Thanks.Maybe Bills, Chiefs, Cardinals, 49ers, cowboys,. Right now the Ravens and buccaneers are better, probably the browns and the Rams too. These are not firm convictions though.
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*** Chargers Official 2021 Thread - The Little Team That Couldn't *** (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Gr00vus
- Start date
I wasn't being literal, you may want to relax a bit. That is the tone out of the two of you for the most part though.
Of course there are opportunities for improvement. Every single team in the NFL has opportunities for improvement. The point is, there are constraints outside of "let's just go sign whoever we want". The salary cap is a huge deal in the NFL, you can't just go out and spend whatever someone asks for because it might improve your team a little. By the way, cap space rolls over, so any they don't use this year will be applied to the future- it isn't a "use it or lose it" situation. You also have other factors, like scheme fit, player desires, agent relationships, how they fit in the clubhouse, etc.
You can criticize some of their draft picks if you like, but again, no one bats a thousand, including yourself- you've been wrong plenty of times in here. I don't say that to be critical, just to point out that it's a very inexact science with a fairly low hit rate.
If your "bar" is perfection, well of course the Chargers came up short, just like everyone else on the planet. Obviously that's a completely unrealistic and absurd bar- by any reasonable measure, the Chargers had a fantastic offseason and are one of the best teams in the NFL right now with a phenom at QB. It's seems miserable to dwell on the negative when the vast majority is positive.
Tau837
Footballguy
I'm not sure why you would say that about the Browns, Ravens, and Patriots. The only reason I can think of is that today those teams seem committed long term to QBs who are not as good as Herbert. But obviously the game is much more than just the QB position.
I don't see how anyone can say the Chargers' future is clearly brighter than those teams at defense, special teams, or, very importantly, coaching. Or, very importantly, ownership and front office. So how does the calculus of "bright future" work out? The Chargers could be better than all of them long term, but I wouldn't assume that.
Yes, it is a huge reason for optimism through the end of next season. At that time, if he continues to perform similarly, he will probably sign a contract extension bigger than Mahomes, and his salary will start to impact the cap significantly more than it does now. That's why it is so important to win this year and next year, while they have that advantage.
Thanks for sharing the opinion. Different takes are always good. I'd take the Chargers over the Browns and Ravens easily and over the Patriots by more right now in the bright future. It's not entirely about the QB. But it's a lot more about the QB than many think. There's a reason the NFL Power Rankings usually look like the ranking of NFL QBs.
Tau837
Footballguy
Thanks for explaining how all of this works to those of us who clearly don't understand it.
The team had a great offseason overall and is having a great season. I'm very happy about that and have said so.
The team could have made some different decisions that would have been even more beneficial both short and long term. Chargers fans know enough to make informed comments about it, and this Chargers thread is the place to do that. I don't really understand why some non-Chargers fans feel the need to come into the Chargers thread and criticize that.
Just being honest, but from reading the posts in here it isn't clear that you guys do understand it.Thanks for explaining how all of this works to those of us who clearly don't understand it.
The team had a great offseason overall and is having a great season. I'm very happy about that and have said so.
The team could have made some different decisions that would have been even more beneficial both short and long term. Chargers fans know enough to make informed comments about it, and this Chargers thread is the place to do that. I don't really understand why some non-Chargers fans feel the need to come into the Chargers thread and criticize that.
Sure (again, just like every team in the NFL), and they also could have made some different decisions that would have been disastrous both short and long term, including several that you guys have talked about. You guys wanted to pay Henry way too much money, didn't want to pay Williams his money, thought they gave the best center in the league too much money, etc. I mean, how many times do you have to be wrong before reality sets in that this team is pretty good and may actually know what they're doing?
The Chargers had a phenomenal offseason, made massive upgrades in coaching staff and offensive line, and the first two rounds of the draft couldn't have possibly gone better, yet you complain over and over about their 3rd round picks (which rarely hit for anyone). Complain about letting Tyron Johnson go. Complain that they didn't sign great back-up O-linemen. Complain about the kicker. Etc.
Anyway, there's a reason there are so few "fans" posting in here. Who wants to wallow in this unjustified misery? It should be at least 80/20 on the positive side in here yet it's more like the opposite. Thank goodness you aren't a Lions, Jags, or Jets fan, I'd really be worried about your wellbeing.
Carry on, I know you will...
Tau837
Footballguy
Just being honest, but from reading the posts in here it isn't clear that you guys do understand it.
Sure (again, just like every team in the NFL), and they also could have made some different decisions that would have been disastrous both short and long term, including several that you guys have talked about. You guys wanted to pay Henry way too much money, didn't want to pay Williams his money, thought they gave the best center in the league too much money, etc. I mean, how many times do you have to be wrong before reality sets in that this team is pretty good and may actually know what they're doing?
The Chargers had a phenomenal offseason, made massive upgrades in coaching staff and offensive line, and the first two rounds of the draft couldn't have possibly gone better, yet you complain over and over about their 3rd round picks (which rarely hit for anyone). Complain about letting Tyron Johnson go. Complain that they didn't sign great back-up O-linemen. Complain about the kicker. Etc.
Anyway, there's a reason there are so few "fans" posting in here. Who wants to wallow in this unjustified misery? It should be at least 80/20 on the positive side in here yet it's more like the opposite. Thank goodness you aren't a Lions, Jags, or Jets fan, I'd really be worried about your wellbeing.
Carry on, I know you will...
You paint with too broad a brush. Speaking for myself:
- What I was right about:
I liked most decisions the Chargers made in the offseason, including:
Coaching staff
- Signing veteran free agents Linsley, Feiler, Aboushi, Daniel, Fackrell
- Decisions on Chargers veterans -- both those who were kept and those who were let go
- The entire draft other than the 3rd round picks
- The entire 53 man roster other than one decision (see below)
- Selecting Vizcaino over Badgley at PK
[*]OL depth, IDL depth, and safety depth were all roster weak points that were not addressed well in the offseason -- the first two issues have definitely been problem areas so far
[*]What I was wrong about:
I didn't think they should pay Mike Williams his 5th year option salary; I hope he maintains this level of performance the rest of the season
- I didn't like one roster decision -- waiving WR Tyron Johnson; he ended up on a new team (JAX) in a new offense, so will be interested to see if he earns a useful role there, but it hasn't hurt the Chargers
[*]Jury is out IMO:
I didn't like the 3rd round draft picks and posted so at the time. I still think that was a poor use of draft capital, which continues Telesco's pattern of 3rd round reach picks that haven't panned out since 2013 when he drafted Allen in the 3rd.
- I thought they should have kept Henry. I don't think there is any way to draw a conclusion on that so far. They had the cap room to do it and could have. Cook and Parham have played well so far, and I posted at the time that it could work out if Parham developers into a starter-caliber player. Could go either way IMO. I know you disagree with this.
I did not complain about Linsley's salary.
So I was positive about most of the team's decisions and posted that both here and in several Chargers forum posts I linked here. I was wrong about one significant decision -- keeping Williams on his 5th year option salary. I'm very happy I was wrong about it.
I was right about most of the rest. IMO it's a pretty solid track record IMO.You seem to just zero in on whatever criticisms fans have and blow it out of proportion. For example, saying that no one "wants to wallow in this unjustified misery" in this thread. There is no misery here.
I have no idea who your favorite team is, but I wouldn't go into that team thread and presume to know more about your team than you do. Maybe you should consider that.
I wouldn't call the brush very broad when it's only a handful of regular posters, but if you notice I'm only replying to you because you quoted me first, and I'm generally saying "you guys". You didn't complain about Linsley's salary, but the other guy did (we went back and forth), even went so far as to change the thread title.You paint with too broad a brush. Speaking for myself:
- What I was right about:
I liked most decisions the Chargers made in the offseason, including:
Coaching staff
- Signing veteran free agents Linsley, Feiler, Aboushi, Daniel, Fackrell
- Decisions on Chargers veterans -- both those who were kept and those who were let go
- The entire draft other than the 3rd round picks
- The entire 53 man roster other than one decision (see below)
- Selecting Vizcaino over Badgley at PK
[*]OL depth, IDL depth, and safety depth were all roster weak points that were not addressed well in the offseason -- the first two issues have definitely been problem areas so far
[*]What I was wrong about:
I didn't think they should pay Mike Williams his 5th year option salary; I hope he maintains this level of performance the rest of the season
- I didn't like one roster decision -- waiving WR Tyron Johnson; he ended up on a new team (JAX) in a new offense, so will be interested to see if he earns a useful role there, but it hasn't hurt the Chargers
[*]Jury is out IMO:
I didn't like the 3rd round draft picks and posted so at the time. I still think that was a poor use of draft capital, which continues Telesco's pattern of 3rd round reach picks that haven't panned out since 2013 when he drafted Allen in the 3rd.
- I thought they should have kept Henry. I don't think there is any way to draw a conclusion on that so far. They had the cap room to do it and could have. Cook and Parham have played well so far, and I posted at the time that it could work out if Parham developers into a starter-caliber player. Could go either way IMO. I know you disagree with this.
I did not complain about Linsley's salary.
So I was positive about most of the team's decisions and posted that both here and in several Chargers forum posts I linked here. I was wrong about one significant decision -- keeping Williams on his 5th year option salary. I'm very happy I was wrong about it.
You seem to just zero in on whatever criticisms fans have and blow it out of proportion. For example, saying that no one "wants to wallow in this unjustified misery" in this thread. There is no misery here.
I have no idea who your favorite team is, but I wouldn't go into that team thread and presume to know more about your team than you do. Maybe you should consider that.
Don't really feel like rehashing all of this, but you've been wrong about more than that- you thought they may only be favored in 1 of their first 7 games, wouldn't be surprised if they started off 2-5, etc. IMO it's pretty safe to say paying Henry that money would have been a massive mistake. He's averaging $12.5 mil per year, which is tied for the 4th highest salary for a TE, and he's certainly not a top 5 TE. They're getting better production out of the Cook/Parham combo at a fraction of the cost- that's how you build a roster, not by overpaying mediocre players like Henry. Let's be real, if you were making the call you would have let Williams walk and signed Henry instead- how many games would that have cost the Chargers already this year? Again, not meant as a dig at you, just pointing out that the team got those calls right.
It just seems so nitpicky. Multiple posts from multiple people expressing their dismay at releasing their ~#5 WR Tyron Johnson, an UDFA who was cut like 4 times prior to this and who has 1 catch for 6 yards this year on a team with much less competition for targets. Complaining about the kicking situation, even after they actually try to improve it by bringing in someone else. Complaining about not having enough depth when there are limited resources and they had a ton of work to do on the starting line-up first. Etc.
I really don't think I'm blowing it out of proportion, there is no shortage of misery in here, and I'm not the only one saying it- heck, even some of the regulars admit that you guys are crazy pessimistic. It's just strange to me when I see far, far more reasons to be optimistic than pessimistic, and most of the criticisms are unrealistic. No one can upgrade every position on the field including back-ups, it's simply not possible.
Again, if it was 80/20 positive (like it should be IMO) we wouldn't be having this conversation. It's skewed way more towards the negative, but I've said my piece and I'll let you get back to your regularly scheduled programming.
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Tau837
Footballguy
humpback said:
Chargers fans post in a Chargers thread to talk about the team. Some of that will be positive, some will be negative. If you like to delve into detail about the team, which I do, it leads to posting about the 53rd vs. 54th roster spot.
humpback said:
I'm pretty sure I am in the top 2-3 in posts in this thread, and without going back I think fewer than 20% of my posts since the draft have had negative comments, and I have written or linked a lot of positive comments/posts. I just posted last week that I now expect 11-13 wins this regular season, for example.
Perhaps there are others in this thread who are more negative, but I understand it -- Chargers optimism has regularly been high since 2004, but good seasons have been rare. If the positive results continue, others will come around to more positivity.
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Of course some will be positive and some will be negative. What I and others in this thread are saying is that the ratio of negativity is far greater than is justified. Sure, if you want to discuss the last roster spot, knock yourself out. However, 4 guys posting about it, and multiple posts about if from you? Again, just seems way overboard, especially when so few people post in here in the first place.Chargers fans post in a Chargers thread to talk abou the team. Some of that will be positive, some will be negative. If you like to delve into detail about the team, which I do, it leads to posting about the 53rd vs. 54th roster spot.
I'm pretty sure I am in the top 2-3 in posts in this thread, and without going back I think fewer than 20% of my posts since the draft have had negative comments, and I have written or linked a lot of positive comments/posts. I just posted last week that I now expect 11-13 wins this regular season, for example.
Perhaps there are others in this thread who are more negative, but I understand it -- Chargers optimism has regularly been high since 2004, but good seasons have been rare. If the positive results continue, others will come around to more positivity.
Your ratio of posts with negative comments is way higher than that, but I will say that now expecting a team who has way outperformed your expectations so far against very tough competition to come up short of their current pace when the competition is much less difficult the rest of the way may be the most optimistic thing I've read in here in a while.
Good luck, there's a lot to look forward to with the team. Not so much in here unfortunately.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Ravens follower here. You guys have a feel for Sunday's game from a Chargers' perspective?
I'm not a doom-and-gloom fan, but I think Baltimore is in trouble in this one. The defense has not been good (tackling is atrocious & the middle is wide open for passers) and they haven't been able to get their running game going at all (besides Jackson).
The Chargers' offense is frightening and I don't know if the Ravens can keep up.
Baltimore is favored by 3, last I looked, and the O/U is 51.5. I think this game flies over easily. The weather is forecast to be great - 60 degrees and sunny.
I'm not a doom-and-gloom fan, but I think Baltimore is in trouble in this one. The defense has not been good (tackling is atrocious & the middle is wide open for passers) and they haven't been able to get their running game going at all (besides Jackson).
The Chargers' offense is frightening and I don't know if the Ravens can keep up.
Baltimore is favored by 3, last I looked, and the O/U is 51.5. I think this game flies over easily. The weather is forecast to be great - 60 degrees and sunny.
Gr00vus
Footballguy
I'd expect the bolded to change, significantly, this week.
I haven't seen the Ravens this year, I would have thought their defense would be better than you imply. If it is indeed not as good as years past, I'll have some hope the Chargers can win this one. Otherwise I'm thinking it's a Ravens win.
Tau837
Footballguy
Who else in this thread has said that?
No one is dragging you into this thread to read and post in it, since you seem to find it so unsatisfying.
Tau837
Footballguy
I think the Chargers may be better suited to face a great rushing offense like the Ravens than they were against the Browns. The Chargers biggest weakness is up the middle, and Jackson seems to get most of his yards to the outside, not up the middle like the Browns. I'm sure the Ravens will have a good rushing game, but probably not as good as the Browns were last week.
I haven't seen it talked about much, but the Chargers passing defense was bad last week. The design of the defense is to prevent explosive plays, particularly explosive passing plays, but they gave up several last week. The rushing performance allowed by the Chargers defense was talked about a lot but the pass defense was arguably a bigger problem. Could be something for the Ravens to exploit.
It's a cross country game for the Chargers with a 1 pm EDT start. Historically, that has not been great for the Chargers. They beat WFT in week 1 -- though not by much -- in that scenario, but I think the Ravens are better.
As the line implies, I think it's a toss-up. If either team ends up +2 in turnovers, I think that team will win. If the Chargers are no worse than -1 in turnovers and don't have any major special teams mistakes (like multiple missed FGs, a kick/punt return allowed for a TD, etc.) and no major injuries, they could win a close game. I predicted a loss at BAL in this thread several days back, and it was the only one I predicted for the rest of the regular season (I did predict a handful of toss-ups, including the Browns game). So I could see this going either way.
Gr00vus
Footballguy
Anyways...
Aboushi is gone for the season. The Chargers signed Senio Kelmente off the 49ers practice squad. I guess some of the staff knows him from his days with the Saints.
They also signed LB Nate Hall as it looks like Tranquill will miss this week's game with a pec injury.
Aboushi is gone for the season. The Chargers signed Senio Kelmente off the 49ers practice squad. I guess some of the staff knows him from his days with the Saints.
They also signed LB Nate Hall as it looks like Tranquill will miss this week's game with a pec injury.
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Tau837
Footballguy
Gr00vus
Footballguy
Yeah, it'd be great to have James and Bosa available for most of the season. I hope they learned from last week and manage Bosa's snaps a bit more closely. He was completely gassed by the end of the game.I will take this stuff any day over Derwin James breaking his foot in training camp.
Tau837
Footballguy
Agree 100%. The team's depth at Edge isn't great. Nwosu is okay. Fackrell is okay. A rotation of those two across from Bosa at least keeps them reasonably fresh... but leaves no one to spell Bosa. They need to institute a rotation that keeps Bosa fresher for the 4th quarter.
tommyGunZ
Footballguy
I can’t think of one. 2nd year superstar QB and hit another grand slam getting a franchise LT in the draft this year. Probably the two most valuable positions in football.
Offensive skill players other than Allen are relatively young. Defensively, Bosa and James are ideal building blocks and the Samuel Jr. pick in the 2nd round appears to be a draft steal.
Bolts are loaded. I’m elated while at the same time sad. (
Dean Spanos)
I can’t think of one. 2nd year superstar QB and hit another grand slam getting a franchise LT in the draft this year. Probably the two most valuable positions in football.
Offensive skill players other than Allen are relatively young. Defensively, Bosa and James are ideal building blocks and the Samuel Jr. pick in the 2nd round appears to be a draft steal.
Bolts are loaded. I’m elated while at the same time sad. (
Tommygunz! That's how I see it too. But you and I are definitely not in the mainstream on this. And that's fine.
You left out the first-year head coach who already appears to be coach-of-the-year material.I can’t think of one. 2nd year superstar QB and hit another grand slam getting a franchise LT in the draft this year. Probably the two most valuable positions in football.
Offensive skill players other than Allen are relatively young. Defensively, Bosa and James are ideal building blocks and the Samuel Jr. pick in the 2nd round appears to be a draft steal.
Bolts are loaded. I’m elated while at the same time sad. (
Gr00vus
Footballguy
O.k. so now they released Nate Hall, re-signed Andrew Brown (DLine - the guy they released this week to sign Hall), and also signed OT Foster Sarell. I don't know that any of those moves mean a whole lot except indicating Tranquill's injury isn't too bad and he'll probably only miss this week's game.
Tau837
Footballguy
Maurile Tremblay said:
It's only been 5 games, but right now:
- Staley should be a contender for COY
- Herbert should be a contender for MVP... but I think if Brady stays healthy, he will win it, since I fully expect him to break the single season TD record if healthy
- Slater should be a contender for OROY... but I'd be surprised to see it awarded to an OL, even a LT
- Williams should be a contender for 1st team All Pro, if he stays healthy
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
I've only seen clips of Staley at his press conferences, but the way he carries himself is impressive. If the LAC go something like 13-4, he's got a really good shot at the award. I'd vote for him, but I think it's Arians' to lose.
Same with Herbert & the MVP trophy. He's playing out of his mind. I agree about Brady, though - if he's anywhere near the TD record and TB gets the #1 seed, it's probably his. If I were voting just based on results to-date, I'd go 1. Justin Herbert, 2. Lamar Jackson, 3. Tom Brady.
Gr00vus
Footballguy
Didn't get to see the game yesterday (glad I missed it as it turns out). I've read a few things and seen some "highlights" - anyone who watched have a post mortum to offer here? Seems like some of the things some of us were expressing concern about played into the bad performance.
Tau837
Footballguy
I feel compelled to address POSITIVES first:
- Entering the season, I did not envision the team could be 4-2 at this point. That is a huge overachievement vs. expectations. (At least vs. my expecations.)
- Although the loss to the Ravens was a beatdown, the team was missing 4 starters on defense who should all be back after the bye. It is reasonable to think that could improve the defensive performance, especially against the run, since IDL Justin Jones and 2 ILBs (Murray and Tranquill) are among the returning players.
- Although the Chargers play the Patriots the week after the bye, that game is at home, and the schedule gets much easier after that. While the Chargers run defense has been exposed as being awful, it seems unlikely the next several teams will be able to exploit that to a degree even close to Dallas, Cleveland, and Baltimore, all of which are very strong rushing offenses. This should help the defense overall to perform better.
- NEUTRAL - When I posted my predictions against the remaining schedule a couple weeks ago, the BAL game was the only loss I predicted. I predicted another 4 games (including CLE) as toss-ups. My point is, arguably yesterday's game was the toughest regular season game remaining on the schedule entering week 6. I didn't foresee yesterday's beatdown, but I expected a loss. It is important for me to remember that in the wake of yesterday's game.
- NEUTRAL - It was inevitable that the team's 7/7 record on 4th downs (other than the failed attempt on the pass out of punt formation) would regress. It happened. That isn't a negative reflection on Staley's aggressive decision-making IMO. The focus here should be on process, not outcome. I think his process was fine on Sunday.
- NEUTRAL/NEGATIVE - I read that Staley is using data to determine that the team should not travel to the East coast for games until Saturday, to enable players to sleep in their beds at home on Friday night. This seems counterintuitive to me, and results are not good so far -- 1 win vs. WFT, but a narrow win by scoring just 20 points against the team that is #32 in points allowed this season (and has allowed at least 29 points to every other opponent) and lost its starting QB in the first quarter; second instance was yesterday's beatdown. Mark me down as believing that traveling earlier is better.
- NEUTRAL/FUTURE - It was probably foolish to believe the Chargers could go from 7-9 last season to a true Super Bowl contender in one offseason, as good as it may have been. As has been discussed in this thread, the team did a good job in the offseason of addressing the OL and had a good draft that in particular solved another big problem in LT. But the team did not sufficiently address all of its needs, notably including interior defensive line. It seems this will need to be an offseason priority.
Ok. I think you guys were right. This team is terrible.
Joke.
They'll be fine. They ran into a buzz saw in Baltimore and got exposed in some areas. They'll be ok. The Ravens might be playing better than anyone right now. And given their injuries, that's scary.
Joke.
They'll be fine. They ran into a buzz saw in Baltimore and got exposed in some areas. They'll be ok. The Ravens might be playing better than anyone right now. And given their injuries, that's scary.
Tau837
Footballguy
See my post just above Joe's. TL;DR:
- They won't face a rushing offense as good as DAL, CLE, or BAL for the rest of the regular season, which should limit the impact of the lousy rush defense. Return of injured players will also help.
- Schedule gets much easier than it has been to date this season.
- No one should have been expecting the Chargers to be a true Super Bowl contender this season.
Sorry, kind of late in responding.
I am very happy with the team(the post you pulled said as much), but I was (and still am)skeptical that their success can be sustained this year. I do agree that with Herbert the team does have a bright future. I actually have not been very critical about the moves made by the team, and I still feel the same way so there are not a lot of teams I would switch places with. But for this year, you can't be last in the league against the run and expect to be a strong contender. Cleveland came to town really beat up, and they were just a bad PI call away from winning that game, so yeah I was still skeptical.
4-1 is more than I would have ever dreamed of them being at that point, but they got there with a lot of luck and an unusual amount of health up to that point. We see that changing now, and I think it bring them back into the pack of teams fighting for a playoff spot. I am hopeful they can do better than that, but we'll have to see how they respond to the whipping they took this past weekend.
Fivethirtyeight had a really prescient article out last Friday comparing Jackson and Herbert with Herbert having an insane amount of success on 3rd and 4th down, and how it is not likely to be sustainable. It is still an interesting read especially now with hindsight: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/justin-herbert-and-lamar-jackson-are-crushing-it-on-different-downs/
It was not pretty in any shape or form. The positive I take away is that there have been a lot of teams that laid clunkers and bounce back. Hopefully the Chargers can do it too.
One thing I seemed to notice is that the Ravens seemed to be daring Herbert to go deep, and he just couldn't connect. Not all on him, but guys just weren't getting open or making catches that were tough, but should have been made. Always hard to see from the telecast, but it seemed like the Ravens were playing a lot of press and having a lot of success. None of the big cushions we've been used to seeing. I don't think a lot of teams will be able to do that, but I imagine they'll be seeing more of that going forward. Good time for the bye week to come, so they can work on this stuff and get some of the playmakers back on defense.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Herbert said after the game that the looks Baltimore was giving them weren't on any of the tape LAC had watched in prepping for the game.
I didn't see the game other than some cut-ins on NFLN, and Herbert didn't elaborate (in the quote I saw, anyway), so I'm not sure what all was different. But it apparently confused LA throughout the game. I know I saw a mention of Humphrey pressing Williams a lot, so maybe what Jail says above is it.
I didn't see the game other than some cut-ins on NFLN, and Herbert didn't elaborate (in the quote I saw, anyway), so I'm not sure what all was different. But it apparently confused LA throughout the game. I know I saw a mention of Humphrey pressing Williams a lot, so maybe what Jail says above is it.
"They'll be fine" is a pretty wide range. They won't win the Super Bowl if they don't fix the defense. But neither will Kansas City giving up 7 yards a play. I think they'll be fine meaning I think Staley will get the defense better. In a salary cap league, no team has everything (Although Dallas might this year). Overall, I think they'll be fine.
Will be interesting to see how they do this week. With everyone putting Staley in the Hall of Fame last week (joining Herbert who everyone already had in the Hall of Fame
) it'll be interesting to see how they respond to that trouncing.
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BoltNlava
Footballguy
How does it go? Oh yeah..."If you're not in first place you're in last place"."They'll be fine" is a pretty wide range. They won't win the Super Bowl if they don't fix the defense. But neither will Kansas City giving up 7 yards a play. I think they'll be fine meaning I think Staley will get the defense better. In a salary cap league, no team has everything (Although Dallas might this year). Overall, I think they'll be fine.
Will be interesting to see how they do this week. With everyone putting Staley in the Hall of Fame last week (joining Herbert who everyone already had in the Hall of Fame
Yes, it will be interesting to see how they respond. If you have read through this thread then you would understand why Charger watchers post the thoughts they do. Charger teams for a lot of years come up small in the face of adversity. I guess we shall see.
For sure. Almost every team but the Patriots have the same MO for the past few years.
It's the home town pessimist and it's fascinating. I'm not sure why it's so prevalent in serious fans but it's one of the more predictable things in all of sports.
BoltNlava
Footballguy
Fouts. It was all there....until the freezer bowl hit that team like a wall of nope. The holy roller...it steam rollled our hearts ...The interception of Tawmmy...this is it! We got this ...oh wait, no we don't fumble. Humphries 1995..oh man this is it! Except it wasn't. Riced like a potato. The list is endless. Charger fans have even had their hearts stomped on after all this by a greedy owner who moved the team from it's 2nd and only recognized home! It's not fascinating, it's sad and almost wistful. Almost- if I could get over the gall of it all.Joe Bryant said:
rockaction
Footballguy
They're sort of always going to be the San Diego Chargers to me, and I think it's sad that they're in LA.
And this thread title could also read, "Brother, could you spare a couple LBs"
I have plenty of lbs. to spare, but none that'll do a football team any good.
And this thread title could also read, "Brother, could you spare a couple LBs"
I have plenty of lbs. to spare, but none that'll do a football team any good.
Gr00vus
Footballguy
Chargers signed Dustin Hopkins to kick, giving Vizcaino the boot. Hopefully the whole K roulette thing can stop for a year or two here.
Tranquill and Adderly participated in practice, Murray worked out on the side but did not participate fully. Lots of vague language when discussing Bulaga's return, doesn't seem imminent.
Tranquill and Adderly participated in practice, Murray worked out on the side but did not participate fully. Lots of vague language when discussing Bulaga's return, doesn't seem imminent.
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Tau837
Footballguy
As should be the case, a lot of positives coming out of the bye:
Today is a pretty big game IMO. Feels like a big difference in season outlook between 5-2 and 4-3 on a 2 game losing streak. New England is not a good team, traveled across country for this game, and are starting a rookie QB who has never faced a pass defense as good as the Chargers. Gotta win this one.
- Signed PK Hopkins to replace Vizcaino, who was waived and signed to the practice squad; it seems reasonable to expect an upgrade
- Activated IDL Justin Jones, who played 16 snaps in game 1 and has been out ever since; should help the run defense improve at least a bit
- ILB Tranquill and S Adderley were both inactive for game 6 but are active today, so hopefully no lingering effects from injuries
- Two weeks to review the first 6 games, and especially the game 6 beatdown, and make adjustments
Today is a pretty big game IMO. Feels like a big difference in season outlook between 5-2 and 4-3 on a 2 game losing streak. New England is not a good team, traveled across country for this game, and are starting a rookie QB who has never faced a pass defense as good as the Chargers. Gotta win this one.
Tau837
Footballguy
Sigh. That was a sobering read on how good this team is, including both players and coaches.
New England was 3-4 entering this game. Their first 7 games:
Looking back at the Chargers record:
I know this, their schedule going forward looks harder now than it did a few weeks ago when I posted a projection of their remaining schedule. Since then their next 3 opponents have gone 7-2 with MIN playing tonight:
I should be happy they are 4-3 at this point, which is better than I expected before the season. It's just hard not to be disappointed given how good things looked 3 weeks ago.
I think their chances of making the playoffs took a big hit the past two games. I hope they can rally from here.
New England was 3-4 entering this game. Their first 7 games:
- Lost to Miami (0-7 otherwise)
- Beat Jets (2-4 otherwise)
- Lost to Saints (4-2 otherwise)
- Lost to Tampa (5-2 otherwise)
- Beat Texans (1-6 otherwise)
- Lost to Cowboys (4-1 otherwise)
- Beat Jets (2-4 otherwise)
Looking back at the Chargers record:
- Beat WFT (2-5 otherwise) - seemingly a poor team, not as good a team as I thought at the time of the win
- Lost to Cowboys (4-1 otherwise) - very good team; close loss implied a "good loss" / moral victory
- Beat Chiefs (3-3 otherwise) - seemingly an average team, not the Chiefs I was expecting
- Beat Raiders (5-1 otherwise) - good record, but I have a hard time believing they are as good as their record
- Beat Browns (4-2 otherwise) - seemingly not as strong as they first seemed, though they have also struggled with injuries
- Lost to Ravens (4-2 otherwise) - hard to tell how good they are, exactly; looked like a contender after beating down the Chargers, then like a mystery team after getting a beatdown at home from Cincy
- Lost to Patriots (3-4 otherwise) - see above
I know this, their schedule going forward looks harder now than it did a few weeks ago when I posted a projection of their remaining schedule. Since then their next 3 opponents have gone 7-2 with MIN playing tonight:
- PHI has gone 2-2
- MIN has gone 2-0
- PIT has 3-0
I should be happy they are 4-3 at this point, which is better than I expected before the season. It's just hard not to be disappointed given how good things looked 3 weeks ago.
I think their chances of making the playoffs took a big hit the past two games. I hope they can rally from here.
Gr00vus
Footballguy
Well that sucked.
This is a 9-7 team.
The defense isn't good, not enough plus players outside of James and Bosa in that unit.
The offensive line is still struggling. Though there weren't a ton of sacks, the pocket was tight all game, they were in Herbert's face quite a bit. And there were very few running lanes opened up.
That said, the outcome might have been quite different but for that pick six where it looked like Herbert and Cook weren't in sync on the route.
This is a 9-7 team.
The defense isn't good, not enough plus players outside of James and Bosa in that unit.
The offensive line is still struggling. Though there weren't a ton of sacks, the pocket was tight all game, they were in Herbert's face quite a bit. And there were very few running lanes opened up.
That said, the outcome might have been quite different but for that pick six where it looked like Herbert and Cook weren't in sync on the route.
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tommyGunZ
Footballguy
Would love to have given up a 5th rounder for Von Miller.
Herbert is so good. If I was starting a franchise, I think he’s the #1 player in the league to build with.
Probably best to not bring in OBJ, although I think he would flourish with Herbert.
Good to see Josh Palmer getting his feet wet. I think he’s going to be good. We have such an embarrassment of riches at TE that Tre McKitty isn’t getting any action. Hopefully he progressing as a player in practices.
Herbert is so good. If I was starting a franchise, I think he’s the #1 player in the league to build with.
Probably best to not bring in OBJ, although I think he would flourish with Herbert.
Good to see Josh Palmer getting his feet wet. I think he’s going to be good. We have such an embarrassment of riches at TE that Tre McKitty isn’t getting any action. Hopefully he progressing as a player in practices.
Gr00vus
Footballguy
Herbert = AFC offensive player of the week.
You're right Gunz, if they're going to make a move it needs to be something that improves depth on the line, or adds a playmaker on D somewhere. Not that it wouldn't be nice to have OBJ (if he's close to right) and keep him out of a competitor's hands, but that'd be polishing the nice parts of the car rather than banging out a couple of dents.
You're right Gunz, if they're going to make a move it needs to be something that improves depth on the line, or adds a playmaker on D somewhere. Not that it wouldn't be nice to have OBJ (if he's close to right) and keep him out of a competitor's hands, but that'd be polishing the nice parts of the car rather than banging out a couple of dents.
Tau837
Footballguy
IMO no need for OBJ. The team has a top 2 WR pair that is among the best in the league. Not the best, maybe not even top 5, but certainly top 10. Beyond them, they have Guyton, who has proven already to be a solid WR 3/4, ideally a WR4... and they drafted Palmer to be a solid WR 3/4, ideally a WR3, but he needs to grow into that role.
The point is, for the 2021 season, there is a good plan for the position group, and adding OBJ into it would not only be a luxury, but would also disrupt the growth of the WR 3+ players, which could hurt the team in future seasons. I would pass.
The point is, for the 2021 season, there is a good plan for the position group, and adding OBJ into it would not only be a luxury, but would also disrupt the growth of the WR 3+ players, which could hurt the team in future seasons. I would pass.
Tau837
Footballguy
Compelling indictment of Lombardi, and, by extension, Staley. Not saying I'm ready to bail on Staley, but I'm pretty close with Lombardi.
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