"Slap some mojo on it" preseason Gameday thread Chargers at Vikings!

[richpjr]

WARNING: THIS IS A "NEGATIVE" POST.


Does anyone else have a feeling of impending doom - great big doom - regarding our regular season opener in KC? On the bright side, I'll consider it a success if we don't get beat by more than 40. I wish all you Charger fans the best that are traveling to that game. But I can't get rid of this feeling we are in HUGE trouble. I'm sure it will be a good learning experience no matter what. Maybe they'll overlook us. Who does KC play week #2?

Wow, that is a pretty negative post!

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

Division games play closer than must would think they will. Plus we will have some major mojo at the game that day!

[captaind]

I'm not expecting a Dave Lindsay moment on opening day. Believe that was against the Chefs as well. But it's fair to say it's going to be an area of concern this year. That's why we used our first pick to address it.

[UtahBolt]

Am I the only one that has not been impressed with Slauson so far? Watch him on Gordon's TD, just awful...he does not know who to block, so he ends up blocking no one and falling to his knees. Seems like I have seen him miss a few times this preseason, in all three games. I realize the sample size is small and Minny has a great front 7 but if it wasn't for the Viking DT (98) being an idiot and letting MG run right by him, that would have been a 2-3 yard loss because of Slauson. Watch it again...very Trevor Robinsonesque.

Also, watch Wiggins seal his guy and drive him out of the gap...nice job by Wiggins...something you don't get to say often!

[HoneDogNoglet]

The Cardinals have six total running backs currently and at least five that could easily be our second best pure running back (just running the ball from scrimmage). They are Andre Ellington, David Johnson, Chris Johnson, Stepfan Taylor, and Kerwynn Williams. Their sixth RB is a rookie named Elijhaa Penny. Penny is a UFA from Idaho with good size - 6-2, 236.

Do you think we could pick up Williams off their practice squad? Will the Cards keep him on their 53-man roster? Williams or Taylor would be fine with me.

good call

[Coachmarkos]

Something else, yesterday's game taught me.

Bercovicci is not ready, and Clemens is our backup. Either way, we're screwed without PR out there.

[OhioBolt]

Donald Brown got cut by the Pats, with an injury settlement. If he's healthy he'll probably re-emerge as a Charger once again. Sigh.

Signing Donald Brown is the equivalent of signing Donald Duck!

[Gwynning_Spirit]

Signing Donald Brown is the equivalent of signing Donald Duck!

Donks beat us to the punch.

[vinabolt]

I'm not really concern about Oliver's out of season injury. He haven't stood out since his impressive rookie year.

Oliver run with good power and has great balance, and it's a willing blocker. But other than underwhelming in the receiving game, he's also lack some of the basic skills of a good runner:

- Vision and instinct. Seems like he always run hard.... to a wall of bodies.

- He's lacking a a little of quickness and speed.

- And the most important skill of a runner, the ability of anticipating holes based on your X&O knowledge, film study, and your reading of the defense and their alignment/position. Also, the ability of making quick accurate decision on whether to cut or to follow your blockers. The runner's rapport with his lead blockers helps a lot, too. It's somewhat similar to the relationship between the guards and the screeners in basketball. That's why we drafted Watt. If he has a different last name, he would still be here, because of the great chemistry he had with Gordon at Wisconsin.

Gordon and LT have the same run style. They are a "no gain, 2 yards, 25 yards, 1 yard...." types of RB. They are not a bruiser who'll give you positive 3, 4 yards and a cloud of dust every plays. They are patient runners, looking for holes to burst through for big gains.

It's really interesting when you compare LT and Gordon's rookie years. They basically ran into the same problem: Lackluster blocking and need time to caught up with pro X&O, NFL defense, and it was hurt their ability to anticipate holes. They also need time to built rapport and get the chemistry down with the blockers.

The RB anticipating of holes/running lanes are like the QB anticipating of an open receivers. "Vision" are overate. Great QB and RB anticipating the open and the holes before the play, based on their study and their knowledge of the defense, as well as their knowledge of their own offense, blocking assignments, receivers' routes, etc.

The long TD run by Gordon yesterday illustrated this point. When Rivers audibled and changed the plays, Gordon - having know the offense better - instantly know what to do and where to run. He knew why Rivers was audibling to that play, and knew what to do with it, where to run with it. So, he don't need to use his "vision" to look anywhere, he immediately burst to the hole and to the zone for a TD.

Back to the rookie years of LT and Gordon, both guys realized that he won't have the success with the patient style they ran at TCU and Wisconsin. They chose different method to deal with their rookie seasons.

LT basically changed his style to a bruiser in that rookie year, probably with the insist of Marty. The results: He rushed for over 1000 yards. Had a fairly successful season. But his ypc is low and he probably broke 2 long runs in the whole season.

In his second year and beyond, LT - after being familiar with the offense and NFL scheme - reverted back to his patient style at TCU.

Gordon deal with his rookie year differently. He refused to change style and stayed true to his style in Wisconsin. And the results are nowhere near what he accomplished in college, because: OL injury/bad blocking, lack of knowledge of his own offense and opposing NFL defense, lack of NFL level X&O knowledge.

These limitation hurt his decisiveness and make him slower on his getoff. It caused hesitation and the reluctant to confidently commit on where to run. Unable to anticipate running lanes or just incorrect anticipation. The pundits on NFL.com wrote a lot about him being "too patient" or "indecisive" but didn't write about the specific causes.

That's why the long TD run yesterday by Gordon is so refreshing and have many meanings, it shows much more than just the confidence stuff.

[vinabolt]

I don't concern much about Oliver being out for the season is because he's not that impressive anymore (I was so impress with him in his rookie year), and RB is probably one of the better position to find quality backups. Teams will have to make some tough, hard cuts to trim down to their final roster. There are always some proven backup/part-time/borderline starting RBs that available after the final cuts. There are also some talented young guys on teams' practice squad.

My watch/wish list:

- Whoever MIN cut.

- Whoever DEN cut.

- Whoever NE cut, especially DJ Foster and Tyler Gaffney.

There are some fear of acquiring NE's players because of a belief in the NFL circle that if NE can't develop you, no one can. Obviously, some of this isn't true (see Woodhead).

But this year NE's RB position is loaded. DJ Foster outplays everyone not named Dion Lewis so far, in their camps and weekly practices. Gaffney has been impressive in their preseason games' highlights, broke long runs after long runs. Gaffney has the anticipating skills that I talk about. The problem with him is that he lacked of quickness and straight-line speed. The big runs he has in the preseason so far would have been TDs with Gordon's speed. Instead, the defenders were able to chased him down.

I think NE will cut 1 of the 2. NFL coaches and executives value actual accomplishments in real games and playoffs than practices and preseason games. No way NE would keep 2 of them over James White and LeGarrette Blount, 2 proven veterans that had big performance in big games, including the postseasons and the Superbowls. Plus, James White has great hands and tremendous rapport and chemistry with Brady on those dink and dunk plays.

Another no name underate RB that could be cut in NE that worth taken a look is Joey Iosefa. In some limited actions, he demonstrate a very powerful, violent way of running, punishing the tacklers. Although like Oliver, he seems to run hard into a brick wall, with no vision or anticipation. And he can't catch the ball.

I think those teams' RB position are loaded right now and will have to cut some people. We should at least bring some of them in. Work them out and see how it goes.