2022 Official Chargers Season Discussion

[wu-dai clan]

The analytics shows that our big issue is that we don't get enough "cheap yardage." The yardage after contact is low.

A fresh Ekeler and a reinvigorated Michel will help.

Slayer, MW, and Palmer are of a certain type. Carter and Guyton will play a vital role.

It is possible that Everett gives us some much needed YAC.

[Maniaque 6]

I like it a lot !

[dmac_bolt]

Depending on variations in individual biology, I'd say it's entirely possible to have 5 cups of coffee per day, pretty much every day, and experience no ill effects.

I personally use coffee as an appetite suppressant. I just eat less when I'm drinking coffee.

I drank a lot of coffee both when it was bad and when it wasnt. Agree with you. More importantly i love coffee. I’ll let the rant go - it can only lead to unapproved avenues. As you all were …

[21&500]

The analytics shows that our big issue is that we don't get enough "cheap yardage." The yardage after contact is low.

A fresh Ekeler and a reinvigorated Michel will help.

Slayer, MW, and Palmer are of a certain type. Carter and Guyton will play a vital role.

It is possible that Everett gives us some much needed YAC.

I think Andy Reid is a master of cheap yardage if I'm understanding the term correctly.

[SuperCharged]

If your suggestion is that Chargers coaches are infallible, you must not have been a fan of the team for very long.

And I am not sure where you have been for the past year since Lombardi has been the OC.

Once again, since you seem to be missing the point, the national sports media picked up on the problem that our team was not throwing the ball deep and called our coaching staff out on the issue a little after the middle of last season. (I had posted about the problem after week 2 last year. It did not take too long to spot.) Well into last season, Herbert was in the bottom 5 in air yards per attempt when we had one of the most explosive deep passing games in the entire NFL in 2020 despite having arguably the worst OL in the entire league.

Herbert just might be the best deep passer in the league. So what did our brilliant coaches do? They kept the utterly useless K.J. Hill over Tyron Johnson when Johnson had produced the best QB rating when targeted of any qualifying receiver (at any position) in the entire NFL in 2020. His production on just 26 targets was incredible. He had about 13% more receiving yards in 2020 than Palmer had in 2021 on just 53% of the targets that Palmer had. Most of the people on this forum knew that the decision to cut Johnson was a bad decision at the time as a number of people on this forum thought that Johnson was even better than Guyton, much less K.J. Hill.

And the coaches backed that up by refusing to throw deep to Guyton, who literally did not have a deep ball reception until the week 13 game at CIN. Instead they were running short, dippy out patterns for Palmer, a WR that receives very little cushion from opposing defenders because they know he has no elite speed, no great moves and zero elite traits of any kind whatsoever.

Lombardi all but killed our deep passing game last year except for blown coverages. Stafford faced similar issues in DET when Lombardi was the OC there and this was so even though the Lions had Calvin Johnson.

Immediately after getting roasted by the national sports media, we saw Lombardi change his approach in the CIN game and in the NYG game. That was no coincidence in my view. But the deep passes to Guyton are available much, much more frequently than we are trying to hit them. And some teams have defenses that are difficult to have multiple long, sustained drives against. In close games, the one big play can make all the difference in the world.

Because of its talent, our offense is going to be successful, but it could be even more successful if it took advantage of more big play opportunities instead of throwing quite as many short sideline passes as it did last year. IMO, Lombardi needs to stop misusing Allen on deeper crossing patterns that defenses undercut for INTs twice last year. Allen is not going to run away from anyone. As we saw in the preseason, if some of those throws go to Guyton, he can turn the corner and pick up the extra yardage that Allen and some of our other WRs cannot.

All of what I have expressed concern about, I would put in the category of the completely obvious in terms of small tweaks that would make the offense even better. It is also plainly obvious that Guyton's speed does a better job of complementing the slower speed games of Allen and Williams than Palmer's poor man's Allen without the moves that make Allen Allen game does.

I do like that Lombardi increased the percentage of passes versus runs last year, though. I think he is clearly on the right track in that respect.

You can write as many paragraphs as you want. I will take ANY nfl caliber coach over your analysis any day. You understand they evaluate players at every practice watch film and break it down if Guyton was as good as YOU think he would be getting the ball. Bottom like is a 3-4 WR if that. You may even see Carter move ahead of him. You also suggesting that Palmer is not as good. They why are they calling his number? I guess it's just spite Guyton amazing playmaking ability. Guyton = Run post or fly route. That's his route tree.

[Boltjolt]

CC is a true fan; well spoken and fairly knowledgeable. Like most people, I think a dose of humility on his part would go a long way toward others realizing that, as well. It would also help if, instead of using phrases like "it's plainly obvious" he, instead, chose "it seems obvious to me" or added "IMHO" to some of his musings. Instead of saying "you're completely missing the point", a comment like "I guess I didn't make myself clear" would be nice(r). I mean, none of us are being paid by the NFL (far as I know) and *all* of us are here just throwing shit against the wall of this forum to see what sticks. There are no absolute truths, undeniable facts, ideas that are "plainly obvious" to all. It's all just opinions, and no one is more, or less, 'correct' about that than anyone else.

Barely knowledgeable is closer to the truth. He is quite the stat guy if you believe highly in those. Like air yards as if that is a telltale stat.
Herbert had the second most passing yards in the league but geez, his air yards wasnt high enough early in the season.
Who cares!

[Ghost of Quacksaw]

The wisdom of Roo.

World's Nicest Pimp Slap! lol

[Ghost of Quacksaw]

I just want to state something for the record here--

I don't think the Bolts' receiving group gets the recognition it deserves for the blocking those guys do. Mike W., Keenan, Palmer and Guyton all weigh in excess of 210 pounds, and are very willing blockers. They should really help the tight ends spring for yards after making the catch, and add yet another dimension to the offense.

[Charge!]

The analytics shows that our big issue is that we don't get enough "cheap yardage." The yardage after contact is low.

A fresh Ekeler and a reinvigorated Michel will help.

Slayer, MW, and Palmer are of a certain type. Carter and Guyton will play a vital role.

It is possible that Everett gives us some much needed YAC.

agree..... Everett is a much better TE than perceived, and he has speed and tackle breaking ability..... he should have a career year

We drafted Spiller for that purpose, and I believe he should greatly help our offense as the season goes on.....

The 2022 RB group is the best group we have had in many years.

[Guest]

Chain - Sometimes I like to look at the "likes" to see who agrees with a post. I just looked at five of your post and you didn't get any likes". There's a message in that for you. You have harped on your love of Guyton over and over but it appears you stand alone.

I suppose you can conclude that not one other fan understands our passing game and WR's as well as you do. However, there is a different conclusion one can draw - see if you can figure it out.

Roo, I really do not peg post quality to "likes" received. Those are two entirely different concepts.

Also, I do not have a love for Guyton. I just have what I believe is the proper appreciation of his value and best use in our offense.

It is clear that Lombardi has some weaknesses as a play caller as certain similar patterns have emerged in his OC experience in Detroit and now with us. He has placed receivers in the wrong roles at times and he has overemphasized the short passing game, especially the short sideline passing game. That short sideline passing game yielded 3 pick-6s last year in case anyone is curious. Those passes represent a lot of risk for very little yardage gained.

It is too bad that some do not seem to have a clue about the significance of arguably the game's best deep passer being in the bottom 5 in air yards per attempt more than half way through the season or of the team's one lone deep speed threat not having even a single deep pass reception until week 13 last season. There is a message in that for them.

[wu-dai clan]

Our 53 indicates that LAC will play a whole lot of DIME.And NICKEL.

Van Noy to EDGE role
in many cases.

One key to being able to play NICKEL is the fact that Mack is really gonna set the EDGE.

We will have lots of Staley type CBs buzzing around.

Safety roles will be quite interesting.

[beachcomber]

will be looking forward to when Bandy gets his chance.... thinkin' he'll produce.

and agree.... we need/ed to throw the longball more often.... hopefully Guyton and Carter can help w/that.

still would like a fourth TE.... think we're pretty good most everywhere else.... save for the injury bug.

this is one of the more talented ps I can recall in awhile for the Chargers.