The last time the Packers played the Chargers, was 2019, when Los Angeles jumped out to a 19-0 lead before the Packers got some garbage time points to lose 26-11.

Melvin Gordan scored two touchdowns to lead the Chargers to their second win ever over the Packers.

With the way Green Bay has been playing, they're gonna be hard-pressed to avoid their third loss ever to the Chargers.

WHEN THE PACKERS HAVE THE BALL

The offense showed some signs of life last week. Jordan Love connected on some deep balls and AJ Dillon ripped off a monster run.

The might cause some more excitement today, as the Chargers rank 31st in the NFL in yards allowed and are dead last in passing yards allowed.

Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks have been coming on lately and could be long-term fixtures in this offense. Meanwhile, Romeo Doubs has continued to show his ability to come down with contested catches. Christian Watson, however, has been struggling to stay healthy (he was limited in practice this week again) and to build a rapport with Jordan Love. At the same time, Watson, who clearly is not a contested jump ball guy, has been featured mostly in contested jump ball situations recently. Early in the year, he ran more fly routes that played to his strengths. However, Love never really dialed into his speed and defenses has adapted to shut it down.

As Love continues to progress, this could be a game for any of these receivers to break out against a team that allows more passing yards than anyone and has proved to be susceptible to big plays.

To do that, though, the Packers may need to block, and the inconsistency on the offensive line in the wake of David Bakhtiari's injury has not ironed itself out. They continue to allow pressure and might have some real problems as they face Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa, two premium pass rush talents, who have under-produced this year. While they've combined for 15.5 sacks this year, 6 of those came in Khalil Mack's monster game. We know what both of these guys are capable of and the Packers have been a get-well game for a lot of teams this year. 

One of the best ways the Packers can slow down the pass rush is by running the ball. Despite their commitment to it, results have been middling. However, in the last 5 games, they've gone over 110 yards rushing in 4 of them. The Chargers have had a solid run defense most of the year, but gave up 200 yards on the ground against the Lions last week. If the Packers dive into the film, they might be able to find a way to get both of their running backs moving.

Jordan Love could be a wild card in the run game. He hasn't done much the last couple of weeks, but was getting a solid 30 yards a game fairly consistently before that. That's not something to build an offense around, but it is enough to loosen up a defense and help a struggling rushing attack.

WHEN THE PACKERS ARE ON DEFENSE

The Chargers may not have a great defense, but their offense is among the best in the league.

Justin Herbert is one of the best passers in the league and Austin Ekeler is one of the better dual-threat running backs, giving them a lot of balance.

Keenan Allen is a beast and ranks top 5 in almost all statistical receiving categories. The rest of the receiving corps is has been decimated with Josh Palmer and Mike Williams both on injured reserve, leaving rookie Quentin Johnson and Jalen Guyton (who is questionable with a groin injury) to carry the load. Regardless of who has played, Herbert has balanced the number catches the supporting receivers get, making them unpredictable. Palmer and Williams are both currently on injured reserve. If Jaire Alexander (listed as questionable) can go, he might struggle against this group. Allen is 6'2 and Johnston is 6'4, while Guyton (the little guy of the group) is 6'1. The undersized Alexander has lost a lot of his trademark physicality after sustaining a number of injuries over the years.

Making matters worse, this group of receivers is extremely productive after the catch. Given that the Packers defense plays soft coverage and has struggled with missed tackles, they could struggle to get off the field.

The Chargers have a pair of tight ends who have to be accounted for in Donald Parham and Gerald Everett. Everett is out with a chest injury, but running back Austin Ekeler is only one catch away from having the second-most catches on the team (despite missing 3 games to injury). Despite the injuries, the Chargers spread the ball around and take whatever defenses give them.

The Packers, with a depleted secondary that also lists Rudy Ford as doubtful, are gonna have to play a lot of zone and, yes, I'm sure we'll see Preston Smith out on an island in coverage. It's a side effect of how the Packers run sub-packages and the Chargers are the kind of team that will isolate that.

Quay Walker and Rashan Gary as also dealing with injuries and listed as questionable. Even if they play, this unit will not be at 100% and looks like it will struggle against the 7th ranked scoring offense in the league.

The Chargers also have the fewest turnovers in the league, with 7, meaning the Packers can't plan on big takeaways to save them - they need to play consistent defense against a premier offense.

Given the way things have gone this year, that may not be a good bet.

OTHER NOTES

Keisean Nixon hasn't made as much noise in the return game as he did last season, but he ranks first in average kickoff return by qualifying players (26.4 yards) and leads the league in total return yards by a wide margin. Maybe he breaks one today to help the team out.

It's a Gold Package game today, so... sigh...

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Chargers are under .500 and don't really have a signature win this year. However, four of their five losses have been by 3 or fewer points, including a last second field goal last week and an overtime loss earlier in the year.

The Packers have some close losses, too, but they've come against worse opponents.

The Chargers just have too many weapons for the Packers to cover given the injuries (and trade) that have hampered their secondary.

If Jordan Love gets hot, he can probably make the shootout entertaining for the home crowd, but I don't see the closing mentality that this team will need to put the Chargers away.

Chargers 31, Packers 23