St. Louis Rams vs. San Diego Chargers: What Are Experts Saying About San Diego?

The San Diego Chargers (6-4) are matching up against a St. Louis Rams (4-6) team with one of the most convincing wins of the season, a 22-7 shellacking of the Denver Broncos, in Week 12.

Experts are split on who will win Sunday’s game, but there seems to be a common theme—the Rams defensive line is not to be trifled with. Philip Rivers should tread lightly. Lots of positivity is surrounding the now-healthy Chargers defense as well.

Let’s look at five of the most notable viewpoints for the Chargers-Rams game and analyze the take each expert has.

Elliot Harrison: Ryan Mathews Will Relieve Rivers

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NFL.com’s Elliot Harrison said running back Ryan Mathews will wake up the Chargers’ dormant ground attack in Week 12, preventing the Rams pass rush from taking the game over. He predicts the Chargers will win by four.

Mathews could absolutely go off versus a defense that is ranked 18th in rushing yards allowed. His strength and underrated burst will allow him to pick up some yardage even when Johnnie Troutman or Chad Rinehart gets pancaked.

However, it’s tough to say if Mathews getting hot will keep Rivers upright. The Rams’ game plan will still revolve around stopping the pass, even with Rivers in a slump. They will happily give up extra yardage to Mathews—who is a grinder, not a big-play threat—if it means Rivers will have a bad day at the office.

Mathews could break 100 yards, but that won’t turn around the issues of Rivers and the offensive line.

Chris Schultz: Unlike San Diego, Rams Are Confident and Healthy

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TSN’s Chris Schultz said in his Week 12 predictions that the Rams must be feeling good after their big win versus the Broncos along with the return of quarterback Shaun Hill. The Chargers, on the other hand, barely beat a winless Raiders team. Schultz picked the Rams to harass Rivers and take the W.

Although the Rams are coming off one of the best wins of the season, the NFL is a league with high week-to-week variance. The Rams team last year exemplifies this—in a five-game stretch, the Rams lost to the Titans, blew out the Colts and Bears and were soundly defeated by the 49ers and Cardinals.

The Rams are a great spoiler team due to their talent, but they aren’t known for taking great wins and using them as momentum for the rest of the season.

The Chargers, on the other hand, have playoff experience and have dealt with bleak stretches before. St. Louis looks better right now. It could still be by season’s end, but it’s probably best to stick with the team that’s been there before.

Travis Wakeman: Chargers Vulnerable in Secondary, Britt Could Take Advantage

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Bleacher Report’s Travis Wakeman said in his breakdown of St. Louis’ game plan that the Chargers are beatable in the secondary, which could keep the Hill-to-Britt connection—four catches, 128 yards versus Denver—going strong. Hill could really benefit from testing cornerback Shareece Wright deep, according to Wakeman.

Britt certainly has the talent to beat Wright badly and carry the Rams passing attack. But here is the catch: He has been wildly inconsistent throughout his career and hasn’t exactly lit it up this season. Britt averaged 31.2 receiving yards per contest before the Broncos game. It is more likely that he just had an outlier performance than the game being a sign of things to come.

The Rams could still do some damage through the air, as tight end Jared Cook has quietly had a decent year. They would be best served leaning on Tre Mason and the running game, however.

Brandon Bate: Are the 2014 Rams the 2013 Chargers?

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SB Nation’s Brandon Bate said the Rams have the potential to go on a hot streak during the season’s final stretch. He noted that the Rams’ last six opponents had a combined record of 42-18, while their upcoming opponents are a combined 27-33. This led Bate to compare the 2013 Chargers, who won five of their last six to sneak into the playoffs, to this year’s Rams.

The Rams’ playoff chances this year depend on the performance of Hill and how the rest of the NFC plays out. The 2013 Chargers made the postseason partly because the AFC was top-heavy—it was the Broncos, Patriots and everyone else. For the Rams, a 9-7 record might not cut it for an NFC wild-card berth (it’s a shame they don’t play in the NFC South).

The Packers or Lions will likely take one wild-card spot, while the Eagles or Cowboys could take another. Don’t count out the 49ers and Seahawks, either.

While the Rams have plenty of talent, their situation is much, much more difficult than the Chargers' situation last season.

Chris Anthony: Healthy Chargers Defense Should Feast on Rams

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NFL.com’s Chris Anthony said in his Week 12 fantasy matchups article that the Chargers defense, which got back three key starters after the bye, should get plenty of fantasy points against a weak Rams offensive line allowing 3.3 sacks per game.

The Chargers pass rush has improved—rookie Jerry Attaochu is playing particularly well—and Brandon Flowers is one of the league’s best cornerbacks when healthy. Against an Austin Davis-led Rams team, three-plus sacks and a couple of picks would be expected. Against a Shaun Hill-led Rams team, it will be a bit more difficult. Hill isn’t Aaron Rodgers, but he minimizes mistakes and has a decent arm.

Expect a solid showing by the Chargers defense—just not a stellar one like the unit had against Oakland.