The Phillip Rivers era is over for the Chargers, how will the beginning of the Justin Herbert era fare for LA?
Year in and year out you can always count on one thing in the NFL. The Chargers will be in a one possession game nearly every week.
Since 2015, the Chargers have lost 33 games by one possession. On one hand, it is good to know the team is always competitive no matter who they play. But of course this is a league in which you are defined by wins and losses.
There is definitely a youth movement in LA. This will be the first season the Chargers played without Phillip Rivers or Antonio Gates since 2002.
Players like Derwin James, Kenneth Murray, Joey Bosa, Mike Williams, and Justin Herbert will be relied on to be key contributors for the future of this organization. The question is are these young players ready to make an impact in 2020?
Let’s take a deeper look at the Chargers 2019 season, 2020 offseason, and what lies ahead in 2020.
2019 Team Ranks
| Total Offense | 10th (5879 yards) |
| Passing Offense | 6th (4426 yards) |
| Rushing Offense | 28th (1453 yards) |
| Total Defense | 6th (5009 yards allowed) |
| Passing Defense | 5th (3204 yards allowed) |
| Rushing Defense | 18th (1805 yards allowed) |
| PPG | 21.1 |
| PPG Allowed | 21.6 |
| Offensive Line Ranks | |
| PFF | 29th |
| Football Outsiders (Run Block) | 13th |
| Football Outsiders (Pass Block) | 9th |
Coaching Staff Changes
| Pep Hamilton hired as QB Coach |
| Mark Ridgley replaces Alfredo Roberts as RB Coach |
| Alfredo Roberts moved to TE Coach |
| James Campen replaces Pat Meyer as OL Coach |
Offseason Additions
| Bryan Bulaga RT |
| Trai Turner G |
| Linval Joseph DT |
| Chris Harris CB |
| Nick Vigil LB |
| Darius Jennings WR |
| Ryan Groy LG |
Offseason Losses
| Phillip Rivers QB |
| Melvin Gordon RB |
| Russell Okung LT |
| Derek Watt FB |
| Adrian Phillips FS |
| Thomas Davis LB |
| Jaylen Watkins CB |
| Michael Schofield G |
| Travis Benjamin WR |
| Geremy Davis WR |
| Nick Dzubnar LB |
| Jatavis Brown LB |
2020 NFL Draft
| Round 1 (6) – Justin Herbert QB Oregon |
| Round 1 (23) – Kenneth Murray LB Oklahoma |
| Round 4 (112) – Joshua Kelley RB UCLA |
| Round 5 (151) – Joe Reed WR Virginia |
| Round 6 (186) – Alohi Gilman S Notre Dame |
| Round 7 (220) – K.J. Hill WR Ohio State |
2020 Schedule with record vs opponents since 2017
| Week 1 – at Cincinnati Bengals 4:05 PM ET CBS | 1-0 |
| Week 2 – vs Kansas City Chiefs 4:25 PM ET CBS | 1-5 |
| Week 3 – vs Carolina Panthers 4:05 PM ET CBS | 0-0 |
| Week 4 – at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1 PM ET CBS | 0-0 |
| Week 5 – at New Orleans Saints 8:15 PM ET ESPN (MNF) | 0-0 |
| Week 6 – vs New York Jets 4:05 PM ET CBS | 1-0 |
| Week 7 – at Miami Dolphins 1 PM ET CBS | 1-1 |
| Week 8 – vs Jacksonville Jaguars 4:05 PM ET CBS | 1-1 |
| Week 9 – vs Las Vegas Raiders 4:05 PM ET FOX | 4-2 |
| Week 10 – BYE | |
| Week 11 – at Denver Broncos 4:05 PM ET CBS | 2-4 |
| Week 12 – at Buffalo Bills 1 PM ET CBS | 2-0 |
| Week 13 – vs New England Patriots 4:25 PM ET CBS | 0-2 |
| Week 14 – vs Atlanta Falcons 4:25 PM ET FOX | 0-0 |
| Week 15 – at Las Vegas Raiders 8:20 PM ET FOX (TNF) | 4-2 |
| Week 16 – vs Denver Broncos TBD | 2-4 |
| Week 17 – at Kansas City Chiefs 1 PM ET CBS | 1-5 |
Miscellaneous Notes
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Played in 11 one possession games in 2019 (Lost 9)
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First season without Phillip Rivers on the roster since 2003
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| 2019 Offense Play Selection |
| Pass – 63.3% |
| Rush – 36.7% |
| PFF Top 5 Graded Players in 2019 |
| 1. Joey Bosa LE 89.6 |
| 2. Austin Ekeler RB 85.2 |
| 3. Casey Hayward Jr. CB 83.0 |
| 4. Derwin James SS 82.3 |
| 5. Keenan Allen WR 80.3 |
Burning Question: When will Justin Herbert be ready to start?
Bottom Line: There is too much talent on this team to not be competing for a playoff spot late in December. But, the Derwin James injury is about as devastating as it gets for this Chargers squad. I believe they will be vastly improved from 2019, but still fall short of the playoffs.
Predicted Win Range: 7-9
