By: Jake Rajala

The Los Angeles Chargers have a steaming hot offense led by former Oregon Duck Justin Herbert (5,014 passing yards and 38 passing touchdowns in 2021), but let’s not forget about their blood-thirsty defense which recently added former Defensive Player of The Year winner Khalil Mack and interception magnet J.C. Jackson. The Chargers defense will certainly make opponents feel like they’re on the walk of shame in 2022.

The Chargers defense impressively ranked 13th in passing yards allowed last season. Although, they did bleed against the run (30th in rushing yards allowed) and they weren’t sexy in sacking opposing quarterbacks (35 sacks).

In 2022 — Chargers fans should be filled with bliss about the potential for their defense. Mack (31 years old) is still a very good football player & he was on pace for one of his best seasons a season ago. The former Buffalo defender ousted six sacks, 7 QB hits, and six tackles for loss in seven contests. It must be noted that his pals on defense in Los Angeles are superior to his friends around him in Chi-town. His edge-rushing mate, Joey Bosa (who may not be better than Robert Quinn), will continue to be a headache for opposing QBs. The older Bosa bro ousted 10.5 sacks, 20 QB hits, and a whopping 7 forced fumbles in 2021 (which led him to make his fourth straight Pro Bowl selection). The Chargers undoubtedly hold a Top-5 pass-rushing tandem in the league – which will be a key reason for their squad significantly improving in sacking opposing QBs from last season.

The Chargers secondary is where the magic happens. The imposing J.C. Jackson (17 ints in the past two seasons combined) will link arms with Derwin James Jr. to make life a living hell for opposing signal-callers. James Jr. — who garnered first-team All-Pro honors as a rookie — became the highest-paid safety in the league last August. His baggage has been his inability to stay healthy (11 missed contests in 2019 & MIA for the entire 2020 season). If he can stay healthy, he’s unequivocally a Top-5 safety and a game-changer. The CB2 and x-factor on the Chargers defense is Asante Samuel Jr (son of Asante Samuel). He ousted two interceptions as a rookie last season. He will be really called on to slow down the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr, and Russell Wilson moving forward.

I feel excited to imagine the damage that the Chargers defense will enforce on opponents. They should dramatically take steps forward from 2021 in stopping the run, the pass, and burying opposing QBs in the ground. The Chargers offense may have a potential MVP winner at QB, but I would be starstruck if Andy Reid, Josh McDaniel, and Nathaniel Hackett don’t lose sleep over the maniacs that reign on the Chargers defense.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Los Angeles Chargers have easily had the most successful offseason in 2022 thus far. Brandon Staley’s squad has brought back Mike Williams, traded for Khalil Mack, signed J.C. Jackson, and has made other under-the-radar free-agent signings. In particular, the Chargers defense has received a significant boost in 2022.

With that enunciated, the question is: what is the most dreamy expectation of the Chargers new-look defense? Well, I believe the Chargers should be confident that they can display one of the most potent defensive units in the NFL next season.

The Chargers were the 12th best pass defense (passing YPG allowed) in the NFL last season. Meanwhile, the J.C. Jackson-led Patriots pass defense was the second-best pass defense last season. Interestingly, the Khalil Mack-led Bears defense displayed the third-best pass defense last season. I really believe the Chargers defense that already featured the very talented Derwin James and Joey Bosa last season can be a Top 5 pass defense in the NFL next season.

I fully understand Jackson and Mack weren’t solely responsible for their defensive success last season. Mack had a ton of help from Robert Quinn and Jackson was benefited from the defensive guru Bill Belichick. I still believe the combination of talent from the 2021 Chargers defense joined by Mack and Jackson should propel them into a Top 5 unit. Well, why do I not feel bold enough to pin them as favorites to boast the top pass defense in the league? I simply believe Russell Wilson and Patrick Mahomes will make it difficult for them to be the NFL’s top pass defense.

The Chargers might have had a modest pass defense in 2021, but they were far from an impressive defense overall. There were only two teams that gave up more points per game than the Chargers last season. I really believe Jackson will help the Chargers give up fewer big plays and Mack will “hulk smash” and be helpful in numerous ways, as well. The Chargers might play in the wild AFC West, but that’s not an excuse to be a completely dreadful defense. After all, the Denver Broncos had the second-best defense in PPG allowed in 2021. I expect the Chargers to take a significant jump in this pivotal category in 2022 (Top 10) and yield a terrifying defense moving forward.

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