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In a solid, but narrow win against the Falcons on the road, the Chargers’ snap count remained roughly the same. There were a few changes in playtime percentages on both sides of the ball, but that will change next week because of the injuries from this game.
Chargers’ Offense:
| Pos. | Name | W6 Snaps | "% of Total W6" | W7 Snaps | % of Total W7 Snaps | WoW % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Orlando Franklin | 66 | 100% | 75 | 100% | 0% |
| G | D.J. Fluker | 66 | 100% | 75 | 100% | 0% |
| QB | Philip Rivers | 66 | 100% | 75 | 100% | 0% |
| T | King Dunlap | 66 | 100% | 75 | 100% | 0% |
| C | Matt Slauson | 66 | 100% | 75 | 100% | 0% |
| T | Joe Barksdale | 65 | 98% | 75 | 100% | 2% |
| WR | Dontrelle Inman | 60 | 91% | 66 | 88% | -3% |
| WR | Tyrell Wiliams | 48 | 73% | 66 | 88% | 15% |
| RB | Melvin Gordon | 52 | 79% | 65 | 87% | 8% |
| TE | Hunter Henry | 45 | 68% | 47 | 63% | -5% |
| WR | Travis Benjamin | 25 | 38% | 46 | 61% | 23% |
| TE | Antonio Gates | 31 | 47% | 38 | 51% | 4% |
| TE | Sean McGrath | 37 | 56% | 24 | 32% | -24% |
| WR | Griff Whalen | 9 | 5% | 9 | 12% | 7% |
| RB | Dexter McCluster | 9 | 14% | 7 | 9% | -5% |
| FB | Derek Watt | 16 | 24% | 5 | 7% | -17% |
| RB | Kenneth Farrow | 2 | 3% | 2 | 3% | 0% |
| T | Chris Hairston | 2 | 3% | 0 | 0% | -3% |
| G | Kenny Wiggins | 1 | 2% | 0 | 0% | -2% |
The Chargers’ offense, for the most part, was consistent with last week’s playing time percentage. This week we saw a heavy dosage of Tyrell Williams, Dontrelle Inman, and Melvin Gordon. These three offensive weapons topped the snap count chart and for good reason after the way MGIII and Williams played. Look for the development of the Philip Rivers, Williams connection.
A primary offensive weapon that will see decreased playing time is Hunter Henry. In the game, we saw Henry take a hit that seemed to shake him up a bit. I really wasn’t sure what derailed his play, but after the concussion report came out it all made sense. However severe it was at the time, it affected his play and he saw a decline in playing time. This is a big blow to the Chargers in a key game against the Broncos in Week 8. Antonio Gates and the rest of the TE core will have to step up and fill in for Henry to the best of their abilities.
The group I have admittedly left out of most of my snap counts is the offensive line. The guys up front have been atop of the snap count for the most part, when healthy, and have been reliable lately. Matt Slauson has been a key cog in the offense and a big contributor week in and week out.
Chargers’ Defense:
| Pos. | Name | W6 Snaps | "% of Total W6" | W7 Snaps | % of Total W7 Snaps | WoW % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FS | Dwight Lowery | 73 | 100% | 65 | 100% | 0% |
| LB | Jatavis Brown | 73 | 100% | 65 | 100% | 0% |
| CB | Casey Hayward | 73 | 100% | 63 | 97% | -3% |
| LB | Melvin Ingram | 66 | 90% | 63 | 97% | 7% |
| CB | Steve Williams | 71 | 97% | 50 | 77% | -20% |
| DT | Corey Liuget | 43 | 59% | 50 | 77% | 18% |
| DE | Joey Bosa | 54 | 74% | 47 | 72% | -2% |
| FS | Dexter McCoil | 18 | 35% | 42 | 65% | 30% |
| NT | Brandon Mebane | 22 | 30% | 39 | 60% | 30% |
| DT | Tenny Palepoi | 43 | 59% | 35 | 54% | -5% |
| LB | Denzel Perryman | 23 | 32% | 34 | 52% | 20% |
| LB | Kyle Emanuel | 19 | 26% | 32 | 26% | 0% |
| CB | Craig Mager | 73 | 100% | 30 | 46% | -54% |
| SS | Adrian Phillips | 68 | 93% | 27 | 42% | -51% |
| LB | Korey Toomer | 32 | 44% | 26 | 40% | -4% |
| NT | Damion Square | 16 | 22% | 17 | 26% | 4% |
| LB | Tourek Williams | 4 | 5% | 7 | 11% | 6% |
| DT | Caruan Reid | 22 | 30% | 2 | 3% | -27% |
| LB | Chris Landrum | 0 | 0% | 2 | 3% | 3% |
| FS | Darrell Stuckey | 1 | 1% | 1 | 2% | 1% |
| LB | Joshua Perry | 0 | 0% | 1 | 2% | 2% |
| LB | Jerry Attaochu | 9 | 12% | 0 | 0% | -12% |
| CB | Trevor Williams | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0% |
Dwight Lowery remains the king of the hill in playing time; if anything he’s been reliably healthy throughout the season so far. The Chargers’ defense is trying to find an identity after the string of injuries and wave of additional players. The Chargers’ defensive front has been shaping up and showing some promise going forward. I don’t want to say that the addition of Joey Bosa changed the defense, but his presence has changed the atmosphere and identity of the defense. The defensive front has been disruptive and effective, allowing Denzel Perryman and crew to create turnovers.
The somewhat continuous flow of additional defensive backs has been constant throughout the season and has impacted the playtime percentage each week. Dexter McCoil saw a significant change in playing time compared to last week. Look for a steady amount of playing time by the Chargers’ defensive rookies and how Caraun Reid’s injury will affect the snap counts in Week 8.
Next week we will break down the Chargers’ playtime distribution against the Denver Broncos at Mile High.