There is more than a little desperation in the home team as the Chargers prepare for their Week 8 matchup with the Chicago Bears. This is a team that was expected to give the Kansas City Chiefs a run for their money in the AFC West, yet they are struggling with a 2-4 record and they are 3 1/2 games behind Kansas City in the division race.

It's actually more than that, since the Chargers dropped their Week 7 matchup at Kansas City. It was a game that quarterback Justin Herbert demonstrated his talent in the first part of the game by matching Patrick Mahomes, but the second half saw the Chiefs seize control and win the game by a 31-17 margin.

There are a lot of issues with the Chargers, and the biggest problem may be head coach Brandon Staley. He rarely has his team primed for a big performance, and when it comes to making halftime or in-game adjustments, he falls woefully short.

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There are strong reasons to believe that executive vice president/general manager Tom Telesco and owner Dean Spanos are getting close to making a change at the head coaching position.

Pivotal moment for Chargers

If the Chargers lose a home game to the Chicago Bears (2-5), it would certify the 2023 season as a disaster. But if they win the game, they would move within 1 game of the .500 mark and have a potentially winnable Monday night road game against the New York Jets coming up.

The key for the Chargers may be putting all the negative thoughts out of their heads. They still have some brilliant offensive talent with Herbert, wide receiver Keenan Allen and running back Austin Ekeler. The Bears are vulnerable on defense, and the Chargers need to take advantage of Chicago's weakness.

Justin Herbert needs to set the tone for the Chargers and attack the Chicago secondary

Herbert was near the top of the quarterback ranking lists during the offseason and the start of the year. He has superb arm strength, a quick release, accuracy and excellent athletic ability.

There have been no changes when it comes to Herbert's talent level, but his performance in 2023 has not been exceptional. He has completed 142 of 212 passes for 1,512 yards to this point in the season, and he has a 10-4 touchdown to interception ratio.

However, there have been times he has missed open receivers, and that was a specific issue when the Chargers dropped a Week 6 Monday night game against the Dallas Cowboys.

In that game, the Chargers offensive line had issues contending with the Dallas pass rush, and Herbert was on the run throughout key portions of the game.

The quarterback faced many of the same problems the following week against the Chiefs. Herbert was sacked 5 times, and Kansas City held him to 259 passing yards. He threw 1 TD pass against the Chiefs but he was intercepted twice.

Look for Herbert to pass for at least 275 yards and 3 TDs against the Bears.

Allen is one of the best receivers in the NFL

Wideout Keenan Allen remains Herbert's No. 1 receiver, and he should have the opportunity to torch Chicago's secondary.

Allen has been targeted 64times this season and he has caught 46 passes for 574 yards an 4 touchdowns. Allen has a sensational ability to make the contested catch, and he remains a receiver who can make plays all over the field, including the red zone.

The Bears rank 29th in pass defense this season and they are allowing 257.1 passing yards per game. They will be hard-pressed to slow down Herbert, Allen and Josh Palmer in the Los Angeles passing game.

Austin Ekeler can lift the Chargers running game

Ekeler is one of the most versatile running backs in the league, as he excels as a runner and a receiver.

However, he has struggled quite a bit this season as a result of an ankle injury. He returned from that injury to play against the Chiefs, but he was limping during that game and he was held to 45 rushing yards and made just 2 receptions for 1 measly yard.

Ekeler participated fully in midweek practice sessions, so he is likely to be a key contributor against Chicago.

If he can make 1 or 2 key plays early in the game, it should be able to keep the Chicago defense off balance. Look for Ekeler to exceed 75 rushing yards and catch at least 5 passes.

Joshua Kelley is a solid backup running back who filled in nicely when Ekeler was out. He had 7 carries for an eye-opening 75 yards in the loss to the Chiefs.