The Chargers Burning Question as a New Season Approaches

It's make-or-break time for the Bolts this year!

As the new NFL season gets fully going this weekend, the Los Angeles Chargers come in with a few questions. They should once again have one of the best offenses in the NFL, led by star quarterback Justin Herbert, but their defense will be the aspect of the team that determines how far they go.

The Bolts have a ton of talent on their defense, but a mixture of inconsistent play and injuries have hurt them in recent years. They have to be able to get stops when it matters throughout the course of the season. And they will be playing some tough competition this season.

Especially early on, the Chargers are going to see how their defense stacks up. Within the first six weeks of the season, they are scheduled to face the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, and Minnesota Vikings. 

You can also add in the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders, who can cause different challenges themselves.

NFL writer Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report listed something to watch for over the season for each NFL team. The Chargers defense doing their part this season was his selection for the team.

“There's little doubt that Justin Herbert and the offense should be able to take another step forward under the tutelage of new coordinator Kellen Moore, but what about a defense that ranked 12th-last in points allowed in 2022 and didn't change much this offseason? That unit will be tested early against the Dolphins, Cowboys and Chiefs and may need to adjust if it can't hold up.”

^{Per Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report}

Having guys like Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, Derwin James, and J.C. Jackson is great, but the games aren’t won on paper. They need to go out and execute the game plan that is put into place. LA has the capability to be a great defensive unit, but they just haven’t been able to show it consistently.

2023 will be a major year for the Bolts, and we will learn about what they are made of. They need to find success on the field this year; otherwise, it will likely cause some major ramifications throughout the organization.