The Chargers are looking to take care of business against the Seahawks and pick up their four-straight win.
Here are five storylines to watch for Sunday’s matchup.
Can J.C. bounce back?
After being benched in the second half of the victory over the Broncos in favor of Michael Davis, J.C. Jackson will resume his starting duties. Through six games, Jackson has allowed 17 catches on 23 targets for 331 yards (19.5 yards per reception) and a passer rating of 155.3 when targeted.
Jackson has struggled to adapt to the nuances of Brandon Staley’s scheme, where he’s played more zone coverage than ever after solely playing and thriving as a press-man corner while he was with the Patriots.
“We’re going to make sure that we stay patient with him because he has all of the tools that we’re looking for,” Staley said on Jackson. “I have to do a better job of coaching him, getting him in a comfort zone.”
Jackson won’t have an easy task as he will draw the dynamic duo of Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. Lockett has 34 catches for 423 yards, while Metcalf has 30 catches for 406 yards. Both players are in the top seven in receiving yards in the NFC.
Revenge game
Uchenna Nwosu returns to Los Angeles, where he played his college ball at USC and the first four seasons of his professional career with the Chargers. The Seahawks picked up Nwosu after his best season, with a career-high 40 tackles, 30 pressures, eight tackles for loss, and five sacks.
The 27-year-old Nwosu has carried his dominant play to Seattle, where he holds team-highs in sacks (three) and quarterback hits (eight) to go along with 19 pressures, 24 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and three passes defended.
Isaiah Spiller’s first regular-season action
The Chargers placed Joshua Kelley, who suffered a sprained MCL, on the injured reserve. The loss of Kelley is big, as he had come on as the No. 2 running back by averaging 4.5 yards per carry this season.
In place of Kelley will be Spiller, the team’s fourth-round pick, who joins Austin Ekeler and Sony Michel as the active backs. This is Spiller’s first game as he works his way back from an ankle injury.
Before getting hurt, Spiller showed flashes in training camp, not just as a runner but as a pass-catcher. With Michel averaging just 2.8 YPC, this will be a good opportunity for the former Texas A&M product to slowly take touches from him.
Wide receiver situation
The Chargers will be without Joshua Palmer, who is out with a concussion. So now we wait and see if Keenan Allen will be active. Allen has slowly worked his way back after sustaining a hamstring injury that kept him out of the past five games. He is a game-time decision.
Currently, there are four active wide receivers: Mike Williams, DeAndre Carter, Jason Moore and Michael Bandy. Bandy was signed to the active roster on Saturday. He has been money in limited action, catching three passes on four targets for 53 yards (17.7 yards per reception).
Even after stifling Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray in Week 6, the Seahawks are 26th in pass-defense DVOA and 30th in defensive EPA per dropback. Therefore, Justin Herbert and company could still have success, even if Allen is held out of the action.
Making plays in the run game
The Seahawks’ offense will predominantly be predicated around Geno Smith, who leads the NFL with a 73.4% completion rate and ranks fourth in QBR (68.3). However, their rookie running back, Kenneth Walker, must also be accounted for.
Walker has rushed 44 times for 243 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. But what’s stood out most about Walker is the ability to make defenders miss. Walker has forced 22 missed tackles, which is tied for the most among NFC running backs.
Most of Walker’s damage has come on the outside, which is where the Chargers have allowed big carries this season; see Jaguars’ James Robinson, Texans’ Dameon Pierce, and Browns’ Nick Chubb.
Therefore, firm edges need to be set, second and third-level defenders need to rally to the football, and most importantly, Walker must be wrapped up at all times, considering open-field tackling has been an issue for the Bolts this season. They are bottom-10 in the league with 31 missed tackles.
