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IMO, definitely a tale of two halves. Glad to see enough halftime adjustments and determination to come out on the right side of this one. A start to redefining "Chargering"?
What do you feel went right or wrong in week 1?
https://www.chargers.com/news/week-1-raiders-jim-harbaugh-brawl
Beating the Raiders makes victory Monday so sweet! FTR!
positives:
- Chargers put a team away with a great drive to seal the win.
- Dobbins is a stud! If he can stay healthy look out.
- Ladd McConkey nice game! Beautiful YAC on TD!
- Defense overall looked better as the game wore on. 4-sacks, pressure, held FTR to 10-points.
- Joe Alt PFF pass blocking 76.6!
- Rashawn Slater Pass Blocking grade 89.3!!!
Negatives:
- Offense really struggled early. Found their footing, but there are some serious deficits in talent at multiple positions.
- Bradley Bozeman PFF pass blocking 22.2. Lowest score I’ve ever seen. PFF run blocking 57.0. Overall grade of 48.7. This is a huge problem. 29/30.
- Trey Pipkins PFF pass blocking 49.5, run blocking 56.0. Overall 55.4. 51/63.
- Zion Johnson was even worse than Pipkins with a pass blocking of 22.7! Run blocking 62.2 and overall of 52.4. 55/63.
- Joe Alt run blocking grade 47.8.
More thoughts coming but time to board.
@spanos-must-go it was definitely a tale of 2 halves. Run blocking has to improve if we're going to be a smashmouth team. Relying on a couple of big runs, while exciting, isn't what I believe Harbaugh & Roman intend.
It's hard for me to believe that Zion's overall pass blocking grade was lower than Pipkins....but I freely admit that I sometimes have issues with PFF's grading. It seemed to me that Pipkins was the one struggling more with stunts.
I'm also concerned that Bozeman isn't strong enough to elevate the guards' games. We saw this when Linsley went down.
I'll be looking for more complementary play from the offense this week. The defense balled out, particularly in the 2nd half. The receiving corps HAS to get better separation and Herbert shake off the rust. He wasn't his sharpest on Sunday.
Yes! Big plays are exciting, but the Chargers had "11" first downs the entire game. That will cause them to lose 90% of the time. The big plays bailed them out. They need to figure out a way to sustain drives and not have the pocket collapse on third down. I am not sure that they can fix this issue this year. How do you fix Bozeman/Pipkins? Maybe roll with Sayler/McFadden? Zion Johnson at this point should not have his 5th year option renewed as a former first round pick. The Chargers will need to address the IOL in free agency and the draft in 2025
Justin did not play well, but he was under serious duress and playing with a very mediocre WR group. Another thing that they will have to fix through the draft. Having poor pass protection and mediocre receivers is not a good combo for a QB. Missing on first round picks like Zion Johnson and Quentin Johnston really sets the team back.
@spanos-must-go I'm aware that both Zion and QJ have much to improve on but I'm not yet ready to declare them a miss. They've both been shackled, IMO, by suspect coaching. Let's see what this staff can do with them before declaring the picks wasted.
Reading sites in the middle of the night I copied this (either CBS or Athletic):
Discussion on rookie performances, and this one was about Joe Alt:
"He has a chance to be special, sooner than later," is how I ended the paragraph above on JC Latham. It's fitting that it's how I'm starting the one on Joe Alt who, like Latham, has changed positions. Alt was a left tackle at Notre Dame and is now the right tackle for the Chargers. And as his stat line shows, he didn't allow a single hit on Justin Herbert, never mind a sack.
Unlike Latham, who had just a single rep against Sweat, Alt spent his afternoon battling Maxx Crosby, one of the best pass rushers in the league. And rep after rep, whether in passpro or a run play, Alt more than held his own. Bull rush? Alt re-anchored the first time he saw it and then shut it down the rest of the day. Chop? Alt used his long arms to redirect Crosby around Herbert several times.
Alt was also good against the run, but he was outstanding in passpro.
Is this sustainable?
The scary thing is that Alt is going to get better, and probably a lot better.
@spanos-must-go meanwhile, at BFTB, one poster bemoaned the wasted first round pick on the bust Alt.
Once again, thank you Kyle.
@buck-melanoma exhale...sigh. Everybody wants the shiny object and we will get them, but they are of no use when our QB has no time, no running game, is on his back, or hurt. More investment in the middle of the offensive line is fine with me. Top notch Center and Guard next season through free agency or the draft. Meanwhile Connor Williams was #11 PFF ranked this week.
@spanos-must-go oh I know. I'm just happy to be a part of a community that understands it. 
The offense in the first half looked like continuation of preseason. I suppose it takes longer to gel since Herbert has not been practicing for a few weeks and many starts didn't play at all during preseason. WR group doesn't scare anyone but McConkey did many things well (YAC, blocking for RBs, etc) and even QJ played better so that was encouraging to see. Alt did amazing for a first NFL game going against a premier pass rusher like Crosby. Palmer had a bad game but apparently that punk Jones was punching him after the whistle since first Q so maybe that affected his game? D was swarming, Joey played like a man possessed (or like a man that took a paycut to stay with the team), Mack was his usual excellent self against his former team. Poona Ford was a breath of fresh air, his INT made me giggle like a school girl lol.
@buck-melanoma per Popper: "“I’m riding with him regardless,” Mack said of Bosa last week. “Football is just football. But in the game of life, you want to be there for your brother. So I just want him to know that I’m always there for him.” He may have not been a Charger from the start but he may be my favorite Charger as of late. such a class act.
I've just finished watching the All-22 Coach's Film from the Raiders game and posted 10-15 plays I thought were interesting and important. You can see them all on our Twitter page.
This one was probably my favourite: https://twitter.com/TDU_Chargers/status/1833668540605550654
@alisterlloyd So FYI - dont shoot the messenger
Ted Nguyen talked about this play and he thought 15 had 11 on the out route but he hesitated and it was too late. Im not so sure. Tough to say unless he threw the out blindly - maybe he should have with the rush.
His twitter feed talked about it at some point either postgame or Monday
@pistol495 I think with perfect footwork, timing and accuracy Minshew could potentially hit the out route.
But that doesn't make me any less impressed by the Defensive call. The Edge where Minshew would have had to throw it to is polluted by a blitzing DB so there's the potential for a batted pass anyway even if he attempts the speed out. And overall, the picture presented to Minshew pre-snap is apt to cause confusion, and I like that he would've had to focus on where the pressure might come from while negotiating the clock, snap, where he wants to go with the ball, etc.
This specific play call might not have worked against Tom Brady at QB for the Raiders. But also, maybe Minter called this type of muddy look knowing he could scramble a limited QB like Minshew's mind with it. And I think it worked!
@alisterlloyd I think this is dead on. There’s also a pretty good chance that throw would have been knocked down
I said this elsewhere but if this is a Top 15 running team by yardage and a top 10 defense by both yards and points with a healthy Herbert at the end of the season this team makes the playoffs and wins at least one and maybe 2 so long as not playing the Chiefs in that second game. Not beyond the realm of possibility from the tiny sample size of o e game 🙂
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