The Los Angeles Chargers just suffered a franchise-worst loss to the now 6-8 Las Vegas Raiders. That said, if you are an eternal optimist like me, you may be searching for something remotely positive after such a horrid game.
3 Positives to Take Home From The Chargers Horrific Loss
Stronger Draft Position
The easiest positive to take away from is the Chargers are one step closer to the top of the NFL Draft following the brutal loss. Los Angeles currently owns the fifth-overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, and adding a young key piece to a roster that contains Justin Herbert will be a great step in the right direction.
There are a few different players that the Chargers should look into drafting, depending on how they want to attack the draft when it comes around in April. The most exciting selections would lie in two offensive playmakers: Marvin Harrison Jr. and Brock Bowers.
Harrison Jr. would easily give the Chargers the WR1 of the future, and a generational type of receiver for Justin Herbert to throw to. The only issue is that the Chargers have much bigger holes than wide receiver, especially after they just drafted Quentin Johnston in the first round the year before. There is a chance Harrison is the first non-quarterback off the board, but if he’s still there at five, then Los Angeles will have to consider taking him.
The second selection that would make more positional sense is Georgia’s Brock Bowers. Bowers is a dominant receiver with elite hands, route running, and blocking ability. The Chargers have needed a strong blocker at the tight end position dating back to last season and have yet to find a strong answer for that. Bowers would easily solve that issue, along with giving Herbert an elite safety blanket outside of veteran Keenan Allen.
Overall, a positive from a loss like this lies in the fact the Chargers are more inclined to select a playmaker who can really change the course of this team, whether it is offense of defense.
Young Players Trending Positively
The Chargers will need to heavily rely on younger players to come in and play well down the stretch, as injuries are mounting an this team desperately needs a spark on both offense and defense.
That said, this loss led to the Chargers relying on Isaiah Spiller for the first time in his young career. Spiller had 16 carries for 50 yards, which on paper sounds pretty average at best. But if you consider the fact that the Chargers have not been able to run the football whatsoever in the last month or two, a back who can create is extremely important. On nearly every run, it felt as though Spiller used his agility and vision to make defenders miss and pick up a few extra yards.
Another young player who is trending in a positive direction after the loss is Chargers first-round selection, Quentin Johnston. Johnston has gotten plenty of hate for his lack of ability to catch the football but has finally put together a few decent weeks. This week he scored his second career touchdown, and last week he had a huge catch showing his ability to separate downfield. A nice, positive trend for the former TCU receiver.
Future Coaching Changes
The last and most important thing to write home about is after huge, blowout losses like this, the Chargers will likely think even harder about letting some of the coaching staff go. The Chargers have been bad all season, and this is largely due to the terrible coaching on both sides of the ball.
Charger fans have been practically screaming from the rooftops to fire Brandon Staley, and this game may finally be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Whether the Chargers let him go in the next 24 hours, or if he is let go after the season, this loss all but seals his fate. Simply put, the firing of Brandon Staley is addition by subtraction.
Main Photo: Stephen Sylvanie – USA Today Sports
