Chargers @ WFT GDT and Post Game Discussion (Wk 1)

[Xenos]

[richpjr]

I'm kind of shocked.

I honestly thought the team would fold after they turned the ball over in the red zone with WFT leading 16-13. You could feel all the momentum had tuned their way.

Then the defense stepped up, got the ball back deep in Washington territory and that proved to be the game changer.

I know it's only one game, but to me the biggest difference so far is this: This team does not find ways to lose, instead they find ways to grind it out and win.

This is something I can hang my hat on, and believe things will be better.

It's obviously only one games, but it sure seems like the elite teams in the league have the confidence and swagger to go for the win and teams like the Chargers in years past played not to lose and still lost. What a refreshing change.

[UglyTruth]

They only scored one TD. Lethargic? Lol …

126 rushing yards given up is…yeah lethargic. You know defense (and offense) is measured in yards, not points for a reason right?

[SoCalDan]

At least they didn't allow a 100 yard runner. I mean it was close. But still the average both their runners had wasn't too bad, 3.8 per carry. I can live with that.

[equivocation]

This defensive scheme will allow some quick runs inside. A good dive play gets you 6-8 yards. A good deep over or even outside zone gets you 20+ yards. Inside running is just inherently less efficient than passing these days.

It's like the Harden era Rockets only shooting 3s, layups, and FTs. Not as extreme, but you're playing the numbers and making them sustain. Eventually there's a stuff or a hold or a false start and the down/distance flips to you.

[blueman]

126 rushing yards given up is…yeah lethargic. You know defense (and offense) is measured in yards, not points for a reason right?

Good thing we sucked so much that we won.

[UglyTruth]

Good thing we sucked so much that we won.

Nobody said we sucked. Jesus fucking Chris, you realize it’s possible to have a win and still have things to improve on right?

Or did you also fucking think the Chargers were gonna win the Super Bowl after beating the Bengals in wk 1 by the same 3 or 4 pts last season? And that was against Joe Burrow while this was against…Tyler Heineiche.

Win or lose there’s things to improve on and there’s things to build on. Run defense is one of the things to improve on (stellar OL play something to build on for example) and I’m 100% sure Staley feels the exact same way. He’s not thinking “Oh we beat Washington by 4, we’re perfect nothing to focus and improve on!”.

[Guest]

Staley doesn’t think Pipkin is fully developed yet. That’s why he’s still on the roster. Not because of a small miracle.

He may just be there as the 9th best OL player that we have, a player that we have to keep this year because we lack other options, but one that will be gone next year.

[UglyTruth]

Definitely agree that the run defense needs to be more stout, but today Dak threw the ball 58 times, while Elliot and Pollard ran the ball a total of 14 times. Chargers' pass defense really needs to be on point next Sunday.

Yeah it’s gonna depend on how the game goes. Their game against the Bucs was somewhat high scoring so Cowboys went pass early instead of trying to control clock through running.

I do think this game will be a high scoring one as well. Both Cowboys and Chargers offenses are high powered with ton of weapons that both defenses will have problems with.

They may force feed Elliot though because looks like locally Cowboys coaches are getting some heat for not running the ball as much in week 1.

[Guest]

Nobody said we sucked. Jesus fucking Chris, you realize it’s possible to have a win and still have things to improve on right?

Or did you also fucking think the Chargers were gonna win the Super Bowl after beating the Bengals in wk 1 by the same 3 or 4 pts last season? And that was against Joe Burrow while this was against…Tyler Heineiche.

Win or lose there’s things to improve on and there’s things to build on. Run defense is one of the things to improve on (stellar OL play something to build on for example) and I’m 100% sure Staley feels the exact same way. He’s not thinking “Oh we beat Washington by 4, we’re perfect nothing to focus and improve on!”.

This year's WFT game and last year's CIN game were not similar at all. There is a huge difference between moving the ball at will and punting that ball at the will of your opponent. There is a huge difference between passing the ball brilliantly and passing the ball ineptly.

Staley's system can yield some running plays, but I am rejoicing at 126 rushing yards for WFT if I get to have that with only 133 passing yards. Currently, our defense is #1 in fewest passing yards allowed and tied for #5 in fewest total yards allowed. That is solid even if it was against a somewhat offensively challenged WFT team.

As long as we are stopping the passing attack, it is difficult for teams to sustain long drives by running the ball heavily. Of course, it would be great to stop everything, but it is more helpful to be able to stop the pass, which chews up the field for the opponent in fewer plays.

[AK47]

Slater Jr: Dad, kids at school were teasing me.

Slater Sr.: What they say son?

Slater Jr: ...well um that my dad has no sacks!

Slater Sr: Thats right son, we Slaters have balls.

[Xenos]

He may just be there as the 9th best OL player that we have, a player that we have to keep this year because we lack other options, but one that will be gone next year.

I’m just going by what Staley said:

https://theathletic.com/2801703/2021/08/31/analyzing-the-chargers-initial-53-man-roster-tough-cut-at-receiver-as-team-keeps-4-running-backs/

So I asked Staley why Pipkins is on this roster.

“With Trey, there’s still aspects of his game that certainly need improvement, but we felt like he’s been invested in trying to improve,” Staley replied. “What we’re trying to do is solidify him in a comfort zone. He’s been going left and right, right and left, and we just felt like, for now, he’s a player that we can still hang with. And we feel like he’s earned that with us, with how he’s invested in his game. And although he’s had some tough moments that I think a lot of people have seen, there’s been other moments where we feel like, hey, there’s still more in there that we can tap into. So we’re just going to hang tough with him, and he certainly has to improve, but we feel like he gives us depth at that position that we feel like we’ll need moving forward.”