Jesse Minter’s work with the Los Angeles Chargers’ defense has brought the team close to achieving something the franchise hasn’t done in 61 years—allowing the fewest points in the league.
The Chargers (10-6) enter their regular-season finale at Las Vegas with an NFL-best 17.6 points allowed per game. They have given up 281 points, which is seven fewer than the Kansas City Chiefs and nine fewer than the Philadelphia Eagles.
The last time the Chargers allowed the fewest points was in 1963, when they won the AFL championship. Their closest finish since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 was second place in 1979.
Minter has not mentioned this potential accomplishment in meetings, but he understands its significance.
“It validates your hard work, your philosophy and how you operate. Mostly it is credit to the players and the job that (general manager) Joe (Hortiz) did, putting a group of guys together with different skill sets. Our goal from the very beginning was to be the best team defense in the NFL,” Minter said.
The Chargers were ranked 24th in scoring defense last season, allowing 23.4 points per game. If they finish at the top, it would be the second-largest jump in the rankings since 1990, according to Sportradar.
Minter, who was the defensive coordinator at Michigan when the Wolverines won the national title last season, has maximized the potential of a talented group that struggled in recent seasons. Despite having stars like Khalil Mack, Derwin James, and Joey Bosa, the Chargers allowed 24.3 points per game from 2021 to 2023 under Brandon Staley, ranking fifth-worst in the league.
Staley, who was the Rams’ defensive coordinator in 2020 when they led the league in scoring defense, had been making defensive calls for the Chargers instead of their coordinator. He was fired last season, and the Chargers hired Harbaugh as head coach in the offseason.
Hortiz has also provided depth to a unit that lacked it in previous years. The Chargers regularly have 19 players who see defensive snaps during a game.
“You don’t ever want it to be where you take one guy out and it all falls apart, or you’re depending on one guy so much,” Minter said. “We’ve got multiple guys in each position that may or may not be starters, but a lot of them have played in this league along with young players that we drafted. We’ve got a well-rounded roster.”
The Chargers began the season by becoming the fourth team since 1990 to allow 20 or fewer points in each of their first nine games. They’ve also allowed a league-low 29 touchdowns, with only 17 on 38 red-zone drives. Their 44.7% red-zone defense also leads the league.
Los Angeles has improved at getting to the quarterback, with 46 sacks, tied for fifth.
“We’re definitely getting better and healthier as a team. More guys are learning and sharpening techniques, which we are going to need in the playoffs,” said James, who has a career-high 5 1/2 sacks.
Even if the Chargers are locked into their playoff seed by Sunday’s game, their focus this week has been on maintaining momentum.
“Consistency throughout the year has been the message along with the coaching,” Mack said. “We can’t start thinking about ifs, ands or buts. We have to create our own path. Nobody is worrying about who we play.”
