Back to the drawing board for Jim Harbaugh and company. The Chargers were never going to go undefeated, but it was a disappointing first loss of the season, nonetheless.

Harbaugh’s squad was expected to defeat the Giants quite easily, but that didn’t happen. It makes this week’s contest a big one, as the Chargers face another NFC East side in the Washington Commanders.

Advertisement

Let’s go through some key matchups to watch in this weekend’s tilt.

Jayden Daniels vs. Chargers run defense

Daniels was cleared early in the week and will return to action after he missed the last two games. Only in his second NFL season, he has already established himself as one of the best running quarterbacks in the NFL. Daniels ran for 68 yards in the season opener after he totaled 891 yards and six touchdowns on the ground in 2024.

As a whole, the Commanders are second in the NFL in rushing with 154.8 yards on the ground per game. That’s even though Daniels has missed some time, so this will be a huge matchup to watch. On the contrary, the Chargers are 16th in the league in run defense, and they’ve had some particular struggles against opposing quarterbacks.

Advertisement

In Week 4, Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart picked up 54 rushing yards and a touchdown. Patrick Mahomes had similar numbers in the season opener, and neither of these two is nearly as dynamic as Daniels. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter will have to prepare his guys a bit better for this aspect if they want to bounce back with a win in Week 5.

Ladd McConkey vs. Commanders secondary

This could be the perfect breakout scenario for McConkey. After a stellar rookie campaign in 2024, McConkey has fallen back as the third option in the early portions of this year. In four games, he has yet to score and has totaled just 16 catches for 174 yards.

Thankfully, it’s a favorable matchup for McConkey and the Chargers’ aerial attack as the Commanders are just 27th in pass defense in 2025. The Commanders have allowed four 100-yard receivers already, including two just last weekend.

Advertisement

Chargers third-down offense vs. Commanders third-down defense

As is always the case in these close matchups, third-down conversions play such a crucial role in the outcome of the contest. Statistically, these are two of the best third-down sides in the NFL through four weeks. The Chargers’ offense ranks fifth in the NFL in conversion rate at 43.4%. The success has been aided by the development of a few weapons within the offense, but they did have their worst performance in Week 4 as they went 4-for-12 on third downs.

The Commanders’ defense is tied for sixth in the league on third downs, as they allow a conversion rate of just 33.3%. In the team’s two wins in 2025, they’ve allowed just seven out of 30 conversion attempts. Watch for this key aspect of the game on Sunday afternoon.

This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: 3 matchups to watch in Chargers’ Week 5 game vs. Commanders