Raiders vs. Chargers: 5 questions for Chargers beat writer Sam Fortier

The Raiders fly south Saturday for a Sunday matchup with the division rival Chargers, who are coming off a 29-27 win against the 49ers at home to even their record at 2-2.

Jack Del Rio and the Raiders lost twice to the Chargers last season, the first time on a last-second field goal in Oakland and the second in a season finale blowout that owner Mark Davis fired Del Rio after.

Before the Raiders go for their second consecutive win, a victory that would push them above Los Angeles in the standings, we asked five questions to Sam Fortier, the Chargers beat writer for The Athletic.

1) How much has Joey Bosa’s absence impacted the Chargers’ pass rush, and will it continue to do so?

A LOT. And, despite Jon Gruden’s #sources, Joey Bosa will not be back this week. In his absence, the Chargers have struggled to generate any pass rush outside lining up rookie safety Derwin James in the box (which they do regularly). Most teams throw double-teams at edge rusher Melvin Ingram all day and Bosa’s replacement, Isaac Rochell, is an effective run-stopper but struggles to get to the quarterback. Back from a performance-enhancing drugs suspension this week is veteran defensive tackle Corey Liuget and he’s a better pass rusher than his replacements were so, if he’s ready to go this week, you could see more pressure coming up the middle.

2) The Raiders passed on Derwin James in the first round since they were set on a left tackle. What has he shown in the first four weeks?

Derwin James looks like a star. The Chargers lost their starting free safety, Jaylen Watkins, to an ACL tear in August, so the Chargers have bounced him back and forth between free (against explosive offenses, like the Chiefs and Rams) and strong (against non-explosive offenses, like the Bills and 49ers). With his length and athleticism, he’s excelled at both spots. In Week 1, he recovered when beaten on a deep route by De’Anthony Thomas for a pass break-up and then delivered the team’s only sack. He now has three quarterback take-downs in four games, an NFL rookie record, and delivered a hit that resulted in a win-sealing interception against San Francisco late week. He’s a stud and, without Bosa, perhaps the team’s biggest impact defender.

3) Jon Gruden said Monday there’s no time to celebrate a win when you have Philip Rivers up next. Is he showing any signs of aging at 36 years old?

The only thing that really seems to change about Philip Rivers year over year is the number of children (he’s up to eight now). He’s still diagnosing blitzes, throwing short darts and releasing quick, which helps when both starting tackles (214 games combined) get hurt and their replacements come in (20). Plus, Coach Anthony Lynn puts a premium on protecting the ball so the offensive scheme change last year has resulted in career-low interception rates. If only Gruden had an elite pass rusher to put pressure on him.

4) The Raiders had trouble containing Melvin Gordon last year. Is he still the go-to guy all the time, or is Austin Ekeler handling more of the load?

Melvin Gordon is The Man, and everyone in the locker room knows it. Austin Ekeler is an elite change-of-pace back they like to use on jet sweeps, tosses and sometimes lined up out wide (all to great effect), but Gordon makes the engine go. He’s a weapon in the backfield because he’ll bowl defenders over and out of the backfield on the short routes Rivers loves to throw. At least in part because Ekeler keeps defenses off balance — the Chargers sometimes put them on the field at the same time — Gordon is averaging career highs in yards per rush (5.1) and per catch (6).

5) After starting 2-2, do you have a grasp on the Chargers’ identity in 2018 or is that still up in the air?

Until Joey Bosa comes back or Anthony Lynn figures out how to put pressure on the quarterback consistently some other way, this is a run-and-gun team. They struggle to get off the field on third down and, despite flashing bend-don’t-break tendencies, the Chargers haven’t been able to effectively fill that role. Even against an injury-shredded San Francisco team, under backup quarterback C.J. Beathard, it took all of the offense’s might to escape with a 29-27 victory. The offense is clicking with Gordon and Ekeler in the backfield, and receiver Mike Williams has gotten healthy and become the player he was drafted seventh overall in 2017 to be, so there’s no shortage of weapons. When you watch a Chargers game, be prepared for a lot of points on both sides.

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