This weekend, the Sunday Night Football clash will be an all-California affair as the Los Angeles Chargers head to Levi's Stadium for a date with the San Francisco 49ers.
San Fran are second in the NFC West with a record of 4-4, while the Chargers currently hold the final playoff spot in the AFC, sitting at 5-3.
Match preview
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The Niners were the first team to make a big splash before the trade deadline passed, and their offence looked invigorated against the Rams two weeks ago.
San Francisco avenged their NFC Championship defeat from a season ago, capturing a 31-14 victory over Los Angeles as they went into their bye week on a winning note.
Kyle Shanahan may have another versatile threat to his offensive game, but his defence has carried them throughout the year, allowing the fewest yards per game in the NFL (285.9).
Across the board, San Francisco have been outstanding defensively, with an 87.2 rating against opposing QBs, allowing just eight passing touchdowns, while they have the best run defence in the league, conceding an average of 3.4 yards per carry.
For a team with so many elite receivers, it is a little puzzling to see them struggling to move the ball consistently, ranked 18th in the passing game, with the 22nd-best offence in the league.
San Francisco have won two of their three home contests in 2022, though they were manhandled by the Kansas City Chiefs offence in their previous game at Levi's Stadium, allowing Patrick Mahomes to throw for 423 yards and three touchdowns as they lost 44-23.
While there are some standouts to watch out for along the defensive line, the 49ers have one of the best pass rushes in the NFL, producing 26 sacks with a pressure rating of over 30%.
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There was an element of good fortune to the Chargers' victory against the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday, as a double fumble went their way, enabling them to win 20-17 on a last-second field goal by Cameron Dicker.
That was the third successive road victory this season for Brandon Staley's team, who lost their opening away game 27-24 at Arrowhead versus the Kansas City Chiefs.
Despite missing some key elements to the receiving corps at various times this year, the Chargers have been relatively consistent through the air, sitting fourth in the NFL regarding passing yards per game (275.1).
What needs work is their run defence, allowing 5.7 yards per carry on the season, which is dead last in the league, while they have 19 sacks, putting them in the middle of the pack in the NFL.
The Chargers have been notoriously slow starters in 2022, failing to score in the opening quarter four times this season, while they have not been able to put up more than seven points in the first 15 minutes of any encounter this year.
Five of their 2022 contests have been decided by a single score, with the Chargers coming out on top four times, twice on last-play field goals.
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Team News
Christian McCaffrey has made an immediate impact since joining the Niners in a trade with the Carolina Panthers, becoming the first San Francisco player to throw, run and pass for a touchdown in the same game two weeks ago, only the fourth player to complete the trifecta since 1970.
Deebo Samuel is averaging 4.6 receptions per game and 55.3 yards through the air, and George Kittle had a TD catch in their victory over LA, as he is currently averaging 53.2 yards per game receiving.
Nick Bosa is tied for second in the league regarding sacks (8.5), and Jimmy Garoppolo has a 100.7 passer rating but has made his share of mistakes, tossing four interceptions.
Kyle Juszczyk's sore finger seems to be fully healed, Jauan Jennings is dealing with a pulled hamstring, Dre Greenlaw has a calf strain and Arik Armstead remains sidelined because of a foot and ankle injury.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has thrown for 13 touchdowns, averaging 6.4 yards per catch on the season, good for a 90.6 rating, with Josh Palmer catching eight passes from him against Atlanta for 106 yards on 10 targets.
Asante Samuel has been sharp in coverage, holding opposing QBs to a sub-90 rating, Derwin James has allowed a sub-70 quarterback rating with no touchdowns conceded, and Khalil Mack has six sacks.
Mike Williams is expected to miss this game with an ankle issue, while Jamaree Salyer's appears to have recovered from his ankle sprain.
Tre' McKitty saw limited practice time this week as he has a hamstring injury, while Keenan Allen did not practice for the same reason.
Head To Head
The Chargers have won the last five meetings against their California rivals, the last one being in 2018 when Caleb Sturgis hit a 29-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to give the home team a 29-27 victory.
These teams met in Super Bowl XXIX, with the Niners winning easily 49-26 as Steve Young hit Jerry Rice for three touchdown passes, while Ricky Watters ran for three scores, in what was the last world championship won by San Francisco and the first appearance in the big game for the Chargers when they hailed from San Diego.
We say: San Francisco 49ers 24-20 Los Angeles Chargers
Sunday could be the day the 49ers' ground game finally runs wild, while their offensive unit looks to be revitalized with one of the most dynamic and versatile offensive weapons in McCaffrey now at their disposal.
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Joel Lefevre
