Joshua Kelley, RB, UCLA - Discussion

[chargeroo]

MG has a bad combination of absorbing a lot of punishment with a tendency to get injured. Not many good years left for him. Agree with all of what is written. The scouting report on Gordon was that was not good in trash and had very poor lateral quickness. The Chargers provided him trash on pretty much every running play and we all saw how he struggled with it vs a guy with skills like Ekeler. I really liked Gordon in college and was pretty stoked when he was drafted. But I was wrong.

TG

I wasn't crazy about Gordon college but I liked Joshua Kelley in college. Barring serious injury I think he'll be a steal. He has some quicks, good speed (4:49), has really big thighs making it nearly impossible to tackle him around the thighs and good at blitz pickup. I thought he impressive at the Senior Bowl - both practice and game. With two good backs in front of him I don't know how much pt he'll get as a rookie but long run I think he'll be a solid RB for us. I was right about Gordon and I hope I'm right about Kelley.

[like54ninjas]

[like54ninjas]

[beachcomber]

I wasn't crazy about Gordon college but I liked Joshua Kelley in college. Barring serious injury I think he'll be a steal. He has some quicks, good speed (4:49), has really big thighs making it nearly impossible to tackle him around the thighs and good at blitz pickup. I thought he impressive at the Senior Bowl - both practice and game. With two good backs in front of him I don't know how much pt he'll get as a rookie but long run I think he'll be a solid RB for us. I was right about Gordon and I hope I'm right about Kelley.

think I can check both those boxes as well, and.... think I am on record in saying it would've been a mistake to count on JJ & Ek going forward without a lead back,

[Steve]

Every time we had Watt and Gordon in there, we were telegraphing, "we're going to run the rock." Maybe it might help if we ran more passing plays with two rb's in there, at least on occasion. That would be at least an attempt to fool someone sometimes...

Why is telegraphing an intention necessarily a bad thing?

A lot of great (read SB winning) coaches prefer to have clearly defined intentions. They out execute a team on the predictible plays, and force defenses to sell out tilting their defense to totally take away the clearly defined intention, then hit them with some complimentary plays.

At some point, the take what the defense gives you means that they are allowing the offense to play the game the defense wants. The offense needs to impose it's will at some point, and make them react to what the offense is doing. Until our O gets to that point, we will continue to be a 2nd rate team.

[chargeroo]

Why is telegraphing an intention necessarily a bad thing?

A lot of great (read SB winning) coaches prefer to have clearly defined intentions. They out execute a team on the predictible plays, and force defenses to sell out tilting their defense to totally take away the clearly defined intention, then hit them with some complimentary plays.

At some point, the take what the defense gives you means that they are allowing the offense to play the game the defense wants. The offense needs to impose it's will at some point, and make them react to what the offense is doing. Until our O gets to that point, we will continue to be a 2nd rate team.

I think what you are describing is exactly the type of offense Lynn wants to be able to run.

[Heatmiser]

What Steve is referencing is Marty Ball, and the Chargers used to employ it to great success. Marty's philosophy was to be so good at certain plays that they were unstoppable for the reasons Steve listed. You out execute the other team, you dominate them, you impose your will. He didn't care if the other team's DC knew the play that the offense was going to run, the defensive players knew it, the announcers knew it, the fans knew it. He cared that despite knowing it, you couldn't stop it. His entire coaching career he relied upon a few plays and would run them over and over and over. They were primarily running plays which is why some thought Marty Ball was just a conservative run offense.

TG

[sonorajim]

I liked Marty. He really knew the players game and could coach any position. I used to watch him in camp working with a player, showing exactly what he wanted from them on a given play.
I liked that he found plays they executed well, made them better and let them take pride in their work.
40 Power and kiss my happy ass.

[21&500]

I think what you are describing is exactly the type of offense Lynn wants to be able to run.

no doubt, 31 other head coaches as well
I think everyone would agree that being both predictable and effective is preferred over having to
trick your opponent.
imo it really comes down to a (or several) players' unique ability

[chargeroo]

This conversation brings back the bad memory of the Steelers (Jerome Bettis) running it down our throats to end that playoff game. Everyone knew what was coming but they couldn't stop it - give me some of that from our Bolts!

By the way, Marty is my favorite HC thus far.

[powderblueboy]

This conversation brings back the bad memory of the Steelers (Jerome Bettis) running it down our throats to end that playoff game. Everyone knew what was coming but they couldn't stop it - give me some of that from our Bolts!

By the way, Marty is my favorite HC thus far.

Are you sure that wasn't Shon Green in the playoffs...same year. Both the Steelers and Jets went for it on 4rth & 1 at the end of the game in 2009.

[chargeroo]

Are you sure that wasn't Shon Green in the playoffs...same year. Both the Steelers and Jets went for it on 4rth & 1 at the end of the game in 2009.

The game I'm referring to was when Bettis ran it on play after play to run out the clock. I think we kicked off to them with something like 8 minutes left, thinking we'd get anther chance to score but we never got the ball back. I don't remember the year but I sure left there wishing we had that capability.

LT could do that but we have to go all the way back to Butts (with a good OL in front of him) to find a back that could do that. That's a long time ago. Part of doing that also depends on the HC. LT played for Marty, Butts for Bobby Ross - both were hard nosed kind of coaches I think Lynn is that kind of HC too - time will tell.