Game Balls

[oneinchpunch]

San Diego Chargers: Ryan Mathews has 33 carries that have gone for 4 or more yards, which is tied for the fourth in the league.


Good for Mathews. He's definitely turning it around and becoming a positive for the team

[Beerman]

San Diego Chargers: Ryan Mathews has 33 carries that have gone for 4 or more yards, which is tied for the fourth in the league.


Good for Mathews. He's definitely turning it around and becoming a positive for the team

He was definitely running with more conviction this past week. I hope it continues. That being said, for those that were following the GDT, the swing passes to Matthews were easy fucking money. Obviously teams had picked up on our tendencies with him and it completely burned them to leave him wide open in the flats.

Those few passes will help us long term to help slow down the run blitzing when Matthews is in the backfield.

[blueman]

Very happy about Matthews doing so much better, helps Rivers a lot.

[thelightningwill]

Ryan Mathews is not running any better. Dude is running for fewer yards. And he's already got a fumble this year. The only thing good I can say about him is he doesn't usually get stopped for a loss.

[Panama]

Ryan Mathews is not running any better. Dude is running for fewer yards. And he's already got a fumble this year. The only thing good I can say about him is he doesn't usually get stopped for a loss.

Actually, yes, he is running better, a lot better. He is finishing runs. He is going into contact violently. And for the most part, he is protecting the ball better. He is not being used as often, because Woodhead is such a potent weapon, but Mathews has responded very well to his current role.

[thelightningwill]

Actually, yes, he is running better, a lot better. He is finishing runs. He is going into contact violently. And for the most part, he is protecting the ball better. He is not being used as often, because Woodhead is such a potent weapon, but Mathews has responded very well to his current role.

His yards-per-carry, so far, is worse than it's ever been, and he's already fumbled.
Mathews has run hard since his 2nd season began. That's not the issue.

[Panama]

His yards-per-carry, so far, is worse than it's ever been, and he's already fumbled.
Mathews has run hard since his 2nd season began. That's not the issue.

Well, we'll have to agree to disagree. There isn't a large enough sample size for ypc to be relevant. I see a difference in how he is finishing runs and protecting the ball. Yes, he has a fumble, but you can see how he is holding the ball differently and protecting it when he approaches contact. The one fumble he's had was unfortunate; I agree that the fact that Dunlap blew his block and that Mathews didn't expect contact from behind is irrelevant. But that one play aside, it seems he's living less dangerously with the rock than in previous seasons.

[MakoShark]

I gotta agree with Thunder...I mean Lightning....I don't think Mathews is meeting expectations yet. That stat OIP posted actually surprises me, but Lightnings points carry just as much weight, IMO. Mathews has always run hard, so thats not a change. His violent collisions and struggles for extra yards after contact are admirable, but also part of the cause for his fumble-itis. I like that they're throwing to him, always felt they didn't do that enough. Those throws to the flat are just long handoffs and I think Mathews could be deadly in space like that. I'd like to see them try a few bubble screens with him.

[blahblahblah]

He is running better. He has some runs for significant loss where there was absolutely nothing he and an army of Barry Sanders could have done. That skews things, and will occur with this oline. He hasn't contributed anything spectacular, and has the fumble, but 95% of his touches this year he made the right decision and contributed. His lack of vision will always limit big plays, plus teams have been playing zone against the short pass which limits long runs.