One Key Takeaway From the Chargers Latest Injury Report

The Los Angeles Chargers are now a few days away from matching up with the Buffalo Bills on the road in Week 3, and with that said, the Chargers must respond, otherwise, they could be 0-3 and be in a very tough position.

With that said, one thing that will play a crucial role in this week's game for both sides, and in particular that will be crucial for the Chargers looking to have a much better performance. 

So, let's take a look at the Chargers' Week 3 injury report as of Thursday, in addition to one key takeaway.

The players on the injury report include offensive linemen Rashawn Slater (groin), Cole Strange (pectoral), Kayode Awosika (fibula), Trey Pipkins III (knee), safety Derwin James (finger/rest), tight end Charlie Kolar (forearm), defensive backs Deane Leonard (abdomen), Elijah Molden (hamstring), and Rodney Shelley (hamstring), wide receivers Ladd McConkey (rib) and Brennan Thompson (quadricep), outside linebacker Khalil Mack (rest) and Tuli Tuipulotu (hamstring), and defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (hamstring).

After looking at the injury report, it is very clear the Chargers have a lot of injuries to manage, but more than that, it appears they may need to go with offensive lineman Trevor Penning as the starter at left guard in Week 3, with Awosika and Pipkins not seeming to be in a great spot.

In addition to Awosika and Pipkins being on the injury report, neither of them have practiced at all this week which is not a great sign, especially early on in the season for the Chargers to have to go to a third option in the starting lineup.

When it comes to Penning, he is an experienced NFL veteran, as he is entering his fifth NFL season and has played a total of 54 games while starting in 33 of those games. For the Chargers, having a player with Penning's experience is great, but he still needs to figure out a way to get on the same page as the rest of the offensive line, otherwise, this unit may continue to struggle.

Moving forward, it will be interesting to see if Awosika or Pipkins are able to make any progress this week, and if they are not able to play, it will be intriguing to see when head coach Jim Harbaugh could officially name Penning as the starter and what that may mean for the Chargers.

So, as the Chargers head into Week 3, it will be intriguing to see if Penning does start at left guard and if he can provide consistent protection for quarterback Justin Herbert in the passing game as well as pave lanes for the running backs in the run game, and if he does start and does play well, that could help Los Angeles to pick up a key win against the Bills on Sunday.