We’ve just released Episode 103 of the Thunder Down Under Chargers Podcast.
Our synopsis is below:
Happy New Year, BoltFam! The Los Angeles Chargers kick off 2025 in style! With an elite head coach, a savvy GM, a superstar QB, and a dominant defense, the Bolts are officially playoff-bound before Week 18.
Join us on Thunder Down Under Chargers Podcast as we break down the Chargers’ 10th win of the season—a commanding 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots in Foxborough. We’ll also preview their final regular-season matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders and dive into the AFC playoff picture. Don’t miss it!
You can also listen on Spotify below (or download on audio wherever you like to listen to podcasts):
As always, you can support us by doing any or all of the following:
– Rec’ing this post and leaving any thoughts/feedback you have in the comments section below.
– Following us on Twitter (and ‘liking’ our tweets) at @TDU_Chargers, or individually, at @TDU_Alister, @TDU_Jack and @TDU_Andy.
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– Spreading the good word to all of your awesome Chargers friends and family and encouraging them to listen to our show (and engage with us on social media).
Hope you enjoy the episode! Thanks so much for listening 🙂
Alister (@TDU_Alister)
Long time team fan, podcaster (with Thunder Down Under Chargers Podcast), husband to a beautiful wife, friend to all fellow Chargers fanatics, and father-to-be!
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Please let this be more than precautionary!!!! 🙏🙏🙏
https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/chargers_potential_starting_lineup_change_ahead_of_week_18_vs_raiders/s1_16646_41509254
We caught up with
KevDiego today in Melbourne.
Excellent fellow and we had a great time.
Happy new year to everyone at Stormcloud. Hope some of you can make it to Melbourne, Australia soon for similar fun 🙂
@alisterlloyd
Awesome! It could be my turn next time later in the year. My wife and I were supposed to be there for the holiday season and be with family in Melbourne, but then the wife had an medical emergency on the week before the scheduled trip.
Glad to hear it.
Great to hear she’s OK. One of the reasons we’re in Melbourne is that my wife’s father had back surgery – our kids haven’t seen their grandparents since 2019….
Important that we appreciate all the time we have to spend with family & friends.
@kevdiego Thanks Kev! Glad your family was able to make it down there to see family. Five years for grandchildren not seeing their grandparents is a long time. Absolutely, time with loved ones and friends is priceless.
Love the Melbourne’s unpredictable weather – all four seasons in one day. Golf is so much cheaper down there and some great courses, too. Hope you didn’t leave your clubs back home. :))
Clubs are home, unfortunately. We’re going to try to come back again next Christmas, so will look for more golfing opportunities next year!
Hey Al – It was great to meet you and Andy. As I said yesterday, I felt like I’ve known you guys for years. Very grateful that you guys made the time to meet up.
Great conversation – A few highlights (my memory may be a bit foggy due to the 30+ beers we had):
I also learned that, other than a brief layover, Andy has not really been to the US. Both Al and Andy plan to go to the SB if the Chargers make one. I volunteered my house if the Chargers are in the SB in 2028.
That would be awesome Eric – I think I remember you saying your close to Atlanta? Let’s see what the schedule gods have in store for 2025!
Herbert speaks.
https://www.si.com/nfl/chargers/chargers-justin-herbert-wants-breakout-weapon-more-usage
I would be very surprised if they end up with Vrabel. He should be the #1 or #2 candidate this offseason, depending on whether or not Ben Johnson is in play. Would he really choose the Raiders? I suppose money could talk.
I honestly think this cycle sucks for destinations. The Raiders, Jets, Jags, Bears, Saints, Giants(if it comes open) are all shit show organizations at the moment. Unless Vrabel is dying to get back into the HC seat, I think better situations will be open next year. Especially New England, where he would be an ideal fit with his wealth of knowledge there from everything from the owner to the fanbase. Plus, most of these openings are screaming for an experienced HC, so I could see Rivera, Rex Ryan, Pete Carrol or Marvin Lewis pop up in a few of these openings. Could you imagine a First time HC going to NYJ, LV, or Chicago? I think Khan will make a strong play for Ben Johnson. They just paid Lawrence a huge contract to be the franchise QB, but whether he is or not, is yet to be determined. They might figure if one of the best young offensive minds in football can’t get him over the hump, nobody can. Plus, with them being in the AFC, the Jags are not competing directly against Dan Campbell’s Lions which could make it just that more enticing for Johnson. I would have my doubts hiring him as he has turned down opportunities the last few cycles. That could be a red flag for some teams.
Davis has been a pleasant surprise with 2 TDs recently, but one of those was a broken play, not what I would call “running routes." Don’t get me wrong, Davis did a great job on that play, just saying it wasn’t a called play.
I hope he can continue the trend, but I see no reason to expect it. Other than those 2 TD receptions, he has 10 receptions for 65 yards and 0 TDs this year. It is also worth noting that he has only played 67 passing snaps this season, including 12 in the past 2 games. What he did in the past 2 games was great, but unlikely to be repeated.
It’s a fair point. I should have said that Davis catching the ball 10+ yards down field is different and could be a difference maker if the offense can integrate this into the offense.
While limited in what routes he can run, defenses can no longer just protect against jet sweeps and screen passes. I hope that Roman/Trestman/Lal are working on plays that leverage the attention McConkey gets to drag the safety across the field, then have Davis blow past single coverage.
Listened to the pod while walking to get coffee this morning (my wife’s parents do not trust me driving their car on the left side of the road – very smart of them!). A few comments:
Offense:
Overall, I am optimistic that the offense can build off the performance going into the playoffs. On defense:
Interested to see what the Raiders do after this game. Will Pierce stick around? I don’t see that happening. Will Telesco? I think (or at least hope) he stays. Davis has some money to throw at a coaching staff, but I can’t see a team with no QB and no direction (and in a division with Mahomes/Reid, Harbaugh/Herbert) as an attractive destination for one of the first-tier candidates. I think they will likely end up with Vrable or Rivera and continue winning 4-6 games per year, which makes me very happy. FTR!!!
See you guys this afternoon!
Just watching now so gonna make some comments while it’s fresh….
I’ll shorten Jack’s comments re: defense a bit…..DERWIN BITCHES!!! Heart and soul of this D. Watch his play, listen to what Harbaugh says about him. Yes, he’s worth his paycheck.
Roman and a “bag of tricks" he’d withheld? Hmmmmm….not at all sure I agree. I’d say it’s more that he’s finally recognizing Salyer>>Pipkins (and it still required an injury), DD’s speed has a place in this offense, and QJ needs the ball quickly where he can create. There were more screens and RB passes this game….finally!!! So I’ll say that perhaps Roman is finally learning to incorporate more aspects of these players skill sets.
Good to put a weaker opponent away properly. Confidence building. Now FTR, let’s go get that 5 seed.
I think the bag of tricks comments were mostly facetious, but two Offensive data points I like (but didn’t get to on the show) are:
Against the Pats, the Chargers went 19/27, 211, 2 TDs in the “No Play Action Drop Back Passing Game“. That has not been a strength of this team this season, so to see the team not having to rely on play action for the bulk of its passing production was a pleasant surprise.
The Chargers are now 12th in the NFL for Points scored (368). If you’d told me before WK 1 that the Offense would finish 12th in that metric, I would have thought hard about taking it, given the lack of pass catching talent on the roster. As it turned out, there were some injuries to Herbert, Dobbins and Gus too. We’ll see how they finish the season, but the last two weeks are making the season as a whole look a little better.
FTR!
Should get to watch today before work.
Happy New Year, Stormcloud family! ⚡️⚡️⚡️
Who’s got it better than us?
https://twitter.com/TDU_Chargers/status/1874563568252887478