Lombardi Called A Bad Game

[kgbpasha]

Watching Nathaniel Hackett manage that game reminds me of some classic Lynn games.
Twitter is roasting tf out of him and well deserved. Almost feel sorry for the donks.
Just kidding.


Sofa King glad we're not dealing with that.

#boltup

[AZBolt]

I'm trying to remember an OC that the fans liked. I can't, maybe someone else can?

Whoever worked for/with Don Coryell......loved Don Coryell.....those were fun days:-)) ..... but I'm probably older then many here.

[Topcat]

Overall, the Chargers were magnificent. Especially the D.

Herbert was spectacular too as was the rest of the offense.

The gripe I have was Lombardi didn’t bury the Raiders with the strength of the offense which was Herbert’s arm.

instead, when the Chargers were ahead, Lombardi went in turtle mode to preserve the lead instead of aggressively trying to increase it.

This is exactly what plagued the Chargers in the last. Herbert gets a big lead and Chargers sit on it. Only difference is Chargers didn’t have a great D and teams would come back.

I thought it was deja vu all over again as Yogi would say.

Lombardi sucks. I warned about him before the season started and feel the same now. Staley needs to get on his ass.

Yep...it started last year when Lombo failed to adjust to defenses stacking the box. Instead of dialing up at least a few midrange and long routes to stretch the D, Lombo doggedly kept pounding the rock up the gut for nada, or short passes which were defensed for the most part. Case in point was the Vikings game, which we lost, 27-20. This was a winnable game, but Lombo's failure to adjust to the Vikes stacking the box sealed our doom, with a lot of stalled drives and the Bolts time of possession was less than 24 minutes. This was a common issue last season. And all those 3-and-outs in the 4th quarter of the Raider game were like a bad deja vu dream all over again. Here's a screenshot of that stacked Vikes box:

vikes stack box 1.JPG
When an opposing DC knows Lombo is just going to dial up runs and short passes, it's only natural to stack the box until he sees otherwise. And look! Look familiar?:

raiders stacked box 1.JPG

Shame on u Lombo! Shame! There are Pop Warner League coaches that can make better adjustments than u!!!!

[AZBolt]

Sorry, we saw a whole year of lombo last season and we had to put many of those games on Herbert in the 4th quarter because of Lombo's bad play calling or should I say predictable play calling. I'm not saying he can't improve but he tends to use Herbert as an ordinary QB until were desperately down by 10 or more points in a game. The nwe go from delivery truck to Ferrari.

more

[AZBolt]

https://boltbeat.com/posts/chargers-play-calling-joe-lombardi-week-1-win-raiders/amp

[gzubeck]

more

[Topcat]

https://boltbeat.com/posts/chargers-...in-raiders/amp

Here u all go...thanks AZ...confirmation of what we're all seeing...if Lombo can't quit playing this lame LomboBall, he needs to go:

Chargers need to address Joe Lombardi's play-calling after Week 1 win

The LA Chargers defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 24-19 in Week 1 in a game that really had no business being as close as it was. The Chargers were leading this game 17-3 at halftime and 21-10 in the third quarter with the defense giving the team every opportunity to slam the door shut.

The Chargers' defense forced three turnovers in the second half alone and all the Chargers needed to do was piece together one long scoring drive to essentially put the game on ice. Instead, the offense completely stalled out after Justin Herbert put the team up 21-10 in LA's first drive of the third quarter.

After that touchdown strike from Herbert to Gerald Everett, the Chargers' drives went as follows: three-and-out, three-and-out, missed field goal (18-yard drive), three-and-out, end of game. There is no excuse for that kind of offensive performance against a not-great Raiders defense, especially after seeing Justin Herbert march down the field up to that point.

Is it time to panic and completely rewrite the playbook? Obviously not. There are a lot of things in this playbook that obviously work. But the Chargers would be doing a disservice if they didn't make adjustments to optimize the offense.
Joe Lombardi and the Chargers need to address the play-calling in Week 1.

Lombardi went to the much more traditional run-run-pass play-calling style once the Chargers had a big second-half lead. Despite stressing an ethos of dominating their opponents, the Chargers seemed more concerned with milking the clock than taking it to the Raiders.

Yes, most offensive coordinators would do something similar in this situation. However, Lombardi got plenty of advice that this wasn't working and that did not really change how he called the plays in big spots.

At the end of the third quarter, the Chargers ran it twice before attempting a third and five pass that went incomplete. The incomplete pass was well past the first-down marker and if converted, would have also converted a second and seven. So why not pass it, or at least run an RPO, on second down to give Herbert another chance at passing the sticks?

In the ensuing drive, Austin Ekeler saved the Chargers from a safety on a first-down hand-off and then the Chargers attempted two passes. While the team did not pick up the first down, it would have if Tre' McKitty did not drop a wide-open pass on second down. The pass was still far more effective than the run.

After picking up a first down (with a second-down pass and then a gadget play on third down), Lombardi went back to run-run-pass on the new set of downs. Sony Michel went six yards, negative one yard and then an incomplete pass. The Chargers attempted a 49-yard field goal and missed. If made, the Chargers' lead would have gone from 11 to 14 points.

While it does make a difference, it still is just a two-score lead at the end of the day. If the Chargers were so intent on running out the clock here, they should have run the ball again on third down and then gone for it on fourth down. Another minute would have been drained and they would have had a shorter fourth-down attempt (in theory) than the fourth and five.

If that was not the intent then pass the ball on second and four, or at least run an RPO.

I understand that the Chargers are trying to bank on having an improved offensive line and good run game but when something does not work they have to adjust. They especially have to adjust when they have one of the best quarterbacks in the entire sport who just marched down the field earlier in the game.

MUST-READ: Ranking Justin Herbert and all 32 starting quarterbacks

The Chargers gave Herbert absolutely no favors by mostly throwing the ball on third down when the Raiders could adjust their personnel to attack the pass. The Bolts averaged just 2.5 yards per carry yet they continued to try and force the ground game when it wasn't there.

[richpjr]

Lombardi is going nowhere…

[gzubeck]

Lombardi is going nowhere…

You mean in the 4th quarter or leaving the team? LOL! We know that...The head coach needs to light a fire under his ass when things are stalling.

:facepalm1:

[gzubeck]

Possible solutions for problems with Joe. Get the Batphone! One for Joe up in the Booth and one for the coach on the field. If the coach is displeased or requires a change of plan Joe gets a call on this.

:hello:

[CivilBolt]

Herbert had 200 yards passing 1st half and 79 second half. That’s all on Lombardi.

McKitty dropped a wideopen 3rd down pass that could have extended the drive so not all Lombardi’s fault.

[Heatmiser]

Watching the game again, I can see why this thread was started. While I don’t think “Lombardi needs to go” or that he called an awful game, do have to agree that if Staley wants not just to win but to dominate like he was preaching, eating clock to time out a win is not dominating. And Herbert can be trusted.

TG