Oakland Raiders v. LA Chargers: Six Things That Must Happen
By Kevin Saito
Contain Bosa/Ingram
The Chargers have a pretty lethal pass rush – one this Raiders offensive line is going to need to focus containing.
With Derek Carr likely not at 100 percent following his back injury, you can guarantee the Chargers will be gunning for him. And with Oakland’s line, thought of as one of the best in the league, sprining some leaks this season – they’ve given up 12 sacks through five games after giving up just 18 all last season – they’re going to have their hands full.
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The Chargers have a pair of pass rushers in Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram who have been absolutely dominant. Combined, the pair has 12 sacks through these first five games – Bosa (4.5) and Ingram (7.5).
To put that in context, the Raiders, as a team, have ten sacks on the year. Ten. While those two guys in the lightning bolt helmets have a dozen.
With Carr’s injury, protecting him is going to be paramount. The last thing this team needs is for the injury to get worse and/or knock him out for an extended period of time – like the rest of the season.
The good news is that this isn’t uncharted territory. Famously, Cam Newton and Tony Romo dealt with the same injury, came back quickly, and managed to be productive. So, it can be done.
But to keep Carr upright and healthy, the offensive line needs to start living up to their billing as one of, if not the, best line in football. And finding a way to contain and neutralize both Bosa and Ingram would be a huge shot in the arm for this offense.