Ravens at Chargers Game Day Thread (Week 12) | Post Game Discussion

[Critty]

The sky is not falling. It’s one loss against a potential Super Bowl contender with 2 MVP candidates. It’s time to prepare for next week.

I would also add. That Bengals and Ravens have MVP caliber QBs and playmakers on offense. And have seasons of experience in their systems under their HCs. And both teams had to go for it on 4th down to get back into the ballgame. While the Chargers are just a little of over halfway into Jim Harbaugh era and QB JH10 is starting to get more comfortable each game. QJ plays way too small for his talent and size. He should have been a beast yesterday where he feels nobody can stop him and anything close to him he is snatching it. Instead he looks like dipped his hands in butter.
Team would greatly improve if QJ step up and dominate a game here or there.

[wu-dai clan]

Our young players are not quite ready yet for the bright lights.

Maybe they will be in January.

[sonorajim]

I would also add. That Bengals and Ravens have MVP caliber QBs and playmakers on offense. And have seasons of experience in their systems under their HCs. And both teams had to go for it on 4th down to get back into the ballgame. While the Chargers are just a little of over halfway into Jim Harbaugh era and QB JH10 is starting to get more comfortable each game. QJ plays way too small for his talent and size. He should have been a beast yesterday where he feels nobody can stop him and anything close to him he is snatching it. Instead he looks like dipped his hands in butter.
Team would greatly improve if QJ step up and dominate a game here or there.

"Dipped in butter" LOL! Too true.
Henry and the 4th and 1 conversions killed us. They were the better team last night.
It happens. On to Atl!

[dmac_bolt]

Like a dagger!!

well put. That’s exactly how it felt.

The game turned on that play. It wasn’t only QJ that mentally crumbled. The team “chargered” from that point onward.

We had been competitive and only one score behind and then both the offense and defense collapsed.

You can look back at Dobbins injury, Perryman and Hart not playing, and other problems prior to QJ’s drop and point to other causes, but good teams that don’t “Charger” have players who step up and overcome adversity.

Instead, when it mattered the most, QJ drops a perfect pass from Herbert and you could palpably sense the teams confidence get gutted.

another great descriptor - it felt like the team, except Herbie, was gutted in that instant. That was the moment I felt we would lose.

Worst game of his career imo, as I posted last night.

I'm curious what our best scouts and analysts can make of the defense though? contains good teams for significant stretches then has complete breakdowns. Just a breakdown in assignment discipline or ... ? I realize we don't have all the horses we would like, but why does it work for good stretches and then collapses? Better defense and we still could have won.

[jamrock]

Our young players are not quite ready yet for the bright lights.

Maybe they will be in January.

No weapons

[powderblueboy]

i mean true, he did only have lt being elite for 4 years, but he had gates for a huge part of his career, along with v jax and malcolm floyd. rivers did have a stint where he was throwing to a whole bunch of randoms playing wr, like ajirtutu. i think i spelled it right its been a while. so far herbert had keenan allen and m dub, both of which were injury prone, more so m dub than allen. herberts had very little to work with so far in his young career. i mean if you just compare rivers team he inherited to the one herbert did, its night and day, phil became the starter and immediately had a run game, a future hall of fam te, 2 jump ball wrs, and an elite defense, herbert started his career with a still very good keenan, and beat up m dub, no run game or oline. and a terrible defense to back it up. i love phil but tell the whole story when it comes to situations.

Rivers had a great 1rst cast until 2010 .... then garbage Olines and 2nd banannas for pass catchers until 2013.
2013 was the last year he had multiple weapons .... Mathews, Woodhead, Keenan, Gates. The 2013 Oline was no more than functional.

Gates last big year was 2014, then he drastically dropped in production.

Henry/Keenan/MG3 - 2017 ?

Mdub/Keenan/MG3? - 2018 ?

.... they were okay, but hardly leave DC's teeths chattering in terms of multiple weapons.

Rivers had the advantage of Norv as his OC .... Since year 1, Herbert has had Lombo, Roman and the Dallas guy, with the meddlesome Staly looking over his shoulders.
Even McCoy and his OCs was superior to what Herbert has had for quarterback play.

[JOJAX85]

Our young players are not quite ready yet for the bright lights.

Maybe they will be in January.

Ladd is. He was groomed for it at Georgia. He's reliable. His small stature worries me for the long haul, but I don't think you can build a team off of whatifs.

[Topcat]

I think he will develop into a #1. He's just not there yet.

We still need a true burner wideout to stretch the field, and who can actually get separation and catch the ball...

[Velo]

QJ is out of excuses. If I where Harbaugh, I'd seriously consider making him a healthy scratch in Atlanta on Sunday to send him a message. Seriously, can Chark be any worse?

Quentin Johnston’s dropped ball changed everything for Chargers | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC

[powderblueboy]

Defense was terrible-- They couldn't get off the field after the first two drives

The drops by the WRs were drive killers. Reagor in the 1st quarter, lead to a punt. The QJ drop
no running game after the first period

I think both sides of the ball had failures but by and large, defense played worse.

The D had several issues with lining up properly, which never happened before this game.
Baltimore's O is unique.

Pittsburgh has seen it before and so they can shut it down.
Having a healthy Mack, Perryman, Cam would have helped for sure.

Baltimore's D was garbage until last night.
Offense should have been going up and down the field against them, but they only did that on the first drive.
Not a first time for this offense .... the D takes away what the O does and Roman and the O can't adjust.
The offense was completely healthy.

Baltimore's D took away what they were doing after the first two drives ... moving the ball was laborious after that.
Against KC, at least you were missing your OTs and the KC defense is stout.

Herbert deserves some of the blame .... yeah, receivers dropped a few passes.
You don't go into games expecting receivers to hold onto everything.
He looked horrendous against Cincy's D that final half.

Bad decisions, he missed a few throws and he missed a few open receivers .... and we still haven't seen a hot read against an all out blitz this entire year.
Why is that? It takes both the receivers and the QB to get on the same page. He completed one or two in that situation, but more like the miracle throw variety.

Nine points on mostly long Dicker figgies after the first drive .... inexcusable at home against that D, without Roquan Smith mind you.
Forget the last gasp TD ... in my mind, it doesn't count

[Topcat]

another great descriptor - it felt like the team, except Herbie, was gutted in that instant. That was the moment I felt we would lose.

Worst game of his career imo, as I posted last night.

I'm curious what our best scouts and analysts can make of the defense though? contains good teams for significant stretches then has complete breakdowns. Just a breakdown in assignment discipline or ... ? I realize we don't have all the horses we would like, but why does it work for good stretches and then collapses? Better defense and we still could have won.

Well, remember that our D DID have a few decent stops for punts and for figgies instead of TD's...This season's D is a LOT better than last year's, but it's still tough to contain elite players like Lamar and Henry...even with the injury to Dobbins, our O still had a chance to make it a shootout game, IF QJ makes that catch and we go on to score a TD...yep, agree that drop by QJ was a key turning point...maybe QJ makes that catch vs. a lesser team and less pressure, but we just CAN'T go up against an elite team with players who choke in prime time...

[Bolt4Knob]

The D had several issues with lining up properly, which never happened before this game.
Baltimore's O is unique.

Pittsburgh has seen it before and so they can shut it down.
Having a healthy Mack, Perryman, Cam would have helped for sure.

Baltimore's D was garbage until last night.
Offense should have been going up and down the field against them, but they only did that on the first drive.
Not a first time for this offense .... the D takes away what the O does and Roman can't adjust.

Baltimore's O took away what they were doing right away.
Against KC, at least you missed your OTs and the KC defense is stout.

Herbert deserves some of the blame .... yeah, receivers dropped a few passes.
You don't go into games expecting receivers to hold onto everything.

Nine points on mostly long Dicker figgies after the first drive .... inexcusable at home against that D.
Forget the last gasp TD ... in my mind, it doesn't count

I think if Herbert could have one play back it was missing Palmer on the cross when he tried to hit QJ up the sideline

Offense is still too one dimensional. No running game. Short yardage - still below average

Fix IOL and add a true WR1 next to McConkey