Dissecting Most Crucial Matchups in San Diego Chargers' Week 6 Game with Oakland
Three San Diego Chargers have to win their matchups against two rookies and a 38-year-old safety in Week 6.
That sounds easy.
Perhaps it will be. The Oakland Raiders fired head coach Dennis Allen last week, Charles Woodson had some choice words for his team’s performance and the Raiders are off to an 0-4 start. They dug themselves out of a hole to promptly dig themselves into a deeper hole.
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But as the Chargers continue their rampage against the league’s bottom feeders—their last two opponents and the Raiders have a combined record of 1-13—injuries to vital offensive starters continue to pile up.
Donald Brown, Malcom Floyd, Doug Legursky and D.J. Fluker left Sunday’s game versus the New York Jets due to injury. Legursky’s injury was season-ending. This forced San Diego to experiment with odd offensive line combinations and give the ball to Shaun Draughn 10 times.
The Chargers are getting thinner. This means their regulars need to step it up even more to keep pace with the Denver Broncos, as no record has an asterisk due to injury.
How these starters handle their matchups with three of Oakland’s best players will not only determine the outcome of Week 6, but the Chargers’ future as they attempt to weather devastating injuries.
We begin with San Diego’s best offensive lineman versus a future Pro Bowler.
King Dunlap vs. Khalil Mack
Left tackle King Dunlap quietly had a good start to the 2014 season, but the Jets abused him Sunday. His run blocking, normally his biggest strength, wasn’t on point. His pass blocking, normally decent enough to justify him as a starter, did little to quell concerns about Rivers’ line crumbling around him.
After a tough test against New York, Dunlap can’t rest easy in Week 6—he has to handle rookie outside linebacker Khalil Mack, who has been one of the few bright spots on Oakland’s defense this year.
So far, Mack is primarily an edge-setter on defense, using his excellent strength and anchor to stymie linemen trying to open holes for the ball-carrier. He is already a good starter because of this.
What could make Mack a great starter is developing his skill set as a pass-rusher.
Mack has zero sacks through four games, but he has plenty of near sacks. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) tallies Mack with seven combined hits and hurries this season. He tends to disappear during passing plays when his bull rush isn’t working, but there are signs of devastating speed rushes and spin moves in his arsenal. For example, his hit on Tom Brady in the Raiders’ loss to the Patriots.
Mack’s speed got the better of Nate Solder, and it could keep the Raiders competitive with San Diego if Dunlap can’t get off the snap quickly enough. Dunlap was beaten in a similar way versus the Jets—handling speed is something he has always had trouble with.
Mack could easily dominate Dunlap while the Chargers win by 20. Just keep in mind that he is due for a game-changing play—a forced fumble or a sack 10 yards into the backfield—at some point this season. If Dunlap can’t contain Mack’s explosive athleticism in pass protection, he will have to make up for it in the running game. Not easy, either.
Corey Liuget vs. Gabe Jackson
The left side of the Raiders’ offensive line is solid, especially in pass protection. This is good, because quarterback Derek Carr needs all the time he can get with his team’s receiving woes.
First-year left guard Gabe Jackson is a big reason for that, and I do mean big—at 336 pounds, Jackson is a pain to move and hunkers down in pass protection like Larry Warford did in his rookie season. He still has work to do as a run-blocker, but overall Jackson is handling his business well.
After facing the Jets and Muhammad Wilkerson in his first NFL game, Jackson went one-on-one with destroyer of galaxies J.J. Watt in Week 2. He held his own.
Corey Liuget doesn’t have Watt’s notoriety. However, he is a violent pass-rusher that is second at his position with eight quarterback hurries, per Pro Football Focus.
Liuget has always been this good at getting to the quarterback—it’s his improved discipline in run defense that has helped San Diego vault from dead last in defensive DVOA in 2013 to 15th this season. He absolutely deserves a Pro Bowl bid at his current level of play.
As San Diego’s best defensive lineman and interior presence, Liuget needs to work Jackson and whoever else he lines up against Sunday. Carr has shown flashes as a rookie, and the last thing the Chargers want is for him to get hot in Week 6 with the help of Jackson. The best way to nullify a first-year quarterback—or any quarterback, for that matter—is constant interior pressure.
Philip Rivers vs. Charles Woodson
What is this, 2008?
Philip Rivers and Charles Woodson are two players who have exceeded expectations in 2014. Rivers is widely considered a front-runner for league MVP, while Woodson is doing all he can to hold together a weak Raiders squad at age 38. The leadership they bring to their respective sides of the ball cannot be measured.
This is a key matchup because Charles Woodson is the only player in Oakland’s secondary that is good enough to challenge Rivers’ surgical passing attack. According to Pro Football Focus, quarterbacks have thrown at Woodson a mere five times.
The Chargers have few, if any, speed specialists at the skill positions, which is perfectly tailored to the game Woodson wants to play—excel through anticipation and guile rather than breathtaking physical ability. He and tight end Antonio Gates, Rivers’ favorite target, are much alike in that regard.
Let’s look at how Woodson defended another star tight end, Rob Gronkowski, to get a sense of his chances versus Rivers and Gates.
Woodson still displays excellent coverage technique and is a nuisance for any quarterback. He should see some time on Gates, especially in the red zone. Rivers likely won’t be afraid to test him—he targeted Richard Sherman in Week 2 like he was any other defensive back.
Rivers’ pinpoint accuracy might have a few hiccups versus Woodson’s skintight coverage, but he has been playing at an entirely different level this season. His Chargers are heavily favored, and unless Woodson can nab a turnover or two, San Diego should have its way in Oakland.
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