0-3 and searching for answers, the Chargers need more from Omarion Hampton. Why their second-year RB is the key to fixing McDaniel's offense.
Three weeks into the season, the Los Angeles Chargers don't have a win.
They lost at home to Arizona, at home to Las Vegas, and then in Buffalo, and the results all followed the same pattern: early promise, stalled drives, and a fourth quarter that slipped away.
There's plenty of blame to go around in Los Angeles, from Justin Herbert to Mike McDaniel. But if this season is going to be saved, it probably runs through the 23-year-old running back wearing No. 8.
New System
McDaniel's offense starts with outside zone runs that pull a defense sideways, letting the back pick a crease and go north. The front office reshaped the roster to fit it, even bringing in guard Cole Strange, who knew the system from Miami.
So far, the engine is sputtering. Hampton has averaged 3.9 yards per carry through three games, with 193 yards and two scores.
Those are the numbers of a committee back, not a first-round pick who's supposed to anchor a contender's offense.
The bigger problem is what happens when he does get going. Hampton's best day came against the Raiders, when he carried 23 times for 94 yards and found the end zone. It should have been the game that turned his season around.
Instead, he lost a fumble in that one, just like he did in the opener. The Chargers have put the ball on the turf at a historic rate this season, and their lead back has been part of the problem rather than the solution.
Then came Buffalo, which might be the most uncomfortable data point of all. Hampton outcarried Keaton Mitchell by seven and outgained him by just four yards.
Mitchell is a 191-pound change-of-pace option, not a threat to take over the backfield. But when the backup matches your production with fewer touches, people start asking questions, and those questions get louder every week the team stays winless.
Going Forward
This matters well beyond Hampton's stat line. Herbert took 54 sacks last season, the most of his career, and the offense around him still looks shaky in protection. The best thing the Chargers can do for their quarterback is keep him out of third-and-8.
That starts with four- and five-yard runs on first down, the kind of plays that make defenses respect play-action and let Herbert work with a clean pocket.
Next up is a trip to Seattle, where the Chargers are trying to avoid a 0-4 hole that very few teams ever climb out of.
There won't be a better time for Hampton to show why Los Angeles spent the 22nd overall pick on him.
The Chargers aren't asking him to be a star; they are asking Hampton to hold onto the football, win the yards that are there, and give this offense something steady to build on.
Right now, that would be enough to change several offensive issues.
