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The Chargers head into wildcard weekend with one of the better defenses in the league. They finished the regular season ranked 8th in points allowed and 9th in yards allowed. It is a unit that played extremely well three weeks ago https://www.chargersfanstore.com/hats , holding the league’s best offense to only 28 points, but also a unit that struggled two weeks ago against the Ravens’ running attack. As they head to Baltimore this weekend seeking revenge, let’s take a look at how they got here.The 2018 season started out promising for the Chargers’ defense. During free agency, they were able to extend Casey Hayward’s contract.This ensured that the Chargers would have the self-proclaimed best corner in the league roaming their backfield without any looming contract negotiations. With Jason Verrett scheduled to return from injury and Trevor Williams expected to follow up on a stellar 2017 campaign, the Chargers looked deadly at cornerback.The Chargers received their first bit of bad news two weeks later when it was announced that Corey Liuget had tested positive for illegal substance use. The Chargers would have to spend the first 4 weeks of the season without one of their starting interior lineman, a position that was a concern for them as they had struggled to defend against the run in 2017.The draft brought a windfall of top prospects for the defense.The Chargers used their first 4 selections to bolster the defensive side of the ball. Their first pick was a dream come true as Derwin James fell to number 17.The Chargers wasted no time in making the selection, and Derwin has wasted no time in sending a message to the NFL that it was wrong to overlook him.Uchenna Nwosu was taken with the second selection and was expected to make the switch from defensive end to OTTO linebacker in Bradley’s 4-3 scheme.The Chargers’ next selection was Justin Jones: a defensive tackle that could help bolster the Chargers’ weak defensive interior line.With the fourth selection came Kyzir White, a safety that was expected to transition to linebacker. With James set to replace Boston and White and Nwosu set to shore up a weak linebacker unit, the Chargers’ defense looked poised to dominate in 2018.It was not long before the injury bug visited the Chargers, and Verrett was lost for the season.The next victim was Joey Bosa.It was first diagnosed as a minor foot injury, and Bosa was expected to be ready for the first regular season game.However Chargers Hoodie , the injury lingered.After more evaluation, it was evident that Bosa was going to be out much longer.At the beginning of the season, it became clear that the Chargers’ defensive outlook was not as cheery as it was on draft night. Isaac Rochell, who had been tagged to fill in for Joey Bosa, was struggling at defensive end.Nwosu was struggling in pass protection, and Gus Bradley’s 4-3 set looked to be in trouble.It was not all bad though. Kyzir White and Derwin James were exceeding expectations, and Desmond King was continuing to make plays like he did in 2017. The play of King posed a problem for Bradley.When he went with a 4-3 set, it took King off the field. By playing a 4-2, he could keep one of his best playmakers on the field.As the season wore on, Bradley made this subtle shift to playing more 4-2 sets. King responded by making the pro bowl. In the first game, Bradley had James at free safety Doug Flutie Color Rush Jersey , but after seeing James talent on display, he decided that he needed to move one of his best playmakers closer to the ball. James moved to the strong safety position and was asked to play many different roles. It didn’t matter where he was asked to line up, slot corner, defensive line, linebacker, safety - he produced results.His excellent play helped fill the void that was being felt by Bosa’s absence. This move, while allowing James to make a bigger impact, has left the Chargers vulnerable on the backside as Addae has struggled to make key stops at the free safety position.Kyzir White was lost to a knee injury in the 3rd game of the season.That was a big blow for the Chargers, as White was playing lights out at linebacker.It was, however, one of the first dominoes to fall that would lead to a great discovery for the Chargers.Week Six found Jatavis Brown on the injury list and unable to play on Sunday.With White gone Trevor Williams Color Rush Jersey , this left the Chargers extremely thin at linebacker.Then came one of Bradley’s best moves of the season: He moved safety Adrian Phillips into that spot.Phillips stepped up to the challenge and has been amazing in that position, earning himself an invitation to the pro bowl.As Bosa’s injury dragged on, the Chargers began rotating players along the defensive line trying to find something that worked. No single player stood out, so the Chargers continued to rotate players in and out of the defensive line. This helped keep this unit fresh and developed multiple linemen. Square, Philon, Rochell, and Jones have all played well while rotating through the line.In Week 10, they tried something new with Nwosu, putting him into Bosa’s defensive end spot on 3rd down. Nwosu responded with 7 quarterback pressures and an 86.7 PFF rating. With Bosa returning the next week, this posed another problem for Bradley: How was he going to keep Nwosu involved? His solution has been to play Melvin Ingraam, Joey Bosa Dan Fouts Color Rush Jersey , and Uchenna Nwosu all on the line in obvious third down passing situations.Another surprise has been Michael Davis. At the beginning of the season, no one was talking about him.During the season, Trevor Williams fell out of favor and was replaced by Davis.It seemed like an odd move at the time, but Davis is evolving into a top cornerback.In the Week 15 game against the Chiefs, we saw the culmination of what had been evolving over the season.It was not what we had expected at the beginning of the season.It was not Bradley’s 4-3 scheme. The Chargers played a 4-2 defense the entire game with Phillips in the linebacker role. I’m not even sure this has a name. It’s a dime package in a nickel setup. Call it whatever you want, but I call it genius. It’s a coach finding a way to get his best playmakers on the field. Even though this is not the defense we thought we would see on draft day, Bradley has done a great job in developing talent and getting his playmakers on the field. The beauty of this defense is that it is almost custom-tailored to defend against a pass-happy league including teams like the Chiefs, Patriots, Rams, and Saints.The downside in giving up the extra linebacker and size at the position, is the vulnerability to a power running game Lance Alworth Color Rush Jersey , like the Ravens.This week will be a test for this evolving defense, but if they pass this test, they should be set up for a deep playoff run. COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa agrees with his younger brother Nick’s decision to leave Ohio State early to focus on getting ready for the NFL draft.Nick Bosa suffered a core muscle injury on Sept. 15 against TCU. He had surgery five days later, and some had hoped the 6-foot-4, 263-pound junior could return late in the season. But Bosa announced on Oct. 16 that his Ohio State career was over.Joey Bosa said the entire family discussed the matter and that they all came to the same agreement.“You have to understand that it is a business and he has to take care of himself,” Joey Bosa said Monday as the Chargers returned to practice following a bye week. “If anyone had the opportunity to hit the lottery tomorrow, would anyone risk that? He has that opportunity. There is a difference between high draft stock and No. 1 pick in the draft.”Nick Bosa earned All-America honors last season and is considered a possible top pick in next April’s draft. Joey Bosa was the third overall pick by the Chargers in 2016.Nick Bosa is currently rehabbing in Newport Beach and is staying with his brother. Joey Bosa said it has been nice having Nick around since they are both dealing with injuries. Joey has missed the Chargers’ first seven games with a bone bruise in his left foot.“He is bummed. We watched the game the other day (Ohio State’s loss to Purdue) and he was not happy watching it,” Joey Bosa said. “He wishes more than anything he could be there, but from a logical point of view it is the right decision.”