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Originally posted by Boltjolt
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Maybe K9 is still trying to learn this entirely new defensive system after doing the same thing last year...info overload...eventually he should settle in nicely...in the meantime, good to see Tranq Gun is hitting on all chambers... -
He needs to loosen up. He’s always squatting super low in his spot pre-snap. Not sure why they don’t coach him to stand taller like the other ILBs. He needs to see what’s going on.Originally posted by Topcat View PostOur quarterback is a golden god.Comment
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Well thats not dramaticOriginally posted by jamrock View Post“Less is more? NO NO NO - MORE is MORE!”Comment
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Lol, yeah I'd prefer Tranquill right now anyways. He is playing better than Murray.Originally posted by dmac_bolt View PostComment
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Popper’s weekly mailbags:
The Chargers (2-1) host the Raiders (3-0) at SoFi Stadium on Monday night.
Some injury news before we get into the questions:
• Linebacker Kenneth Murray re-injured his left ankle in Saturday’s practice. He went down during the portion open to the media, and trainers rushed over and treated him for a few minutes. Murray was then carted off the field. It is the same ankle he injured in Week 2 against the Cowboys. He only missed a series before returning and finishing that game. Murray is officially questionable for Monday night. “Just rolled his ankle,” coach Brandon Staley said of Murray’s practice injury. Staley did not provide any further details on the severity of the injury when he met with the media Saturday afternoon.
• Defensive back Chris Harris Jr., who has not played since Week 1 because of a shoulder injury, is also questionable. Staley said he will be a “game-time decision.” Harris returned to practice this week for the first time since suffering the injury against Washington. He was limited in all three practices.
• Defensive lineman Justin Jones will miss his third straight game with a calf injury. He was limited in both Thursday and Friday’s practices, but he did not practice Saturday after experiencing a setback.“We’re trying to be careful with him,” Staley said. “It doesn’t feel quite up to speed. Got off to a good start this week, and I was optimistic. But yesterday, there was still just a little tug in there, so we’re going to make sure he’s full speed before he comes back.”
You ask. I answer.
It’s the mailbag.
Who has been your biggest surprise and disappointment so far this season? — @boltfan33
Biggest surprise: Mike Williams.
Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi tried to warn all of us in the spring that Williams was due for a massive season. “If I were a betting man,” Lombardi said June 1, “I’d bet on nice numbers coming from him on the stat sheet, that’s for sure.”
But I certainly did not see this kind of production. Williams already has 22 catches on 31 targets for the season. He is on pace for 124 catches. His previous career high was 49 in 2019. His 295 receiving yards rank seventh in the league, and he is tied for second with four touchdown catches. The Chargers have expanded Williams’ route tree, incorporating more slants into his arsenal. They have made him a focal point of the offense, including in the RPO game. They are maximizing his talents. Williams deserves credit for performing. The Chargers coaching staff deserves credit for identifying those talents and putting him in a position to produce.
Biggest disappointment: Murray.
And this has nothing to do with the injury. Murray played his fewest snaps of the season last week against the Chiefs. Drue Tranquillsaw an increased role in Kansas City, and that was going to continue regardless of Murray’s injury status. Tranquill is the better player right now. I thought Staley’s scheme would allow Murray to play more downhill. He was going to have fewer coverage responsibilities, and I believed that would allow Murray to think less and attack more. Through three games, that did not come to fruition. His tackling has been subpar. He has looked lost at times in run fits. He is not playing as fast as I thought he would. There is a reason Tranquill played more in that game. Tranquill is a more reliable run defender and tackler and is quicker to diagnose plays.
“He’s at the beginning with us,” Staley said of Murray this week. “We are trying to get him comfortable within his role. There have been some really good moments for him. And then, there have been some moments that we need him to produce more. I think that goes for a lot of guys. With young players in this league, the timeline for when it comes on is different for everybody. The biggest thing is we’re not disappointed at all in him. The fact that we have three guys that can start at that position is a real advantage. It’s an advantage for him. What we’re learning is just, truly, how to take advantage of his talent.”
Run game has been somewhat underwhelming so far, what needs to be improved: scheme and/or execution? — @milesprofilio
The Chargers rank 25th in rushing DVOA — Football Outsiders’ efficiency metric — and 21st in expected points added per play on rushing plays. Like our question-asker notes, that is not great. I see it as more of an execution issue than a scheme issue. A missed block here, a missed block there, both from tight ends and offensive linemen. Some misreads from running backs when holes have been there. Scheme is a still a component, though.
I think some context is important here. The Chargers had four new starters on the offensive line to begin the season. You can call it five new starters now with Storm Norton manning right tackle with Bryan Bulaga on IR. The Chargers’ top tight end, Jared Cook, is also new to the team. Simply put, it takes time and reps for the run blockers and runners to find the cohesion and synergy necessary to execute rushes effectively. And it takes time and reps for the offensive staff to find the concepts that best take advantage of their players’ skillsets.
As Staley said this week, the Chargers are still very much in the “discovery phase’ in terms of ironing out their rushing attack.
“What we’re discovering is who we are,” Staley said. “What runs we’re most comfortable with versus the defenses that we’re playing, and how to truly utilize our people the right way. Because we play a lot of different (personnel) groupings. In the run game, it’s truly getting in that sweet spot of who we like in the game and what runs feature those guys best.”
I am confident this will improve as the season goes on. And the Chargers showed some signs of that improvement in the fourth quarter against the Chiefs. The Chargers averaged 5.57 yards per carry on their seven fourth-quarter rushes in Kansas City. Austin Ekeler rattled off three consecutive runs off 11, 6 and 9 yards on the game-tying field goal drive. The Chargers have the talent up front to run the ball effectively. And the consistency will come as the run blockers — offensive linemen and tight ends — get more time on the field together.
How do you think Gus Bradley’s knowledge of our players’ strengths and weaknesses will help him in game planning for this week? — @gilsery
I posed this question to a few players and coaches this week, and the answers were rather interesting. Bradley, of course, spent four seasons with the Chargers from 2017 to 2020 and is intimately familiar with their personnel on both sides of the ball. Raiders defensive backs coach Ron Milus was with the Chargers from 2013 to 2020, and linebackers coach Richard Smith was with the Chargers from 2017 to 2020. The information they have certainly will not hurt them in game planning for the Chargers offense. And it will not hurt Jon Gruden and the Raiders offensive staff in game planning against the Chargers defense.
But the Chargers’ offensive and defensive schemes are so different that I do not think it is a significant advantage.
“I don’t think that it factors in too much,” Staley said this week. “The thing about the NFL is that you have so much information on most people that there’s not really anywhere to hide. It’s more about the players that are in the game. I think that what Gus can do by being here, and those defensive coaches that were here, is they have a good sense of the talent level of all of our guys. From just a personnel standpoint, they just have a good idea of how good they are, their strengths and weaknesses. But how we’re using them this year is different than it was when he was here. There is that part of it.”
There is a flip side here. The Chargers’ defensive players are intimately familiar with Bradley’s Cover 3 heavy scheme, which originated in Seattle. More importantly, Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen and Williams went up against this defense every day in training camp. So it goes both ways.
“We know how it’s run. We know the way it’s supposed to be run,” Allen said of Bradley’s scheme. “That gives us a great deal of advantage.”
Bradley is notoriously committed to running the concepts he believes in. His defenses are not very multiple. Bradley is a staunch advocate for the less-is-more defensive philosophy. He thinks simplifying things allows his players to play faster. He relies on his players executing better than the offense. I asked Lombardi if he thought Bradley might shake up his game plan considering how familiar the Chargers offensive players are with the scheme.
“I do expect a few wrinkles, specifically, maybe, on third down,” Lombardi said. “This defense has been around for a long time. It’s been proven. I don’t think that they’re ever really trying to trick you. They’re just trying to out-execute you. They often do a really good job of that. You’re always trying to be ready for the unknowns, but I think that he’s going to lean on what they do well.”
How would you rate Michael Davis’ play so far this year? — @Richardgoesblah
Davis, who signed a $25.2 million extension this offseason, has been up and down through three games, both in coverage and run defense. He got beat on a double move by Terry McLaurin in the Washington game. He got beat by Amari Cooper on a double move in the Cowboys game, though Dak Prescott did not throw it to him. Davis was matched up with Travis Kelce on a number of snaps in the Chiefs game and got beat twice — once on a missed tackle, and once one a second-reaction play over the middle where he lost track of Kelce on a crosser. Davis also lost the edge on two explosive running plays, one against Washington and one against Dallas. The same consistency issues are still popping up. But I think he will get better as he gets more comfortable in Staley’s scheme. I still think his ceiling is a really good No. 2 corner.
How much of the blame lies with the QB on these illegal shift penalties? Is the coaching staff at all concerned or is it viewed as easily correctable? — @bruinrobbie
There is blame to go around for the illegal shifts. Lombardi admitted this week that he could have gotten the play call in sooner on the Cook illegal shift in the Dallas game that negated what would have been the go-ahead touchdown. The receivers and tight ends need to get set sooner. The offense, as a whole, can have more urgency getting to the line of scrimmage. Herbert can take some initiative to pause for the full second to get everyone set. Or, if the play clock is running down, kill the motion in the play call to expedite the play. It is all of those things.
On the fourth-and-4 illegal shift in the second quarter against the Chiefs, the Chargers broke the huddle with nine seconds left on the play clock. Allen and Jalen Guyton did not get lined up correctly out of the huddle, and it took five seconds for them to find their spots. Allen said this week that it was hard to hear the full play call because of the crowd noise at Arrowhead. Guyton went in motion before Allen had fully set.
On the Gabe Nabers touchdown that was called back against the Chiefs, the Chargers broke the huddle with 10 seconds left, and Cook did not come set before going in motion.
Against the Cowboys, Williams adjusted his stance as Cook went in motion, and the Chargers never got set as an 11-man unit.
This week, the Chargers practiced some of these motion-heavy plays with the play clock ticking down to simulate some of the more rushed scenarios they have been encountering in games. It is a point of emphasis. We will see if the problem gets remedied Monday night.
What’s the issue with Chargers run defense? — @TheNavy_Sandman
Some of it is strategy and game plan. Some of it is talent. The Chargers were baiting the Chiefs into running the ball, so I do not think you can put too much stock into that game. The performance against the Cowboys was more concerning, because the Chargers knew Dallas was going to run the ball in the game and still they could not stop it. The Chargers are missing Justin Jones, one of their better run defenders. With Jones out, Jerry Tillery has been taking on more double teams, and that is not his strong suit. They will have to find a way to improve against the Raiders with Jones out again. One positive note, though: the Raiders enter this game ranked 31st in rushing DVOA.
How do we feel about the Chargers pass rush and finding a second threat to take some heat off Joey Bosa? — @Bullmoose452
Bosa is playing at an elite level. And I think the rotation opposite him has been fine. Kyler Fackrell is sound and consistent. Uchenna Nwosu did an excellent job of staying disciplined in his rushes against Patrick Mahomes to maintain contain. He also had a dominant sack of Ryan Fitzpatrick in the Washington game. And rookie fifth-round pick Chris Rumph has started to flash. He had pressure against the Chiefs, and his motor off the edge is really impressive.
Nwosu has not been super efficient as a pass rusher. But he is giving the Chargers enough right now as the primary rusher opposite Bosa.
“This guy is playing well for us,” Staley said of Nwosu. “I feel like he’s getting into his rhythm and timing. … Last week, I thought he really was active around the quarterback. I thought our whole front was, but Uchenna, specifically. He’s a playmaker. … He’s a good fit for our system. … Uchenna is a guy that we really trust and respect.”Comment
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And Tranq is jacked up. He came in the season well prepared and in good shape.Originally posted by Topcat View PostComment
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Tranq will do just fine tomorrow night. Not worried.Originally posted by CivilBolt View Post“Less is more? NO NO NO - MORE is MORE!”Comment
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Lol. I just want to pummel the Raiders so bad that they doubt themselves for the rest of the season. Many of you are too young to remember but the air Coryell era Chargers served notice on the league when they beat the snot out of Cleveland on a Monday night. Coming out party. That’s what I want tomorrowOriginally posted by dmac_bolt View PostComment
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I’m not too young. That was a great moment, but Coryell never got a trophy either. Steady progress and W’s, i don’t care about flashy statements.Originally posted by jamrock View Post“Less is more? NO NO NO - MORE is MORE!”Comment
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A complete ass-whipping from start to finish, like 38-0.Originally posted by jamrock View Post
Fill the raiders with lots of doubt for this season and their fans a fear of suffering another Charger beat down every time we play.
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If Murray was not a 1st rounder, he’d be the backup.Now, if you excuse me, I have some Charger memories to suppress.
The Wasted Decade is done.
Build Back Better.Comment
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Murray is who Lynn really wanted to draft, if I remember right. I think Telesco was quoted as saying something like Lynn would not have been happy if Murray wasn't drafted. I hope Staley is high on Murray.Originally posted by Formula 21 View PostComment
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