My biggest concern with this team

[richpjr]

Its essentually a 33 or 35 yard FG and they arent automatic anymore. Out of 41 listed kickers in the NFL last season who attemted any kicks, only 9 of the 41 made 100% of them, and Koo was one of those 9. Dan Bailey missed two of them lol.

Bailey missed 2 extra points? How can that be? I thought he was the answer to everything.

[oneinchpunch]

Is our D-Line most notably our interior lineman. The Rams just flat out exposed them today. I complained alot about our D-Line last season and was probably the only one who wanted us to draft a defensive tackle because we cannot stop the run. Atleast last season as bad as our rush defense was Melvin Ingram and Bosa were getting pressure and making QB's make bad passes but this game Goff had all day to throw. It's frustrating to watch our D-Line get pushed around like that. That entire game they were getting pushed back.

Id say DL is the biggest concern right now. LB is still an issue but I think not as great as the DL

[21&500]

[richpjr]

[Boltjolt]

He will help of course but we still need interior help. Mebane will be a free agent, can't see us resigning him and we are still getting gashed with and without Bosa.

[Heatmiser]

Its essentually a 33 or 35 yard FG and they arent automatic anymore. Out of 41 listed kickers in the NFL last season who attemted any kicks, only 9 of the 41 made 100% of them, and Koo was one of those 9. Dan Bailey missed two of them lol.

The NFL did this ON PURPOSE because they wanted to discontinue the PAT being so automatic and add excitement to the game. So they achieved their goal. A kicker is going to miss 1-2 PAT a year now. Boswell did it last night. I have also noticed how few teams will try a 53 yd FG as opposed to punt. Punters have all copied what Bennett brought to the NFL game with his reverse spinning punts. So they can routinely pin teams down now. Combination of poor FG kicking and great punting.

TG

[like54ninjas]

He will help of course but we still need interior help. Mebane will be a free agent, can't see us resigning him and we are still getting gashed with and without Bosa.

[chris9341]

You know you are probably right when we get Bosa back and it will help the defense out tremendously. My issue is we are getting manhandled right up the middle everytime. We have to start getting pressure up the middle and not just the outside. The one thing that will never change about football is how a game is won and that is in the trenches and right now we are losing that battle badly.

[Chargerville]

You know you are probably right when we get Bosa back and it will help the defense out tremendously. My issue is we are getting manhandled right up the middle everytime. We have to start getting pressure up the middle and not just the outside. The one thing that will never change about football is how a game is won and that is in the trenches and right now we are losing that battle badly.

[like54ninjas]

We do need a explosive 3tech. I was hoping Philon could be that guy but so far he is simply a decent rotational player. Liuget should help this season as he has been hampered by injury and seems to be healthy. The 2019 class of DT available in the draft looks deep.

[richpjr]

Chargers' defense has failed tests against top teams

Eric D. Williams

COSTA MESA, Calif. -- Anthony Lynn said there's a fine line between success and failure -- based on deciding when to blitz or when to play coverage -- in creating an effective pass rush.

So far, the Los Angeles Chargers have mostly been on the losing side of that line.

"To blitz more, you have to play more man [coverage]," Lynn said. "You have to put wide receivers on islands, and some of those matchups you might not like. But there's a balance there, and we have to find that balance."

Defense was supposed to be a strength of the Chargers this season, but through three games the Bolts have failed to hold up against two of the top offenses in the NFL in the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams, allowing an average of 31 points a contest through three weeks.

Teams are converting 48.4 percent of their opportunities on third down against the Chargers, fourth-worst in the league.

Without the services of Joey Bosa for at least a couple more games, Lynn said his defense has to figure out how to create consistent pressure on the quarterback.
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Thought to be a strength coming into the season, the Chargers defense has allowed 73 combined points to the Rams' and Chiefs' high-octance offenses.

"We've played that bend-but-don't-break [defense]," Lynn said. "Last year we were third in the league in points because we can play that style of defense. But it just didn't work out for us yesterday [against the Rams]."

The Chargers have been unable to create consistent pressure without the services of Bosa, though they did finish with five sacks in a rout over Buffalo Bills in Week 2 against rookie quarterback Josh Allen.

However, against perhaps the two best offenses in the league -- the Rams and the Chiefs -- the Chargers mustered just two sacks, giving up a total of 73 points and 883 yards of offense.

If the Chargers want to reach the postseason for the first time since 2013 and ultimately make a push for the Super Bowl, they need to figure out how to get pressure against the top teams like the Rams and the Chiefs.

"We have to mix it up and the guys that have one-on-ones have to win," said Chargers safety Derwin James, who leads the team with two sacks. "That's what it comes down to, a man whooping another man. We'll get better."

The Chargers are blitzing about the same amount as they did last season. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, the Chargers are sending five or more rushers 18 percent of the time in 2018, the same amount they did last season.
The Chargers have been much less effective getting home, though, with just four rushers this season. Per ESPN Stats & Information research, the Chargers have allowed 9.5 yard per pass, eight touchdowns and corralled just three interceptions when sending four or fewer pass-rushers through three games this year.

Last year, the Chargers allowed just 6.4 yards per pass, giving up 14 touchdowns and recording 16 interceptions when sending four or fewer pass-rushers.

With Bosa out, Lynn said, teams are paying closer attention to the Chargers' other elite pass-rusher, Melvin Ingram, so one of the other players has to win up front. Ingram has 1.5 sacks and six combined tackles through three games.

"We need more pressure," Lynn said. "They slid protection toward Mel, they chipped Mel. They're going to do all of that. We're going to be one-on-one on the backside and we have to win. Somebody has to win."

[Boltx]

The last time I remember even some SEMBLANCE of a run defense was when we had Garay up the middle, and even then it was only for the first 3 quarters...team was gassed and gashed by the 4th consistently.