The Los Angeles Chargers are 0-6 and their offense has looked lost the entire season. Los Angeles has dealt with significant injuries all season with over half of their initial 53-man roster either on injured reserve or the injury report for week six.

Los Angeles' injury luck started when starting center Tyler Biadasz went down with a significant season-ending knee injury during a joint practice with the 49ers during training camp. The Chargers were forced to shuffle the offensive line with the season less than three weeks away and plug in rookie Jake Slaughter as the new starting center.

The injury to Biadasz seems to have been the catalyst for the wheels falling off of the offense's wagon. We never got to see Biadasz in game action, he did not play any snaps in the first preseason game and was injured before the second. But the reports from that joint practice, before the injury were that the Chargers offense was handily beating up the 49ers. The reports made sense coming on the heels of the Chargers backups physically dominating the Houston Texans in the first preseason game.

Biadasz' going down seems to have been the one injury that the offense and offensive line could not have survived, which raises more questions about roster construction and the interior offensive line as a whole. Regardless, the interior offensive line has not been good. Unfortunately, the injury bug did not stop with the line and attacked the wide receiver room as well.

The Chargers' original six wide receivers have all dealt with injuries this season. Not one of the six has played fully healthy every week and the lack of reps and continuity has ruined the timing of the offense. The disruption in timing paired with a run game that has not been a strong point and consistent interior pressure is largely how the Chargers still have not found their groove on offense.

The past two games before the bye in week seven featured four rookie starting offensive linemen. The Chargers will get Joe Alt back this week at one of the tackle spots, assuming he takes his right tackle spot back. it is possible that second-year lineman Branson Taylor figures somewhere into the lineup but if the lineup remains the same with the exception of Alt's return, the Chargers will still be starting three rookies on the offensive line, the entire left side of the line.

The Chargers rookie offensive linemen have played better than was expected but still have their rookie shortcomings. The good news is tackle Travis Burke and guard Logan Taylor are very capable run blockers. Burke is a mountain of an offensive lineman and generates significant movement at the point of attack. Note Burke's run-blocking grade on the chart below.

The strengths of the rookies could be the key to getting the Chargers back on track offensively, or at least help them find some sort of rhythm. Los Angeles will be getting some limited reinforcements back as wide receiver Ladd McConkey and Tre Harris are both scheduled to make their returns to the fields this week against the Rams. Tight end Charlie Kolar and wide receiver Quintin Johnston both emergeed from the bye without injury designations.

The question will be how does Mike McDaniel and the Chargers adjust following the bye week? Does McDaniel have any downhill smashmouth football left in his arsenal? The Chargers rushing attack has been much more successful to the left side and between the tackles. Compared to a similar offensive system in San Francisco, the Chargers run the ball between the tackles almost 20 percent less.

Based on EPA or expected points added by personnel groupings, the Chargers most efficient run formations are in 13 personnel lining up with a running back and three tight ends followed closely by 22 personnel featuring two tight ends and a fullback.

What does the EPA data mean?

The Chargers should line up with Charlie Kolar, Hayden Rucci and Scott Matlock on the field and run right behind Travis Burke or Joe Alt, both of whom have comparable run blocking grades.

Why this could work against the Rams?

The Rams run dime personnel packages on defense nearly 50 percent of the time, meaning they have extra defensive backs on the field and create pressure by rotating and sending different players to the line of scrimmage. If they want to give the Chargers lighter defensive personnel packages, the Chargers should lean into what strengths they have.

The Rams sent most of their starting defensive line to injured reserve. They still have Aaron Donald and he can still wreck an offensive line's gameplan but Myles Garrett will not be back yet so the focus can be on Donald.

Mike McDaniel's run game

The offense under Mike McDaniel has not gone smoothly. There is blame to go around to every corner of the team and organization. But, if the Chargers and McDaniel found positives to lean into coming out the bye, now is the time to implement them.

Based on the available personnel and data from first six weeks, ditching the higher frequency of outside zone in favor of more inside zone or gap runs may be beneficial. It does go against the Miami version of McDaniel, can he tap into his Shanahan roots as a playcaller against the Rams?