Why the Los Angeles Chargers are making the correct call with Omarion Hampton in Week 13

Why the Los Angeles Chargers are making the correct call with Omarion Hampton in Week 13 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Chargers will go into another game without rookie running back Omarion Hampton, who has been officially ruled out for Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders. It will be his eighth missed game in a row.

There was some optimism that he would return to the field this week, but the Chargers have decided that it's not the time to get him back in the lineup just yet. The reason for that could very well be the level of opponent the team is up against.

The Raiders have been one of the league's worst teams this season. The Chargers beat them 20-9 in Week 2 and are looking for the season sweep. It's likely that Jim Harbaugh feels his team can beat the Raiders without the services of Hampton.

It sounds like Hampton is about ready to return and if the Chargers were playing a more dangerous team this week, he might be ready now. In Week 14, the Chargers face a home game against the Philadelphia Eagles, one of the better teams in the NFC. It would be a huge surprise if he's not in the lineup for that game.

The Chargers have skated by with a makeshift rushing attack led by Kimani Vidal, who is the only running back currently on the 53-man roster. The team will continue to rotate the likes of Trayveon Williams, Amar Johnson and Jaret Patterson from the practice squad to give the team more options on gamedays. That has worked to this point and at 7-4, the Chargers are still well within striking distance in the AFC.

The Chargers are slow-playing the return of Hampton to the field, but will be ready to unleash him as perhaps their most powerful offensive weapon in the later stages of the season.

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