The Washington Commanders (2-2) are coming off one of their worst defensive performances in years in Sunday’s 34-27 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta, coming off an embarrassing 30-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers, had its way with Washington. Struggling quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had his best game, passing for 313 yards and two touchdowns. Penix only had six incompletions.

It was Washington’s second consecutive game without starting quarterback Jayden Daniels and first without wide receiver Terry McLaurin. Marcus Mariota started again and played well, leading Washington’s offense to 27 points, but received no support from the defense.

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Next up for the Commanders is the Los Angeles Chargers (3-1). Here are five things to know about Week 5.

All-time series

The Chargers and Redskins first met in 1973. Washington won the first six meetings in the series and leads the all-time series 7-5. The Chargers didn’t pick up their first win over Washington until 2001, when Marty Schottenheimer got some revenge on Washington, who had just fired him, in a 30-3 blowout win. Los Angeles has won the past two matchups and five of the previous six dating back to 2001. Washington’s last win over the Chargers was a 30-24 overtime win in 2013. L.A. defeated the Commanders 20-16 in the 2021 season opener.

Chargers dealing with major injuries

Everyone knows Washington’s injury situation. Daniels, along with tight end John Bates and wide receiver John Bates, has missed two games. McLaurin missed Sunday’s game and may miss Sunday’s game. The Commanders have lost Deatrich Wise, Austin Ekeler, Javontae Jean-Baptiste, and Will Harris for either the season or most of the season. However, Los Angeles is also dealing with a significant injury problem.

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Pro Bowl left tackle Rashawn Slater was lost for the season in training camp. The Chargers moved second-year right tackle Joe Alt to left tackle, and he was playing well until he suffered a high ankle sprain in Sunday’s loss to the New York Giants. He will be out for several weeks. Nine-time Pro Bowl edge defender Khalil Mack dislocated his elbow in Week 2 and remains out for weeks. Those are significant losses for the Chargers. Quarterback Justin Herbert has been the most-pressured quarterback in the NFL over the last two weeks.

Chargers are one of the most pass-heavy teams in the NFL

The Chargers rank fifth in the NFL with 149 passing attempts through four weeks. That’s a bit of a surprise considering head coach Jim Harbaugh’s love of throwback smashmouth football. It helps to have one of the NFL’s most talented quarterbacks in Herbert. Sunday will present an interesting scenario for the Chargers. Having watched the Commanders’ pass defense struggle mightily in two of the last three weeks against Green Bay and Atlanta with lesser quarterbacks, the temptation will be to throw the ball a lot. The more the Chargers pass the ball, the more they put Herbert at risk. Harbaugh acknowledged that Herbert is taking too many hits. The following chart gives some perspective on L.A.’s offensive approach.

Two young Chargers are coming off career games

Rookie running back Omarion Hampton had the best game of his young NFL career in Week 4, carrying the football 12 times for 128 yards and a touchdown. Considering the Chargers’ offensive line woes, it would make sense to give Hampton more touches. However, the Commanders have been solid against the run.

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Tuli Tuipulotu was a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft. Through his first two NFL seasons, Tuipulotu had 13 sacks in 34 games. He’s been solid, but was off to a slow start this season. On Sunday, Tuipulotu had a career day, recording 10 tackles, including five for loss, a career-high four sacks, and five quarterback hits. While Jayden Daniels is expected to return, will he be 100% recovered? The Commanders better account for Tuipulotu on every snap.

Commanders’ ground game is elite

Washington ranks second in the NFL with 619 rushing yards through four games. The Commanders also rank second in rushing yards per game, at 154.8 per contest. They also rank second in yards per attempt, averaging 5.9 yards per carry. Even without Daniels the last two weeks and having lost Ekeler for the season, the Commanders’ running game is humming. They dominated again against the Falcons, but ran the ball only 22 times, despite averaging almost seven yards per attempt. Chris Rodriguez Jr., Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Jeremy McNichols have all ripped off big runs. Croskey-Merritt could be on the verge of taking on a more significant role.

Expect a heavy dose of the running game on Sunday against a stingy Chargers’ defense, whether Daniels returns or not.

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This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: 5 things to know for Week 5 vs. Chargers