[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”]
[et_pb_row admin_label=”row”]
[et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]
We’ve just released Episode 81 of the Thunder Down Under Chargers Podcast.
Our synopsis for Episode 81 is below:
The Chargers had their first padded practice on Monday. Join us today as we share our takeaways before breaking down some of the team’s 2024 Opponents, this week the AFC North. 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.
– ‘Subscribing’ to our YouTube channel, clicking the ‘Like’ button for today’s episode, and engaging with us in the comments section.
– Giving us a rating and leaving a review on the Thunder Down Under Podcast page on Apple Podcasts (and ‘subscribing’).
– 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)
I listened to it while I worked, another solid episode. My early prediction against the AFC North opponents; the Bolts win 2 games against the Steelers and Bengals of the AFC North, but lose at Cleveland and at home against the Ravens. I think the AFC North is the toughest division in football this year. To win 2 games against this division will be big.
Gus, Dobbins, Vidal and Patterson to make the 53-man roster at RB’s is my early prediction before preseason games. Spiller to be back in the PS behind Dotson. Can’t wait to watch the battles among these four RBs in the coming preseason games. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dotson creeps up ahead of Spiller to challenge Vidal and Patterson but to barely miss the 53-man roster cut. I’m surprised however, Patterson has gotten the attention of the coaches already over the others for a smaller back under 200 lbs (5.33/40 speed, 195 lbs) whereas Vidal (4.46/40, 215 lbs) and Dotson (4.43/40, 202 lbs) are bigger and faster. Could it be that Patterson sees the field better? I can’t wait to watch this group fighting it out.
@tui1hit Thanks for listening Tui! We had a fun time recording that one. Glad to hear you enjoyed it.
Could it be that Patterson sees the field better? I can’t wait to watch this group fighting it out.
I never watched Patterson coming out of Buffalo in college, but these rookie highlights show some reasonable vision and decisiveness:
We’ve all fallen for training camp darlings at one stage or another, so I’ll let this one play out through preseason without expecting anything.
Thanks for the video. Hadn’t seen a video of Patterson until this one. He’s got an unique ability to maneuver thru congested traffic making the first and 2nd defender miss and with excellent vision. He hits the hole like a bigger RB and surprisingly very physical for a small back.
@tui1hit Listening to the Guilty As Charged podcast, they speculated that it could be that they trust Patterson more given he has more experience than Spiller and Vidal. But that’s all it really is, speculation.
Today, it seems Patterson has a chance to make the final roster, assuming they keep 4 RBs. He could be the #3 or #4, with Vidal. If they were to keep just 3 RBs, it would surprise me if Patterson would make it over Vidal, but I suppose it could happen. It would be much less surprising to me if Spiller misses the final roster.
But, as noted by Alister, long way to go. If I had to guess today, I predict Patterson won’t make it.
Yes, these all very early projections. To carry 3 RBs, I agree Patterson won’t make it over Vidal. Plus, Vidal can’t be stashed away in the PS whereas Patterson, he will be safe there. Roman’s 4 seasons with the Ravens: 2 seasons with 3 RBs + 1 FB and 2 seasons with 4 RBs + 0 FB in the 53-man rosters. With McFadden taking more and more snaps at FB, there is a good chance they carry 4 RBs.
After watching the video Allister posted, Patterson can really play in this league, not sure about him being trusted over the others for just his experience.
What did you think of today’s exchange b/w Popper and Harbaugh @tau837 😆
Harbaugh presser: https://www.chargers.com/video/head-coach-jim-harbaugh-on-continuing-preseason-prep
Popper does not quit! Tenacious indeed.
His questions were spot on. He wants to know when it happened. Was it an aggravation of something pre-existing. Will it impact the progress of the Offense. None of those questions are answered by the press statement. Harbaugh with a few evasive responses. Good on Popper 😂
Their back and forths will be weekly viewing
@alisterlloyd What I think is that Popper does his job well, though there is a fine line to walk between being an aggressive journalist and maintaining positive relationships with Harbaugh, et al. I don’t think he has crossed the line, but he gets close to it regularly. As long as he doesn’t cross it, that’s a good thing and what he should be doing.
As for Harbaugh, I think he gave answers along the lines of what I wrote in our last exchange… “on to Cincinatti…” I didn’t sense that he got aggravated, he just politely held his ground and refused to give up info he either didn’t have yet or didn’t want to divulge. Good for Harbaugh.
I like Popper. I did think his article after the “he’s working through something” exchange was unnecessarily critical about that exchange. You may have written in the past that Popper was unnecessarily aggressive, and I’m not sure I agreed at the time… probably because I was already done with Staley, so I had a bias. In this case, I think Popper is being a bit unnecessarily aggressive, and I wish he would ease off a bit.
In saying that, I get that he is doing his job. But there comes a point when you know you aren’t getting anything from the coach, and thus it is on the player… would be nice if Popper stopped digging, at least until/unless the Chargers are losing a number of games.
@tau837 Well said Tau. I thought Harbaugh handled it all beautifully. Expertly answered the question as it was asked. “I can’t know what Justin is feeling.” “I’m not qualified to answer when he hurt himself”. Harbaugh is an old hat, on display, teaching Popper a thing or two about asking more precise questions, or else he will answer exactly what was asked.
I think Popper’s pursuit of the ‘truth’ is awesome for fans. He is a truth-seeking journalist who asks better questions than any of his peers, and manages to extract information for fans that they can’t. But, as you say, if it’s to the detriment of his relationship with the interviewee it may mean that in the future he doesn’t get the ‘early scoop’ on certain newsworthy items that they may be more likely to leak to those with whom they have a close relationship.
That is the dance Popper must attempt to perform. Asking the tough questions without fear or favour, whilst still respecting those boundaries across which venturing will not benefit him.
I think he does a pretty darn good job overall. But it’s a fine line!
probably because I was already done with Staley, so I had a bias
You weren’t the only one with a bias on this topic don’t worry 😉 I was quick to leap to the defence of BS that’s for sure
@tau837 agree with your observation. But it must be maddening to cover Harbaugh. He doesn’t give any reporter anything, Popper or anyone else. You can’t really get anything beyond “he’s working thru something,” “he goes about his business,” trying to be better today than yesterday and better tomorrow than today,” “attack today with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.”
Dan Wolkenstein asked him two benign, softball questions in that clip (any themes or standout players) and Coach stonewalled him. Everyone is just going to have to get used to his shtick.
If I have to sacrifice forthcoming quotes in press conferences for good to great coaching, I will gladly support that.
@alisterlloyd wow. This is indeed gonna be must-see TV. Popper vs. Harbaugh. I credit Popper for trying to dig deep & get as much info as possible about Herbert. I’ve been saying it for a few years now: this beat reporter is the best one we’ve ever had. It’s exactly what the laid back, soft, & lazy Southern California sports market needs. This is a big story. The team obviously is trying to keep his injury intel close to the vest. I feel like the team knew they needed to make a public statement about Herbert since he’ll be walking around in a boot for the next 2 weeks. But that’s the farthest they’ll go barring any setbacks in the next few weeks. And that’s okay with me.
Listened to the pod during a hot, sweaty round of summer golf.
First, the South Park “Blame Canada” bit was awesome. Well done!
Pittsburg:
- Tomlin is an amazing coach. The whole Pittsburg organization is just really well run. They’ve had about 3 coaches in my lifetime. Just amazing consistency.
- That said, they have no QB. An even older, slower, still-short Russell Wilson will not be very good. I think Fields is the better option, but he’s erratic.
- Great coaching will lead to wins, but this Steeler roster is not championship caliber
- After two games on the road against Atlanta and Denver, the Steelers will be coming home, likely 2-0, for their home opener against the Chargers
- Prediction: Playing in Pittsburg is not easy, but playing in Pittsburg in September makes this game more winnable. I think this is a low-scoring game with lots of running. In this contest, special teams and Ben Herbert’s superior-conditioned athletes pull ahead at the end. This is a game the 2023 Chargers would come from ahead to lose. The 2024 Chargers are different & should win this game
Cleveland:
- As the father of two daughters, I fucking hate Watson. The fact that he’s sucked in Cleveland is karma for a franchise that gave up on Baker and bet the farm on an ass-hat like Deshawn. I used to kind of like the Browns. That trade made me hate them. Fuck the Browns. What kind of name is that anyway? Browns… are… Shit?
- There is a lot of talent on Cleveland’s roster, especially on defense. It will be interesting to see how much impact Vrabel has on the organization. Jim Schwartz has been in the league for a long time and is a good defensive coach
- Prediction: If Watson start (which, given this is week 9, is not certain), then the Chargers should pressure Deshawn into making mistakes, leading to a Chargers win. If Watson is out, then this is a toss-up
Ravens:
- My opinion is that Lamar, while a great athlete, is not a great QB. The over-dependence on his running ability will continue to punish his aging body. Lamar is an average-at-best passer, a weakness that good teams exploit in the playoffs. By week 12, will Jackson be healthy? My guess is that its 50/50 that Lamar will play vs. the Chargers
- The Ravens are a well-coached, well-run organization. Even with all the roster and coaching staff churn, I expect the Ravens to be in the mix at the end of the season.
- Prediction: Jim is 0-1 vs. brother John (0-2 if you include pre-season). I think this is a game that all the former Raven coaches and players get up for. At home, I think this is a game the Chargers should win.
Sorry – forgot to post about Cincinnati:
- It seems to me that the Bengals approach to roster development is the exact opposite of the Chargers; they have great skill position players, but shit in the trenches. I don’t think they’re going to be very good in 2024, likely finishing last in the division.
- This is a game the Chargers should win pretty easily at home.
@kevdiego Thank you Kev! If people asked what our point of difference was as a pod,cast I would hope I could say it’s something like ‘they’ve been friends for years so have some of the best chemistry, and create a vibe that’s pleasant to listen to, without any of the substantive content or analysis suffering”, and adding those little creative touches like the “Blame Canada” song, is the stuff we really enjoy doing for our listeners. I’m glad you liked it
Sadly, the Herbert news probably impacts some of the early season game predictions. The reports I’ve read from “online doctors” is that planter fascia pain can be significant and ongoing. Even if Justin’s healthy enough to start the season, I worry that it will affect his play. At a minimum, I think we can forget about some of the QB Sweeps/RPO game early in the year. *Sigh*
I agree with your overall takes: Some differences:
- I think Russell had a better year in Denver than most would care to admit. That said, but I’m not sure about the Arthur Smith scheme fit. Smith’s Offense generally attacks the middle of the field with PA boot working off outside zone, and I’m just not convinced that Russell has ever shown himself to be great in that type of system.
- I think calling Lamar a ‘great athlete but not a great QB’ is selling a 2x NLF MVP a little short. But I take the overall point.
- If the Chargers go 4-0 against the AFC North (as you seem to believe is possible, or even probable) then I will be paying for ALL of the drinks, when we catch up over Xmas in Melbourne
Thanks mate
@alisterlloyd I had plantar fasciitis several years ago. Hurt like a mother fucker. It’s like having a constant, painful cramp in the arch of your foot. The pain was always worse when I woke up or was off my feet for an extended period of time. After a few painful steps, the facia would start to loosen up and the pain would reduce. My injury lasted months. Activity did not seem to make it worse (although I’m sure my running/surfing did not speed the healing). There are many exercises and stretches you can do to help with healing. My guess is that the staff is going to try to reduce the inflammation as much as possible before the season starts. I also think that if this happened during the season, Herbert would take it easy during the week, but would play (and play well). I do not ever remember a football QB missing time due to plantar fasciitis. After loosening up, Herbert should be able to let it rip on game day.
I think the thing that is unique about your podcast is that you guys are friends and genuinely like spending time together. That, a good sense of humor and a modicum of talent creates a great podcast. It’s going to be strange if we’re able to connect when I’m in Melbourne (which is looking very like it’s going to happen this December). In each of your podcasts, I feel like I’m sitting there with you guys talking shit about the Chargers. I feel like I know each of you. Gonna be a bit weird, because I’m one step removed from being a complete stranger to you guys. Looking forward to having a pint or two on you after the Chargers go 3-1 against the AFC-North.
I agree that Wilson was better under Payton, but that was all coaching. Wilson is a great improviser. His strength was his ability to buy time with his legs. Russ turns 36 this season. I have serious doubts that he’s going to learn Smith’s offense well enough to be a game manager-type QB and that his skills are degraded enough to seriously detract from his ability to “cook.”
For Jackson, I like watching the highlights. Great runs. Occasional great passes. If you watch him play in games where defenses force him to pass, he struggles to execute consistently. I think the Chargers have enough ex-Ravens on their staff to come up with a really good plan to stop the Raven’s offense. The game will come down to Herbert’s ability to make a few big plays and the defense stopping the run. Do that and I think they win.
I do not ever remember a football QB missing time due to plantar fasciitis
Both Peyton Manning and Brees missed games due to a partial/full tear of the plantar fascia, which is not the same thing, but worth noting that pushing plantar fasciitis too hard can lead to a tear. Both of them were older, though, so maybe that would be a difference for Herbert.
@tau837 Interesting. We’re all speculating at this point as we don’t know much about the injury. I do agree that a tear would be a much more serious injury. The fact that he finished practice gives me hope that this is just plantar fasciitis. Fingers crossed.
[/et_pb_row]
[/et_pb_section]
