NFL Week 5 Preview: Chargers at Giants

Each week, the PFF analysis team will bring you break downs of the most important matchups for each game of the NFL season.

Coverage by: Alejandro Chavez

Matchup: Los Angeles Chargers offense vs. New York Giants defense

• QB Philip Rivers vs. S Landon Collins – Collins is an all-everything-and-everywhere player for the Giants, but where he spends the most time in coverage is a free safety with average starting depth of 13 yards away from the line of scrimmage. Whether or not he drops into a deep zone or comes up in man coverage, he should see his fair share of looks from Philip Rivers. Rivers is 12th in the NFL in deep passing attempts and has found a lot of success in intermediate as well. The two areas where Rivers does the most damage is in the center of the field, as he has his two highest passer rating when throwing between the numbers both between 10-19 yards and 20+ yards down the field. Overall, when throwing deep, Rivers’ 89.7 passer rating is good for 14th in the NFL.

• WR Keenan Allen vs. CB Janoris Jenkins – Allen has picked up where he left off a season and a half ago. His overall grade of 83.5 is ranked seventh among all wide receivers, and it’s in line with previous overall grades he’s produced in years past. His yards per route run of 2.37 is fifth among qualifying wide receivers as well. Jenkins is also playing quite well at this point in the season. His overall grade of 81.5 overall ranks 28th among cornerbacks, but his passer rating allowed on throws into his coverage is a mere 56.6, ninth lowest among qualifying cornerbacks.
• T Russell Okung vs. EDGE Olivier Vernon – Okung has been one of the best additions that the Chargers made this offseason. His pass-blocking efficiency of 97.0 is ninth among qualifying tackles and leads the entire Chargers offense. Vernon spends most of his time rushing from the defense’s right side, meaning he’ll see a lot of Okung Sunday. His pass-rushing productivity of 94 from the right side is ranked 35th among all edge defenders that qualify. Where Vernon has an advantage on Okung is in the run game. Vernon’s run-blocking grade of 78.2 is significantly higher than Okung’s 39.6 run-blocking grade.

Coverage by: Aaron Jones

Matchup: New York Giants offense vs. Los Angeles Chargers defense

• WR Odell Beckham Jr. vs. CB Casey Hayward – Odell Beckham Jr. draws a tough matchup this week against Casey Hayward. Hayward ranks second among 111 qualifying cornerbacks with an overall grade of 89.5. His coverage grade of 89.6 is tied with Jalen Ramsey for the second highest among cornerbacks. When targeted last week, Hayward allowed a passer rating of 39.6, the fifth lowest among 98 qualifying cornerbacks. He allowed two receptions on seven targets for a total of 17 yards. This more than likely won’t phase Eli Manning and the Giants however, as Beckham Jr. has been targeted 33 times since Week 2, tying with DeAndre Hopkins for the most in that period.
• G John Jerry vs. DI Corey Liuget – With a pass-block grade of 52.3 (47th among 72 qualifying guards), John Jerry could have a difficult matchup against Corey Liuget on the horizon. Liuget ranks 19th among 120 qualifying interior defenders with an overall grade of 81.0. His pass-rush grade of 79.6 ranks 16th. Jerry allowed two pressures last week, giving him a total of nine pressures this season, tied for the 13th most among 73 qualifying guards.
• T Justin Pugh vs. Edge Melvin Ingram – This matchup will see the 37th rated offensive tackle (61.6 overall grade) versus the seventh rated edge defender (87.7 overall grade). Pugh’s pass block grade of 50.5 (41st among 68 qualifying offensive tackles) and Ingram’s pass-rush grade of 87.2 (seventh among 101 qualifying edge defenders) leaves Ingram as the heavy favorite. Ingram’s pass-rush productivity (measures pressure on a per snap basis with weighting towards sacks) of 15.7 is the seventh highest among 103 qualifying edge defenders. His 20 pressures are tied for sixth most among edge defenders. Expect to see McAdoo continue to try to get the ball out of Eli’s hands quickly, as the pass-rush combination of Bosa, Ingram, and Liuget could prove to be too much for the Giant’s offensive line.