Official Charger Season Discussion - News - Roster Moves - Injuries

[Charge!]

Staley called the D plays and there were times when it clearly didn't work out. Having new D assistants and players should help. Having a full roster will definitely help.
But the gist of the story was that our lack of 2nd half, most notably 3rd quarter offense put the D at a huge disadvantage. The arrow is pointed up on projected offense under Moore and if we play strong offense all game long, particularly 3rd and 4th quarters, the defense will greatly benefit.
The 2023 Chargers defense should post better overall stats than '22 when we were surprisingly good vs pass, awful v run, below avg vs scoring.
I can't say that Staley will call better D plays but it's close to a lock that the D will post better results.

The reality is we were also awful against the pass. Teams could pass on us at will, whenever they needed to actually score, but teams mostly stuck with the run because Chargers cannot tackle and were were worst in NFL last year and for several years..... this team obviously NEVER practices tackling in practice....

The main thing that made last years stats look better is most of our opponents were starting backup QB's who suck and we evn lost games to some of thiose......

the reason Staley goes for it so often on 4th down is he flat out knows how bad his defense is....... Odds of Herbert getting the first down is far greater than odds of this bad defense stopping anyone.....

Horrible angles and horribly bad tackling are why Chargers lead league in giving up long runs......and YPC.......

If you cannot stop the run you will give up less yardage against the pass but it makes passing easier when you need to throw the ball.....and totally keeps defense confused.

Staley playing starters for 3 quarters in a meaningless game and getting MW hurt and out of playoffs was inexcusably and fireably stupid! Staley plays Reid twice a year yet has learned nothing..... Reid rests his great players in meaningless games and likely will be resting them the last game of the upcoming season......

Reid dominated chargers and AFC West with Alex Smith at QB, and of course is still doing so with an even better QB, but REID outsmarting our coaches is a huge reason for their dominance.

One of the big reasons the 1994 Chargers team masde iot to the SB was strong running game, great ST's, and a defense that flat out could not be run on, period!!! Running teams were forced to throw the ball becasue of how dominating we were stuffing the run.

[dmac_bolt]

The reality is we were also awful against the pass. Teams could pass on us at will, whenever they needed to actually score, but teams mostly stuck with the run because Chargers cannot tackle and were were worst in NFL last year and for several years..... this team obviously NEVER practices tackling in practice....

The main thing that made last years stats look better is most of our opponents were starting backup QB's who suck and we evn lost games to some of thiose......

the reason Staley goes for it so often on 4th down is he flat out knows how bad his defense is....... Odds of Herbert getting the first down is far greater than odds of this bad defense stopping anyone.....

Horrible angles and horribly bad tackling are why Chargers lead league in giving up long runs......and YPC.......

If you cannot stop the run you will give up less yardage against the pass but it makes passing easier when you need to throw the ball.....and totally keeps defense confused.

Staley playing starters for 3 quarters in a meaningless game and getting MW hurt and out of playoffs was inexcusably and fireably stupid! Staley plays Reid twice a year yet has learned nothing..... Reid rests his great players in meaningless games and likely will be resting them the last game of the upcoming season......

Reid dominated chargers and AFC West with Alex Smith at QB, and of course is still doing so with an even better QB, but REID outsmarting our coaches is a huge reason for their dominance.

One of the big reasons the 1994 Chargers team masde iot to the SB was strong running game, great ST's, and a defense that flat out could not be run on, period!!! Running teams were forced to throw the ball becasue of how dominating we were stuffing the run.

I’ve tried to point this out for awhile. Taking bad angles and bad tackling are not defensive scheme flaws. Thats individual player suckage. Thats just basic athletic instinct and ability.

NFLPA has written training and practice rules into the CBA that are so strict and ridiculous, NFL coaches really can’t even teach tackling anymore. Players need to arrive with good athletic instincts and basic skills. I have never seen data to show it even helped with injury rates or severity, if it really did then at least it had a different value.

Able to stop the run requires players beating players, 1x1, hat on hat, pad on pad. Staley has not had the players who do that consistently. I have seen time after time after time he has a player in the perfect position - hence good scheme - and the defender just whiffs or flails or gets blown up. At some point, players have to play.

Example: take your best most brilliant coach - say Andy. Give him a high school squad from a small district, and have him go out against the worst Pro team. Whats going to happen? His kids will get blown to bits regardless of how genius his scheme is.

Last note - Reid dominating Chargers with Smith was long before Staley got here. You think its something in the water cooler at Charger park?

[blueman]

I’m hoping Moore and our high-scoring O keeps things simple (and hopefully more effective) for Staley.

[Boltgang74]

I’ve tried to point this out for awhile. Taking bad angles and bad tackling are not defensive scheme flaws. Thats individual player suckage. Thats just basic athletic instinct and ability.

NFLPA has written training and practice rules into the CBA that are so strict and ridiculous, NFL coaches really can’t even teach tackling anymore. Players need to arrive with good athletic instincts and basic skills. I have never seen data to show it even helped with injury rates or severity, if it really did then at least it had a different value.

Able to stop the run requires players beating players, 1x1, hat on hat, pad on pad. Staley has not had the players who do that consistently. I have seen time after time after time he has a player in the perfect position - hence good scheme - and the defender just whiffs or flails or gets blown up. At some point, players have to play.

Example: take your best most brilliant coach - say Andy. Give him a high school squad from a small district, and have him go out against the worst Pro team. Whats going to happen? His kids will get blown to bits regardless of how genius his scheme is.

Last note - Reid dominating Chargers with Smith was long before Staley got here. You think its something in the water cooler at Charger park?

Reid coaching this team would be going to the bowl I believe.

[Topcat]

I’ve tried to point this out for awhile. Taking bad angles and bad tackling are not defensive scheme flaws. Thats individual player suckage. Thats just basic athletic instinct and ability.

NFLPA has written training and practice rules into the CBA that are so strict and ridiculous, NFL coaches really can’t even teach tackling anymore. Players need to arrive with good athletic instincts and basic skills. I have never seen data to show it even helped with injury rates or severity, if it really did then at least it had a different value.

Able to stop the run requires players beating players, 1x1, hat on hat, pad on pad. Staley has not had the players who do that consistently. I have seen time after time after time he has a player in the perfect position - hence good scheme - and the defender just whiffs or flails or gets blown up. At some point, players have to play.

Example: take your best most brilliant coach - say Andy. Give him a high school squad from a small district, and have him go out against the worst Pro team. Whats going to happen? His kids will get blown to bits regardless of how genius his scheme is.

Last note - Reid dominating Chargers with Smith was long before Staley got here. You think its something in the water cooler at Charger park?

^ This...I get so tired of watching some of our players whiff so much...Dmac, due to CBA rules, what if the Bolts encouraged some of their key defensive players to attend some kind of a 3rd party Duke-like summer tackling camp? It would be voluntary, but hey, if Duke worked some magic with some of the O-line players, why not use the same concept for our D? Imagine having a couple of retired and respected NFL vets REALLY teach the fundamentals of tackling to some of our top whiffers!

[dmac_bolt]

^ This...I get so tired of watching some of our players whiff so much...Dmac, due to CBA rules, what if the Bolts encouraged some of their key defensive players to attend some kind of a 3rd party Duke-like summer tackling camp? It would be voluntary, but hey, if Duke worked some magic with some of the O-line players, why not use the same concept for our D? Imagine having a couple of retired and respected NFL vets REALLY teach the fundamentals of tackling to some of our top whiffers!

100% endorse! In hindsight, this is the glaring red flag on Woods that lingers in all of us today and conversely what I completely LOVE about both Tuli and Hensley picks. Maybe the FO figured this shit out that you need to draft players with the basic hat on hat skills down.

Watching the college tape on the latter two new picks - it really jumps out - they got the basics of tracking, tackling, hitting down very well. That was a red flag I saw in tape on a different LB that some here wanted, and in some ratings was rated a spot higher. Way too many tackles were from the side and grabbing, often with yards after contact given up. He wasnnt getting in correct football position to square up and stick it in the chest with shoulder, helmet up, like coach taught us back in pop warner.

BTW - thats how Sir James fucking sticks offensive players like a boss. And cats called him a whiffer - good lord.

[sonorajim]

Reid coaching this team would be going to the bowl I believe.

I'd like to revisit this topic after the '23 season is over. Reid has very narrowly beaten Staley 3 times and lost to him once. I believe we are a better team in '23.

[jamrock]

I'd like to revisit this topic after the '23 season is over. Reid has very narrowly beaten Staley 3 times and lost to him once. I believe we are a better team in '23.

Could be. But to this point, Reid has owned the AFC west. Their record against divisional opponents over the past 7-8 years will make you puke. I don’t think we’ve seen this kid of dominance in a division other than the Patriots.

[dmac_bolt]

Could be. But to this point, Reid has owned the AFC west. Their record against divisional opponents over the past 7-8 years will make you puke. I don’t think we’ve seen this kid of dominance in a division other than the Patriots.

Reid will be able to look fondly back at those good times. I’m glad he will always have that.

[Topcat]

100% endorse! In hindsight, this is the glaring red flag on Woods that lingers in all of us today and conversely what I completely LOVE about both Tuli and Hensley picks. Maybe the FO figured this shit out that you need to draft players with the basic hat on hat skills down.

Watching the college tape on the latter two new picks - it really jumps out - they got the basics of tracking, tackling, hitting down very well. That was a red flag I saw in tape on a different LB that some here wanted, and in some ratings was rated a spot higher. Way too many tackles were from the side and grabbing, often with yards after contact given up. He wasnnt getting in correct football position to square up and stick it in the chest with shoulder, helmet up, like coach taught us back in pop warner.

BTW - thats how Sir James fucking sticks offensive players like a boss. And cats called him a whiffer - good lord.

Apparently, the Bolts were wowed by Woods and his "nation-leading" 6 picks in college...but ignored his anemic tackling skills...apparently, the Bolts thought they could coach him up on the tackling part...hope they can, but hasn't happened yet...and I think u nailed it, Dmac, on Tuli and Hensley...both PROVEN tacklers...

[Ghost of Quacksaw]

I’m hoping Moore and our high-scoring O keeps things simple (and hopefully more effective) for Staley.

If the 'O' is, in fact, high scoring, that will create a huge buffer for the team to get the defensive kinks worked out.

I feel good about the O-line, but *still* see no clear answer to the long-needed-not-yet-acquired power back to pair with Ekeler.

Of COURSE it would be great if Spiller steps up and fills the role competently! It just seems like there's maybe a 10% chance of that happening. NOTHING we saw from him last year was persuasive, and we've received absolutely ZERO reassurances from Staley that he's seen things from Spiller in workouts that *we* haven't, and that those things give him confidence that Spiller is ready to step up. Zippo. Diquefist. Nada thing.

I don't know why the prospect of signing Zeke Elliot isn't getting more air. He's intimately familiar with Kellen Moore's way of running an offense, and is a reliable pass blocker. Zeke wouldn't have to produce the way that he did as the primary back in Dallas-- he'd be dividing snaps with Ek. So unless he's totally out of gas-- and he didn't look that way to *me* last season-- he checks every box for what the Chargers want in the back that they desperately need, but don't have.

Nobody rushes to sign RBs Zeke's age to long term contracts, so it looks kinda likely that he'll end up signing a one year deal, one of those 'prove it' contracts that the player hopes will get him a better contract one year down the line. And I'm thinking that Zeke would consider the Bolts' offense ready-made for him to succeed with.

[Topcat]

If the 'O' is, in fact, high scoring, that will create a huge buffer for the team to get the defensive kinks worked out.

I feel good about the O-line, but *still* see no clear answer to the long-needed-not-yet-acquired power back to pair with Ekeler.

Of COURSE it would be great if Spiller steps up and fills the role competently! It just seems like there's maybe a 10% chance of that happening. NOTHING we saw from him last year was persuasive, and we've received absolutely ZERO reassurances from Staley that he's seen things from Spiller in workouts that *we* haven't, and that those things give him confidence that Spiller is ready to step up. Zippo. Diquefist. Nada thing.

I don't know why the prospect of signing Zeke Elliot isn't getting more air. He's intimately familiar with Kellen Moore's way of running an offense, and is a reliable pass blocker. Zeke wouldn't have to produce the way that he did as the primary back in Dallas-- he'd be dividing snaps with Ek. So unless he's totally out of gas-- and he didn't look that way to *me* last season-- he checks every box for what the Chargers want in the back that they desperately need, but don't have.

Nobody rushes to sign RBs Zeke's age to long term contracts, so it looks kinda likely that he'll end up signing a one year deal, one of those 'prove it' contracts that the player hopes will get him a better contract one year down the line. And I'm thinking that Zeke would consider the Bolts' offense ready-made for him to succeed with.

Before the Cowboys cut Elliot a few months ago, he was due to earn $5.8 mil this season...that's a bit steep for a RB with injury issues and declining production...still, Zeke gained 876 yards in 15 games last year, so as our #2 RB, I would like to have him, but it has to be at the right price...I still think we're even thinner at FS, and need FA depth there, if we can sign or trade for someone solid...