Where do the Chargers go from here? They’ve got some talent, but there also needs to be some changes.
They need to add some speed and playmaking at wide receiver, I think. Keenan Allen is a reliable pro, but he’s not a receiver who scares anyone; he’s not fast enough to get downfield. He’ll also be 31 in April. Allen was hardly a factor in last night’s game.
Mike Williams creates mismatches with his size, but he’s also not a burner. Nor is their third guy, Joshua Palmer.
They could also use a second running back. Austin Ekeler is a neat weapon, but he’s more of a deluxe third-down back than a full-time kind of player. The offense might be better if they had another back who could pick up more of the running duties.
Ekeler is small, and he wasn’t much of a factor as a runner this year. He ran for 173 yards in a game at Cleveland early in the year, but he otherwise averaged only 49 rushing yards per game. He carried 13 times for 35 yards in the playoff loss last night.
With the way the Chargers have called plays, Ekeler has scored lots of touchdowns. Including the playoffs, he’s scored 20 in each of the last two years. But he hasn’t made a big impact as a runner in general – between the 20s.
With the numbers in front of me, I notice that Ekeler is one of only five backs since the merger who has run for 10-plus touchdowns two years in a row without running for 1,000 yards in either of those seasons. Johnny Hector and Pete Johnson did in the ’80s. Corey Dillon and Marion Barber did it almost 20 years ago. And now Ekeler.
That high-scoring tendency could disappear in a hurry, with the possibility the Chargers either bring in another back or re-work their offense. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi didn’t have a great year.
| DOUBLE-DIGIT TOUCHDOWNS WITH UNDER 1,000 YARDS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Att | Yards | Avg | TD |
| 2001 | Mike Alstott, T.B. | 165 | 680 | 4.1 | 10 |
| 2002 | Moe Williams, Min. | 84 | 414 | 4.9 | 11 |
| 2003 | T.J. Duckett, Atl. | 197 | 779 | 4.0 | 11 |
| 2003 | Marshall Faulk, St.L. | 209 | 818 | 3.9 | 10 |
| 2004 | Priest Holmes, K.C. | 196 | 892 | 4.6 | 14 |
| 2004 | Jerome Bettis, Pitt. | 250 | 941 | 3.8 | 13 |
| 2005 | Stephen Davis, Car. | 180 | 549 | 3.1 | 12 |
| 2006 | Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac. | 166 | 941 | 5.7 | 13 |
| 2005 | • Corey Dillon, N.E. | 209 | 733 | 3.5 | 12 |
| 2006 | • Corey Dillon, N.E. | 199 | 812 | 4.1 | 13 |
| 2006 | • Marion Barber, Dall. | 135 | 654 | 4.8 | 14 |
| 2007 | • Marion Barber, Dall. | 204 | 975 | 4.8 | 10 |
| 2007 | Earnest Graham, T.B. | 222 | 898 | 4.1 | 10 |
| 2008 | Tim Hightower, Ariz. | 143 | 399 | 2.8 | 10 |
| 2008 | Ronnie Brown, Mia. | 214 | 916 | 4.3 | 10 |
| 2008 | Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac. | 197 | 824 | 4.2 | 12 |
| 2008 | LeRon McClain, Balt. | 232 | 902 | 3.9 | 10 |
| 2008 | LenDale White, Ten. | 200 | 773 | 3.9 | 15 |
| 2008 | Jonathan Stewart, Car. | 184 | 836 | 4.5 | 10 |
| 2009 | Willis McGahee, Balt. | 109 | 544 | 5.0 | 12 |
| 2009 | Michael Turner, Atl. | 178 | 871 | 4.9 | 10 |
| 2009 | LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D. | 223 | 730 | 3.3 | 12 |
| 2009 | Joseph Addai, Ind. | 219 | 828 | 3.8 | 10 |
| 2010 | Mike Tolbert, S.D. | 182 | 735 | 4.0 | 11 |
| 2011 | BenJarvus Green-Ellis, N.E. | 181 | 667 | 3.7 | 11 |
| 2011 | Adrian Peterson, Min. | 208 | 970 | 4.7 | 12 |
| 2012 | Trent Richardson, Cle. | 267 | 950 | 3.6 | 11 |
| 2012 | Michael Turner, Atl. | 222 | 800 | 3.6 | 10 |
| 2015 | Jeremy Hill, Cin. | 223 | 794 | 3.6 | 11 |
| 2015 | DeAngelo Williams, Pitt. | 200 | 907 | 4.5 | 11 |
| 2016 | Melvin Gordon, S.D. | 254 | 997 | 3.9 | 10 |
| 2016 | Latavius Murray, Oak. | 195 | 788 | 4.0 | 12 |
| 2018 | Melvin Gordon, LAC | 175 | 885 | 5.1 | 10 |
| 2018 | James Conner, Pitt. | 215 | 973 | 4.5 | 12 |
| 2018 | Alvin Kamara, N.O. | 194 | 883 | 4.6 | 14 |
| 2019 | Todd Gurley, LAR | 223 | 857 | 3.8 | 12 |
| 2020 | Kenyan Drake, Ariz. | 239 | 955 | 4.0 | 10 |
| 2020 | Antonio Gibson, Was. | 170 | 795 | 4.7 | 11 |
| 2020 | Alvin Kamara, N.O. | 187 | 932 | 5.0 | 16 |
| 2021 | James Conner, Ariz. | 202 | 752 | 3.7 | 15 |
| 2021 | Derrick Henry, Ten. | 219 | 937 | 4.3 | 10 |
| 2021 | Damien Harris, N.E. | 202 | 929 | 4.6 | 15 |
| 2021 | Austin Ekeler, LAC | 204 | 915 | 4.5 | 13 |
| 2021 | Austin Ekeler, LAC | 206 | 911 | 4.4 | 12 |
—Ian Allan