The Los Angeles Chargers' bye week comes late in the season, allowing for reflection for a season that has really told the majority of its story. With this reflection, who are some Chargers who really need to "up their game" going into their Week 13 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders?
Chargers who need step up after the bye
LB Daiyan Henley
Daiyan Henley's 2025 season has been a season from the underworld. It is really hard to blame Henley for his struggles this season due to all of the extremely unfortunate life circumstances he has been through this season.
However, the NFL is a results-based league, and Henley has not been producing like we have seen beforehand. Henley, out of all qualifying linebackers ranks in the bottom third of nearly every major category.
After the bye week, it should be the focus of defensive coordinator Jesse Minter to revitalize his star LB by giving him opportunities for splash plays. Plays that will build his confidence.
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OG Mekhi Becton
Mekhi Becton is currently a favorable cut candidate going into this offseason due to poor performance in recent weeks, coupled with his inability to stay healthy.
Becton has played 419 out of 737 possible snaps, 56.9 percent of the team's offensive snaps. Not good for an offensive line already going through major attrition and discontinuity.
If Becton were to get back on track to his Week 1-3 play, his health and confidence needs to build back up. The bye week is hopefully enough to allow the former first-round pick to bounce back from a harsh last few months.
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OC Greg Roman
While players are at the top of the list in "needs to improve" lists, the key to the success of a majority of offensive players comes from the coaching staff and the play caller. In this case, that would be Greg Roman.
As it has been well-documented, the Chargers offensive line and backfield have been extremely banged up, to the point of concern for Justin Herbert's health. This is unacceptable and should have sparked a notion for change in play-calling philosophy.
That has happened in spurts, with Roman calling quick, easy concepts to allow for Herbert to take fewer hits, get in a rhythm, and open up the run game. Unfortunately, these "spurts" are so short-lived that they may be a product of coincidence, then cohesive offensive change to help their star QB stay upright during this playoff implicating stretch of the NFL season.
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