The Buffalo Bills are back in the 1PM slot this Sunday when they play host to the Los Angeles Chargers. Joe Brady has the Bills in a fantastic position while Jim Harbaugh has to find a way to right the ship for his Chargers, who are off to a bad 0-2 start.
On paper, the Bills look phenomenal and look like the better team by a mile. However, it's a week-to-week schedule and anyone can win at any time. The Bills have to bring their A-game and not let up, even if they are up by multiple scores. The last thing Bills fans want is to see the Chargers have even a small chance a comeback should they fall behind early.
With gameday coming up here in Orchard Park, we had the opportunity to speak with Grant Bellchamber, Site Expert of Bolt Beat (covering the Chargers), and Bellchamber was able to provide some insights about the Chargers that Bills fans won't want to miss out on.
1.) With the Chargers dropping their last two against the Cardinals and Raiders at home, what's the overall vibe around Mike McDaniel and his offense?
"Vibes are definitely low at this point, at least compared to what the expectations were this offseason. After surviving the Greg Roman experience, fans were hoping for a dynamic, innovative offense that would be able to maximize Justin Herbert's arm talent and pure athleticism in the passing game."
"We've gotten the opposite so far, and it's primarily been a result of sloppiness and an overall lack of preparation. We've had botched snaps, improperly run routes, and ball security mistakes plague this offense through two games. I have faith they'll get it sorted out by the time the season enters full stride, but there's a lot of fear that it might be too late."
2.) Omarion Hampton has been the lead back for LA despite there being rumors that the Chargers would operate out of a committee. Do you see Hampton once again being the primary focus or do you think other RBs will get involved?
"Hampton will definitely be the lead back for this offense as long as he's healthy. He has the most explosive-play potential, and he's shown flashes of being the star back Chargers fans hoped he could be even in spite of Los Angeles' struggling offense. I'm a bit surprised that Kimani Vidal has seen zero touches through two weeks, but the hierarchy checks out—especially with Keaton Mitchell entering the season with some minor injury concerns."
3.) Who would you consider an under-the-radar player that could make some noise against the Bills and why?
"I would say DT Teair Tart. He was wreaking havoc against the Raiders' interior in Week 2, posting three pressures on just 18 pass-rush snaps (per Pro Football Focus). With NT Dalvin Tomlinson set to miss some time with a hamstring injury, the Chargers will need to return to the committee approach they took last season at that spot, which could leave Tart in more of a run-defending role."
"But if he's still active in the pass rush, expect him to be a dangerous piece for the Chargers interior again this week."
4.) It’s been 8 years since the Chargers last beat the Bills in Buffalo. Do you believe that LA is capable of an upset, or do you think Buffalo should easily win this game?
"I think that, if there's any chance of an upset, it needs to start on the defensive side of the ball. This offense is going to click at some point, but the defensive play after Jesse Minter's departure has been equally concerning for me."
"If Los Angeles is able to re-gain their stifling defensive approach, especially in the secondary, they'll have a chance to keep things close into the second half and perhaps pull off the upset. If they look like they have the past two weeks against Josh Allen and this Bills offense, the game could be over pretty quickly."
5.) What does a successful game from Justin Herbert against the Bills look like to you?
"It's largely been a matter of execution so far with this offense, so a successful Justin Herbert game, for me, involves no mistakes. No fumbles. No botched snaps. No interceptions, whether it's the receivers' fault or not. This doesn't all fall upon Herbert, but these are the things that need to happen if McDaniel is going to have any shot of maximizing the Chargers' star QB this season."
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