Welcome back to the Chargers Mailbag!
We'll be running one of these every week during the regular season, so send in submissions for the Mailbag here on Twitter or by sending me an email.
Off we go...
An interesting question here to start us off...
Is the AFC West still in play for the Chargers entering Week 7? Of course.
The Bolts currently sit at 3-2 and are two games behind the Chiefs, who are 5-0 and looking for yet another division title.
If the Chargers can go on a run here, the division will remain in play, especially if the Bolts can get a Week 14 win in Kansas City to split the season series.
However, with that said, it's a safe bet that Jim Harbaugh's squad is hardly focused on that achievement right now.
But, as we touched on in last week's Mailbag, the Chargers have a chance to go on a bit of a winning streak here if they stay focused and play clean and complementary football in all three phases.
Most coaches around the league will tell you they don't really look at the standings until mid-November or so. If we get to that point and the Chargers have kept pace with the Chiefs, then sure, the division race will be a conversation worth having.
Until then, however, you know Harbaugh is going to keep his squad narrowly focused on the task at hand, which is one play at a time, one practice at a time and one game at a time.
Do that and we'll see where the chips have fallen once we make it to Thanksgiving or so.
What changed with the offense in the Broncos game? Herbert was definitely throwing the ball more than he had been (Julian via email)
A few weeks ago, Chargers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman was asked about the ups and downs from his unit.
Roman offered a detailed answer as to why the offense had been a tad inconsistent and added that there were plenty of plays the Chargers hadn't even gotten to in their playbook yet.
Injuries were certainly a noticeable culprit there, especially ones to Justin Herbert, Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. So, too, were pre-snap penalties that were putting the Bolts in second and third-and-long situations.
So it's no surprise that the Bolts offense was hyper efficient in Denver as A) players got healthier over the bye week and B) the offense didn't commit a single pre-snap penalty ... which leads to C) a strong mark of 61.1 percent (11 for 18) on third downs.
And yes, Roman definitely allowed Herbert to throw the ball more, but that was likely because the Chargers could get to more pass concepts in their playbook that involved the quarterback getting on the move a bit, something Herbert was limited at when his high ankle sprain was at its worst.
That said, the Chargers still managed to run for 128 yards and showed a good balance on offense.
When Harbaugh and Roman arrived here, some of the national perception seemed to be that they wanted to run the ball every play and take the ball out of Herbert's hands. That is not the case.
Instead, it's moreso what we saw Sunday, which is a solid ground game coupled with an elite quarterback who can make damn near any throw on the field.
I, for one, am excited about the potential of where this Chargers offense can go. Keep in mind that it's only Week 7, and that the unit is still trying to find a rhythm for all four quarters.
But if the offense can keep progressing and the defense keeps playing lights out, the Chargers are going to be a tough team to play against down the stretch.
We're now 19 days away from the 2024 NFL trade deadline, which ends at 1 p.m. (PT) on November 5.
Will the Bolts make a move before then? It remains to be seen.
If there's one thing we've learned about Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz over the past few months, it's that he isn't afraid to find ways to help the roster.
Hortiz traded for Elijah Molden, which has been a boon for the Bolts so far. He traded for quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who is a more-than-capable backup. And he signed defensive tackle Teair Tart off the street to help boost a run defense that is among the league's best.
If Hortiz and the Bolts do make a move, perhaps it is for more depth and not for a starting-caliber player. Remember, Hortiz is a big fan of draft picks and might not want to give up a high pick in the middle of the season.
Plus, as the Chargers 2024 rookie class is showing us right now, Hortiz and his staff appear to have nailed their first draft class.
As my alter ego Eric mentioned above, cornerback and wide receiver could be positions to watch. But again, it's likely those positions are addressed with depth rather than a high-priced player.
The Chargers got good news Wednesday when Chark returned to practice as the Bolts opened his 21-day practice window.
As a refresher, this means Chark can be added to the 53-man roster at any time but that move must be made in the next three weeks. If Chark is not added to the active roster in that timespan, he will miss the remainder of the season.
I caught up with Chark after Wednesday's practice and it was evident he was genuinely excited to get back on the practice field.
That story can be found here, but a quote he had stuck out to me. Everyone is wondering how he's going to impact the offense, which is a fair thought.
But Chark said Wednesday that he isn't focused much on his specific role and simply wats to have fun and help the team win if/when he does get the chance to play.
"Bringing some energy," Chark said. "I've developed a great relationship with these guys and just excited to play with them again.
"It was fun in camp," Chark added. "So, whatever I can bring, make some plays, have some fun and win some games with them."
That perspective, to me, is important. It was clear Chark is ready to simply have fun playing football again.
