Los Angeles Chargers bold predictions for Week 2 vs. Panthers

09/14/2024 06:31 PM

After heading into the 2024 NFL season as one of the biggest question marks in the NFL, with their range of outcomes going from a top-5 draft pick to AFC West contenders, the Los Angeles Chargers shocked the world with a massive effort in Week 1, beating down on the Las Vegas Raiders to the tune of a 22-10 victory.

The Chargers moved the ball with ease through the air and on the ground, Ladd McConkey had a feel-good touchdown as the Chargers’ leading receiver, and Jim Harbaugh earned his first NFL win this decade, continuing his regular season win streak from one blue and yellow team to another with ease.

And the best part? In Week 2, the Chargers get to face off against arguably the worst team in the NFL in the Carolina Panthers, who allowed 47 points to the New Orleans Saints in Week 1.

With an ideal second opponent lined up, one who just placed their best player on IR to boot, and a replicable ground game that should remain effective week in and week out, the Chargers might just be the best-positioned team in the NFL to keep their undefeated streak alive.

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1. The Chargers run wild on another easy foe

In Week 1, the Chargers ran absolutely wild on the Carolina Panthers, picking up 176 yards and a touchdown on the ground versus the Raiders earning just 71 rushing yards on 22 carries. J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards looked like an ideal one-two punch, even if the latter had somewhat of a quiet game, and their total dominance on the ground helped to make things easier for Herbert as a passer too, as he didn’t have to win the game with his arm in the same way Gardner Minshew tried to for the Black and Silver.

Now granted, some of that was artificially inflated by Dobbins’ 61-yard run, which certainly inflated his per-yard average by quite a bit, but when you consider the Chargers were able to pick up an average of 6.5 yards per carry every time Herbert handed off the ball – or ran it himself – LA got more than halfway to another first down with each run play called, on which they had 11 on the day.

Needless to say, Greg Roman’s run-heavy offense has translated from one Harbaugh brother to the other, and in Week 2, they will likely look to ride that momentum train into Week 2. Why? Because the Panthers surrendered an NFL-high 47 points in Week 1, and they were particularly susceptible on the ground, where Alvin Kamara led a rushing attack that saw the Saints pick up 180 yards on 37 attempts for an average of 4.9 yards per carry.

Factor in Derrick Brown’s meniscus injury that saw him land on season-ending IR, and things are shaping up for the Chargers to really run wild on the Panthers when LA rolls through Carolina, which is bad news for Bryce Young and company, as they will likely have to air it out to keep up with Harbaugh on the scoreboard, but good news for fans in Bolts Nation.

2. Justin Herbert throws for 200+ yards

As previously stated, Herbert really didn’t have to put the Chargers on his shoulder to secure the win in Week 1, as Roman was able to move the ball effectively with his backs, and as a result, the Oregon product was able to sit back and watch the show, throwing the ball just 26 times, connecting on 17 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown.

Did Herbert look bad in the game, slowed down by the foot injury that limited his summer somewhat? Nope, while savvy fans may have been able to pick apart his game film and notice an instance or two where he looked tentative, overall, Herbert looked like the sort of game manager that has historically thrived in a Harbaugh offense; the sort of player profile that made J.J. McCarthy into a top-10 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Should fans expect to see such meager stat lines from Herbert moving forward, with the 26-year-old signal-caller throwing the ball less than 30 times for a relatively low 5.5 yards per throw action? Maybe, as the Chargers play more games, fans will slowly get enough data to make such a declaration, but in Week 2, things could change considerably in Herbert’s favor, as the Panthers have a secondary that opposing teams can air it out against.

Facing off against the Saints in Week 1, Derek Carr was able to move the ball effortlessly in a 47-10 point blow-out victory, picking up an efficient 200 yards on 19-23 passing while racking up three touchdowns through the air versus just one sack. The Saints dominated on both sides of the ball, through the air and on the ground, and ultimately, in terms of time of possession, as New Orleans had the ball for almost 37 minutes versus just 23 for the Panthers.

Early on, expect Herbert to air it out and take advantage of the Panthers’ lack of… team building efficiency at the back of their defense, with 200 yards passing feeling like a borderline lock, but don’t be surprised if the Chargers opt to double-down on the run at the end of the game to run out the clock, as few teams look to air it out when they are up by multiple scores.

3. The Chargers go up 2-0

So, if the Chargers’ running backs are able to cut like butter through the Panthers’ defense and Herbert can take his shots – when Harbaugh/Roman allows – it’s safe to assume LA will leave the weekend with a 2-0 record, right? Remaining on top of the AFC West as one of the more unlikely undefeated teams in the NFL?

Yup.

On paper, it makes sense, right? Despite trying to do their best to add talent during the offseason, with the aggressive pursuit of solid starters in free agency and big-time prospects in the draft, the Panthers remain one of the worst teams in the NFL and likely won’t improve too much from Week 1 to Week 2, let alone over the course of the season. The Chargers, however, are a team on the rise, with fans hoping that Harbaugh’s incredible success at Michigan can translate to the pros once more this fall. Bursting off to a 2-0 record would be a pretty good step in that direction.

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