EL SEGUNDO — Omarion Hampton rushed for 45 yards and one touchdown on nine carries during the Chargers’ 30-23 loss this past Sunday to the Seattle Seahawks. Keaton Mitchell gained 39 yards on 10 carries. Kimani Vidal had 25 yards on five carries. Justin Herbert scrambled six times for 40 yards.
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Overall, the Chargers rushed for 147 yards, a season high, on 32 attempts, matching their highest of the season. Their yardage was well above their season average of 121.5 net yards per game, which ranked ninth-best in the NFL going into Sunday’s home game against the Denver Broncos.
The only puzzle in the equation was why there was so little action for Hampton, a first-round draft pick in 2025 who had established himself as the starting running back during training camp. Why did his carries drop from a career-high 23 in Week 2 to 15 in Week 3 and then to nine in Week 4?
Were fumbles in each of the first two games to blame? Had he lost his status as the lead back? Were backups Mitchell and Vidal performing better? Why has there been a three-man rotation at the position for the past two games after there wasn’t one in the season’s first two contests?
Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel attempted to answer those and other pressing questions about the Chargers’ ground game on Thursday, something head coach Jim Harbaugh failed to address adequately in the aftermath of Sunday’s loss, the Chargers’ fourth in a row to start the season.
“No,” Harbaugh said when asked Sunday if Hampton’s workload decrease was tied to his fumble late in a 26-14 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2. “It’s just three different backs that were playing really well and rotating carries (against the Seahawks). But pleased with the way our running backs were playing.”
Asked for the rationale behind starting the rotation in Week 3, a 24-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Harbaugh said, “We think it’s best for our team. That’s what we think is best for our team and all three backs are playing good. We want to utilize them. We see the benefit. Hard running guys. Pleased with the way they are playing.”
McDaniel on Thursday echoed some of Harbaugh’s comments and expanded on others.
“It wasn’t a situation where we were punishing (Hampton),” McDaniel said. “We see our running back room as a strength of the team. Now, depending on how the game plays out, I’ve had plenty of times where you’re involving all three on a game day, they can be equal carriers. It’s all within our planning process on things that people are good at, that we’re trying to give people opportunities.”
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McDaniel stressed that what happened against Seattle might not be repeated against Denver. The game plan against the Broncos might start with one specific focus, but might be altered if certain events dictate changes. It’s important to adjust on the fly as well as from week to week.
“Each week you’re trying to assess how you give the guys the most empowerment to play their best, and we felt really good about what ‘O’ was doing on a couple of types of scheme, trying to give him confidence as we knew he was going to be mindful to protect the ball,” McDaniel said of Hampton.
“But each week, I think, it’s an advantage to the Chargers with defenses having to prepare three different tackling plans for backs with various skill sets. It’s important for what I see as an asset, as a strength of a strength, and if you don’t disperse the carries, it’s very rare in this day and age that guys are available every week.”
McDaniel referred to the likelihood of an injury if a running back was overworked.
“You have to be mindful of how to attack a defense,” he said. “Realistically, I don’t see any change in terms of the depth chart at all. I felt I was under-utilizing a strength. There’s lots of different ways a game can go. There’s lots of different personnel. So, I’m trying to find the right balance.”
NO DEMOTION
Ryan Ficken, the Chargers’ special teams coordinator, said he wouldn’t relieve return specialist Derius Davis of his duties despite a muffed punt in the first quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks. The turnover set up Seattle’s first touchdown of the game, giving the Seahawks an early 7-3 lead. Ficken didn’t rule out trying other players in the role, though.
“We’ve got to come through with that catch,” he said. “There’s always consideration (of using others as returners). We’re always uncovering that stone to see what is out there, but what we have and what (Davis) has done, we’ve got to continue to do a great job and help our team.”
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