2021 Official Chargers Season Discusssion

[Panamamike]

Random thoughts....

Why do people on here keep beating a dead horse, and hating on the past? Lynn, Gus, Stewart...who gives a shit? It's yesterday's box score...let it go. Boring...

I can't stand June and early July...fluff pieces..all bullshit. You won't see me on here much in that stretch...Thank God for training camp...

Training camp itself is often a bunch of fluff...but for the first time in years, this one feels a little different. Herbert looking sharp, but his amazing talent, and that of our surprising WR group, is also being countered at times with fast and aggressive defense. It doesn't feel like crap vs. crap....it feels like sharp on sharp, steel on steel, and I am as excited as I have been in years...

Burrows and Lawrence are looking like...well, not much. No raves about Tua...how the hell did we luck into this Herbert kid...and maybe...how the hell did we luck into this coach?

Maybe I'm experiencing punch drunk love, but this whole team, coaches and players, is giving me positive vibes I haven't felt since the LT days, mid 2000's...

Finally, a great big thank you to all you forum members posting info about training camp, from tweets to articles to videos...best Charger fan site ever!

We absolutely did not luck into this coach. While the rest of the NFL media and pundits had us unanimously taking Daboll, the chargers locked up the guy they zeroed in on and didn't let him walk away without a contract. We need to give credit to our general manager and ownership for recognizing the football intelligence, energy, an ability this young man has.

[dmac_bolt]

Gus had a scheme that worked if you had the right players. He had no idea how to adjust though. Glad he's with the Raiders. He doesn't have the players so it should be easy to take advantage of old Gus.

The right players is a gaping understatement. His vanilla predictable basic defense worked in SEA because he had pro bowl and all pro players all over the field. The only reason more SEA players weren’t pro bowl is because too man of them were already picked and it would be ridiculous. His defense didn’t just fail here, it failed in JAX too. he had not one clue how to adapt to the talent he had, and he had no clue how to adjust during a game. he had a scheme and that was that. And i cannot wait to watch it fail in LV this year.

He’s the Norv Turner of great defensive coaches. Norv was an offensive genius when he had 4 (was it 5) future HOF players on his starting squad. Big fucking deal, any coach will be great with 5 HOF’ers. He too could not adapt to the talent he had. He did great here when the Bolts were stacked with PR, LT, AG (all HOFers), and decent OL. Take away LT, reduce the OL and watch AG age and … bleh. Could. Not. Adapt.

Arrrghh … get angry just thinking about what if

[Bolt Dude]

Well that’s a bummer about Goldwire. Thought he had a real shot.

NFL reporter Aaron Wilson says UDFA Jared Goldwire has been put on IR.

[Bolt Dude]

The right players is a gaping understatement. His vanilla predictable basic defense worked in SEA because he had pro bowl and all pro players all over the field. The only reason more SEA players weren’t pro bowl is because too man of them were already picked and it would be ridiculous. His defense didn’t just fail here, it failed in JAX too. he had not one clue how to adapt to the talent he had, and he had no clue how to adjust during a game. he had a scheme and that was that. And i cannot wait to watch it fail in LV this year.

He’s the Norv Turner of great defensive coaches. Norv was an offensive genius when he had 4 (was it 5) future HOF players on his starting squad. Big fucking deal, any coach will be great with 5 HOF’ers. He too could not adapt to the talent he had. He did great here when the Bolts were stacked with PR, LT, AG (all HOFers), and decent OL. Take away LT, reduce the OL and watch AG age and … bleh. Could. Not. Adapt.

Arrrghh … get angry just thinking about what if

His entire defense hinged on Derwin James. No, he didn’t have a good backup plan, but Gus’ D worked pretty well when Derwin was on the field.

But it’s in the rear view now, so who TF cares?
Let it go, homie.

Staley’s D is gonna shine.

I’m geeked.

[Bolt Dude]

Doug Farrar, a talking head that I actually respect, has us at #7 on his pre-season power rankings. Not bad.


7. Los Angeles Chargers


Perhaps it’s the Football Gods trying to make up for the Ryan Leaf thing, but do you know how long it’s been since the Chargers didn’t have a Hall of Fame-level quarterback? Going straight from Drew Brees (2001-2005) to Philip Rivers (2004-2019) to Justin Herbert, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year? Not bad if you can pull it off. Herbert isn’t yet Hall of Fame-level, of course, but he did everything possible to get his NFL career off on the right foot, and to sustain the franchise’s impressive stretch of no-doubt quarterbacks.

Things are pretty strong on that side of the ball, especially since the team was able to steal Northwestern tackle Rashawn Slater to protect Herbert’s blind side. On defense, you can expect a ton of two-high/light box stuff from new head coach Brandon Staley, and while there are questions about how a team can go from a ton of single-high to a ton of two-high in one season, Staley is already filling the roster with his types of guys. Second-round cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. has rare zone awareness for a rookie, and he was specifically great at Florida State in the types of coverages Staley prefers.

Will that be enough to have the Chargers challenging the Chiefs for control of the AFC West? We might be a year or two away from that, but it’d be a considerable surprise if Staley isn’t captaining a playoff team this season.

[Berserker76]

We absolutely did not luck into this coach. While the rest of the NFL media and pundits had us unanimously taking Daboll, the chargers locked up the guy they zeroed in on and didn't let him walk away without a contract. We need to give credit to our general manager and ownership for recognizing the football intelligence, energy, an ability this young man has.

Thanks for that insight, Panamamike. I was even all-in on the Daboll hype-train (much to my chagrin). Kudos to the Chargers organization! After endless years of shanked punts, pinned them twice at the one yard line (Herbert & Staley). I'm stoked for this year: both the Steelers and the Patriots, who could ask for more?

[Bolt4Knob]

Well that’s a bummer about Goldwire. Thought he had a real shot.

NFL reporter Aaron Wilson says UDFA Jared Goldwire has been put on IR.

Popper tweeted Godwire was on the Reserve/Retired

It did seem like he has a shot, I think he has to pass through waivers if they want to put him on season ending IR and keep him in the building for the future.

[Bolt4Knob]

Doug Farrar, a talking head that I actually respect, has us at #7 on his pre-season power rankings. Not bad.


7. Los Angeles Chargers


Perhaps it’s the Football Gods trying to make up for the Ryan Leaf thing, but do you know how long it’s been since the Chargers didn’t have a Hall of Fame-level quarterback? Going straight from Drew Brees (2001-2005) to Philip Rivers (2004-2019) to Justin Herbert, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year? Not bad if you can pull it off. Herbert isn’t yet Hall of Fame-level, of course, but he did everything possible to get his NFL career off on the right foot, and to sustain the franchise’s impressive stretch of no-doubt quarterbacks.

Things are pretty strong on that side of the ball, especially since the team was able to steal Northwestern tackle Rashawn Slater to protect Herbert’s blind side. On defense, you can expect a ton of two-high/light box stuff from new head coach Brandon Staley, and while there are questions about how a team can go from a ton of single-high to a ton of two-high in one season, Staley is already filling the roster with his types of guys. Second-round cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. has rare zone awareness for a rookie, and he was specifically great at Florida State in the types of coverages Staley prefers.

Will that be enough to have the Chargers challenging the Chiefs for control of the AFC West? We might be a year or two away from that, but it’d be a considerable surprise if Staley isn’t captaining a playoff team this season.

Thats my goal for this team - to be competing for a playoff spot at the end of the year. And I mean a realistic shot. So have to recalibrate with the 17 game schedule - so say after game 14, they are 8-6 or better. And not 6-8 with a mathematical chance but not a real chance.

[Formula 21]

Popper tweeted Godwire was on the Reserve/Retired

It did seem like he has a shot, I think he has to pass through waivers if they want to put him on season ending IR and keep him in the building for the future.

Reserve/retired? Sounds like he’s done with football.

[Topcat]

Popper tweeted Godwire was on the Reserve/Retired

It did seem like he has a shot, I think he has to pass through waivers if they want to put him on season ending IR and keep him in the building for the future.

Sorry for Goldie, but at least it wasn't one of our starters...

[Velo]

Thats my goal for this team - to be competing for a playoff spot at the end of the year. And I mean a realistic shot. So have to recalibrate with the 17 game schedule - so say after game 14, they are 8-6 or better. And not 6-8 with a mathematical chance but not a real chance.

After game 14, I see the Chargers at 10-4, with @Texans, Broncos, and @Raiders left on the schedule, with the Bolts sweeping those final 3 and rolling into the playoffs with winning momentum. I expect no less from this team.

That said, I have learned to temper my expectations, this is the Spanos Chargers after all, and we really don't know what we are going to get from Brandon Staley, the new coaching staff, the new players, and Justin Herbert in his 2nd year. So I will be happy with 8-6 after 14 games. If the team is 6-8, I will be disappointed, but 9-8 might still get them in the post-season.

[electricgold]

We absolutely did not luck into this coach. While the rest of the NFL media and pundits had us unanimously taking Daboll, the chargers locked up the guy they zeroed in on and didn't let him walk away without a contract. We need to give credit to our general manager and ownership for recognizing the football intelligence, energy, an ability this young man has.

Why is everyone acting like we have a great HC? From what everyone is saying he is the greatest NFL HC in the history of time to have a record of 0-0. To me going in he sort of seems like a guy that is running things with the secret in his back pocket. We'll see if it works I will say he talks a good game but Nope he has got to prove it in these games coming up that he has the right stuff also our OC and DC have a lot to prove. Lastly Josh Palmer is going to be a superior WR when measured next to Elijah Moore RIGHT because we could have drafted Moore over Palmer?