Lions at Chargers (+1.5) Pregame Discussion (Wk 10)

[Boltgang74]

Yeah to me this game will fall on our Offense having to really perform for us to win.Put up or shut up time tomorrow.

[Caslon]

Swami says there’ll be missed opportunities on both sides of the ball, and, by both teams. Time for a squeaky rinky dink win. 67 yrd. field goal attempt…It’s good!!!!

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[Bolts4ever213]

One week at a time. I love this matchup. Change the narrative for us, beating a contender. The wait for Sunday, sucks, but we are almost there.

[Caslon]

One week at a time. I love this matchup. Change the narrative for us, beating a contender. The wait for Sunday, sucks, but we are almost there.

If the offense can get some traction, I think the defense will be glad to pitch in for a win.

[Kellyb72601]

You don’t think our offense will have a better day against the Lions than they did the Jets?

Well that was a straight up embarrassment they'd probably have to try hard to look that bad again. I think they'll be better than that but the offense really does have problems and it's gonna be a struggle every week for them. They just don't have anything defenses need to worry about. They need to be like the steelers....hope the defense can play good enough to give them a chance then be good on offense when it really matters at the end of the game.

[Lefty2SLO]

You are wrong. The Chargers have three players in the top 3 in sacks, no other team even comes close. Nothing deceiving about that.

I think you missed his point . . . . . . . . . . . it's a 'quantity vs quality' thing

[sonorajim]

Detroit is the antithesis of a Polian (Telesco) type team as far as how they're structured. They are very fundamentally sound built from the inside out with very strong auxillary positions, like blocking tight end and blocking from the wide receiver position. They're not a finished product yet, the defense still has a ways to go & I'm sure they'd like a more mobile QB, but it goes to show what a team can do that does a lot of the little things right. Everybody knows you need to stop their run game and get Goff in 3rd and long and they fall apart, but it's much easier said than done. The 'Fade slowed them down pretty good for about 2.5 quarters then just got worn down and it became a track meet in the 4th quarter. I expect the same sorta thing to happen tomorrow due to our offense not being able to get anything done & thus the defense spending far too much time on the field.

Det started drafting OL early in 2016. Made OL hits in D1 in '16, '18, '21 D# in '16, '20. Obviously they've been together longer than ours.
TT took some shots earlier but struck gold in D1 in '21. D1, D6 in '22, D3 in '19 are decent starters. Will improve as a unit wuth experience togrther.
Other than that, ? No big deal. I like our team a lot.

[electricgold]

Definitely a statement game for Staley! Can he beat a hot team with a good record or does he remain the HC coach that can only beat the middle of the road teams!

[21&500]

Velo, lead the way to victory!!

[FoutsFan]

it’s better than QB rating, which was the point. That said, QBs should get credit for their runs.

They should, it should just not give more or equal weight to the runs.

[FoutsFan]

How can you say it over-rates running? If you took away Mahomes running would he be the same QB? Those 3 or 4 scrambles a game that move the chains on big 3rd downs are the difference between being 2-4 and 6-0. Look at the Cincy offense now that Burrow can move again - all the sudden they're back to being unstoppable.

I tried to look it up but it was a while ago. The Thanksgiving game where the Chargers smashed the Girls in Dallas, Rivers tore it up big time, he had the best passing game that weekend. Yet the total QBR had some other QB that was very sub par to Rivers was higher because he had 2 good runs. It was a joke, I remember ever some of the football guys talking about it during a game and commenting how it did not make sense.

If a QB is stripeing it like Rivers did that day, there would be no need to run the ball, hence he should have a higher QB rating.

[FoutsFan]

The Lions defend the run very well, currently third in the league, an average of 77 yards allowed per game. The Chargers are slightly below the middle of the pack in run offense, averaging 101.1 yds per game.

The Lions run the ball well, averaging 131.1 yds per game. But the Chargers also defend the run well, averaging 89 yds per game, 7th in the league.

My guess is this game will be decided by the passing game, and who does or doesn't protect the QB well will probably be a sizable factor.

The Chargers trail only the Ravens in sacks, with 31 sacks through 8 games. The Lions' OL is very highly regarded, Goff has been sacked just 15 times through 8 games, one of the least sacked QBs in the league.

Herbert, who is more mobile than Goff, though hindered by his broken digit, has only been sacked 20 times through 8 games. The Lions are 17th in sacks, with 21 through 8 games.

The Lions' Aidan Hutchinson is their best pass rusher. But he only has 4.5 sacks. The Chargers have three players with more sacks: Mack (9), Bosa (6.5) and Fox (5.5). Tuli is only a half sack behind Hutchinson with 4.

So it's going to be interesting to watch a defense who gets to the QB as well as anybody in the league against an OL who is as good as anybody protecting their QB, who is not very mobile. And a defense that is only mediocre at getting to the QB against an OL that struggles to protect their QB, who is more mobile.

The one thing that gives the Chargers an edge I think is in turnovers. They are #1 in TO differential. That could go a long way to winning the game.