The Buffalo Bills, on paper, have an excellent opportunity to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers in front of their home fans in the loud environment of Highmark Stadium. Their chances are high due to the fact that the Chargers are 0-2 and have not looked like the Chargers we are used to seeing under head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Meanwhile, the Bills have looked like an early Super Bowl contender under head coach Joe Brady. They are trying to avoid a potential trap game against a talented but underachieving Chargers team that dropped two bad losses to inferior competition.
In fact, Harbaugh has never begun a season 0-2 in his 23-year coaching career until this season. It has shown that he and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel have some work to do to right the ship of this voyage.
Let's take a look at how the Bills can take advantage of the Chargers' shortcomings so far and show how they need to address them.
4 inefficiencies Bills must take advantage of to remain undefeated
1.) Unpredictable offensive production
For an offense that is supposed to be led by an offensive genius in Mike McDaniel, it seems his formula just isn't working. It's part of a bigger equation of why their offense can't solve it consistently. For example, the Chargers rank only 19th in rushing offense.
Defensive coordinators have figured out how to outsmart the offense by blitzing Justin Herbert into pieces and forcing him to throw more interceptions than touchdowns so far this season. It's also part of the formula for why the Chargers' receivers can't seem to get open for big, explosive plays.
This week, the Bills can finally dial up more blitzes and continue improving their man coverage to force rushed throws and prevent the Chargers' offense from moving the ball downfield with big plays.
2.) Poor play when blitzed
For the past two weeks, the Bills' defensive coordinator, Jim Leonhard, has only blitzed a limited amount. This week, the Bills defense will be facing a Chargers offense that is one of the worst offenses against the blitz.
Leonhard has an opportunity to dial up more timely blitzes in addition to generating pressure from just the defensive line to force Herbert into throwing short, quick passes that could lead to pivotal interceptions during the game.
3.) Breakdown in OL blocking
The Bills' defense during the last two games has been struggling to rush the quarterback, facing two of the better offensive lines they will see this season. On the contrary, the Chargers have been dealing with an erratic offensive line, making Herbert rush his throws, which is causing fumbling issues, too.
This would allow the Bills to create more pressure and sit back into zone coverage by forcing turnovers and frustrating Herbert into short, erratic throws.
4.) Turnover problems
The Chargers have been taking way too many penalties and have been fumbling the ball more than usual, which is why they are starting 0-2 on the season. Harbaugh is certainly not feeling great about his team's chances this week, facing a Bills defense that's improving game by game.
If the Bills can keep forcing the Chargers to remain undisciplined by consistently pressuring and forcing Herbert into producing mistakes, turning their turnovers into consistent points, then they can turn the Chargers' offensive and defensive weaknesses into big-time opportunities.
Add us as a preferred source on Google