with going up against Herbert as rival opponents. However, the signal-caller may have a slight advantage heading into the matchup, given the fact that the Chargers offense is an entirely new system.

Averaging 307 passing yards per game, Herbert has been money against zone coverage (third in completion percentage and eighth in yards per attempt), which is Bradley’s bread and butter. Meanwhile, he is 14th in completion percentage and 16th in yards per attempt against man coverage, according to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed.

While offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi could see Bradley mixing up his coverage looks to keep Herbert guessing, he still expects him to stick to his guns for the most part. “They’re not trying to out-trick you. They’re trying to out-execute you,” Lombardi said.

Can Maxx be minimized?

If there’s one way of slowing down Herbert, it’s by getting pressure on him in a hurry. Even for an offensive line that has only allowed pressures on just 20 percent of their dropbacks (tied for sixth) and a sack rate of 3.8 percent (fifth) this season, the group could have their hands full.

The Raiders have seven sacks (tied for 12th), 57 hurries (tied for first), 22 quarterback hits (tied for seventh), and 40 pressures (tied for eighth). This has all come primarily when rushing four, with Maxx Crosby leading the charge. Yannick Ngakoue has been a solid asset, as well.

Rashawn Slater has been playing like a veteran, while Storm Norton has been up and down. The offense should cook if Norton plays like he did against Washington’s Chase Young and Montez Sweat. However, if he plays as he did against Cowboys’ Micah Parsons, there might be some bumps.

Can the defense neutralize Derek Carr?

The Chargers faced and fared well against two of the league’s best passing offenses, the Cowboys and Chiefs. Now, Los Angeles is tasked with Carr, who is playing some of the best football in his career.

Carr is leading the NFL in passing yards (1203) and passing yards per game (401). Four of his pass-catchers have already surpassed 200 receiving yards: Darren Waller, Henry Ruggs, Bryan Edwards, and Hunter Renfrow.

As for L.A., the defensive unit ranks seventh in passing yards allowed (201.7), fourth in interceptions (3), seventh in points allowed (20.0). In Week 2, Cowboys’ Dak Prescott was held to 237 yards, while Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes only had 260 yards and was picked off twice.

Combined with a strong secondary and pass rush and Staley’s philosophy to limit big gains in the passing game, the Chargers will look to make Carr, who is atop the leaderboard in explosive plays, a non-factor, like the previous two quarterbacks the team faced.

Can the run defense get on the right track?

While strong against the pass, the Chargers are dreadful against the run. The team has allowed 5.8 yards per rush (last) and 170 rushing yards per game (last). However, the Raiders aren’t particularly a threat on the ground, but if there’s one game to get going in that department, it’s this one.

Joshua Jacobs, the team’s primary back, is a game-time decision. Having him back would be huge for Las Vegas. If he can’t play, Peyton Barber and Kenyan Drake will man the backfield. While not imposing, they could be in for monstrous performances, given how weak Los Angeles is at stopping the run. 

I mentioned that having defensive tackle Justin Jones would aid in that area, but he was ruled out for the third consecutive week with a calf injury. Breiden Fehoko or Forrest Merrill could get promoted from the practice squad, which would be beneficial. Even then, players at the second and third levels need to keep everything in front.

Former teammates, now opponents

When making the move to Las Vegas, Bradley brought some of his former players, five of which suited up for the Chargers, with the most notable being starting cornerback Casey Hayward and linebacker Denzel Perryman.

Following an up and down season, Hayward is playing some great football. His 82.8 Pro Football Focus overall grade ranks second among corners, and he is third with an 85.0 coverage grade. In addition, he has a passer rating of 42.4 this season, third-best at the position.

Can his excellent play continue against the dynamic duo of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams?

Starting at middle linebacker, Perryman has looked like his old self, playing a physical brand of football and head-hunting. He produced double-digit tackles every game for a total of 36 so far. In addition, he appears to be improved in pass coverage.

Can he minimize the production of running back Austin Ekeler and tight ends Jared Cook and Donald Parham?