Chargers at 49ers Pregame Discussion (Week 10)

[Xenos]

Matchup notes


• The Chargers have to be better against the run to have any chance of winning. Finding that improvement after losing Johnson would be a tough ask against any opponent. There is no tougher run game to defend than Shanahan’s. The 49ers’ rushing attack does not rank highly in terms of efficiency. They are 23rd in rushing DVOA, Football Outsiders’ efficiency metric. And they are 24th in expected points added on designed rushes. But they have been better over the past two weeks after adding McCaffrey and getting All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams back from a high ankle sprain. Shanahan has made a head coaching career out of creating explosiveness in the running game. The 49ers have 219 explosive rushes — defined as any rush of 12 or more yards — since Shanahan took over as head coach in 2017, tied for the second most in the NFL over that span, according to TruMedia. They are tied for 10th in the league in explosive rushes this season with 22, despite the uncharacteristic efficiency metrics. Samuel and McCaffrey have played only 20 snaps together this season. Shanahan had a whole bye week to scheme up runs for those two. On paper, this is a concerning matchup for the Chargers.

• Offensively for the Chargers, it feels like this game is going to come down to protecting Justin Herbert. Nick Bosa is one of the best pass rushers in football. And if Pipkins does not play, Bosa will be facing off with a backup tackle regardless of which side he rushes from. Bosa is second in the NFL in pass-rush win rate among qualified edge rushers, according to Pro Football Focus. Rookie left tackle Jamaree Salyer has played well, but the Chargers have been able to limit his true one-on-one pass protection reps through chipping to his side, incorporating play action and other schematic design. That will be harder to do if Pipkins is out. If the tackle pairing is Salyer and Sarell, the Chargers and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi will have to get creative with their protection plan and game plan to keep Herbert clean against Bosa and this pass rush. Sarell has never played offensive line in a regular-season NFL game. The Chargers will need a consistent game from the ground attack. And Herbert is going to have to create off-script when the protection breaks down, something he did well against the Falcons.

[jox g]

Same here.

No Ekubam, Armstead

[jamrock]

Maybe Rountree has been killing it in practice, is primed for a breakout game and the Chargers run all over the Niners.

Is Sony inactive tomorrow?

[Velo]

Is Sony inactive tomorrow?

Good question. One assumes Rountree will be active if they signed him to the roster, and I hope they go with Spiller over Michel. But who knows really? This coaching staff has done some surprising things in the past.

[jamrock]

Good question. One assumes Rountree will be active if they signed him to the roster, and I hope they go with Spiller over Michel. But who knows really? This coaching staff has done some surprising things in the past.

Maybe he’s shown more than Sony in practice. He didn’t show much last season

[sonorajim]

Deebo may be the most versatile weapon in the NFL and CMC may be #2. Gonna be a challenge. The Chargers are blitzing more since Bosa is out so hopefully that continues. The biggest break the 49ers got was Trey Lance’s ankle. Jimmy G has a very high winning percentage. He’s not a great passer but they seem to win with him. We’ll see. Strap it up. Feels good to be big underdogs. Make the skeptics converts

I liked CMC in his draft a lot and he was a star for Car in his .youth.
Far as I can tell Ekeler has 6 rushing TDs, 4 receiving this year to CMC's 3 and 2.
Jommy G is a .500 winner this year, J Herbo, .625.
Both sides are nicked up and down some starters but for those who believe in Elite Star QBs, we have one vs their Good Starter.

[charger1_sj]

I liked CMC in his draft a lot and he was a star for Car in his .youth.
Far as I can tell Ekeler has 6 rushing TDs, 4 receiving this year to CMC's 3 and 2.
Jommy G is a .500 winner this year, J Herbo, .625.
Both sides are nicked up and down some starters but for those who believe in Elite Star QBs, we have one vs their Good Starter.

The problem is that Herbert does not play against Jimmy G. He faces the 49ers D. While Jimmy G faces the Chargers D. Our D is ranked among the worst, theirs among the best. That's the challenge that the Chargers have to overcome right there. . Record does not play any part in who will win this game. We could easily be 3-5 and the 49ers 7-1. We don't have to stop or limit the 49ers rushing in order to win this game. We do have to limit any damage they can do with the big plays whether passing or running the football We don't tackle well and that does not bode well against CMC and Deedo. We don't do particularly well against elite TEs and they have one (he may not be 100% though). But those are the reasons the so called pundits don't give us much of a chance. But I think limit the big plays (49ers do not finish their drives well. Lots of them end up in 3's instead of 7's) and we definitely have a chance to upset them. We keep it close and it's anybody's ball game. But if there is blowout expect that we'd be on the short end of that stick.

[CanadianBoltFan]

Maybe he’s shown more than Sony in practice. He didn’t show much last season

Sure hope Rountree is not playing at Spiller's expense

[jamrock]

I liked CMC in his draft a lot and he was a star for Car in his .youth.
Far as I can tell Ekeler has 6 rushing TDs, 4 receiving this year to CMC's 3 and 2.
Jommy G is a .500 winner this year, J Herbo, .625.
Both sides are nicked up and down some starters but for those who believe in Elite Star QBs, we have one vs their Good Starter.

Jimmy is 4-3 this year. He didn’t play in game 1

[sonorajim]

Jimmy is 4-3 this year. He didn’t play in game 1

OK. corr: .570 winner.

[sonorajim]

49ers defensive players that won't play wk 10 vs Chargers:

CBs Mosley, Verrett
DE Ebukam
DTs Armstead, Hurst, Davis, Kinlaw

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/teams/SF/san-francisco-49ers/injuries/

[Caslon]

Can any of the running backs pass the ball worth a damn? Can Dicker? This is one game I’d like to see them have practiced a trick play over and over, not just two times each. This is the game to break out the first trick play of the season and have it work! This also is the game where I fantasize Staley telling the team “Any 3rd tier player causing an obvious stupid selfish nullifying penalty directly causing a late game loss will be let go on Monday.”