Once again, the Los Angeles Chargers are the secret favourite for a deep playoff run in the AFC. Once again, the Bolts squad is considered to be very well positioned, both offensively and defensively. And once again, after the serious injury of tight end hunter Henry, there is a great fear of the deep grey injury cloud, which in recent years has been ascribed a great deal of blame for missing the post-season. What happens next for LAC and what happens now in the Henry case?
“He finished his route, jogged back and suddenly he was overcome by the feeling that something had grabbed him,” said Chargers Managing Director Tom Telesco, visibly disappointed in the wake of the OTA last Wednesday. “This cruciate ligament injury is very unusual.”
Tight End Hunter Henry was said to have a great season. The second round pick of the 2016 draft should now finally have enough space to finally take on the difficult legacy of Antonio Gates. The legacy of a hall-of-fame-caliber, from which one had only a few weeks ago separated and said goodbye to for quarterback Philip Rivers over years most constant allusion option.
Henry, considered one of the best young tight ends in the league, caught 81 passes for 1,057 yards and 12 touchdowns in his first two years. By the end of last year’s season he had already taken on a role as a top target for Rivers and was convincing with greatly improved route running. It should have been just the beginning and a breakout season should have come: “I won’t mince words: He’s a pro-bowl talent. It feels terrible to lose him,” Telesco continues.
Henry’s serious injury does not present the Chargers with a problematic situation for the first time. In recent years, Keenan Allen, Steve Johnson, Chris Watt, Forrest Lamp and Jason Verrett have already been diagnosed as “torn ACL”. First lap pick Mike Williams was stopped last summer before the start of the season, first from the back, then from the knee.
Is it really happening again? The Bolts’ well-known injury?
Now the Chargers are neither with Veteran Gates, who has captured the most touchdown passes of a tight end in the history of the league, nor with youngster Henry. L.A.’s alternatives are Virgil Green, a pure blocking tight end, and the inexperienced Braedon Bowman and Sean Culkin. Replacement in the form of a new addition is therefore to be expected in any case. Telesco also said: “We will adapt and continue.”
The first media already reported that the Chargers would bring back Gates. An option that meets the wishes of many fans. Telesco, however, did not comment on this proposal and explained that they would “look at all options”.
In addition to Gates, who turns 38 in June and last season set a negative figure for the Bolts with 30 Receptions since his 2003 rookie season, there is currently still one or two Free Agents to look at. Julius Thomas and Coby Fleener are the most prominent names here.
The Chargers come from a season in which they won 9 of the last 12 games and failed only by a hair’s breadth at the playoffs. A mixture of, of course, unfortunate injuries and incapacity meant that a heavy 0-4 stone had to be cleared before the course was set for the post-season.
The team has been considered ready for the step into the postseason for years. They’ve been promised the talent for years. What does Hunter’s injury look like for the coming season?
Veteran Rivers was first provided with improved protection. Center Mike Pouncey has arrived from Miami and Guard Lamp is back from the injury break to improve the highly vulnerable O-Line. Next to Allen, Mike Williams is finally fully recovered and in Melvin Gordon you have one of the exciting running backs in his squad anyway. It seemed the Chargers had all the pieces available on the offensive side. After the Henry injury a new Receiving Tight End has to be found.
On the defensive side, Chargers and Coordinator Gus Bradley, who admitted a league best score of only 17 points per game last year, have one of the best pass rush duos in the league thanks to Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa. The duo created more Pressures last season than anyone else. Even Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue of the Jaguars and Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap of the Bengals were left behind.
Of course, every secondary would benefit from one of the best pass rushs in the league. Those of the Chargers, however, traditionally receive little mention. However, Pro Football Focus gave her the second best score of all teams last season. Casey Haywards was without a doubt one of the best cornerbacks of the league. Behind him were the young Trevor Williams and Rookie Desmond King more than reliable.
This secondary was looking forward to Jason Verrett’s return anyway, only to receive another huge gift in the draft. With the completely surprising first-round pick Derwin James, which has fallen to 17, you have achieved an absolute steal that is not only highly athletic, but can also be used in Bradley’s Cover-3-Defense as versatile as only a few. Not to forget that the next three draft picks have been invested in further reinforcements for the defense.
If one of last year’s best defenses makes further improvements, then the hopefully growing fan community in L.A. should be less concerned about this than about the other side of the ball. The main focus is in any case and once again on the offensive line. Since 2007, no above-average passport blocking line has been delivered here. According to the PFF, last year they finished 25th here and 27th in run-blocking.
In Pouncey’s commitment and Lamp’s return, the Chargers should receive massive help. However, according to the latest injury report, this is also urgently needed. A quarterback under pressure likes to find a big target. Here Rivers in Gates in the Red Zone and now in Henry as a good route runner had actually very good and gladly used options. These are now eliminated, which further increases the pressure on the line.
Once again it seems to be a question of injuries for the Chargers whether they can turn their massive potential into a long-awaited playoff run. Henry’s message was a small shock during the euphoria and the well-known hymns of praise before the season and a reminder that the franchise is not exactly blessed with happiness in this respect. The Chargers 2018 team can compete with the best of the AFC at full strength, but there can be no more injuries here.