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If a team can go in playoff with 8-9 or under this year
must be for champion of NFC East or AFC North
must be for champion of NFC East or AFC North
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The way I heard it is , SJD was pissed Morgan Fox wouldnt get the extended warranty.....Originally posted by captaind View PostComment
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Nice article on Kyle Van Noy in The Athletic Pulse this morning. Keyed on his role/performance at both Edge and Linebacker against Tennessee. Good read.Comment
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Thanks.Originally posted by La Costa Boy View Post
(The subscription is worth it. You'll have to read the article to see the screen shots and descriptions.)
When the Chargers signed Kyle Van Noy in May, they envisioned deploying him in a versatile role in Brandon Staley’s defense.
During his time with the Patriots and Dolphins, Van Noy had played both edge rusher and inside — or off-ball — linebacker. He even wore the green dot at times with the Patriots as the defensive signal-caller in the huddle. This positional flexibility, along with playoff and championship experience, made Van Noy an attractive piece for Staley.
Van Noy could provide depth on the edge behind Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa. He could also provide depth at off-ball linebacker, which was important in the spring as Kenneth Murray Jr. was still working his way back from offseason ankle surgery. Van Noy spent all of training camp playing off-ball linebacker while Murray was sidelined. With a fully healthy defense, Van Noy could be utilized in specialized pass-rush packages. Staley could disguise Van Noy as a pass rusher before dropping him into coverage or disguise him as an off-ball linebacker before sending him after the quarterback. Van Noy’s versatile skill set fueled that vision.
“His trademark is that he can do either,” Staley said during OTAs.
Of course, that plan never fully materialized. Bosa went down with a core muscle injury in Week 3 and has been on injured reserve since. Chris Rumph II sprained his MCL in Week 7 and went on to miss two games. Those two injuries, in particular Bosa’s, forced Van Noy into a full-time edge rusher role.
As Van Noy told me in Week 9, with the Chargers coming off their bye, there was a mindset shift as he transitioned from playing exclusively off the ball in training camp to exclusively on the edge after the Bosa injury.
“It’s just getting comfortable and getting back into the go, go, go mode versus read and react off the ball,” he said then
Van Noy has slowly grown more comfortable in the edge rusher role in Staley’s defense. There was a scheme transition, as well, considering Van Noy spent his previous five-plus seasons in the same system with Bill Belichick in New England and Brian Flores, a former Belichick assistant, in Miami.
Over the past two weeks, Van Noy has started to significantly impact games as an edge rusher in multiple phases — pressuring the quarterback, stopping the run and defending in coverage.
He had his first sack of the season in a Week 14 victory over the Dolphins, winning against Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead on a spin move to the inside.
Van Noy followed that up with an outstanding performance against the Titans — what Staley called “maybe his best game” of the season. A lot of factors have gone into the Chargers’ recent defensive surge. A key one has been Van Noy’s level of play.
Let’s start with what Van Noy did in run defense against Derrick Henry.
The Titans prominently feature outside zone in their rushing offense — which refers to a blocking scheme in which the offensive linemen all block laterally as opposed to being assigned a specific gap or player to block. These outside zone blocking schemes can put a lot of stress on the edges of a defense’s run front. The running back will typically take an outside handoff or pitch, and it is up to the runner to identify the crease and hit it with one cut upfield.
This blocking scheme is an ideal fit for Henry. It allows him to build up momentum and attack the defense north-south.
The Titans called outside zone frequently against the Chargers. Van Noy was crucial in thwarting this facet of the Tennessee offense. He regularly got penetration off the edge, disrupting Henry’s track and forcing him to hesitate in the backfield.
It took Van Noy most of this season to find his stride in Staley’s defense. But he is now playing some of his best football when it matters most.
Each day brings the Chargers closer to a Bosa return. But even when Bosa is back, Van Noy should continue to be a weapon for Staley as the Chargers barrel toward the postseason — in whatever capacity he is needed.
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OK, admit it, which of you are in this video?Comment
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Is Staley going to wear that in-game? Talk about clock management -- and with style to boot.Originally posted by cmplxgal View PostComment
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Stylish, yes. Accurate...not so much. My wife bought me a Rolex for my birthday one year and the perpetual motion just doesn't keep accurate time (I am anal about it) so I brought it back and exchanged it for an Omega. Not as flashy but a much better watch. Of course, now I just wear an Apple watch. Don't suppose Derwin buying Apple watches for everyone would be that impressive!Originally posted by jaguarmanftype View PostComment
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My dad had a Rolex someone in the family gave him as a gift of a lifetime. He almost never wore it because it kept shitty time and was too gauche for his understated classy taste.Originally posted by richpjr View Post“Less is more? NO NO NO - MORE is MORE!”Comment
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Coach Staley opted for the chain with a diamond bedazzled stopwatch.Originally posted by jaguarmanftype View PostComment
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Let's see if we can check off two more of the playoff-clinching results today:
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Was the transactions and injuries topic folded into this one?Comment
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