Week 7 did not go as Chargers fans had hoped. After finding success on the ground for their first handful of games this season, the Arizona Cardinals defense opted to “sell out” against the run and challenge the Chargers to beat them through the air. With a franchise quarterback like Justin Herbert leading the Bolts, that kind of scenario sounds like a recipe for Cardinal disaster, but glaring roster holes on the offense stifled what should have been a winnable game.
The Chargers will have to regroup in Week 8 with a very similar script as Week 7. They face another two-win team that has been struggling mightily on offense, but is led by a head coach with a defensive background. Will Dennis Allen fully commit to shutting down the Chargers rushing attack? Will Justin Herbert’s receivers be step up, limit drops, and add some after-catch ability that was missing last game?
The Chargers and Saints are facing each other at very different ends of the struggling-franchise spectrum. The Bolts just completed a swift-one year rebuild after Tom Telesco’s salary cap credit cards defaulted and he was ousted from the general manager position. While Joe Hortiz did an exceptional job retooling this roster, the theme of this season is more centered around identifying core pieces the staff can rebuild the team’s future around, while instilling a new mentally and culture for its players.
While each loss stings, the optimist will point out some big positives from the primetime game. This team has a truly elite kicker, and Monday Night was another incredible display from Cameron Dicker. The tackles looked fantastic again – but they can’t just “delete” the pass rush. Their job is to re-direct and force the rush to the outside, but if Justin Herbert doesn’t have a pocket to step into, he’s a sitting duck for those EDGE rushers to collapse into… no matter what Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt do. With one more addition to the IOL – preferably a center – the pass protection could look like a whole different animal. The defense remains the heart and soul of this reimagined football team, but it did seem to lose some steam after two dumb turnovers. If they want to play Jim Harbaugh football, they can’t let a running back like James Connor look like a freight train – bringing Alvin Kamara to the ground and limiting yards after contact is that group’s priority this week.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Saints are a team that has refused to acknowledge the need for a rebuild year. Each time they’ve maxed out their salary-cap credit cards, they’ve opened new accounts with expensive fees, with no idea how to pay the bill when it comes due. Now that Derek Carr is injured and Spencer Rattler is leading the offense, this may finally be the season where Mickey Loomis has to finally pay the piper and suffer through a heavy cap-shedding off-season. It’s hard to imagine the gravity each loss must have on a team and fanbase that has continued to mortgage their future and dig themselves deeper into a financial hole with hopes of keeping a competitive window open.
There’s plenty to still be excited for, StormCloud. The sky isn’t falling – this was always going to be a rebuild year. For the time being, let’s hope Greg Roman can figure it out, and this offense can look substantially more competent on Sunday than what we saw last Monday.
https://chargerswire.usatoday.com/2024/10/28/chargers-saints-winners-losers-justin-herbert-ladd-mcconkey/
On Ekeler, you may be correct. But swing passes to the RB, though not used this year, have been the bread and butter of the Chargers for a long time and it worked well. I’d be surprised if they wouldn’t use it if they could.
Still, and all, we need a better WR now. We can still get one without much spent (look what the Chiefs paid). We have a chance this year. It’s not all about seasons in the distant future. We’ll still have plenty of draft picks for next year and beyond.
If he did want to utilize that option, that was a Vidal strength coming outta college.
Well, I’ve been waiting for DJ Chark to see what we have, but now it’s apparent that, even if he adds something, we just don’t have a good enough receiving corps. And that’s when we are healthy. When we are injured (like last game but could be worse) we are really poor. No separation, McConkey, Joshua, and, QJ are alright, but nothing to write home about. We need a Keenan Allen-type player like virtually every other team has (some have 2).
And why couldn’t we pay Austin Ekeler. Yeah, I know he’s been injured some this year, but that was really one of the main outlets for Herbert and we are missing it big time now.
The game against the Saints is the next one and we certainly should win this one as they are injured more than most any team. But we need more.
Trade deadline fast approaching. . . .
I do think we were incredibly unlucky last game, rather than poor. The two fumbles were very big; if either bounced our way that game would have been won comfortably. There’s no need for negativity at this point. I think the bookies are right that we take next game by a TD.
I don’t disagree. The receivers can’t get open and therefore teams are playing against our run game. One of the new WRs off the street cost us the game. I am pining for Mike Williams. But overall, we are an above average team and I think we’ll make the playoffs.
No, the sky isn’t falling by any means….but Roman is showing tendencies that others pointed out as reasons why John Harbaugh ditched him. I’ll say it again….you go to battle with the army you have, not the one you want (though I don’t like using war analogies for football). Roman needs to scheme for the strengths the team has and make better in-game adjustments. We’ve asked the same of other coordinators so why not him?
And you know I’m with you regarding offensive center. Bozeman is a weak link that’s affecting the entire interior offensive line.