San Diego Chargers vs. Baltimore Ravens: Breaking Down San Diego's Game Plan

The San Diego Chargers (7-4) begin their five-game trial by fire with a match against the Baltimore Ravens (7-4).

With both teams battling for an AFC wild-card spot—San Diego currently holds the edge for the No. 6 seed with a better conference record than Baltimore—this game at Qualcomm Stadium has big implications. The Chargers will need to stick with their best run-stuffers on defense while using the hurry-up to their advantage on offense if they want to reach 8-4 against a tough Ravens squad.

The Chargers are on a two-game winning streak, and even if those nail-biters came against the Oakland Raiders and St. Louis Rams, San Diego will take whatever it can get as now-healthy starters begin to jell with the current lineup. Running back Ryan Mathews has awokened the Chargers’ running game. That added dimension to Philip Rivers, and the passing attack significantly raises this team’s ceiling.

The Ravens are in a similar situation, winning two straight against weaker teams in the Tennessee Titans and New Orleans Saints. Their mauling offensive line, with guards Marshal Yanda and Kelechi Osemele leading the way, gives the Ravens a unique identity in their running game. Running back Justin Forsett has had a career revival and is third in the NFL in rushing yards.

This preview will focus on what the Chargers’ general offensive and defensive philosophies should be heading into this game. Let’s begin with the defense, which has a tough task ahead against one of the best lines in all of football.

Defensive Key to the Game: Play and Stay Big

Joe Flacco’s 92.6 quarterback rating is 15th in the NFL, and while we’ve seen him get hot before, the Ravens' running game is the more pressing issue for San Diego.

Yanda and Osemele are two of the best run-blocking guards in the league—they are both top three in that area, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Yanda has a ferocious physicality to his game, while Osemele uses his 6’5”, 335-pound body to his advantage.

This is troubling for San Diego, which has two of the more lax run-stoppers in the NFL with Corey Liuget and Kendall Reyes. While Liuget’s playmaking ability justifies keeping him on the field against Baltimore, Reyes shouldn’t be seeing 50 percent of the snaps Sunday—his usual amount—due to the ease opponents have in pushing him off the line.

Who sees a bump in playing time, then? The Chargers don’t have much depth along the defensive line, but undrafted rookie Tenny Palepoi has quietly been making a name for himself in limited playing time. Bolts From The Blue was impressed by Palepoi's performance:

Palepoi weighs less than Reyes, but he is also three inches shorter. The “lowest man wins” mantra applies here. He doesn’t have an overwhelming amount of athleticism or highlight-worthy moves. Instead, he simply provides a spark of energy and has some nice flashes in the run game. Let’s look at a good example of that against the Rams.

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Asking Palepoi to go in and hold his own against Yanda is absurd. However, he certainly offers more than Reyes in run defense in the two-gap system defensive coordinator John Pagano uses.

The Chargers could go with a jumbo defensive line by putting Ryan Carrethers next to nose tackle Sean Lissemore, but it looks like Carrethers won’t be available for the Baltimore game, based upon a tweet U-T San Diego's Tom Krasovic shared:

The Chargers’ linebacking unit, which has been the most heavily relied upon rotation in recent weeks, will probably need to cool it down with its substitutions, as well. Forsett has a "breakaway percentage of 40.0"—"fourth-best among running backs, with at least 65 attempts," per Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus—meaning he can get by the second level of the defense in a hurry.

To counter that, the Chargers simply need to put their best four run-stopping linebackers on the field. Dwight Freeney offers plenty rushing the passer, but they will likely lean more upon Jarret Johnson and Melvin Ingram at outside linebacker. Both have enough size to deal with offensive linemen looking to mow someone down.

On the inside, Kavell Connor should continue to start, as he is a hammer versus the run. Next to him can be a mix of Manti Te’o and Andrew Gachkar, who has shown some nice playmaking ability as of late.

Keeping substitutions to a minimum means the Chargers can fare better against the Ravens’ clear offensive strength. Flacco has one reliable (and ageless) target in Steve Smith, but cornerback Brandon Flowers has been a stud for the Chargers when healthy.

Offensive Key to the Game: Embrace the Hurry-Up

San Diego’s heavily substituted linebacking corps is nothing compared to Baltimore’s amoeba-like unit. The Ravens are deep at the position, and they have a nice blend of pass-rushing specialists and edge-setting aficionados.

	Run defense	Pass-rushing	Coverage
Courtney Upshaw	180	81	102
Elvis Dumervil	107	281	42
Pernell McPhee	95	255	15

One of the best ways to counter a defense that always tries to keep fresh bodies on the field is to use the hurry-up offense. There was plenty of offseason hype for the Chargers’ switching over to a fast-paced offensive attack, but first-year offensive coordinator Frank Reich hasn’t radically changed last season’s formula.

The Chargers are sixth in the NFL in time of possession per drive at 3:00, per Football Outsiders, trailing first place by a mere four seconds. They’ve mixed in some hurry-up concepts, but largely the Chargers are staying with their grind-it-out philosophy.

This needs to change versus the Ravens. Outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil could single-handedly wreck tackle D.J. Fluker, who is in the midst of a sophomore slump. Luckily, Dumervil plays almost exclusively in passing situations. This limits the Ravens’ ability to pressure the quarterback on first and second downs.

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

The Chargers do their fair share of rotating on offense, so what group of players would be the most effective in a no-huddle set? The answer is those who are the most versatile.

Third-down running back Branden Oliver could see an uptick in snaps due to his receiving ability. Eddie Royal is not only a chain-moving receiver—he can be used creatively as a runner, and he is an excellent blocker. Antonio Gates can split out wide when needed.

These players will be heavily featured if the Chargers decide to go no-huddle due to their flexibility. That will mean a reduced usage of other players. Mathews isn’t a terrible receiving option, but when he’s in the game, the Chargers are usually going to run it.

If he stays on the field, the Ravens have less to prepare for. Malcom Floyd is a terrifying deep threat, but he is a one-trick pony in that regard. Tight end Ladarius Green isn’t trusted enough as a run-blocker.

The Chargers obviously won’t be the Philadelphia Eagles the entire game—Mathews is still an incredibly important part of the offense, and Oliver has struggled lately. But they should use the hurry-up as a frequent changeup, a way to keep Dumervil and McPhee a bit more quiet than normal. Rivers would greatly benefit from the reduced pressure and make sure the offense stays on track.