The Los Angeles Chargers certainly have given you plenty of reasons to worry about their passing game since Jim Harbaugh took over. Moving on from Austin Ekeler, Mike Williams, AND Keenan Allen?! Drafting an offensive lineman over Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze. And there is the fact that Harbaugh’s offenses have typically ranked in the bottom five in the league in passing attempts.
But Eric Endholm of NFL.com doesn’t think these reasons are worth panicking over. In his recent article, 5 NFL offseason storylines that are overblown, he lays out his reasons not to worry;
1. Efficiency Over All
“With Justin Herbert at QB, the Chargers won’t suddenly stop throwing the ball. There might be fewer attempts per game, but in a Harbaugh offense, you can expect an emphasis on efficiency in the passing attack.
Harbaugh coached the 49ers from 2011 to 2014, and they ranked no higher than 29th in the NFL in pass attempts and no lower than ninth in rushing attempts in any of his four seasons at the helm. That can partially be attributed to the unusual system San Francisco ran with QBs Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick. But the Niners also posted the lowest INT total in three of those seasons and twice ranked in the top 10 in yards per pass attempt.”
2. Jim Harbaugh Doesn’t Rely Solely on His Receivers
“Harbaugh’s imprint, even with limited cap room, was clear. He beefed up the offensive line and added tight ends and backs. The Chargers will use six-plus offensive linemen and unbalanced formations. They’ll run the ball sometimes on third-and-6. This coach won’t change his stripes completely.”
3. Los Angeles Chargers ACTUALLY Have Good WRs
“They’ve added seven wideouts since the draft, and I think three — Ladd McConkey, DJ Chark and Brenden Rice — will earn roles on this team. They also have two potential alphas (at least, alphas for this team) in Josh Palmer and Quentin Johnston on board. Palmer could lead this group in targets (like he did in 2022 with 107), as could McConkey in a crazy scenario, but don’t forget what Johnston did to Harbaugh’s Wolverines in the Fiesta Bowl a few years ago (6-163-1 receiving).”
4. AFC West Cornerbacks Are Weak
“Now that L’Jarius Sneed out of the division, I don’t think the AFC West is exactly loaded with coverage studs. Trent McDuffie is great for the Chiefs, and Denver’s Patrick Surtain II is a top-shelf corner. But after that? The Chargers will have plenty of chances to win one-on-one matchups in divisional games, and their schedule on the whole is not that daunting.”