Chiefs at Chargers Pre Game Discussion (Wk 1)

[sonorajim]

Zion and Bozeman will be in the 2nd year working together so their coordination should be much better than last year. I suspect the OL will do just fine in this game.

Wow! That's a bold statement!
I suspect most PBs disagree.
I agree. The reps with Zion at C and Boze at LG sure should have improved their working relationship.
That and Becton. Bozeman leaned R a lot to help RG Pipkins. Becton is more able to take care of himself and his blocking assignment.

[Chargers8491]

...and I believe some of that was because better teams could easily neutralize the weapons or lack thereof that Herbert had in the passing game...

...in 2025 it will be more difficult to stop the passing game and I think this will help the run game, the two, run and pass should compliment each other better in 2025 despite the O-line being what it is...

Yep, but it starts with no run game. Ladd was the only reason the Chargers had any kind of passing game. Although I will say QJ had a hand in that as well. He was dragging defenders with him allowing Ladd to get open over the middle. With that said, a lot of the longer pass plays never really had time to develop because Herbert, against good defenses didn't have time to throw or couldn't complete his passing motion.

To your point, without a run game, good defenses could pin their ears back and come after Herbert. Most olines would have had trouble protecting the QB in the same situation. You saw the Chiefs have the same problem with the Eagles in the SB. Plus, if defenses don't have to worry about the run game it makes it a lot easier to take out the top passing threat. Which makes what Ladd did in the playoff game so remarkable. They were triple teaming that guy and he still produced.

[Chargers8491]

Dobbins had nearly 1000 yds and games 1 LVR and 2 Car were primarily run Ws. We were inconsistent not no run game.
Combined with only one quality receiver, it was a handicap.

When Dobbins got injured, they had no run game. It's semantics no run game/inconsistent. Bottom line is good defenses did respect the Chargers run game.

[sonorajim]

We did not win 9 games that were predominately pass. We won 9 games when the passing yards exceeded the run yards. That's
pretty much normal in the NFL. The passing yards are almost always greater than the running yards,

We won exactly 1 game when the passing game dominated over the run game, 246 pass versus 96 run. The only game we won
when we didn't rush for more than 100 yards.

OK. I give. Running effectively is 100 yds or more.
I'm tired of last year anyway. That was a lot different team at the O "skill " positions including RBs.

[Velo]

Correct. Which is why the Chiefs should focus on stopping our run game. When we can't effectively run the football, we lose. That's exactly what happened last year.
The question this year: Has both our run game and pass game improved? If the run game fails, can we win games by passing the football? That's the biggest question
that has to be answered, because last year the answer was no.

On paper the personnel looks better, less the O line. But we'll have to see how that actually translates on the field of play.

Chiefs' DC Steve Spagnuolo is well aware of the upgrades the Chargers have made to improve the rushing offense. But going into week 1 the Chargers' run game is unproven. He will prioritize what has been the most dangerous dimension of the Chargers' offense: Justin Herbert and the passing game. That doesn't mean he won't have a plan to stop the run. But the top priority of his defense will be to defend against Herbert.

[dmac_bolt]

OK. I give. Running effectively is 100 yds or more.
I'm tired of last year anyway. That was a lot different team at the O "skill " positions including RBs.

100 yards has been the yardstick for as long as I can remember. Its a rather arbitrary value - perhaps too-conveniently too-round of a number? I wonder what the scientifically correct number is to assert a team ran the ball well or not?

Lets get our stats crew working on it asap!

[Fouts2herbert]

Dobbins had nearly 1000 yds and games 1 LVR and 2 Car were primarily run Ws. We were inconsistent not no run game.
Combined with only one quality receiver, it was a handicap.

I realize the schedule is harder, but I can't imagine the offense not improving from what they were last year and this despite the O-line issues, they gave Herbert a lot more to work with on offense, it's going to make a difference, it's going to make teams play the Charger offense differently than they did last year...

[Fouts2herbert]

I think the OL will be better than people expect this season, it's the 2nd year this core group will be playing together, it happens all the time in the NFL, OL who stay together play better and more cohesively as a unit. Becton is the only newcomer, he spent last season blocking for an RB who rushed for 2k+ yds and got a ring.

I certainly hope you are right, but it stands to reason that the O-line will be helped by Herbert having more weapons and teams having to play them more honest than in 2024...our offense had very little firepower in 2024...

[Fouts2herbert]

Correct. Which is why the Chiefs should focus on stopping our run game. When we can't effectively run the football, we lose. That's exactly what happened last year.
The question this year: Has both our run game and pass game improved? If the run game fails, can we win games by passing the football? That's the biggest question
that has to be answered, because last year the answer was no.

On paper the personnel looks better, less the O line. But we'll have to see how that actually translates on the field of play.

They gave Herbert some weapons, last year he went hunting with a pocket knife, this year he has tricked out hunting rifle with a scope on it, it's going to help the offense, how can it not?

[sonorajim]

Chiefs' DC Steve Spagnuolo is well aware of the upgrades the Chargers have made to improve the rushing offense. But going into week 1 the Chargers' run game is unproven. He will prioritize what has been the most dangerous dimension of the Chargers' offense: Justin Herbert and the passing game. That doesn't mean he won't have a plan to stop the run. But the top priority of his defense will be to defend against Herbert.

Herbert to Ladd is an established fact and a definite threat, likewise Keenan- not long ago the best route runner in the NFL. KC's first play on D is likely a heavy pass rush. See what our OL has.

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

Will Spaggs be able to stop our running game without 8 in the box? If not will his backfield be able to cover on an island against our play action.

Screens to TEs and RBs will be one way to back off the blitzs. I'd also like to see the shovel pass to OH once or twice to back off the blitzs.

[Fouts2herbert]

I hear what you're saying. Rather than simply disagree, I'll say it's not that simple. It's Always T E A M in Harball, O, D and STs.
Sometimes O will hit on something they can't stop. Sure, we'll keep at it.
By the way. define "run the football effectively". We won 9 games in '24 that were predominately pass.
We beat Atl mainly with D Ints but we threw more on O.
All that aside, I totally believe in R / P balance on offense as a goal but sometimes you just have to take whatever works.

This^^^ they'll continue to pursue balance, of course, that said I think it'll be more difficult for defenses to just load the box with all the new weapons that Herbert has...