B/R predicts pair of Chargers to finish top-two in key stat categories
Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton predicted NFL stat leaders for the 2021 regular season, and the Chargers were represented by two players, one on each side of the ball.
Offensively, Moton believes that running back Austin Ekeler will be runner-up to Saints RB Alvin Kamara in yards from scrimmage, finishing with 1,980 total yards.
Ekeler’s career-high in yards from scrimmage currently sits at 1,550, which came back in 2018.
Now heading into his fifth season in this league, Ekeler is in a great position to shatter his personal best and come close, if not, accomplish Moton’s prediction.
With new offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi calling the shots, he has historically gotten his running backs involved more than any other coach in the league.
Kamara, who Lombardi heavily utilized when he was with the Saints, recorded at least 1,500 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns three times in his first four seasons.
Ekeler has a very similar skill set to Kamara, considering the two are ultra-refined runners and deadly pass-catchers, both out of the backfield and in the slot. Therefore, he could be in for a monstrous year.
On the other side of the side, Moton is predicting edge defender Joey Bosa to finish second in sacks to Browns’ Myles Garrett, seeing him amass 16 in 2021.
Last season, the Rams led the league in sacks with 53 under Brandon Staley while the Chargers had nearly half of that. The most sacks that Bosa had in a single season was back in 2017 when he posted 12.5.
When you combine his high pass-rush win rate with Staley’s philosophy of putting his players in position to win, Bosa could post a career-high and possibly top the current franchise record of 17 sacks.
