WFT vs Bolts Pre Game Discussion

[Redskins1]

Never know what you will get with Fitz. He can be great or straight awful. Just need to get pressure on him.
We'll see how it goes.

I won't predict but the Washington team now with the college helmets isn't a scary team. But they do have a good DL. Still a losing record last season.

Bye, when are they going to rename them?

We had a bad record last season cause we played 4 different QB due to injury or just bad play...I hoping Fitzpatrick can bring some stability there even though we know he can be erratic.

The new team name supposedly will be announced before next season..

[dmac_bolt]

We had a bad record last season cause we played 4 different QB due to injury or just bad play...I hoping Fitzpatrick can bring some stability there even though we know he can be erratic.

The new team name supposedly will be announced before next season..

You had a losing record in the worst division in the NFL.

- Smoked by AZ
- Smoked by CLE
- Smoked by BAL
- Smoked by LAR
- Barely beat SEA
- Barely beat PIT (a bit if a fraud team)
- Lost to TB in playoffs

2-5 against decent to good teams. other game were against shit teams. Will Fitz change all that? He won’t change good teams scoring 30+ on the fabled WTF defensive front. Where has he has delivered consistent playoff caliber performance? nowhere I know of. He can get streaky, so maybe luck falls WFT’s way.

No NFL game is a gimme but i like our odds. Fitz improves their O but I like the improvement of our D from several returning key starters (e.g. James, Tranq), some good draft picks & FA, and Staley’s improved coaching. Oddsmakers have it at -1 so basically a tie.

all is not lost for the WTFs - they still get to play 6 games against the worst division in football again this year, could sneak into the playoffs again. I doubt they get to the SB but if you can, we’ll see you there

[Guest]

The reason I ask is because of the WFT front 7 is so dominant,does that give you any concerns? This game will be won in the trenches,which ever team controls the line of scrimmage will walk away with the W...How do you guys feel about this?

I seriously doubt the game will be won in the trenches.

In 2020, the Chargers had the worst OL in the league, lost every game in the trenches, and still should have won about 12 games, but for some amazingly poor in game coaching. I expect WFT to get some pressure against Herbert. Of course, Herbert was the #1 rated QB in the NFL against pressure in 2020 (perhaps because he got so much practice at it). The team added 4 new starters on the OL and while we have not seen the entire first team OL at all this preseason, the odds are extremely good that the offensive line will be significantly better than it was last year.

WFT's defense, while good, is overrated. 0-5 (including playoffs) against any team that had a QB even in the top 15 in passer rating, including a 5-11 Detroit team. No games against any team with a QB rated higher than 7th. Lots of games against truly crappy QBs to pad the stats. Herbert, who was well within the top 15 rated QBs last year, is a legitimate MVP candidate this year.

Honestly, my main concern is that Staley has adopted a philosophy of not playing many of the starters at all in the preseason--not even one snap. So there could be some rust there. But if the Chargers come out sharp, it will not matter what WFT does as the Chargers have the better team and will win.

[Redskins1]

You had a losing record in the worst division in the NFL.

- Smoked by AZ
- Smoked by CLE
- Smoked by BAL
- Smoked by LAR
- Barely beat SEA
- Barely beat PIT (a bit if a fraud team)
- Lost to TB in playoffs

2-5 against decent to good teams. other game were against shit teams. Will Fitz change all that? He won’t change good teams scoring 30+ on the fabled WTF defensive front. Where has he has delivered consistent playoff caliber performance? nowhere I know of. He can get streaky, so maybe luck falls WFT’s way.

No NFL game is a gimme but i like our odds. Fitz improves their O but I like the improvement of our D from several returning key starters (e.g. James, Tranq), some good draft picks & FA, and Staley’s improved coaching. Oddsmakers have it at -1 so basically a tie.

all is not lost for the WTFs - they still get to play 6 games against the worst division in football again this year, could sneak into the playoffs again. I doubt they get to the SB but if you can, we’ll see you there

Well I see you think highly of the WFT...Thanks for your input..

[Redskins1]

Charger fans my WFT won 7 games and the division and gave the bucs who won it all the best game on it's way to a championship...The WFT did all that with arguably the worst QB play in the league last season...The D played hard despite the offensive woes but you need some offense to contend....Please don't take lightly the WFT as your bolts are about to step on to fedexfield,I expect a close game but wouldn't be surprised at all if the WFT won this game handly...

[Guest]

You had a losing record in the worst division in the NFL.

- Smoked by AZ
- Smoked by CLE
- Smoked by BAL
- Smoked by LAR
- Barely beat SEA
- Barely beat PIT (a bit if a fraud team)
- Lost to TB in playoffs

2-5 against decent to good teams. other game were against shit teams. Will Fitz change all that? He won’t change good teams scoring 30+ on the fabled WTF defensive front. Where has he has delivered consistent playoff caliber performance? nowhere I know of. He can get streaky, so maybe luck falls WFT’s way.

No NFL game is a gimme but i like our odds. Fitz improves their O but I like the improvement of our D from several returning key starters (e.g. James, Tranq), some good draft picks & FA, and Staley’s improved coaching. Oddsmakers have it at -1 so basically a tie.

all is not lost for the WTFs - they still get to play 6 games against the worst division in football again this year, could sneak into the playoffs again. I doubt they get to the SB but if you can, we’ll see you there

WFT lost against SEA.

I have seen us as anywhere from -2 to -1 so far this week, which is for a 10:00 a.m. road game on the east coast, which would make us about 4.5 to 5.5 point favorites on a neutral field.

If we had played our starters for a even a couple of series, I would be jumping up and down to lay the points, but Staley clearly prefers to play the long game and risk some week 1 rust versus preseason injuries as evidenced by his refusal to play anyone in the preseason.

[sonorajim]

Charger fans my WFT won 7 games and the division and gave the bucs who won it all the best game on it's way to a championship...The WFT did all that with arguably the worst QB play in the league last season...The D played hard despite the offensive woes but you need some offense to contend....Please don't take lightly the WFT as your bolts are about to step on to fedexfield,I expect a close game but wouldn't be surprised at all if the WFT won this game handly...

We would have to lose most of our top players. I sure as hell hope not.
LAC is easily the better offense, arguably the better D. We are questionable on special teams. That and injuries has been our achilles heel.

[Guest]

Charger fans my WFT won 7 games and the division and gave the bucs who won it all the best game on it's way to a championship...The WFT did all that with arguably the worst QB play in the league last season...The D played hard despite the offensive woes but you need some offense to contend....Please don't take lightly the WFT as your bolts are about to step on to fedexfield,I expect a close game but wouldn't be surprised at all if the WFT won this game handly...

Barring a serious injury to a key Charger player or the Chargers playing a horrible game, there is no way that WFT will win the game handily.

Had we not had an idiot for a head coach, we would have beaten Tampa Bay at Tampa Bay last year. We were up 17 with 47 seconds to go in the first half and just got the ball back on our own 6 yard line. Tampa Bay could not prevent us from kneeling on the ball to kill the clock. But Anthony Lynn had apparently never seen the famous Joe Pisarcik/Herman Edwards play, the play that led to the QB kneeling at the end of halves and games strategy. Instead, a running play was called, a fumble happened and TB got a gift TD right at the end of the half.

Undaunted, after we had shredded Tampa Bay with our passing attack all first half long, Anthony Lynn, as only Anthony Lynn could do, decided to go conservative with the ground game and momentum completely shifted to Tampa Bay. The 17 point lead was blown and we lost 38-31 in a game we should have won going away.

The same horrible conservative strategy too early with a lead also cost the team 2 other games in which the team had a 17 point lead and a 21 point lead. We are talking about historically bad in game tactical coaching.

In addition, while we did beat KC in the second game, we should have won both KC games last year as we blew an 11 point second half lead in the home game against KC (Herbert's first start), which featured a crucial failure to score a TD when Lynn went too conservative in the red zone, resulting in a FG instead of a TD.

Horrible clock management (Lynn's other major coaching disability) cost us the home game against Las Vegas last year as well. Despite taking the ball with 4:37 to go at our own 25, we did not even get a full goal to go series from the Las Vegas 4 because Lynn misused the team's timeouts and called running plays as if we had all the time in the world.

The team really should have won a good 12 games and won those games without two important defensive starters, who were out for essentially the entire season.

Make no mistake, the Chargers are the significantly better team, but what might save WFT is that the game is a 10:00 a.m. game (on the west coast) and that Staley has not played many of the key starters even one snap in the preseason, which could result in rust. If there is no rust/jet lag/new players playing together for the first time issues, I see this as a 2-3 score win for the Chargers. But since I do think there will be some rust/new players playing together in a new scheme issues, I think the Chargers will win, but only in a one score victory.

[sonorajim]

WFT lost against SEA.

I have seen us as anywhere from -2 to -1 so far this week, which is for a 10:00 a.m. road game on the east coast, which would make us about 4.5 to 5.5 point favorites on a neutral field.

If we had played our starters for a even a couple of series, I would be jumping up and down to lay the points, but Staley clearly prefers to play the long game and risk some week 1 rust versus preseason injuries as evidenced by his refusal to play anyone in the preseason.

My impression is that Staley believes his practice structure, multiple fields + scrimmages with SF is adequate, maybe superior. The starters did get a lot of work together and will start the season healthy. He didn't pull his concepts out his backside. The sports performance, analytics staff and assistant coaches all contributed.

[Boltjolt]

WFT lost against SEA.

I have seen us as anywhere from -2 to -1 so far this week, which is for a 10:00 a.m. road game on the east coast, which would make us about 4.5 to 5.5 point favorites on a neutral field.

If we had played our starters for a even a couple of series, I would be jumping up and down to lay the points, but Staley clearly prefers to play the long game and risk some week 1 rust versus preseason injuries as evidenced by his refusal to play anyone in the preseason.

I really don't see why this is a big deal. Many teams did it this season and they practice every day. It's not like they are sitting home and suddeney need to suit up. Taking big hits in preseason isn't prepping them any better.

Herbert won rookie of the year with no preseason last year and limited, or any snaps with the #1's

LT never played in preseason since Marty was hired.

[Guest]

I really don't see why this is a big deal. Many teams did it this season and they practice every day. It's not like they are sitting home and suddeney need to suit up. Taking big hits in preseason isn't prepping them any better.

Herbert won rookie of the year with no preseason last year and limited, or any snaps with the #1's

LT never played in preseason since Marty was hired.

As a bettor, you would bet a team blind as west coast team small road favorite in an early game without having seen it play?

Also, I am used to one or two players not playing, like LT, but no Charger coach has kept out the starters to the degree that Staley has, so it makes it more difficult for any of us to get a read on the team.

[Guest]

My impression is that Staley believes his practice structure, multiple fields + scrimmages with SF is adequate, maybe superior. The starters did get a lot of work together and will start the season healthy. He didn't pull his concepts out his backside. The sports performance, analytics staff and assistant coaches all contributed.

Obviously, Staley is going to do what he thinks is best for the team. My preference would be for the starters to play a little just to help get their rhythm in an actual game setting, but players that do not play in the preseason games are less likely to be injured--no doubt about that.

Honestly, most of our major preseason injury losses have come in practice and not in preseason games.