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3-110/7 Week 5 Vs. Oakland RaidersThe AFC West has found a lot of success over the last five years and the Chargers are finally trending in the right direction with the rest of the division heading south at the same time.Ever since Gruden arrived in Oakland Youth Mike Pouncey Jersey , he has seemingly handed out contracts to a ton of players currently over the age of 30. In comparision, the Chiefs, Broncos, and Chargers currently roster six, six, and five players over 30, respectively. The Raiders, however, have 14. Not the best look for a team trying to bounce back from a lack luster season.Derek Carr and the offense return running back Marshawn Lynch, wide receiver Amari Cooper, and what should be an improved offensive line after selecting uber-athletic offensive tackle Kolton Miller out of UCLA. The offense will also look to get a boost in reliability from longtime-Packer wideout Jordy Nelson while hoping the addition of former-Steeler Martavis Bryant will up their potential for explosive-plays in 2018.On the defensive side of the ball, the Raiders selected a duo of elite athletes at the defensive tackle position in P.J. Hall and Maurice Hurst. Both are relegated to backup duty to start camp but I wouldn’t be surprised to see one of the two crack the lineup. Hurst was arguably the most disruptive interior defensive linemen in the draft while Hall ran a sub-4.8 forty at almost 310 pounds.After sweeping the Raiders in 2017, I don’t see any reason why anything would change this season. The likes of Cooper, Nelson, and Bryant make up an intimidating wide receiver core but the Bolts’ secondary will be even better. Lynch and the offensive line could still offer problems if the run defense refuses to take a step forward but, in the end, I don’t think the Raiders defense has the play-makers to match up with the Bolts’ firepower. I expect a few scares and some frustration, but the Chargers will come out on top in this one.2018 Record: 4-110/14 Week 6 @ Cleveland BrownsIn 2016, the Chargers gave the Browns their only victory over the last two seasons. Last year, they were close to giving them their second. In 2018, with the roster revamped and packed with top-tier potential/talent, this game is really up for grabs. The only thing working against the Browns is the fact they’re still the Browns.Whether it is Tyrod Taylor of Baker Mayfield behind center, the Bolts will have to deal with an offense packing some exceptional firepower. Josh Gordon, Jarvis Landry, and Corey Coleman make up the starting wide receiver group. Running backs Carlos Hyde and second-round pick Nick Chubb will bring the thunder on the ground while Duke Johnson can make plays at any position on the field.The defense is highlighted by an athletic front-seven that includes 2017 top overall draft pick Myles Garrett, defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, and defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah. The linebacker group packs a ton of versatility with Christian Kirksey, Jamie Collins, Joe Schobert, and Mychal Kendricks all fighting for the three starting spots.The secondary got some juice after the Browns selected cornerback Denzel Ward with the fourth-overall selection in this year’s draft. He will start opposite EJ Gaines while Jabrill Peppers and Damarious Randall will patrol the deep part of the field.This game will depend on what Chargers team shows up. The Browns will have home-field advantage and, depending how they start the season, could be riding a ton of momentum going into this game. I am severely torn on the outcome of this game, but to continue the optimistic vibes surrounding the team Youth Denzel Perryman Jersey , I believe the Bolts will pull out another narrow victory. However, this one could go either way and I want to acknowledge that this isn’t the same Browns team that we have come to expect in recent years.2018 Record: 5-110/21 Week 7 Vs. Tennessee Titans (UK)The Titans and Chargers were both hot teams this time last year as potential breakout teams that could make it far into the playoffs. The Chargers barely missed the playoffs while the Titans squeaked in and put together an amazing come-from-behind victory to upset the Chiefs in the opening round.Gone is Demarco Murray. Former-patriot Dion Lewis is now the backfield mate to Derrick Henry and the Titans run-game is still as intimidating as ever. Quarterback Marcus Mariota may have come have come on strong towards the end of the season but his 2018 campaign was a major letdown when compared to the lofty expectations he was given prior to the season. The receiver group is a healthy mixture of experience and young talent with Rishard Matthews, Corey Davis, Taywan Taylor, and Tajee Sharpe. Tight end Delanie Walker just signed an extension with the team and will likely continue to be one of the most consistent players at his position.The defense picked up some real talent in the recent draft with linebacker Rashaan Evans and EDGE rusher Harold Landry. They join an underrated defense that possesses several Pro Bowl players already in safety Kevin Byard and defensive tackle Jurell Casey, as well as recently-acquired cornerback Malcolm Butler. This unit can give any team their fair share of fits throughout a game and I believe they’ll also be the X-factor for this game.Both offenses have plenty of firepower. The Chargers will have the advantage through the air but I have to give the Titans the edge in the ground game. If the Bolts don’t reinforce the run defense, they could be in for a frustrating game.Their match-up during the 2016 season was a blast to watch as both teams lit up the scoreboard. The Chargers almost dropped the game in the final minutes but held on to a tight victory. For the 2018 edition, I predict a similar outcome. With both teams playing at a neutral site, I see Rivers and Co. continuing their hot-streak to start the season.2018 Record: 6-111/4 Week 9 @ Seattle SeahawksThe Seattle Seahawks are always a tough match-up, regardless if this isn’t the same team that found itself in two super bowls during a three-year span. As long as they have Russell Wilson, they have a shot at winning games. Wilson will likely be joined in the backfield by Rashaad Penny, the team’s recent first-round selection. Head Coach Pete Caroll has made it know he wants to get back to establishing the run and Penny is a big part of those plans. I don’t know how well that will all go as Seattle possesses one of the weakest offensive line groups in the entire NFL. If you watched any of their games from 2017, you likely saw Wilson running for his life on every play. The Hawks may have added a few pieces to correct this issue but not enough to stop the dynamic EDGE duo of the Chargers.On the other end, the Legion of Boom is gone, but linebacker Bobby Wagner still holds down the middle of the defense. One of the best at his position, he will continue to make everyone around him better. Earl Thomas is still with the team, for now. He is currently demanding an extension from the team and, if he doesn’t get it, he wants to be traded as soon as possible. If I had to place my money somewhere, he won’t be there by the time this game takes place.Wilson will make some plays, including a few of his signature “how did he do that”-type stuff, Baldwin will catch a number of passes and possibly score, but the Seahawks will simply be unable to stop the Chargers and their plethora of playmakers on either side of the ball. Lord have mercy on Wilson as he tries to run away from Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa while simultaneously attempting to complete a pass around Hayward, Williams, and King.2018 Record: 7-1Breaking down the Chargers offensive game plan against the Bills If there is any good news following the Los Angeles Chargers sloppy and humiliating loss to the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs, it’s that it’s squarely in the rear-view mirror – and thank God for that. After a full week of practice, and hopefully a whole lot of film study, they’re headed to Buffalo for a Sunday tilt with Josh Allen and the hapless Bills.As you probably know by now, the Bills lost to the Ravens by 44 points last week in a game that saw Sean McDermott’s defense allow the Ravens to convert 43% of their third downs while accumulating 24 first downs, 369 total yards, five passing plays of 20+ yards and 47points.While I believe the Bills defense represents a favorable matchup for the Los Angeles offense, that doesn’t mean the matchup doesn’t come without its challenges. With that in mind, let’s take a look at my offensive game plan for Sunday’s game against the Bills鈥?Control Kyle WilliamsIt’s pretty clear Sean McDermott is trying to build the Buffalo defense in much the same way his group was built in Carolina – up the middle. Veteran defensive tackles Kyle Williams and Star Lotulelei lead the unit http://www.authenticlosangeleschargers.com/cheap-caleb-sturgis-jersey , with rookie Harrison Phillips also playing a key role. While I think Lotulelei is nearing the end of the line as a productive interior player, Williams and Phillips were extremely disruptive against Baltimore and figure to pose stiff challenge for guards Dan Feeney and Michael Schofield.The interior of the Chargers offensive line must play better against Williams and Phillips than they did against the interior of the Kansas City defensive line. That will almost certainly mean double-teaming Williams when he’s on the field. While I’m sure they’ll try to handle Phillips one-on-one as often as possible, it wouldn’t shock me to see him get double-teamed when Williams is resting. It could be a long day if they allow this tandem to short-circuit Melvin Gordon between the tackles and prevent Philip Rivers stop climbing the pocket. Window dressingThe Buffalo defense is relatively young and extremely fast at the second and third levels. They cover a ton of ground and close quickly, but many of them are still learning to play at this level and can be manipulated with things like play-action, misdirection and motion. This is particularly true of 2018 first round pick Tremaine Edmunds, who is a freak athlete but is also short on instincts and can be baited out of position.That’s why I’d expect to see the Chargers use a lot of play-action on early downs in anticipation of the Bills selling out to stop the run. With Travis Benjamin banged up and likely to either be limited or inactive, I’d also expect to see more of Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler on the field together, with Ekeler in the slot and being put motion quite a bit in hopes of sucking Edmunds out of position. Edmunds wants to be aggressive and come down hill, so the Chargers may as well oblige him, invite him to come down hill, and throw behind him. Run off tackleWhile Kyle Williams and Harrison Phillips played well against Baltimore, I thought the Buffalo edge players struggled mightily against the run. The Ravens had success running off tackle, generating a great deal of push against a position group largely devoid of talent. And that group will be without former first round pick Shaq Lawson this week.The key here is running quick hitting, down hill running plays that take advantage of the aggressiveness of players like Trent Murphy and Jerry Hughes. This approach should wear down a thin group of edge players and neutralize the speed of Tremaine Edmunds and his fellow linebackers. But don’t get too caught up in slow-developing gadget plays like jet sweeps and toss plays, as they give those linebackers a chance to recover and chase plays down with their speed. Bunch formations, tight end screens and wheel routesBuffalo Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier played a lot of zone at the second level last week in an effort to protect his young linebackers. This allowed Edmunds and Matt Milano to read and react on balls thrown in their area, but it also created a number of blown assignments when the Ravens attacked them with bunch formations and/or had their backs and tight ends run wheel routes underneath the receivers. These plays didn’t always go for monster gains, but they did help move the chains on a regular basis.Look for the Chargers to add these wrinkles to their game plan. The Buffalo linebackers tend to give up on wheel routes when the backs and tight ends start out in the flat, and it’s too late for them to recover when the intended target turns up field. This feels like an especially good place to feature Austin Ekeler and it isn’t hard to see him turning a couple mid-range wheel routes into splash plays. Own the deep middleJoe Flacco and the Ravens really hurt the Bills secondary with a number of intermediate and deep in-breaking and post routes last week. The Buffalo corners couldn’t run with Willie Snead, John Brown and Michael Crabtree, and the safeties were often late to help. Flacco completed five passes for 20+ yards and may have left at least another six or seven on the field.Look for the Chargers to lull the Bills to sleep. Ken Whisenhunt should start out with the easy throws – slants to Keenan Allen, a few dig routes to get Mike and Tyrell Williams going, and the aforementioned tight end screens and wheel routes. As the defense begins to creep up and overreact to the short throws in their area, he’ll sneak in the deep post routes. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see Mike Williams make a meaningful contribution in this part of the game plan this week, as his skill set seems to align perfectly with the weaknesses of a depleted secondary.Regardless of what happened against Kansas City last week, I do not anticipate the Bills posing much of a challenge for the Bolts on Sunday. I just don’t think they’re very good on either side of the ball and I expect the visitors to exploit a young and under-manned defense. As long as they control Kyle Williams and Harrison Phillips, manipulate the young linebackers with window dressing, run off tackle, employ bunch formations and attack the deep middle, they should move the ball well and put this game away early. That’s my game plan, what’s yours? Let me have it in the comments section鈥