POLL: Is it Time to Fire Lombardi?

[Topcat]

Can we give Chain a press pass to debate him on that with his stat sheet? That would be gold. opcorn:

Now THAT is an interview I'd like to see...Crusher vs. Staley...or Lombo...either one...

[gzubeck]

Now THAT is an interview I'd like to see...Crusher vs. Staley...or Lombo...either one...

Lombo reminds me of the guy that can't cook. If it's not prepackaged with easy directions for cooking we end up with a mess!

[Topcat]

Lombo reminds me of the guy that can't cook. If it's not prepackaged with easy directions for cooking we end up with a mess!

Yep...Lombo also reminds me of the cranky old fart manager you work for, and you make a suggestion about how to change some policy to solve a big problem...but he stubbornly REFUSES to budge...because HE didn't think of it...or because "it's my way or the highway"...when I watch the Bolts play, and time after time, there are adjustments that could be made, but aren't...it's just mind-boggling...

[ScotttheRock]

How did Lombardi fair as the DC with Detroit? I don't think it was a stellar record no?

[AZBolt]

Another thing popper dismissed was the notion that Herbert threw too hard as an explanation for the drops.
he said Staley laughed him off
Hope that is enough for the narrative to die

2 hands means it's a YOU problem

.I like Herbert but he would be well served to work hard in practice to take a little off those short throws and get the location down to a more probable catch level....increasing the odds of catchability is much smarter than being stubborn and saying you got "two hands carch it"...... NFL games are full of drops, tips and deflections, increase catch probability andl you increase the odds of winning.

[Riverwalk]

How did Lombardi fair as the DC with Detroit? I don't think it was a stellar record no?

He was OC and got fired.

I think Lombardi implemented New Orleans offense because he was there for the past 4 seasons.

unfortunately, that means plugging guys into a scheme that may not be suited to their talents.

IMO, the best coordinators construct plays based on the talent they have.

at least Staley understands that on Defense. That’s why he’s moving Murray around to see where he fits versus plugging him in where he keeps failing.

[richpjr]

He was OC and got fired.

I think Lombardi implemented New Orleans offense because he was there for the past 4 seasons.

unfortunately, that means plugging guys into a scheme that may not be suited to their talents.

IMO, the best coordinators construct plays based on the talent they have.

at least Staley understands that on Defense. That’s why he’s moving Murray around to see where he fits versus plugging him in where he keeps failing.

We have one of the worst defenses in the league. I'm not sure that is a great thing to make your point (not that I disagree with it).

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

How does our offensive metrics compare with the rest of the league? And our defence? So we are clear why we are firing anyone on offense but no one on defense...

[UglyTruth]

[ghost]

How does our offensive metrics compare with the rest of the league? And our defence? So we are clear why we are firing anyone on offense but no one on defense...

Chargers rank 4th in the NFL in 3rd down efficiency at 45.7%.

With a league-leading 22 dropped passes, there is room for improvement. I criticized Lombardi, but his offense isn't the issue. It's the depth and offensive skill-set players dropping balls in pressure situations. Judging by these above metrics, I am agreement with Brandon Staley's assessment of Lombardi's offense. It is going the right direction.

[powderblueboy]

that's ridiculous, it's obviously just coach speak to support his coordinator half way through their first year together
never seen such a short leash on ANY headcoach ever.
I don't know why people even TRY to read into such benign comments
let the man have an actual season before you bring the pitch forks.
I would be more worried if BS was publicly putting his OC on blast after 10 games.

Staley needs to turn on Lombo and TT to get Ugly Truth's respect back.
Air out all the dirty Charger linen for us to inspect right now!

[richpjr]

Maybe Lombardi isn't quite as bad as some think...

Chargers final thoughts: 16 notes, stats and quotes from loss to Broncos

By Daniel Popper 57m ago

The Chargers fell to 6-5 with a 28-23 loss to the Broncos on Sunday in Denver. They are clinging to seventh place and the final wild card spot in the AFC. With a crucial game at the Bengals awaiting this weekend, their postseason hopes very much hang in the balance. The Chargers have lost four of six games since their 4-1 start.

Here are some final thoughts, stats and quotes from the loss at Mile High Stadium.

1. I have spent a lot of words discussing the Chargers’ offensive inconsistencies so far this season, and for good reason. The up-and-down offensive performances have been a major factor in this recent underwhelming stretch. But after Sunday, it is time to address this Chargers’ defense.

There were high aspirations for this unit after the team hired Brandon Staley as its head coach. Staley had turned the Rams into one of the best defenses in football in one meteoric season, and there was hope, both internally and externally, that Staley could work similar magic with a star-studded Chargers defense led by Derwin James and Joey Bosa. That has not transpired.

Through 12 weeks, the Chargers have not been a good defense. They rank 23rd in DVOA, Football Outsiders’ efficiency metric. They rank 29th in expected points added per play, according to TruMedia. They rank 31st in third-down efficiency. They have allowed the fifth-most points in the league. They are last in defensive success rate, an EPA-based stat from TruMedia. Their 12 takeaways are tied for 21st in the league, and their 21 sacks rank 24th. They rank 30th in rush defense EPA and 32nd in rush defense DVOA. Any way you slice it, this has been a below average-to-bad unit this season.

2. The product is the product, and it is hard to argue with the numbers. But I see this as more of a personnel and depth issue than a coaching issue.

The defensive line has performed serviceably against the run when it has been at full strength. But it’s not a talented enough group to weather absences over extended periods of time. They struggled when Justin Jones missed time early in the season with a calf injury. And they struggled Sunday against the Broncos with Linval Jospeh on the COVID-19 list. The Broncos rushed for 147 yards on 33 carries, including three explosive runs from Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams. Overall, the tackling has not been good enough.

In terms of the pass defense, the Chargers have been a middle-of-the-pack team in producing pressure. They rank 15th in pressure rate, according to Pro Football Focus, though they did combine for 15 pressures against the Broncos’ injured offensive line Sunday. The real problem has been their cornerback play. Again, injuries have tested the team’s depth. Tevaughn Campbell has struggled when called upon. Michael Davis has not lived up to the extension he signed this season. Chris Harris Jr. has shown signs of his age. The Chargers are much better with Asante Samuel Jr. on the field on the outside, but he is out after suffering a second concussion on the season. And it is certainly not helping that the breakdowns are coming in key moments.

3. Which brings us to the third-down defense. This, to me, is the single biggest problem with Staley’s defense. The Chargers are failing to get off the field on third down, and this falls on all facets of the defense. The Chargers rank 23rd in pressure rate on third down, according to PFF. Some of that is related to early-down performance. Opposing offenses are averaging 6.61 yards to gain on third downs, according to TruMedia, and that is impacting the number of true pass-rush scenarios.

But the lack of pressure coupled with protection breakdowns is allowing opposing offenses to sustain drives. The Chargers allowed the Broncos to convert eight of their 11 third downs in the game. Three of those came on the Broncos’ final touchdown drive in the third quarter that extended the lead to 21-7.

4. The Chargers’ third-down defense is affecting the offense. The defense is not giving the offense enough opportunities. Through 12 weeks, the Chargers are tied for dead last in the league in offensive drives. The margin for error offensively is razor thin because the opportunities are so limited. Now, some of that is related to how the Chargers are possessing the ball offensively. They rank second in the league in plays per drive and 13th in time of possession per drive, according to TruMedia. But a better third-down defense would give Justin Herbert more chances.

5. This does not absolve some of the issues the Chargers are dealing with offensively. Against the Broncos, the offensive line was poor both in pass protection and run blocking. Senio Kelemete, starting in place of the injured Matt Feiler, was a liability at left guard. The Chargers allowed a season-high 19 pressures, according to PFF. Herbert was sacked three times, and two those derailed drives.

On one sequence in the second quarter, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi tried to dial up a shot play, but the protection broke down on the right side, as edge rusher Stephen Weatherly got between tight end Donald Parham and right tackle Storm Norton for the sack. On the next play, edge rusher Malik Reed beat Kelemete on an inside stunt, and Herbert was forced into an incompletion.

Kelemete allowed six pressures and was also called for a holding penalty. Right guard Michael Schofield allowed five pressures. Norton and left tackle Rashawn Slater allowed three each. Slater was also called for a hold. The offense relied too heavily on Herbert evading pressure and creating off script. His interception in the end zone in the fourth quarter came in exactly this type of situation.

6. Heading into the game, Staley said he thought the Broncos would attempt to play a lot of nickel, and that is exactly what the Chargers saw. The Broncos entered the game ranked 26th in nickel rate this season, according to TruMedia, at 52.4 percent. Denver was in nickel on 56.3 percent of its defensive snaps against the Chargers.

The plan was to run the ball against the Broncos’ lighter nickel package and force them into base defenses. That would have removed one of the Broncos’ talented cornerbacks from the field. But the Chargers’ offensive line could not execute this part of the plan. The front got little push in the run game. Chargers running backs combined for 36 rushing yards on 12 carries. They became one-dimensional as a result, and that only fed into the Broncos’ ability to produce pressure on Herbert.

7. The Chargers’ offense still had positive moments in this game when it moved the ball effectively. After two three-and-outs to start the game, including one that started at their own 1-yard line, the Chargers drove 40 yards into Broncos territory only to turn the ball over on downs when Keenan Allen failed to win against Ronald Darby on a choice route.

They executed a perfect two-minute drill at the end of the half, turning Derwin James’ interception into a touchdown when Herbert found Austin Ekeler out of the backfield. They drove deep into Broncos territory on the opening drive of the second half only for Kelemete to get beat for a sack on a third-and-6. Dustin Hopkins missed a 52-yard field goal to cap that drive. They drove into the red zone on their next drive. They should have gotten points. But Herbert underthrew Jared Cook in the end zone for his first of two interceptions. A pick-six on the next drive — the result of an Ekeler drop — effectively ended the game.

8. “That’s a good team that we played yesterday,” Staley said Monday. “We had some good stretches. I wouldn’t characterize our performance as inconsistent. We’re playing some good defenses. I feel like what we need to do is if we’re playing in a tight game like that, where my mind is when you’re in a tight game, can you find your offense late in the game? That’s sometimes how the game is going to be if you’re playing against a quality defense. You find your offense, you find that rhythm as you go. I felt like that was happening, but then we didn’t score the ball well enough in the fourth quarter.”

9. Lombardi’s offense continues to be one of the most efficient overall units in football. The Chargers rank second in offensive DVOA, second in EPA/play and second in EPA/drive. There is, however, a certain level of reliance on Herbert to make special plays in key moments. As Sheil Kapadia smartly pointed out in his column Tuesday, the Chargers are 29th in offensive success rate. That disparity between EPA/play and offensive success rate indicates that the Chargers are creating a ton of production in high-leverage situations. In other words, they have not been particularly consistent in their production.

As has been the case all season, they need to be better on early downs. The Chargers averaged -0.25 EPA/play on early downs against the Broncos. They are 17th in early-down EPA/play on the season, compared to first in that statistic on third and fourth down. The unreliability of the running game is a factor in this.

10. “Joe is doing a really good job of coordinating our offense,” Staley said Monday. “Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler, they’re all having career seasons. We’re ranked in the top-10 in every metric that you could ever hope for. Justin is having a fantastic season and growing in every way. I feel like we’re doing a really good job of growing within our offensive personnel. I just have a lot of confidence in our whole offensive staff. We’re going to continue to get better.”

11. Drops also continue to be an issue for the Chargers. They had four more against the Broncos and now lead the league in drops. At some point, this goes from a statistical aberration to a legitimate issue. If we have not gotten to that point, we are very, very close.

12. Kenneth Murray only played nine defensive snaps in the game. He tweaked his ankle early on in the Week 11 win against the Steelers — the same ankle that forced him onto IR for five games early this season. And Staley said the ankle issue was the reason Murray was used so sparingly.

13. Jerry Tillery played 89 percent of the snaps on the interior of the defense line. Despite playing well against the Steelers, Breiden Fehoko (16 snaps) and Joe Gaziano (seven snaps) received limited playing time against the Broncos. Fehoko and Gaziano do not have Tillery’s physical profile. But they play hard and they produce. I think giving both those guys increased snaps over Tillery would be a wise decision for the Chargers coaching staff.

14. Staley said the hope is that the Chargers will have Joseph back off the COVID-19 list for the Bengals game. The earliest Joseph can be activated is Thursday, based on league protocols.

15. Samuel Jr. remains in the concussion protocol. Said Staley: “We’re going to make sure that we’re careful with the guy. You know the way that we feel about him. We miss him. But we’re going to make sure that his long-term health is at the forefront of the decision-making process.”

16. On the Teddy Bridgewater scramble touchdown on the Broncos’ opening drive, Staley said linebacker Kyzir White was the free defender and should have made the play on the sideline.