JACKSONVILLE – Team reporter Kainani Stevens each week during the 2025 regular season will speak with a media member covering the Jaguars' opponent.
Up this week:
Los Angeles Chargers radio sideline reporter Shannon Farren weighs in on the Chargers as they enter the Week 11 matchup against the Jaguars at EverBank Stadium.
Question: The Chargers are coming off a big victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, sitting at 7-3 and still haven't had their bye week. How's this season been going as a whole and also battling through injuries?
Answer: It feels like the Chargers usually get hit by the injury bug more than any other team, but this season around the NFL, it seems like every team is getting a dose of this. The Chargers are missing two All-Pros on the offensive line and it's hard to come by a great tackle in this league. Guys that are that big and physical are few and far between. The Chargers had two great guys in Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater to lock down both sides of that O-line and to protect quarterback Justin Herbert. That all fell apart pretty quickly this season, so they have the 30th-ranked offensive line in the NFL. It's a rough assessment, but we're still here talking about what Herbert can do even under pressure.
Q: How have you seen Herbert progress? Obviously, we know he's super talented. Now with kind of the consistency Head Coach Jim Harbaugh has brought to the team, how has he progressed with the injuries around him?
A: Rookie quarterbacks come into this league, and they often complain, "I've had 16 offensive coordinators in three years." I'm exaggerating of course but you understand. That was the case for Herbert, and there is finally some stability. There's just this energy and this culture that's understood from Day 1. The stability and the belief in his players really does work, and it goes a long way.
Q: Harbaugh's teams are always physical and that's kind of what they hang their hat on. What have you seen from the defense so far this season?
A: That's exactly it. This defense knew its identity, but it wasn't showing up on every game day. There was not a lot of consistency there. There were missed tackles because they were too eager to make a big play. Everyone cares on this defense. That's what showed up on Sunday Night Football when you saw them just dismantle the Steelers.
Q: When you're looking at this game against the Jaguars, who are some X-factor players the Chargers need to have a big game if they want to get a win?
A: I'm really excited about the running back Kimani Vidal. If you told him at training camp what would be going on right now with him in this league, he would not believe you. He was pretty low on the depth chart and suddenly is thrust into the No. 1 back role and he has shined. Every week, every touch, each rep he gets, he proves why he can absolutely be the No. 1 back. The Chargers have the running game going, and Herbert. You get to be more than one-dimensional. You don't force Justin into doing things that make him uncomfortable. He does have eight interceptions on the season so far, and some of those are not fair to put underneath his name. You get that run game going, it opens up the offense wide open and here's where Herbert gets to make sure everyone eats.
