Los Angeles Chargers Daily Links: Who is responsible for the offense’s struggles?

5 key things to know about Chargers’ Week 6 battle with Steelers - Gavino Borquez
The Steelers have the fourth-worst running game in the NFL. Through the first five week, Pittsburgh is averaging 67 rushing yards per game. After a stellar campaign in 2018, running back James Connor is only averaging 38.8 yards per game. The Chargers run defense, which has been lackluster, could be set up for a big performance when factoring in their production to this point.

Philip Rivers' wingman -- offensive line coach Pat Meyer - Eric D. Williams
"I never forget meeting him for the first time," Rivers said. "Shoot, I had just turned 18. He was probably 28 -- I don't know -- he was under 30. I met him walking up the stairs, and he was walking down [to the weight room]. And I remember the head strength coach, Todd Stroud, introduced him to me. We laugh about it now, but Todd introduced him to me and said, 'This is our true-freshman quarterback.'"

NFL contenders gone wrong: Barnwell ranks the six top playoff fallers - Bill Barnwell
The issue isn't getting to the quarterback. The Chargers are forcing pressure about as frequently as they did last season -- 29.4% of the time in 2018 and 29.9% of the time this season, with similar blitz rates -- but the results are different in the secondary. Here's their passer rating allowed between 2018 and 2019, split out by whether they were able to pressure the passer. Across the board, they're worse:

Re-drafting the top 10 picks of the 2017 NFL draft: Where will Mahomes, Watson land? - Kevin Seifert (insider)
In retrospect, there are a number of receivers who would have made better choices. One is Cooper Kupp, a Rams third-round pick who has turned into a reliable big-play threat for Goff. But I went with Golladay, who more closely fits what the Chargers were seeking in Williams -- and he has nearly twice as many receptions for the Detroit Lions after they selected him 96th in 2017.

Tom Telesco to blame for Chargers offensive struggles - Mark Liedahl
The Chargers’ organization has done a terrible job of protecting Rivers and surrounding him with an even average offensive line. Pro Football Focus graded the Chargers 2018 offensive line 29th out of 32. That 2018 offensive line was the same group that the 2019 Chargers intended to take the field for the 2019 season.

Chargers: How they can handle the Steelers Week 6 - Tyler Schoon
The Chargers need to focus on doing what is best for the team during the four quarters they are scheduled to play. Last week, Anthony Lynn wanted to ease Gordon into action; instead, he gave No. 25 16 total touches. It’s fine if the team wants him to be the starting running back, and it didn’t appear to interfere with Austin Ekeler’s total touches, but using Gordon for the sake of either proving he’s the lead back or justifying retaining him could lead to a loss. Last Sunday, Gordon’s touches resulted in 2.6 yards per carry and 1.8 yards per reception.

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