Chargers, Raiders both trying to fix painful pass-protection issues
Thu Nov 27 10:55am ET
Field Level Media
After an extra week to think about a dreadful defeat that has complicated their playoff outlook, the Los Angeles Chargers can savor a matchup with the reeling Las Vegas Chargers on Sunday at Inglewood, Calif.
From there, the road becomes far less predictable.
When last on the field, the Chargers (7-4) were blasted 35-6 by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Nov. 16 thanks to a disastrous offensive showing. A bye week gave Los Angeles a chance to sort out its issues while looking ahead to the Raiders (2-9).
But once November gives way to December, the schedule ramps up in intensity. If the season ended before Sunday's games, the Chargers would own the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs -- but their hold could be tenuous as next month opens with consecutive games against last season's Super Bowl foes: the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs.
The season closes with some resurgent teams in the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.
It only figures to get more difficult for Los Angeles quarterback Justin Herbert, who has been sacked 35 times. That's fourth-most in the NFL. Against the Jaguars, he threw for a career-low 81 yards passing, took two sacks and needed to be checked for a concussion late in the first half.
With the offense going nowhere at Jacksonville, head coach Jim Harbaugh turned the fourth quarter over to backup quarterback Trey Lance.
It was Harbaugh's worst loss in two seasons with the Chargers.
"It's been the same stuff that we've said week after week," Herbert said about what was discussed post-bye week. "I have to do a better job of not turning the ball over, not taking those sacks. I think when we're in rhythm and moving the ball, I think we play pretty well."
The offensive line play has been a disaster for Los Angeles and improvements will be difficult with starting tackle Joe Alt out for the season.
The Raiders won't offer the Chargers any sympathy for their offensive issues. Las Vegas fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly after Sunday's loss to the Cleveland Browns in the first step toward fixing a group that is third-worst in the NFL with 268.9 total yards per game, next to last with 79.5 rushing yards per game and tied for last in scoring at 15.0 points per game.
Like the Chargers, the Raiders' offensive line will be out to prove itself.
Las Vegas quarterback Geno Smith is one of three players who has been sacked more than Herbert, with his 41 sacks second most in the NFL. He was dropped 10 times against the Browns.
"I try my best to not look at the rush, but to feel the rush," Smith said. "But when you're facing a great defensive line, similar to the Browns, you have got to speed up the process. Those are the things that I tried to do last week. Obviously, it wasn't good enough."
Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty has 604 yards to lead a rushing attack that has delivered below expectations. He has scored four touchdowns on the ground and another four in the air on 37 receptions.
Since a 12-catch, 127-yard, three-TD day against the Jaguars on Nov. 2, tight end Brock Bowers has 14 receptions for 158 yards and no TDs over his last three games.
Each of those efforts ended in a Las Vegas defeat as the Raiders are mired in a five-game losing streak.
The Chargers opened the 21-day practice window for rookie running back Omarion Hampton (ankle) on Wednesday, but he will not play on Sunday.
The Raiders will be without tight end Michael Mayer (ankle), while running back Zamir White (illness), offensive lineman Jordan Meredith (ankle), defensive tackle Adam Butler (illness) and cornerback Danny Holmes (illness) are questionable.
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The Paur Report
Value Picks: Week 13
The Buffalo Bills leaned heavily on running back James Cook in their 26-7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Cook handled a career high 32 carries for 144 yards to go along with three receptions (three targets) for a team leading 33 receiving yards. The 26-year-old did it all for the Bills in a much-needed bounce-back win, and he continues to have an outstanding season after receiving a four-year, $48 million contract extension in the offseason. Cook has seen more work as a receiver lately as well, recording 14 receptions (14 targets) for 136 yards and a touchdown in his last four games. In the first eight games, he totaled 13 receptions (15 targets) for 100 yards and no touchdowns as a receiver. Cook will remain one of the best running backs in fantasy in a dream matchup next week against the Cincinnati Bengals.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty had 31 rushing yards, six catches and 30 receiving yards in a loss to the Chargers. Dynasty Analysis: There's really not much left to say here. Jeanty is in the midst of a lost season as the Raiders are now 2-10 and look like they have the worst offense in the league. The Pete Carroll and Geno Smith combination has backfired in epic proportions and they simply can't move the ball. At this point, dynasty managers are simply hoping Jeanty finishes the season healthy because he just isn't going to produce numbers this year. He could be a buy low this off-season.
Dynasty | Chargers running back Kimani Vidal had 126 rushing yards, one catch, 11 receiving yards and a touchdown in a blowout win over the Raiders. Dynasty Analysis: Vidal had hit a bit of a cold stretch but a game against the Raiders proved to be just what the doctor ordered here. Vidal has been a huge surprise this year and while Omarion Hampton is expected back at some point, he should stay on dynasty rosters as a player who likely won't be completely phased out upon his return.
Seattle Seahawks WR Cooper Kupp caught three of his four targets for 24 yards in a 26-0 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 13.
Fantasy Spin: Kupp has been held under 25 receiving yards in three straight games, and he has been held to three catches or less in six straight. With the Seattle passing attack revolving around Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kupp hasn't been left with much. At best, Kupp is a WR5.
From TheHuddle
Las Vegas Raiders WR Tyler Lockett converted his only target for an 11-yard reception in Week 13 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Fantasy Spin: Lockett has been having quite the resurgence in the three previous games, averaging 4.0 receptions and 46.3 receiving yards per game, but this looked more like the Tennessee version of Lockett. He should only be trusted as a WR5 or WR6 heading into Week 14 against the Denver Broncos.
From TheHuddle
Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold completed 14 of his 26 passes for 128 yards in a 26-0 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 13. He also lost a fumble.
Fantasy Spin: With the Seahawks controlling the game over a hapless Minnesota offense, Darnold didn't have to do much heavy lifting. Unfortunately for fantasy owners, the dominant defensive effort led to rough statistical numbers for Darnold and company. Expect a much better showing from Darnold against Atlanta in Week 14.
From TheHuddle
Dynasty | Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders completed 16-of-25 passes for 149 yards and an interception in a blowout loss to the 49ers. Dynasty Analysis: Sanders wasn't terrible in this one but he wasn't great, either. He should continue to get an extended look as the 3-9 Browns look to be headed nowhere. However, we just haven't seen anything thus far to indicate he's the future of the franchise. He's still a hold in dynasty leagues but it's getting weaker by the day.
Dynasty | Titans quarterback Cam Ward completed 24-of-38 passes for 141 yards in a loss to the Jaguars. Dynasty Analysis: His completion percentage looks just fine until you do the math and realize that's good for just 3.7 yards per attempt. Amazingly, Ward has just seven touchdown passes in 12 NFL starts. While he does have just six interceptions, he just hasn't been able to do anything remotely dynamic. Much of the blame falls on the franchise as they are simply void of talent. However, Ward may need to do something over the next few weeks to make certain the team that looks like it may well again have the top overall draft pick sticks by his side.
Dynasty | Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough completed 26-of-38 passes for 239 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in a loss to Miami. Dynasty Analysis: Shough's numbers don't look bad but you also need to take them with a grain of salt. Much of his damage came as the Saints were attempting to put together a furious comeback. Shough has been fine since taking over and has shown a few bright spots here and there. However, it really looks like New Orleans is headed for a top-5 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft and it would be shocking to see them stick with Shough long-term.
Dynasty | Falcons running back Bijan Robinson had 142 rushing yards, five catches, 51 receiving yards and a touchdown in a loss to the Jets. Dynasty Analysis: Robinson did his part but the Falcons were upset, regardless. Tyler Allgeier sniped another touchdown from him but Robinson has done more than enough to post an elite-level RB1 season so far this year. Now just five yards away from 1,000 on the season, Robinson has a chance to break his career-high of 1,456 rushing yards set last season. His ADP and ranking are more than secure.
Dynasty | Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 21-of-33 passes for 234 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in a loss to the Jets. Dynasty Analysis: Cousins has been fine since taking over for Michael Penix but is also doing nothing to make anyone believe turning to Penix this season was a mistake in the first place. Now 37 and looking like a backup-level player or below-average starter at best, his dynasty value is just about cooked.
Dynasty | Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell had eight catches for 102 yards and a touchdown in a win over Atlanta. Dynasty Analysis: Mitchell was famously traded in the Sauce Gardner deal after fumbling away his opportunity with the Colts earlier this season. Now in New York, it looks like he's at least trying to take advantage of a second chance. While this is just one game, it should be enough for Mitchell to get a few more targets moving forward. He's still hanging on to a dynasty roster spot after all.
Las Vegas Raiders RB Raheem Mostert ran once for six yards in Week 13 against the Los Angeles Chargers, and he was not targeted in the passing game.
From TheHuddle
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (hand) broke a bone in his left hand during his team's Week 13 win over the Las Vegas Raiders and is scheduled to undergo a procedure on Monday. However, Herbert said he is "treating it as if I'm playing" when asked about his status for the team's Week 14 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. On the bright side, Herbert will have an extra day of rest as the Chargers play the Eagles on Monday Night Football. However, Herbert will almost certainly be compromised to some degree if he's able to play at all against Philadelphia. Herbert completed 15 of 20 pass attempts for 151 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception against Las Vegas. If he ends up not being able to play against the Eagles, backup quarterback Trey Lance would be in line to make the start. Even if Herbert is active, fantasy managers in single-QB formats may want to look elsewhere at the quarterback position in Week 14.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner (calf) was forced to exit early from his team's Week 13 loss to the Houston Texans after suffering a calf strain. Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reports that Gardner's injury has "been described as a mild calf strain" and that it will "likely sideline him for a couple of weeks." Gardner's injury initially looked as though it could be potentially season-ending, so the diagnosis is a positive one overall. Still, Indianapolis has lost three out of its last four games and may now be without its star cornerback for crucial games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks over the next two weeks. Entering Week 13, Pro Football Focus had graded Gardner as the 12th-best corner in the NFL out of 108 qualified players at the position for his work this season. If all goes according to plan, it appears Gardner may be on track to return in Week 16 against the San Francisco 49ers.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders QB Geno Smith completed 18-of-23 passes for 165 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in Week 13 against the Los Angeles Chargers, while running twice for minus-6 yards.
Fantasy Spin: Smith had just his second multiple touchdown game in the past eight starts. He cannot be trusted as anything more than a low-end QB2 in most fantasy leagues at this point.
From TheHuddle
Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride continued his run of dominant play in Week 13 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, recording eight catches for 82 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. The 26-year-old has now hauled in 88 receptions for 879 yards and eight touchdowns on 118 targets across 12 games played this season. McBride's numbers have been particularly eye-popping since quarterback Jacoby Brissett took over for the injured Kyler Murray (foot) in Arizona. Across Brissett's seven starts, McBride is averaging 8.4 receptions and 86.3 receiving yards on 10.9 targets per game. He's also scored seven touchdowns in that span. As long as McBride remains healthy, he profiles as the number one tight end in fantasy football. Arizona will host the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Chargers LB Denzel Perryman was good for seven total stops, including six of the solo variety, with one tackle for loss in Week 13 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
From TheHuddle
Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins bounced back from his quiet game in Week 12 with a monster showing in his team's Week 13 win over the Indianapolis Colts. The 26-year-old hauled in five catches for 98 yards on 10 targets and also recorded a seven-yard rushing touchdown. Collins has now hauled in 57 catches for 795 yards and four touchdowns on 95 targets across 11 games this season. Dating back to Week 7, Collins has earned double-digit targets in five out of his last six games played. He clearly has the full trust of Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, who returned in Week 13 after missing two games with a concussion. Houston has also played much better football overall in the second half of the season, as they have now won four consecutive games. Collins profiles as a must-start fantasy wide receiver heading into a critical Week 14 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Sterling Shepard caught one of his two targets for five yards in a 20-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13.
Fantasy Spin: Shepard has four catches for 17 yards in the two games since Chris Godwin returned to the lineup, and unless Godwin or Emeka Egbuka miss time, it is hard to see Shepard putting up enough numbers to warrant a spot on fantasy rosters.
From TheHuddle
