By most general metrics, the Los Angeles Chargers’ defense isn’t particularly daunting.
It ranks No. 24 overall in estimated points added per play and is relatively balanced against the pass (No. 23) and against the run (No. 20).
Brandon Staley’s defense, however, does two things really well: Win third down and get after opposing quarterbacks.
Those two, of course, end up being related when teams are forced to throw the ball on third down.
The Chargers are tied for third in the NFL with 41 sacks. Even in recent weeks without star defensive end Joey Bosa (on injured reserve with a foot injury), they’ve been able to generate heat. L.A. had two sacks against Baltimore on Nov. 27 and five last week in a 6-0 shutout win against New England.
The driving force: Who else but veteran Khalil Mack. The 32-year-old is putting together one of the most productive years of his storied career, racking up 15 sacks through the Chargers’ first 12 games. He’s at 99.5 for his career, so the next one will tip the register into triple digits.
The Broncos will have a big task on their hands if they’re to keep him from hitting the milestone Sunday.
“Not that he ever wasn’t playing at a high level, but he’s been one of the most historically great defensive football players in our game, and he’s acting like it and showing it this year again,” Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey said Friday. “He leads the league in sacks, he’s up there in pressures as well. It all starts with him. It’s a good challenge, but they rush as a good front.”
Mack is indeed putting forth a vintage season. He racked up six sacks in a 24-17 win over Las Vegas on Oct. 1. He’s got multiple sacks in each of the Chargers’ past three games and eight in the team’s past five.
“Over the years, consistently, he has been one of those players,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “His coach (at the University of Buffalo) I know really well. I worked for Lou Tepper. Lou raved about him right when he came out.
“He’s got great technique. He’s strong, and he plays with good energy and effort. He’s special.”
The Broncos, led by left tackle Garett Bolles, did admirable work two weeks ago against Cleveland’s Myles Garrett. But they struggled mightily against Houston’s combination of Will Anderson Jr. and Jonathan Greenard last week.
Against Garrett in particular, the Broncos aimed to keep him off balance by running read-based run plays at him and mixing up their looks. A similar plan against Mack would not be a surprise.
“You don’t want to put a whole game plan around him and we believe in our tackles,” Denver center Lloyd Cushenberry said. “There’s going to be times where they’re going to be one-on-one with him, but also times when they have help. … He’s a great player. He’s been playing out of his mind, but I think we’ll be ready for him.”
Mack is already tied for his career best in sacks and is one off his best mark with five forced fumbles. Not bad considering he’s won Defensive Player of the Year (2016), been a first-team All-Pro three times and been elected to seven Pro Bowls.
McGlinchey’s seen a lot of it, sharing a conference with Mack for four years when Mack played in Chicago and McGlinchey in San Francisco.
“Every Sunday you kind of do the State of the Union or state of the league: who did what, who won, who played well,” he said. “Certainly as an offensive lineman you know who’s up at the top of the league in pressures and sacks just because you watch a lot of film. You watch the team that you’re playing and then whoever they’re playing. At this point, that’s like 14 teams.
“You have a pretty good idea of who’s having success and who’s not.”
Mack is having a lot of success even in a rough year so far for the Chargers. That’s where the challenge starts Sunday for Denver’s offensive front.
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