2021 Official Chargers Season Discusssion

[powderblueboy]

Watch the next video I posted where they slide to Bosa's side. That's what they wantbto do every play. Showing the 'A' gap blitz long enough freezes the C so the G can't help the T. If the C does slide, it's a delayed blitz and K9 has a clean run.

Another impact is that if they are sliding protection to the right every time the opposite side pash rush has a much easier time. On Nwosu's hit of Fitz he has an inside rip with the LT on an island. If they had slid protection left, he would have gone straight into a G.

Staley also had multiple play calls last year where he used the line shift toward Donald to get a free rusher on the NB blitz. We haven't showed that yet, but it's there. Bosa dominates protection calls just like Donald does, so the same concepts apply.

Our opposite side EDGE players do need to do better with all this space. Getting Tillery on a stunt with Fackrell crashing should also be there and maybe get him some momentum.

Bosa was constantly doubled and winded last year.

Last Sunday, it seemed like Bosa had more one on one battles rushing the passer than all of last year.
Not only was the guard not coming over, the tight ends/backs were not chipping Bosa.
Staley was doing more than just placing Murray over the center as a decoy;
So, i'm curious as to what he was doing in addition.
Place a tight end over Bosa, and James comes from the other side?
Bosa drops back, and you have two offensive players doing nothing?


Last year was so fucking predictable on passing downs:
the opposing Oline knew their assignments pre snap.

[powderblueboy]

I noticed Bradley's Raider D was collapsing again at the end against the Ravens.

Every time the Raider O tied up the game,
Bradley's D coughed up the lead with a td & then a late, late field goal that should have clinched it.

His D finally made a stop in overtime - hallelujah - with a blitzer looping around the right tackle (typical Bradley blitz).

[dmac_bolt]

We are going backwards on the OL. Schofield sux. Hopefully it isn't to start. He was awful at RT for Denver

He’s better than Pipkins.

[equivocation]

Bosa was constantly doubled and winded last year.

Last Sunday, it seemed like Bosa had more one on one battles rushing the passer than all of last year.
Not only was the guard not coming over, the tight ends/backs were not chipping Bosa.
Staley was doing more than just placing Murray over the center as a decoy;
So, i'm curious as to what he was doing in addition.
Place a tight end over Bosa, and James comes from the other side?
Bosa drops back, and you have two offensive players doing nothing?


Last year was so fucking predictable on passing downs:
the opposing Oline knew their assignments pre snap.

Oh, OK.

Without the film I'm just going from memory and impressions.

1. Nwosu creamed Fitz early.
2. James took about 40% of his snaps in the slot. My impression was he would play slot on the side opposite Bosa and CHJr would play slot on the same side as Bosa. I'm sure it's not that simple, and again no film. James had 3 pass rush snaps but the threat was enough to affect line calls.
3. WFT didn't chip with Gibson much. He's a converted WR and they were down their WR2 so he was out in routes a lot. They like to spread the ball out and were trying to flood zones.
4. White also played the slot quite a bit and was well rated by PFT when lined up in the slot. I don't remember anything in particular but that was the data.
5. We lined up with a 0-tech on maybe 33% of snaps and Joseph was winning that battle. Pass rushing out of the nickle was often more of a 4-1 look, with K9 as the LB, White as a box/slot safety, and 2 safeties deep. We averaged 2.5 down linemen and 2 EDGE per snap. When we had 3 down linemen it was a 5-1 look.
6. When I would look for Tillery that side of the line was always crowded. Don't know why without film. Fackrell was also on the field quite a bit but not visible.

[equivocation]

Bosa was constantly doubled and winded last year.

Last Sunday, it seemed like Bosa had more one on one battles rushing the passer than all of last year.
Not only was the guard not coming over, the tight ends/backs were not chipping Bosa.
Staley was doing more than just placing Murray over the center as a decoy;
So, i'm curious as to what he was doing in addition.
Place a tight end over Bosa, and James comes from the other side?
Bosa drops back, and you have two offensive players doing nothing?


Last year was so fucking predictable on passing downs:
the opposing Oline knew their assignments pre snap.

Also, I think they aligned 9-4i-2i-7 a lot. This puts the 4i in perfect position to crash the G from outside and prevent the double team. Downside is the "A" gap on that side is wide open.

[Boltjolt]

He’s better than Pipkins.

Well see thats very debatable. If you ever saw Schofield plat RT you might agree. Hec he wasnt that great as a OG either.

[Critty]

What about Russell Okung?

[ChargersPowderBlue]

Bosa was constantly doubled and winded last year.

Last Sunday, it seemed like Bosa had more one on one battles rushing the passer than all of last year.
Not only was the guard not coming over, the tight ends/backs were not chipping Bosa.

The team was fortunate that the Washington coaches didn't send other players to help block Bosa. They won't be as fortunate when other teams do. Staley should expect this.

D-line is the most physically demanding. Players on the DL get tired the most. They need to be given a breather, to rest for some time. They are rotated in-and-out just like the RB group does. You need to have good depth. Bosa was forced to do more because what the team had behind him sucked. Hence why you saw him getting winded. The other pass rushers outside of him wasn't that much or lacking. Rochell was Bosa's backup. He was not suited as an edge rusher. Ingram was useless in his last year with this team. Then there was the DTs. There was not a pass rusher on the interior aside from Tillery, who was being used on the edge which made things worse. The saying' you cannot have enough pass rushers" is not a myth. When the DL players expend their energy into stopping the run it can take away from their pass rushing. So having the depth of players to rotate in and out helps.

I still see the same issues from last year and the years before. What I just pointed out. This team is still relying too much on Bosa and Nwosu (who is on and off). In the Washington game they were still being too dependent on the same guys to get to the QB. This has to change. The team needs to have more players get in on it. Chargers were fortunate they played a QB who hasn't played that much, Heineke. Against teams with a prolific QB, they'll be in trouble if they keep depending on 1 or 2 guys to get to the QB. Staley and Hill are gonna have to get something out of Fackrell and Rumph. Then there's the DTs, and they're gonna need more than just Tillery. Covington and whoever else the team has on the interior of the DL has to make a difference in getting to the QB. If it isn't well known already; the Chargers need pass rush in the middle badly. This has been a team weakness for long time. Hopefully Staley recognizes the issue.

[Xenos]

Popper’s mailbag Q&A:
https://theathletic.com/2832933/2021...arris-mailbag/

The Chargers (1-0) host the Cowboys (0-1) on Sunday afternoon in their home opener at SoFi Stadium.

Friday brought a wave of injury news for the Chargers. They placed starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga on injured reserve with a back injury, meaning he will miss a minimum of three weeks. Defensive back Chris Harris was ruled out of Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury he suffered last week against Washington. And defensive lineman Justin Jones will likely miss Sunday’s game with a calf injury he sustained against Washington. Jones is officially doubtful and did not practice this week.

You ask. I answer.

It’s the mailbag.

What’s the DB depth chart looking like now for Sunday? — @matt_moskovitz

The Harris injury is a big one. It is slightly surprising that Harris was not able to practice this week considering he finished Sunday’s win and played all but one defensive snap in the game. But coach Brandon Staley said Harris fell on his shoulder during the game and woke up Monday feeling “really, really sore.”

Harris is an integral piece in this defensive scheme because of his versatility. In base packages, he was playing outside cornerback opposite Michael Davis. In one variation of the nickel package, he was defending the slot. In another variation, the big nickel package, he was playing safety, with Derwin James moving up to defend the slot — what Staley calls the “Star” position. And then in dime packages, Harris was moving back to Star, with James playing the dime backer — or “Money” — position.

The Chargers do not have a player on their roster who can fill all those roles as Harris did. Staley said they will use a “combination” of defensive backs to replace Harris.

What does that mean specifically? Well, based on Staley’s comments, I expect Asante Samuel Jr. to play on the outside in base, nickel and dime packages. Samuel only played in nickel and dime last week against Washington. I also expect the Chargers to rely on the big nickel package more, with James defending the slot at Star. Nasir Adderley and Alohi Gilman will man the safety spots in that package. Adderley is officially questionable with a shoulder injury, but Staley said he will play Sunday against Dallas.

Against Washington, James played Star on 13 of the team’s 55 defensive snaps. He played eight snaps at Money and 34 snaps at safety. I think he will spend most of his time at Star against the Cowboys. Staley said Friday that his “best five” defensive backs right now are Adderley and Gilman at safety, James at Star, and Samuel and Davis outside.

The real question is what the Chargers will do in dime packages. Reading into Staley’s comments, it sounds like Trey Marshall, who the Chargers picked up on waivers earlier this month, will come on as the sixth DB, playing Money. James would stay at Star in this scenario.

If the Chargers want to move James to Money in dime packages — where he played last week when the defense went with six defensive backs — then they could bring on Kemon Hall to play Star. Staley mentioned him as an option. But Marshall is a more experienced player. He spent time with Staley in 2019 when Staley was the outside linebackers coach for the Broncos. Defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill coached Marshall for two seasons in Denver. Marshall is familiar with the scheme and the coaching staff.

Staley did not mention Star as a possible position for Marshall. So the natural assumption is that Marshall would play Money in dime packages with James playing Star.

The Chargers’ secondary depth will be tested in this game against a really explosive Cowboys passing attack featuring Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper. This is a matchup to watch. Lamb and Cooper went off against the Buccaneers in the NFL opener, catching a combined 20 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns. Of Lamb’s 104 yards, 63 were after the catch. That was the second most of any receiver in football in Week 1. The Cowboys completed five passes of 20 or more yards against Tampa.


If J.J. can’t go, which D lineman do you think they’ll activate? — @KevinCurnick

J.J., of course, refers to Jones, who almost certainly will not play in this game. That leaves the Chargers with only four healthy defensive linemen. And Staley said Friday that they will be making a move from the practice squad to bolster their depth. Christian Covington had a solid game against Washington, particularly against the run, and will slide into the starting lineup. Eric Banks, whom the Chargers claimed on waivers after cutdown day, will be in the rotation. Staley said they are still deciding between Forrest Merrill, Breiden Fehoko and Joe Gaziano as far as who they will call up for the game. Merrill made the initial 53-man. But with Banks’ ability to play nose tackle, I think they will go with an exterior player to round out the five-man group. That points to Gaziano. Fehoko is a more natural interior lineman.


With Bulaga out, and Norton presumably coming in, what did you think of Norton’s performance on Sunday and what it means going forward? — @UltiimateLaxBro

Storm Norton will start Sunday’s game at right tackle, according to Staley. After watching the tape, I actually thought Norton played a fine game. He had one bad rep, and that came on Justin Herbert’s sack-fumble in the red zone. Norton was matched up with Montez Sweatand got beat badly off the edge one-on-one. But that was really his only glaringly bad rep in the game. He mostly held up otherwise and even effectively blocked Chase Young one-on-one in pass protection on multiple occasions. They will need to give Norton help, even with the Cowboys injuries on the edge. DeMarcus Lawrence landed on IR with a broken foot, and Randy Gregory remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The Chargers will need to chip on Norton’s side with running backs and tight ends. They did plenty of that against Washington after Norton replaced Bulaga for the second half.


Is Tranquill strictly special teams/depth now? Does he not fit into Staley’s defensive scheme? — @JMelch31

Kyzir White beat out Drue Tranquill for the second starting inside linebacker spot during training camp. White made the most plays of any defensive player and earned that spot alongside Kenneth Murray. And for now, Tranquill does not have a path to get on the field with the defense. He played only three defensive snaps against Washington and I do not expect that number to increase unless White suffers an injury. Tranquill will have to make his impact on special teams, where he is a core-four player. Tranquill fits in the scheme. It’s just that White, for now, brings more athletically to that position and is playing at a really high level, even with a few missed tackles in the opener. White forced the fumble in the fourth quarter that turned the game against Washington and led to the go-ahead touchdown.


How are we feeling about Jerry Tillery’s progress? — @JustWIN_Herbert

Tillery did not jump out on the tape from the Washington game. He played 42 snaps and did not have a pressure or a tackle. I came away with the same feeling I had watching Tillery play last season: Meh. He certainly does not look like a first-round pick. But at this point, Tillery is all Staley has to work with, especially with the Jones injury. They just have to hope he improves.

Staley was rather diplomatic when assessing Tillery’s performance against Washington.

“I think Jerry’s playing really, really hard,” Staley said. “We were able to move him throughout the formation, which is a goal of ours. I feel like he had some of that kind of almost production in the rush. But we’re excited where he’s at. His weight is really good right now. His body’s good. He was really active. I feel like we’ve got a good rotation going with him. He played a really good number of snaps in the game.

“Just positioning him in the right ways in pass rush, too. It wasn’t a game last week where it was just kind of a pure-on rush sort of game, like third-down-and-we’re-ahead type game. So we kind of had to play it straight up, and he’s playing rugged and tough in the run front. So I’m excited to keep working with him, because he’s improving every day and he’s totally invested in what we’re doing. He’s in great shape. So I think the way he’s changed his body is allowing him to make a lot more plays in the run game and play the way we want to play. I’m excited to see him keep going.”


What was the cause of Ekeler not receiving any receptions and do you think this is going to be normal moving forward? — @orennasab

I wrote about this in my Final Thoughts, but I got a lot of questions on this topic, so I figured I would dive a little deeper.

Austin Ekeler did not have a target as a receiver against Washington. But I do not think that is an indication of how he will be used in the passing game. That, to me, was more a function of how open Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Jared Cook and the rest of the Chargers’ receivers and tight ends were getting downfield.

The Chargers still moved Ekeler all over the formation. He lined up in the slot five times and outside once, according to Pro Football Focus. He also ran routes on more than 50 percent of Herbert’s dropbacks. There were just players more open farther down the field.

“He’s definitely a weapon in the passing game,” Staley said of Ekeler this week. “We had a couple things up for him that didn’t get called. When we were in some of our stuff where we were split out, the ball just went other places. But that’s a big part of our offense, getting him activated in the passing game. Whether it’s from the backfield, split out, or in the screen game. Excited to see how that expresses itself as the weeks go on. He’s definitely an asset to us, for sure.”

[Topcat]

Per the Chargers website
Bulaga to the IR

Michael Schofield signed to the OL

Chargers Sign Michael Schofield III

Just going to shake my damn head as Telesco needed to do damn more this offseason.

Ah, good old Scho...now we can look forward to more of THIS:

schofield vs.jpg

...and THIS:

2 schofield miss rivers flushed inc 8.37.PNG

...and THIS:

7 scho miss pennel sacks rivers.PNG

...and THIS:

10 scho miss rivers hurried inc 32.28.PNG

Ah, the memories...good times are back!

[Topcat]

He’s better than Pipkins.

Pretty sad when we're considering Scho to be an upgrade over Pip...like saying the Lusitania is better than the Titanic...they both sunk, just that one took longer to sink than the other...

[Topcat]

Per the Chargers website
Bulaga to the IR

Michael Schofield signed to the OL

Chargers Sign Michael Schofield III

Just going to shake my damn head as Telesco needed to do damn more this offseason.

Once again, TT scrapes the bottom of the FA barrel...this Scho signing ranks right up there in the Bolt Hall of Shame with the Willie Smith and the Max Starks signings...