Commanders at Chargers (Week 5) | Pre-game Discussion

[YAC]

BRAVO!!! HUZZAH!!! SI!!! YUP!!!

This post may also be nominated...by someone...somewhere...for something.

Well at least they can't sack Herbie or plow him when O has the rock........

You got me there.

[Riverwalk]

Adding in to this, the Chargers had 14 penalties for 107 yards. QB Jaxson Dart threw for 111 yards….

They need to just throw this anomaly of a game away, and move on.

Jumbo 2 TE sets, max block protection, RUN THE DAMN BALL, and force opposing teams to stack the box, then go play action and use the freaking TE’s to convert 1st downs. Go Harbaugh big, ugly. Control the clock. Get Alt back and go from there.

I thought the defense played VERY WELL against the Giants. 10 out of the 21 Giants total was gifted by turnovers, so theoretically, the defense held them to only 11 earned points.

More good news is Kahlil is eligible to return after two more games.

So, the only wheel that needs to be fixed to get this train back on track is the OL.

And as discussed ad nauseaum, there are many ways to fix it as you listed above Jack.

Personnel changes (ex: Salyer to LT)
Quicker passes to TE’s, WR’s, and RB’s
More pass blockers (chipping, fullback)
More runs vs pass

Harbaugh and Roman have a chance to prove how good they can coach against the Commanders and show the pessimists they went overboard based on just one game that was a fluke because of an unexpected injury.

Let’s see what happens.

[Velo]

I posted this after the debacle against the Giants. It's from a column written by Albert Breer on MMQBSI following the Bucs' win over the Jets over a week ago.

Baker Mayfield, Emeka Egbuka and even kicker Chase McLaughlin will get most of the attention for the Buccaneers’ heart-stopping win—and they deserve plenty—but that was a true organizational triumph. The reason? Tampa Bay’s offensive line.

For a variety of reasons, almost no one in the NFL has any depth in that area. It’s too hard to find linemen coming out with an increasingly spread offense-oriented college level, too hard to develop backups who don’t play on game day and can’t hit nearly as much as they used to in practice and so on. So, usually, if a team loses a starter or two, that team really feels it.

Instead of recognizing this, especially after we've lost THREE starters since August, all the way since the Slater injury a few have come on here acting like they can do a better job than Hortiz and Harbaugh by posting their preferred moves of trading for Cam Robinson (benched, made inactive, and traded for nothing in the last three weeks) and Evan Neal (a complete bust who is currently a third-string guard for the Giants), and signing Willie Lampkin (a 5-11, 288-pound undrafted free agent guard who was waived by the Rams, signed by the Eagles, and placed on injured reserve two days later) and Brandon Scherff (retired in August). It's fine to suggest some ideas that you think may be solutions, but when their suggestions don't happen they act like Hortiz and Harbaugh made a huge mistake by not listening to them, which is absolutely ridiculous. Just because you know someone's name after they had some success in the NFL or in college doesn't mean that you're right about them being the best move that Hortiz and Harbaugh can make. And maybe there is no move that can be made to fix the current problem. But nobody wants to acknowledge that, either.

As far as Bradley Bozeman goes, I think everyone wanted an upgrade there, but even the complainers admit that the draft provided a very weak group of centers. The suggestion by a few was to sign Drew Dalman, who has allowed one sack and nine pressures for the Bears so far this season. Bozeman has allowed no sacks and 10 pressures. The Bears are paying Dalman $42 million over three years, $28 million guaranteed. Bozeman is being paid significantly less, at two years and $12 million. Sounds like there was no real solution for the center position this past offseason and will be addressed in 2026. You're not going to fill every hole in your roster, especially in Year 2 or building your team.

Absolutely spot-on. Nobody could've anticipated losing the three best OL, both OTs and the best IOL in the unit. But the complainers insist they know better and are more qualified to manage and coach an NFL team than Joe Hortiz and Jim Harbaugh. Then there's the complainers who demand Harbaugh fire Greg Roman, never mind that the offense is top 10 and Herbert is top 5. Yes it would've been nice to upgrade the OL to have Pro Bowl starters and back ups at every position, maybe Trader Joe can pull that off next off-season.

Meanwhile, it is what it is. The situation is not ideal. But both Harbaugh and Roman are deeply experienced and I trust they will come up with a game plan(s) going forward to overcome the OL situation and protect Herbert.

[Boltx]

Meanwhile, it is what it is. The situation is not ideal. But both Harbaugh and Roman are deeply experienced and I trust they will come up with a game plan(s) going forward to overcome the OL situation and protect Herbert.

Honestly at this point, still early in the season, the focus shouldn't be on going all out to try to win games with a depleted OL, but rather trying to keep Herbert from sustaining a season/career-ending injury.

Try to stay afloat, steal a game or two if we can, but if it's me, I'm turtling up and protecting my QB until I can get more starters back on the OL.

[Velo]

Honestly at this point, still early in the season, the focus shouldn't be on going all out to try to win games with a depleted OL, but rather trying to keep Herbert from sustaining a season/career-ending injury.

Try to stay afloat, steal a game or two if we can, but if it's me, I'm turtling up and protecting my QB until I can get more starters back on the OL.

If you don't play to win games, why have Herbert on the field at all?

[Boltx]

If you don't play to win games, why have Herbert on the field at all?

You need to be strategic about it.

All I'm saying is I would be ultra conservative in how I run my offense for the next few weeks until our OL is put back together. Limit Herbert's exposure. If this means we are less likely to win some games, then so be it. Doesn't mean defense and/or special teams can't step up and help us steal some games. I never thought 2025 was a playoff season, anyway. I'm not sacrificing Herbert's health for one year. Gotta think bigger/longer term.

[Riverwalk]

You need to be strategic about it.

All I'm saying is I would be ultra conservative in how I run my offense for the next few weeks until our OL is put back together. Limit Herbert's exposure. If this means we are less likely to win some games, then so be it. Doesn't mean defense and/or special teams can't step up and help us steal some games. I never thought 2025 was a playoff season, anyway. I'm not sacrificing Herbert's health for one year. Gotta think bigger/longer term.

I agree with you. What bothered me most about the Giant game is they didn’t adjust the play calling enough to account for the porous OL.

We all saw the same thing and have listed several ways to remedy it. I’m confident that Roman and Harbaugh saw it too and will adjust.

[Boltinloudguy]

Absolutely spot-on. Nobody could've anticipated losing the three best OL, both OTs and the best IOL in the unit. But the complainers insist they know better and are more qualified to manage and coach an NFL team than Joe Hortiz and Jim Harbaugh. Then there's the complainers who demand Harbaugh fire Greg Roman, never mind that the offense is top 10 and Herbert is top 5. Yes it would've been nice to upgrade the OL to have Pro Bowl starters and back ups at every position, maybe Trader Joe can pull that off next off-season.

Meanwhile, it is what it is. The situation is not ideal. But both Harbaugh and Roman are deeply experienced and I trust they will come up with a game plan(s) going forward to overcome the OL situation and protect Herbert.

I trust Harbaugh, Roman doesn’t fully have my trust yet. Which sucks because he’s been here over a year. After trying to drop back and 40+ times with your running game working and a busted OLine in pass protection gives me serious pause in trust with Roman.

[Boltinloudguy]

With such an EMBARRASSING loss to the Giants! They have to come out and beat the breaks off the Commanders to show that last game was a fluke

[Boltx]

We all saw the same thing and have listed several ways to remedy it. I’m confident that Roman and Harbaugh saw it too and will adjust.

I hope so!

[Boltinloudguy]

I agree with you. What bothered me most about the Giant game is they didn’t adjust the play calling enough to account for the porous OL.

We all saw the same thing and have listed several ways to remedy it. I’m confident that Roman and Harbaugh saw it too and will adjust.

Same for the defense once Nabers went out. Crowd that box and make Dart beat you with his arm. If he does, then so be it, you can’t let them beat you in the trenches when you should have known all week that’s what they were going to do. Yes overall the defense kept the chargers within reach because the offense and the offensive play calling was straight trash overall.

Even with all the penalties and turnovers they still had a chance. This game was not about the Giants beating the Chargers, it was about the Chargers beating themselves. I bet if they had 4 less penalties they could have pulled this one off.

[Bolt4Knob]

I agree with you. What bothered me most about the Giant game is they didn’t adjust the play calling enough to account for the porous OL.

We all saw the same thing and have listed several ways to remedy it. I’m confident that Roman and Harbaugh saw it too and will adjust.

I am confident too. I don't care what Harbaugh says to Popper and the media. The proof will be Sunday with the actual original game plan followed by any in-game adjustments to said game plan based on the game itself.

I think the Chargers will play a better game.,