J.K. Dobbins' knee injury could derail promising Chargers season
The Los Angeles Chargers' hopes for this season suffered a significant blow today, when the extent of running back J.K. Dobbins' knee injury was revealed.
According to Kris Rhim of ESPN, Dobbins is week-to-week after suffering a sprained MCL in the Chargers' Monday night loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Short of quarterback Justin Herbert, Dobbins might be the singular player that Los Angeles can't afford to lose for an extended period of time.
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Injuries stunted his time in Baltimore; the Ohio State product played in just 24 out of a possible 73 games during his Ravens tenure, but Dobbins has been stellar in Jim Harbaugh's offense in L.A.
He's racked up 766 yards on 158 carries, and eight touchdowns, along with an additional 134 receiving yards on 28 catches. In Harbaugh's system, being able to run the football is essential to everything else he wants to do. Pairing the thundering Dobbins with quarterback Justin Herbert has seen the Bolts' offense shine in recent weeks, as they'd won four straight before falling to the Ravens.
Losing Dobbins for any length of time is going to severely hinder the effectiveness of the offense; backup Gus Edwards has been lackluster at best, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry on the year, while looking a step slow in the backfield. The Chargers' passing game has potential, but top wideout Ladd McConkey is still a rookie, while neither Joshua Palmer nor Quentin Johnston are renowned for their consistency.
This offense is built around their ability to run the football, and the longer Dobbins is out, the harder that's going to get. For a 7-4 Chargers team that looked primed to make a playoff run in Harbaugh's first season at the helm, it's the kind of knock that could see their promise derailed.
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