Getting annoyed with McCoy

[homeless simpson]

How many 2 TE formations can we run when we are down 2 TE (Green and Gates)?

Basically, you are saying we should just give up and not even try, and I don't think the players or coaches agree with you.

Use some DL or any other OL we have left and make them play TE, eligible receiver, fullback.

[richpjr]

There offensive lines were still decent. Rivers did good the year our receivers were Crayton and street free agents.

Manning and Brady suffer the same lack of mobility as Rivers and would get killed behind the lines Rivers had to play with. I have seen Manning on 3 separate times this season fall down and sack himself rather than get hit. Brady is tougher than Manning, but neither of them would survive, much less thrive behind the garbage Rivers has had. When Rivers is given even average protection, he can put up monster numbers as good as anyone.

[MakoShark]

Manning and Brady suffer the same lack of mobility as Rivers and would get killed behind the lines Rivers had to play with. I have seen Manning on 3 separate times this season fall down and sack himself rather than get hit. Brady is tougher than Manning, but neither of them would survive, much less thrive behind the garbage Rivers has had. When Rivers is given even average protection, he can put up monster numbers as good as anyone.

This.

[Maverick]

Manning and Brady suffer the same lack of mobility as Rivers and would get killed behind the lines Rivers had to play with. I have seen Manning on 3 separate times this season fall down and sack himself rather than get hit. Brady is tougher than Manning, but neither of them would survive, much less thrive behind the garbage Rivers has had. When Rivers is given even average protection, he can put up monster numbers as good as anyone.

Exactly! Which is why I get so frustrated when people try to say PR isn't elite or in the same class as the "top" QBs. In the end, it's all about the quality/health of your OL.

[Steve]

You convinced me. I now believe we should simply let Rivers get killed. (Yeah, sorry the team doesn't have a "beef package" like other teams.... and yes that means what you think it means Hoarse. )

The big thing to take away is that what you are suggesting is just surrendering. Run the ball and we will lose. The playcalling is the way to best protect Rivers and the OL play is still so bad that it isn't helping. If we want to just go to the run, fine. But it will just punt the ball to the other team, not get any real number of 1st downs and pin the D so they give up a lot of points. It's what bad teams do, although I guess going to a bad strategy that obviously won't work is what most fans want at this point.

[Steve]

Use some DL or any other OL we have left and make them play TE, eligible receiver, fullback.

How is adding more people who can't block into the formation going to help? At least by going 3 WR, we spread out the defense and have fewer potential blitzers, and fewer tacklers in the running game. Not that it matters, because we can't block any of them. But it is easier to run out of a 3 WR set then it is with all the extra people in the box, which is why college teams run so much spread. Even college teams without QB are running spread offenses for this exact reason.

We can add in the extra blockers in obvious running situations, but it is not a real solution to not having a complete TE on the roster, and that won't change even when Green and Gates come back, although they can help remove some defenders from the box.

[KNSD]

The big thing to take away is that what you are suggesting is just surrendering. Run the ball and we will lose. The playcalling is the way to best protect Rivers and the OL play is still so bad that it isn't helping. If we want to just go to the run, fine. But it will just punt the ball to the other team, not get any real number of 1st downs and pin the D so they give up a lot of points. It's what bad teams do, although I guess going to a bad strategy that obviously won't work is what most fans want at this point.

Throwing the ball does not equal "win". Running the ball does not equal "lose". And we're talking about running the ball more than passing rather than passing the ball more than running.

We've been doing the "pass the ball more than running" thing and pretty much Rivers had to leave the last game due to rib injuries and we got smoked.

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

San Diego Chargers Offense: Facing the Double A Gap Blitz
By Jeffrey Siniard  @JeffSiniard on Oct 2, 2015, 9:00a +


Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Let's take a look at one particular defensive tactic which has given the 2015 Chargers fits over the last 2 weeks, and one they'll have to manage if they want to beat Cleveland on Sunday.

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According to Tim Layden's Blood, Sweat and Chalk, the Double A Gap blitz was brought into the modern NFL by the late Jim Johnson, Defensive Coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999-2008. Here's an excerpt:

The Double A Gap game in 2001, It was Johnson's ultra-aggressive extension of everything he'd been doing. first conjured when Johnson asked himself this question: Instead of a single blitzer on the edge or a single blitzer in the middle, why not load up the middle of the formation? The first time Johnson called it in a game, Eagles defensive end Darwin Walker cam unblocked for a sack. From 2000 to '08, the Eagles had 390 sacks, second in the NFL.

- Blood, Sweat, and Chalk by Tim Layden, Page 227.

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See below for an example of what the Double A Gap blitz looks like. The A Gap is the gaps on the Offensive Line, between the Center and Guards.


Double A Gap Blitz

The appeal of the Double A Gap blitz comes from simplicity. It places 2 potentially unblocked blitzers directly in front of the QB. And as a result, the offense facing the blitz has to make a decision. If you choose to look at it from a military vantage, it embodies Superiority at the Point of Contact, Simplicity, and Movement-Mobility. It's a tactic which constrains what the offense can do should they meet it head-on.

Again, from Blood, Sweat and Chalk, Page 228:

Gap protection, in which both guards block down inside, putting three big bodies on the two blitzing linebackers. This, however, forces the offensive tackles to block down as well to pick up the two defensive tackles, and it leaves some combination of running backs and tight ends to deal with edge-rushing defensive ends.
Slide protection, in which the entire offensive line slides one way, with the center picking up one blitzer and one guard picking up the other. The same problem results, with one defensive end left rushing against a running back, or, a best, a tight end or H-back.
Straight protection, in which the center takes one blitzer, and the other one is allowed a free release to the running back, who must make a key block in the quarterback's lap.
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Of course, the other problem with the Double A Gap Blitz occurs when it's shown by the defense, the offense adjusts accordingly, and then the blitz doesn't come (or comes from somewhere else).

One last time, from Blood, Sweat and Chalk:
Because the Double A threatens to bring pressure so close to the quarterback and so quickly, the offense must adjust to one of the above protections on the assumption that the A Gap rushers are going to blitz.

- Pages 228-229.
With all that in mind, the Double A Gap Blitz seems like an ideal tactic for attacking an inexperienced center, new left guard, and an inexperienced right guard. And then, when you factor injuries into the equation, well... let's just say smart defensive coaches with killer instinct like Marvin Lewis, Paul Guenther, Mike Zimmer, and George Edwards aren't going to let up until you prove you can stop or beat it.

So, let's take a look at some Double A Gap pressures shown by the Chargers' opponents so far this season, and how the Chargers handled it on offense:

At Cincinnati:



Figure 1

Figure 1: 4:22 left in the 1st quarter, 3rd and 2 at the CIN 40. This is the 1st time the Bengals show a Double A blitz. In this case, the linebackers drop out. The Chargers elected to use straight protection - when the blitz doesn't come, C Chris Watt joins with RG Chris Hairston to double team DT Geno Atkins. RB Danny Woodhead move up into the pocket to pick up the other blitzer which doesn't come. Three offensive linemen are left blocking 1-on-1. Rivers fumbles after being hit by DT Wallace Gilberry, who beat LG Orlando Franklin.



Figure 2

Figure 2: 1:12 left in the 3rd quarter. 3rd and 6 at the SD 14. In all of the situations where the Bengals show a Double A blitz, this is the only time they send both linebackers. The Chargers used slide protection to the right, and as a result pressure comes from the left side of the offense. Rivers attempts to throw back to his left to Stevie Johnson on a WR screen. However, the throw is so hurried, Johnson has to dive for the ball and can't generate any yardage after the catch. If Rivers hits Johnson and he makes his man miss, this play could go for a TD.

For the game: CIN showed a Double A Gap Blitz 8 times. The sent both blitzers once, sent one blitzer once, and dropped out of the blitz 6 times. The results included 2 sacks, 1 fumble lost, a false start penalty and a holding penalty.

At Minnesota:


Figure 3

Figure 3: 2:55 left in the 1st quarter. 3rd and 10 at the SD 20. This is the second time the Vikings show a Double A blitz. The Vikings, however, add an interesting wrinkle. Both linebackers blitz while LDE Brian Roberson drops back into zone coverage. The Chargers elect to block this one straight, and I can't think of a play that better illustrates Danny Woodhead's value as a blocking RB. He steps up and pick ups one of the blitzers, and buys enough time for Rivers to get rid of the ball. Unfortunately, Rivers double clutches, and LB Anthony Barr eventually sheds a Watt/Franklin double-team and the result is a sack and fumble, recovered by the Vikings.


Figure 4

Figure 4: 13:34 left in the 3rd quarter. 3rd and 7 at the SD 23. By this time in the game (early 3rd quarter), the Vikings have shown more Double A pressures than the Bengals did all game. The Vikings have also been much more aggressive with their blitzes, as this is the 6th time they've sent both linebackers - although this time LB Eric Kendricks delays a moment before rushing. Again, the Chargers block this one straight. The mistake is made by a (severely hobbled) D.J. Fluker. Fluker's responsibility is to pick up DT Tom Johnson while Woodhead comes in front of Rivers and picks up whomever Watt doesn't. Instead, Fluker doubles with Watt on LB Anthony Barr, leaving Woodhead with no one to block and giving Johnson a free run at Rivers.

For the game: Minnesota showed a Double A Gap Blitz 13 times. The sent both blitzers 8 times (3 of these involved zone blitzes where 1 or more linemen dropped into coverage), sent one blitzer 2 times, and dropped out of the blitz 3 times. The results included 3 sacks and 1 fumble lost.

Remedies

I'd like to add that the majority of these Double A pressure looks came on 3rd down when the defense is trying to force Rivers to unload quickly. The Chargers have to mitigate the ability of defenses to use these blitzes by playing with tempo, and focusing on staying ahead of the chains, especially on 1st down.

The best play the Chargers had against Double A gap pressure in these 2 games was a WR screen to Stevie Johnson against the Vikings. The play went for 30 yards, as well as drawing a Roughing the Passer Penalty. The reason goes back to a point I made above about military tactics.

If the Chargers cannot maintain Superiority at the Point of Contact, and contact occurs in the middle of the offense, then their strategy against the Double A Gap blitz is to move the Point of Contact to a location where they do have superiority (or at least parity). Just ask (now-retired) LB Jeremiah Trotter...
"Teams run quick screens, slants, things like that, because normal pass routes take too long and the pressure is right on the quarterback."

-Jeremiah Trotter in Blood, Sweat and Chalk, Page 229.
It's apparent right now that just calling the play and expecting the players to execute it isn't working well. So, instead of deploying motivational ploys that a hack Hollywood screenwriter would be embarrassed to write, how about just looking at the film, seeing what works, and simplifying things for a struggling offense. Things like...

WR screens, shotgun toss running plays, RB flare passes, jet sweeps, slants, and even fade stops are all plays which do a great job of getting the ball to the perimeter quickly, protect the quarterback, and create opportunities in space. The Chargers coaching staff, because of the hits Rivers has taken as well as the condition of their offensive line, have to get the ball to the perimeter quickly when facing these Double A pressure looks.

The NFL has no mercy. Opposing defenses will bring these pressures until the Chargers prove they can stop or beat them.

[Boltx]

Basically we can't stop any pressure up the middle.

Throw in an immobile QB, and these are the results you get.

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

Actually we can scheme to move the point of contact away from the middle of the Oline as we did on the WR screen. I would prefer slants to Stevie Johnson or Floyd and pitchouts to the RB with the Tackle pulling and the WR and TE blocking, or a reverse hell even a HB pass would do the trick. The idea is to make them pay when they blitz. That is something Rivers is suppose to be good at.

[Boltaction]

Actually we can scheme to move the point of contact away from the middle of the Oline as we did on the WR screen. I would prefer slants to Stevie Johnson or Floyd and pitchouts to the RB with the Tackle pulling and the WR and TE blocking, or a reverse hell even a HB pass would do the trick. The idea is to make them pay when they blitz. That is something Rivers is suppose to be good at.

Totally agree, why isn't Rivers calling plays to stop all the blitzing, obviously until he does the defenses will just keep blitzing. So is it up to the Chargers coaches to figure this out? I think it is. I think they have had three years to figure this out, and seem totally confused and incapable. That's why we have seen three years of injuries to the Oline, even though we have different players on the Oline. It's not the Oline it's the stupid coaches that can't figure it out. Blaming the oline is ridiculous, it's the coaches.

[WindsorUK]

If the Chargers cannot maintain Superiority at the Point of Contact.

This is what it all comes down to: 11 contests of 1 on 1, every play, at the point of attack. You win the majority of them, you have a chance to succeed. Lose a majority of them, and you're 1-2!

Every player needs to win his share of battles otherwise our team loses. Simple Football 101.