Best and worst PFF grades for the Chargers compared to the Chiefs

Last week against the Steelers was a difficult week for the offense. This week wasn’t much different.

Thanks to two turnovers by the Chiefs, the Chargers quickly scored ten points in the first quarter. Over and beyond? Nothing. Cameron Dicker missed a 55-yard field goal wide right (that would have been 50 if there hadn’t been a penalty on the offensive line) and then failed a fourth-and-short inside the five-yard line the Chiefs.

Unsurprisingly, the defense was called into action again. The pass rush harassed Patrick Mahomes all day and the secondary held tight enough outside of a 54-yard bomb on a busted coverage to rookie Xavier Worthy. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough as the Chiefs scored 17 goals in the final 45 minutes of regulation time.

The Chargers now have a bye in Week 5 so they can lick their many wounds before an away date with the Broncos.

Let’s move on and see if there’s anything notable that the team might notice.

attack

Best (at least 20 snapshots played)

WR Ladd McConkey – 81.9
TE Will Dissly – 73.8
C Bradley Bozeman – 61.8
WR Joshua Palmer – 60.2
OG Zion Johnson – 59.0

McConkey had his best game as a pro and it coincided with his highest game grade from Pro Football Focus.

Dissly had a solid performance, becoming the team’s second-best run blocker at 65.7.

After being the team’s worst starting offensive lineman for three weeks, Bozeman was the best this week. He recorded the team’s best pass-blocking grade at 70.3.

Worst

OG Sam Mustipher – 37.1
TE Hayden Hurst – 43.7
RB JK Dobbins – 49.2
OG/T Jamaree Salyer – 50.0
OG/T Trey Pipkins – 53.7

This shouldn’t surprise anyone. Mustipher was the Chargers’ worst-rated player on offense against the Chiefs, with an abysmal 37.1 rating. His pass-blocking grade of 21.5 was somehow only the second-worst mark in the field, while his run-blocking grade was the worst among the starting five.

Hurst recorded the worst run block grade for the Chargers at 33.6 and the worst receiving grade for the Chargers at 52.7.

Salyer and Pipkins were both solid at run blocking but struggled as a passer. They achieved passing block grades of 50.8 and 60.2 respectively.

defense

Preferably

EDGE Khalil Mack – 85.3
EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu – 85.1
DT Poona Ford – 77.6
CB Kristian Fulton – 72.8
S Elijah Molden – 68.4

The pass rush has been the best thing for the Chargers and it’s no surprise that both Mack and Tuli top all of the Chargers’ grades. Tuli was just 0.01 away from achieving an elite run defense grade (89.9).

Ford also had a phenomenal game, continuing his strong start to his first year with the Chargers. He was strong in both run defense (74.9) and as a pass rusher (74.5).

Fulton had the team’s highest coverage grade at 70.0 while also being fourth on the team in tackle grade (76.5). Molden also showed a nice recovery performance. He led the Chargers with an outstanding tackling grade of 87.3.

Worst

S Alohi Gilman – 9/30
LB Denzel Perryman – 36.6
LB Daiyan Henley – 49.4
DT Otito Ogbonnia – 50.1
DT Morgan Fox – 56.3

Gilman had a tough time on Sunday. His overall grade of 30.9 was the worst among all Chargers players on both sides of the ball. His grade was primarily lowered by a poor coverage grade (30.8), which was attributed to him being responsible for the failed coverage on Xavier Worthy’s touchdown.

Perryman struggled in coverage as Travis Kelce took over the middle of the defense. He finished with a score of 41.7 in this area.

Ogbonnia struggled to bring down ball carriers as he had the team’s lowest tackling grade at 28.4.