Joe Lombardi Discussion

[DerwinBosa]

I have zero issue with us not running the ball on first downs or in traditional running situations. We do not run the ball very well at all, so I think we need to use the ground game as a change of pace. The problem is that unless we are trailing by a large margin, everything we do is a short pass or a running play, so we are very easy to defend since defenders can ignore the field more than 17 yards past the line of scrimmage.

We need to use play action pass more on first down, but run the ball less on first down. I do not mind us running on second down and 7+ yards (i.e., when defenses do not think we will run the ball), but I think we should just about never run the ball on third down or fourth down and short yardage (i.e., when teams think we will run the ball). We are very bad at running the ball when opponents are expecting the ground game.

Lawrence, while improving, is not yet on Herbert's level, soit is understandable why they would choose to run the ball more. They also have two good RBs, whereas we only have one.

Herbert, injured yesterday, wasn't on Lawrence's level. Sony Michel rushed for 22 yards on only five carries. We got outrushed 151-26. Pederson and his coaching staff knew how to manage the game . Ours didn't.

This isn't new with this organization. Whether it's Dan Fouts, Philip Rivers, or Justin Herbert, having your quarterback throw it 45 times, and your running backs carry it 10, more often than not will result in losses.

[Riverwalk]

In hindsight, it was hilarious that Lombardi was seeking a HC gig this past offseason.

after the Chargers fire him, he won’t even get another coordinator gig.

[Eurobolt]

In hindsight, it was hilarious that Lombardi was seeking a HC gig this past offseason.

after the Chargers fire him, he won’t even get another coordinator gig.

I am happy for him tonprove us wrong... He still may suprise us with no OL and backup QB.

[Guest]

Herbert, injured yesterday, wasn't on Lawrence's level. Sony Michel rushed for 22 yards on only five carries. We got outrushed 151-26. Pederson and his coaching staff knew how to manage the game . Ours didn't.

This isn't new with this organization. Whether it's Dan Fouts, Philip Rivers, or Justin Herbert, having your quarterback throw it 45 times, and your running backs carry it 10, more often than not will result in losses.

The situations of the two teams are very different.

Herbert is arguably the best player in the league and is on the short list of top MVP candidates. We do not have a high volume RB1 on our roster and the quality of our RB2 is lacking. Our top OL players are better pass blockers than they are run blockers (more small and quick technicians versus big and powerful OL players). Feiler and Salyer are the only road graders on the roster. So, as a whole, they are not very good when it comes to run blocking. All of this means that we are built to be a passing team.

Add to that that Lombardi is calling 95+% of his plays, both run and pass, to happen near the line of scrimmage, and defenses are allowed to creep up closer to the line of scrimmage as they have done in the past two games. On the INT ball yesterday, there were three defenders just sitting there in the short area in position to make a play on the ball. The defenders are everywhere near the line of scrimmage because that is where almost every play we run is going to happen. We have a QB with an accurate cannon and we get this kind of dipstick play calling.

Jacksonville, by contrast, has Trevor Lawrence, who has arm talent, but is coming off of a wasted season with a failed regime, so he is still very much developing as a player. The Jaguars are smart in not putting it all on him at this point. Also, Jacksonville has two good RBs to share a heavier load when it comes to running the ball with Robinson and Etienne. Their OL is more suited to the ground game than ours is and their ball carriers average over four yards per carry which is very different than what we have with our running game.

Jacksonville is 23rd in pass to run ratio. I do not want us anywhere near that level of distribution. Through three games, we are only eighth in pass to run ratio despite having a great QB and zero ground game. Emphatically, the issue is not how much we pass or run, but rather what passes we are doing and the situations in which we are running. Lombardi is just like Norv Turner in that he has no feel for play calling. Defenses have caught his predictable rhythm and he has no answer because he stubbornly refuses to allow Herbert to unleash the ball until we are trailing by more than one score. He keeps calling plays as if our QB is a 40-year-old Drew Brees who cannot throw the ball downfield.

Here is the height of Joe Lombardi's play calling idiocy. Herbert is 6th in fewest air yards per attempt (despite having the aforementioned cannon). So, we are making safe throws, right? Wrong! Herbert is 6th in Next Gen's "Aggressiveness" stat, which measures the percentage of throws with a defender within one yard of the intended receiver. That means that we are having to make tighter window throws than the vast majority of teams and we are attempting to gain fewer yards on our throws than the vast majority of teams. More risk for less reward. It doesn't get much stupider than that and with the added bonus of bringing up defenders so they can stop the ground game. That is the problem.

[Boltgang74]

All the Lombo nuthuggers need to read this.

[TTThunder]

Did our offense game plan vs JJ differ from what we usually do?

(Just like to confirm that - with the changed situation (Herbert injured), did our OC gameplan it differently to "protect" Herbert more?

If the answer is 'It was the same', I think, for the sake of our franchise QB, we need a new OC asap!!!)

Go Bolts!!!

[Boltx]

.

Here is the height of Joe Lombardi's play calling idiocy. Herbert is 6th in fewest air yards per attempt (despite having the aforementioned cannon). So, we are making safe throws, right? Wrong! Herbert is 6th in Next Gen's "Aggressiveness" stat, which measures the percentage of throws with a defender within one yard of the intended receiver. That means that we are having to make tighter window throws than the vast majority of teams and we are attempting to gain fewer yards on our throws than the vast majority of teams. More risk for less reward. It doesn't get much stupider than that and with the added bonus of bringing up defenders so they can stop the ground game. That is the problem.

The problem is that guys aren't getting open. Even on the bomb to "speed guy" Guyton, there were still two defenders close by and it took a perfect throw by JH to get it there.

Ironically, getting one of our slowest WRs back in KA should help, but only because he is a master route runner. I would look to bring in two legit speed guys this off-season, one via draft and another via free agency.

[powderblueboy]

The situations of the two teams are very different.

Herbert is arguably the best player in the league and is on the short list of top MVP candidates. We do not have a high volume RB1 on our roster and the quality of our RB2 is lacking. Our top OL players are better pass blockers than they are run blockers (more small and quick technicians versus big and powerful OL players). Feiler and Salyer are the only road graders on the roster. So, as a whole, they are not very good when it comes to run blocking. All of this means that we are built to be a passing team.

Add to that that Lombardi is calling 95+% of his plays, both run and pass, to happen near the line of scrimmage, and defenses are allowed to creep up closer to the line of scrimmage as they have done in the past two games. On the INT ball yesterday, there were three defenders just sitting there in the short area in position to make a play on the ball. The defenders are everywhere near the line of scrimmage because that is where almost every play we run is going to happen. We have a QB with an accurate cannon and we get this kind of dipstick play calling.

Jacksonville, by contrast, has Trevor Lawrence, who has arm talent, but is coming off of a wasted season with a failed regime, so he is still very much developing as a player. The Jaguars are smart in not putting it all on him at this point. Also, Jacksonville has two good RBs to share a heavier load when it comes to running the ball with Robinson and Etienne. Their OL is more suited to the ground game than ours is and their ball carriers average over four yards per carry which is very different than what we have with our running game.

Jacksonville is 23rd in pass to run ratio. I do not want us anywhere near that level of distribution. Through three games, we are only eighth in pass to run ratio despite having a great QB and zero ground game.Emphatically, the issue is not how much we pass or run, but rather what passes we are doing and the situations in which we are running. Lombardi is just like Norv Turner in that he has no feel for play calling. Defenses have caught his predictable rhythm and he has no answer because he stubbornly refuses to allow Herbert to unleash the ball until we are trailing by more than one score. He keeps calling plays as if our QB is a 40-year-old Drew Brees who cannot throw the ball downfield.

Here is the height of Joe Lombardi's play calling idiocy. Herbert is 6th in fewest air yards per attempt (despite having the aforementioned cannon). So, we are making safe throws, right? Wrong! Herbert is 6th in Next Gen's "Aggressiveness" stat, which measures the percentage of throws with a defender within one yard of the intended receiver. That means that we are having to make tighter window throws than the vast majority of teams and we are attempting to gain fewer yards on our throws than the vast majority of teams. More risk for less reward. It doesn't get much stupider than that and with the added bonus of bringing up defenders so they can stop the ground game. That is the problem.

That is my perception of the offense: they are more often than not struggling to get small yardage off of tightly contested throws.

The New Orleans precision passing offense, without the precision.

And yet, someone will come by with a stat compiled by another, 'proving' that they are going for chunk yardage more often than any other team in the league.

[powderblueboy]

The problem is that guys aren't getting open. Even on the bomb to "speed guy" Guyton, there were still two defenders close by and it took a perfect throw by JH to get it there.

Ironically, getting one of our slowest WRs back in KA should help, but only because he is a master route runner. I would look to bring in two legit speed guys this off-season, one via draft and another via free agency.

Mwub attracted special attention last Sunday.

Ekeler can't get open one on one? Everett can't get open one on one? Carter can't get open one on one?

The problem is, its not as simple as that: defenses seem to recognize where Charger receivers are going to be.

They've had an offseason to figure out Lombo's tendencies, and Lombo is throwing craps right now.

[Topcat]

Herbert is 6th in Next Gen's "Aggressiveness" stat, which measures the percentage of throws with a defender within one yard of the intended receiver. That means that we are having to make tighter window throws than the vast majority of teams and we are attempting to gain fewer yards on our throws than the vast majority of teams.

This is a key point. When Lombo keeps dialing up those short routes into a D that has stacked the box, there is very little margin for error--hence a lot of incompletions and picks.

[Topcat]

The problem is that guys aren't getting open. Even on the bomb to "speed guy" Guyton, there were still two defenders close by and it took a perfect throw by JH to get it there.

Actually, Guyton had pretty decent separation on that play:

guyton 50 yd gainer jags.JPG :

[Boltx]

Actually, Guyton had pretty decent separation on that play:

guyton 50 yd gainer jags.JPG :

Thanks for correcting me, my mistake.