Jaguars @ Chargers Pregame Thread (Week 3)

[ChargersPowderBlue]

I think a loss to Jacksonville, at home, is going to steer me in the direction of finding other stuff to do on Sundays (and Mondays, when the Chargers are scheduled).

I think I might too if the team continues letting the fans down.

JC is 26, Keenan is 30, Linslay is 31
Not what id call old guys yet especially JC lol.

When is someone Old? When is it old age? We live in a world that can't accept not being young anymore. People will still call a 80 or 90 yard old young.

[Caslon]

When is someone Old? When is it old age? We live in a world that can't accept not being young anymore. People will still call a 80 or 90 yard old young.

Not sure of the statistics, but players around 30 are probably more prone to injuries like KA has. One that was a no contact hamstring injury. Then again, younger players get those too. I wonder if conditioning or lack thereof figures into it. Heh…fire the conditioning coach!

[blueman]

Do we have any other centers on the roster? Anyone?

[OG619FrightninLightnin]

So much for the "mini bye" being any help at all

[21&500]

The Chargers (1-1) host the Jaguars (1-1) on Sunday afternoon at SoFi Stadium.

Despite having 10 days in between games, the Chargers are limping into this matchup with Jacksonville.

Quarterback Justin Herbert (ribs) did not practice Friday and is questionable for Sunday. Herbert was injured late in the fourth quarter of last week’s Thursday night loss at the Chiefs. Head coach Brandon Staley said Friday that Herbert will likely be a game-time decision. Herbert added that it is “probably the plan” for him to work out before the game and “just see how it feels on Sunday.”

If Herbert is not ready to play, Staley said Chase Daniel will start in his place.

“I’m certainly going to do everything I can to prepare and be ready to play on Sunday,” Herbert said.

GO DEEPER

Chargers QB Justin Herbert questionable vs. Jaguars

Herbert did some light throwing Tuesday before taking Wednesday off. He threw again Thursday, participating in individual drills. Herbert said sitting out Friday’s practice was part of the treatment plan for the week.

“You want to make sure that he actually goes out there to throw to see how he feels, and then you want to get back to resting,” Staley said Friday. “So that was the thought process. Put him through individual, get him out there, throw, perform the plan, and then see where he is. We’re using today as a rest day and seeing where we go here over the weekend.”

When asked how Herbert looked throwing Thursday, Staley said: “He looked good. He’s tough. He doesn’t feel great by any means, but he was able to go out there and throw the football. And I think a lot of it was seeing his response to each throw, and then obviously after practice and this morning. So we’re just going to keep knowing more as we go.”

Herbert may be the biggest, but he’s not the only injury concern ahead of Sunday’s game.

This is the Friday Notebook.
Injury report


Cornerback J.C. Jackson (ankle) and center Corey Linsley (knee) are both doubtful for Sunday. Neither player practiced this week.

Jackson — who had minor ankle surgery Aug. 23 — made his Chargers debut against the Chiefs last week and played all 57 defensive snaps. It is clear at this point that Jackson did not respond particularly well after the game, but Staley said Friday that “there hasn’t been a setback, per se.”

“We wanted to use this week as a rest week for him coming off the game. He played every snap in the game for us, and we just want to make sure for the long term that this guy is good to go,” Staley said. “We’re just keeping the long term in mind with him and making sure that he’s building for a full season. That’s where that’s at with him, but he’s in good spirits, and I like where he’s at.”

Linsley missed the second half of the Chiefs game with this knee issue. He was not on the field for the portions of practice open to media, though he was in the locker room. Staley pushed back on the idea that the Chargers will be managing this knee injury for the rest of the season.

“This is short term,” Staley said.

Will Clapp is in line to start in place of Linsley on Sunday. Clapp filled in serviceably in the second half against the Chiefs. But make no mistake: Not having Linsley would be a massive loss for the Chargers. He is the key and catalyst for the Chargers’ pass protection and run game.

Herbert is the most important player on the Chargers’ offense. Linsley is a close second. The Chargers could be without both players Sunday.

Wide receiver Keenan Allen (hamstring), right tackle Trey Pipkins III (ankle) and tight end Donald Parham Jr. (hamstring) are all questionable for Sunday. Allen was listed as limited for practice Wednesday and Thursday. He did not practice Friday.

“Want to make sure we give him a day of rest and then see how it is over the next 48 hours,” Staley said of Allen on Friday.

Staley added that Allen is “50-50” for the game.

Pipkins practiced fully Friday. Parham, who injured his hamstring in training camp in early August, was limited in all three practices this week.
Zion Johnson has arrived


Chargers rookie guard Zion Johnson has been impressing pretty much everyone in the building — from teammates to coaches to front-office members — from the day he arrived in Southern California. His intelligence and work ethic were evident in the spring. And his play strength showed up as soon as the Chargers put pads on in training camp.

Now those traits are translating to games.

Rookie right guard Zion Johnson has been as advertised after the Chargers selected him in the first round. (Kirby Lee / USA Today)

Johnson had the challenge of blocking All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones during the Chargers’ loss to the Chiefs last week, and he more than held his own. He won several one-on-one pass protection reps against Jones at right guard. Johnson performed so well against Jones that the Chiefs actually moved Jones away from Johnson late in the third quarter so they could create a better matchup. The bulk of Jones’ production came late in the game when he was facing left guard Matt Feiler, who did not play well.

“It’s very impressive,” left tackle Rashawn Slater said of Johnson’s performance. “Chris Jones is one of the best. That’s a fact. We’ve all seen Zion, from Day 1, he just has the traits to be a really good player, and he’s still refining them and everything, but I think he’s shown us, he’s proved it, he’s ready to step up in the game. He’s ready now, and he’s only going to keep getting better. It’s really good for us to see.”

Johnson was involved in a couple of pressures in the fourth quarter. He got beat by Chiefs defensive end Mike Danna, who came free up the middle and hit Herbert on the play the Chargers quarterback got hurt on — though, watching the film back, I think Linsley would have been more aware than Clapp on that play and at least slowed Danna down after Johnson was beat. Johnson and right tackle Storm Norton, playing in place of Pipkins, also allowed pressure two plays later when defensive end Frank Clark twisted to the middle on a stunt.

As offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said of Johnson, though: “Everyone’s got a play that you wish you had back. Overall I think he’s been outstanding.”

I agree with this assessment. Johnson is going to be an excellent — if not elite — player in this league for a long time if he can stay healthy. He displayed that in his first two NFL games.

“He has great recovery, great strength,” Slater said, “and the more he can refine (his technique) and not get into those situations where he needs to recover as much, it’s just going to be even harder for guys to go against him. He’s only going up.”

Said Johnson: “Got to see the ups, the wins, the downs, the lows, and I know after feeling what it feels like to win, we want to chase those and get more Ws. Each week is going to bring something new, a new challenge.”
Kenneth Murray Jr. ‘stacking’ good days


One of the biggest surprises of the season so far is the play of third-year linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr.

Murray has looked fast, physical and, most importantly, much more comfortable in the scheme and his assignments. He is playing the run really well, fitting into the right gaps, shedding blocks and making plays on the ball. And he has also flashed in coverage. One play against the Raiders in Week 1, where Murray fought through a pick to cover running back Ameer Abdullah on a wheel route down the right sideline and force an incompletion, really stood out.

I think two things are at play here.

1. Murray, who had ankle surgery in April, is finally healthy. He battled through a shoulder injury in his rookie season in 2020 that eventually required surgery. And last season, Murray suffered an ankle injury on a freak incident in practice in Week 4. He stepped on a pylon while making a catch after individual drills. Murray missed five games before returning but ultimately needed surgery in the spring when the ankle did not heal with rest during the first few months of the offseason. When assessing Murray’s first two seasons, injuries must be considered.

2. Murray has a much better understanding of his roles and responsibilities in Staley’s defense. Murray told me this week that he has been at the Chargers’ facility every day since the start of OTAs in May. He did not get back on the practice field until late August, but while he was rehabbing, he dove into the playbook and film.

“I’m not an excuses guy, but at the same time, I feel like everything is a critical part of the story,” Murray said this week. “Everything happens for a reason. I wouldn’t be the person I am without going through what I went through so far, and I’m proud of the person I am. I feel like I’ve grown a lot through all these experiences that I’ve gained. It’s only made me a better person. It’s only made me a tougher warrior. So that’s just what I want to portray out there and continue to portray that no matter what. I’m going to battle through adversity. I’m going to go out into adversity and just continue to keep fighting. That’s what I want people to see from me.”

GO DEEPER

How stopping the run has helped Chargers' retooled defense create pass rush advantages

Teammates are noticing Murray’s improvement.

“I’ve seen a player who is very, very physical,” linebacker Drue Tranquill said. “He’s very, very disruptive. And I think he’s just playing to his strengths. He’s a big, physical, long linebacker who has range, and he’s put a lot of work in in the offseason. I’ve seen it. I’ve seen him in the film room. I’ve seen him working on his craft, and it’s showing.”

Added Murray: “I just want to keep stacking. I’m just trying to keep my head down, keep improving every day, and that’s really just my mindset.”
Sizing up the matchup


The Jaguars are a really talented group on both sides of the ball. Even if the Chargers were fully healthy, I think this would still be a tight game.

On defense, the Jags have two studs rushing on the edge in Josh Allen and 2022 No. 1 pick Travon Walker. They have another rookie first-round pick at linebacker in Devin Lloyd and they signed Foyesade Oluokun to a big deal in the offseason. On the back end, the Jags feature even more talent, between safeties Rayshawn Jenkins (a former Charger) and Andre Cisco and corners Shaquill Griffin, Tyson Campbell and Darious Williams.

They shut the Colts out last weekend, and that was not some fluke. Defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell spent the last decade coaching under Todd Bowles. And while Lombardi said this week that Caldwell’s system is not “a carbon copy” of Bowles’, the Jags will do some creative things schematically to try and create pressure, including blitzes and stunts. They pressured Matt Ryan on 40 percent of his dropbacks last week, according to TruMedia. Through two weeks, Jacksonville is tied for the ninth-highest blitz rate in the league, according to TruMedia.

Herbert has been excellent at navigating through pressure early on this season. If both Herbert and Linsley are out, the Chargers will need to be on point with their protection plan to keep Daniel upright and avoid a disastrous day offensively.

The Jags’ offense starts with second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence. But they have compiled a really versatile and explosive group of skill players around him, including receivers Christian Kirk and Marvin Jones Jr., running backs James Robinson and Travis Etienne Jr. and tight end Evan Engram.

“They have an underrated skill position group,” safety Nas Adderley told me this week.

Head coach Doug Pederson has done an impressive job of creatively utilizing his personnel. Last week against the Colts, Kirk caught a touchdown on an angle route out of the backfield.

“He’s moving around a lot,” Adderley said of Kirk, who signed with the Jags in free agency in March. “You got to find him before the play. And where he starts might not be where he ends up. He motions a lot. A lot of jet motion. That’s what we’ve been seeing.”

The Chargers have to heat up Lawrence with pressure. The Colts failed to do so, and Lawrence picked Gus Bradley’s defense apart, completing 25 of 30 passes for 235 yards and two scores. Lawrence was pressured on only 13.3 percent of his dropbacks against Indianapolis, the second-lowest rate of any quarterback in Week 2, according to TruMedia. Lawrence can make bad decisions when under duress. Since the start of last season, he has 15 turnover-worthy plays when under pressure, according to Pro Football Focus.

“He’s a guy that if you spread it out and let him go through his progressions, he can make all the throws,” defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill said.

(Top photo of Justin Herbert: Cooper Neill / Getty Images)

[21&500]

Sorry for the repost, I think there's additional info on it anyway.

[jubei]

linsley being out is a bigger concern than JC. But PLEASE dont be a shiny new FA that got paid and is slackin off now. I still remember lazy gaither.

[jamrock]

Gaithers. Bulaga.

[jamrock]

Line has slipped from 7 to 3.

Vegas doesn’t believe Herbert will play

[Leslie Grossman]

Will be stunned if Herbert plays. Risking the whole season for a win over JAX in week 3 is crazy.
Many times players are not ruled out for strategic reasons. They will have a new plan and plays if it's Daniel.

[wu-dai clan]

To answer the question of whether Herbert plays or not,
one must understand the narure of his injury. It cannot get worse. It will only get better after the off season.

The changing Vegas line cannot be a product of anything they know. It's Herbert himself making the call--at game time.

Do you REALLY think Justin is not playing ? Then you get lumped in with the dumbass betters who caused the line to move from -7 to - 3.5 .

[Caslon]

This game…wideout screens need to be executed, not just attempted. Runs up the gut need to get more than two yards. If not, it telegraphs to the defense what’s coming up next…pass… predictable. Chargers are bringing up the rear in overall rush offense.