Chargers’ improving offense faces Browns’ stifling defense

INGLEWOOD — Chargers coach Brandon Staley and Browns defensive backs John Johnson and Troy Hill will likely share a special pregame moment Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

The former Rams will catch up and possibly thank one another for the new jobs they received in the offseason.

Staley helped Johnson and Hill have career years as the Rams’ defensive coordinator last season. That led to the Browns handing both players lucrative contracts in free agency. But Staley also benefited from Johnson and Hill.

What the Rams’ defense did last season as the top-ranked unit in the NFL made Staley a popular candidate for head-coaching openings.

“I certainly wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for (Johnson),” said Staley, who was hired by the Chargers in January. “I have so much respect for him. We’ll have a moment pregame, but he’s the ultimate competitor. You can see the value that he’s brought to that team. That’s what I’m proud of.

“He earned every penny that he signed in free agency. You can see what he’s done for that team in a short time because I know that they needed help in the secondary and he’s given them a bunch of it.”

Staley’s former players helped complete the Browns’ defense in the secondary and it has shown in the first month of the season. The Browns’ ferocious defense will face Staley’s emerging Chargers offense in a matchup of 3-1 teams.

After a few bumpy weeks, the Chargers’ offense is also starting to look complete. Quarterback Justin Herbert has an abundance of weapons with dynamic wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams and productive tight ends Jared Cook, Donald Parham Jr. and Stephen Anderson.

The Chargers got the running game going last week with Austin Ekeler’s career-high 117 rushing yards against the Las Vegas Raiders. They also fixed their red-zone issues by scoring touchdowns in nine of their last 10 trips inside the 20-yard line.

“We’ve played some pretty good football,” Herbert said about how the offense performed in the first quarter of the season. “There are a lot of things to clean up, but I’ve been really pleased with how the guys have performed and battled through a lot of adversity.”

The Chargers’ offense has found its rhythm, but it hasn’t faced a defense as good as Cleveland’s. Staley called the Browns’ front seven the best in the NFL and praised their defensive line, which features Myles Garrett, Jadeveon Clowney, Malik Jackson and Malik McDowell.

“They’re really deep up front,” Staley said. “They kind of remind me of San Francisco’s front where they just have a lot of rushers that you know, inside and outside.”

In their past two games, the Browns held the Chicago Bears to six points and the Minnesota Vikings to seven points. They sacked Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields nine times and hit him 15 times.

Garrett and Clowney contributed 6.5 sacks and 11 hits versus the Bears. Garrett added four hits on Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins the following week.

“The combination of size, athleticism, explosiveness – he’s able to do anything,” Herbert said about Garrett. “And he can defend some passes, too. He’s able to do everything. … You have to know where he is at all times, so that you’re ready for what he does.”

Garrett is listed as questionable on the final injury report with knee and ankle injuries, but he told reporters he fully intends on playing Sunday.

The Chargers’ offensive line has improved with the additions of rookie left tackle Rashawn Slater, center Corey Linsley and guards Matt Feiler and Oday Aboushi. But they’ve allowed Herbert to get hit 27 times this season, according to GSIS Stats. Herbert has taken only seven sacks because of his quick passes and ability to extend plays.

Slater and right tackle Storm Norton will need to give Herbert time in the pocket if they want to limit the hits against the Browns’ pass-rushing tandem of Garrett and Clowney.

“I feel like (Herbert is) progressing a long way just like (Rashawn) Slater,” Garrett said. “They are wiser than the years that they’ve been in the league, and they’ve studied the game a lot. He’s able to make throws on time and we got to keep off his rhythm.”

Slater is making a strong case for Offensive Rookie of the Year, although that award tends to go to skill players – Herbert won it last season. Slater hasn’t allowed a sack this season, but he’ll have his toughest Sunday versus the Browns’ defensive line.

“Wow, talk about a pick, that guy is locked down over there,” Ekeler said about Slater, the No. 13 overall pick in April’s draft. “You’re just thinking, ‘Keep doing this, (Herbert). Stay upright, keep pushing the ball down the field.’”

Ekeler can take pressure off Herbert and Slater by having another productive rushing performance. He’s been running behind the Chargers’ left-side wall of Slater and Feiler.

“Any defense we go against where there’s a lot of edge rushers, we have to have a plan,” Ekeler said. “You have to have a run plan for how they fit in the run, and a pass plan too, just mixing it up. Putting a tight end on top of them, putting motions in front of them, making them play football. They can’t just rush the passer all day.”

If the Chargers get past the Browns’ stout defensive line, then Herbert will have to deal with Staley’s former players in Johnson and Hill. But Herbert is in his element when he’s looking downfield.

The Browns will need to keep Herbert from finding his comfort zone Sunday.

Cleveland Browns (3-1) at Chargers (3-1)

When: Sunday, 1:05 p.m.

Where: SoFi Stadium

TV/Radio: CBS (Ch. 2); 98.7 FM; 105.5 FM/94.3 FM (Spanish); Sirius 85