The Chargers enter Week 17 with nothing to play for. With a handful of starters expected to miss the end of the season, this should be an opportunity for some players to take on a more important role on match day.
That said, there are six players who can help each other with good performances against the Chiefs:
FS Nasir Adderley
The Chargers drafted Adderley in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft in hopes of pairing him with Derwin James to create a dynamic security tandem. Unfortunately, Adderley’s rookie season was short-lived as a hamstring injury kept him out for most of the season. Fast forward this season, its second edition has not been all alone and rainbow. Adderley’s coverage skills have been meager (41.5 overall, for Pro Football Focus) and he has experienced a handful of losing matches. You will have the opportunity to clean it up a bit at the end of the season.
RB Joshua Kelley
Despite having other position needs toward the third day of the draft in 2020, Los Angeles chose to roll the dice in a running race to congratulate Austin Ekeler. I thought Kelley should have a great season, given her college production and the traits she possessed. The former UCLA product appeared at the opening of the season, but has since been quiet, averaging just 3.2 yards per carry on more than 100 attempts. Kelley, who took a good risk last week, is expected to play on Sunday. This will be his chance to prove that he can be counted on in next season’s rotation.
DT Jerry Tillery
The Chargers drafted Tillery in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, hoping he would be a dominant inside pass runner. Tillery blinked here and there in his rookie season, but was given a pass because he didn’t have a low season to prepare for as he was recovering from a shoulder injury. Tillery made a statement at the opening of the sophomore season, looking like an absolute force. However, since then, it has not yet entered his. Tillery has committed a number of unnecessary sanctions and the presence in the background field has been affected or failed. The team has experimented with him as a vanguard runner, where he could have a better future as he has not been resilient to the race. Can you give a domain view to fans on Sunday?
OL Sam Tevi, Dan Feeney, Forrest Lamp
These three offensive liners will be free agents at the end of the season. After making the switch from right to left, Tevi has proven to be fine. It’s useful, but I think the chargers need a cornerstone on the left. Lamp shone early on, but has been inconsistent throughout the stretch, with most of his problems in passing protection. Like Lamp, Feeney was solid in the early stages of the season, but slowly retreated. Feeney dealt with elbow and knee injuries, which could have made his game difficult. Regardless, this will be the last shot of the trio to prove themselves.