Chargers fans, we’ve made it! Week One is finally upon us, and we get our first real look at what’s to come in the new Jim Harbaugh era.
Despite subpar backup quarterback play, fans were treated to an exciting and refreshing training camp experience. The bottom of the roster was continuously churned through as Joe Hortiz and the front office continued to invite athletes to compete for a roster spot. The Bolts snagged a waiver claim in Hassan Haskins, traded for a significant depth upgrades at defensive back and quarterback, and parted ways with Telesco holdovers that never quite picked up the pace of the NFL.
The Los Angeles Chargers are not entering this season with the all-star cast of skill players of years past. This isn’t a team that pundits – and even some fans – expect to make a major splash this year. But this team has significantly progressed at the margins. The depth has been expertly cultivated by an expert front office and coaching staff. Many post-hype players have been brought in on prove-it deals that are eager to reaffirm their talent and value in the league. But most importantly, the team’s culture has been completely turned around in a matter of months.
Today, we get to see what sort of immediate returns fans can expect for the investment the Spanos family made into this elite staff. The Chargers are set to play against the Las Vegas Raiders in SoFi Stadium, where rookie Joe Alt will be tasked with minimizing the disruption Maxx Crosby causes this new-look offense.
Remember to try posting on the “Article” comments, instead of the “Forum,” as the Article’s comments are updated live, and new comments are highlighted in Yellow, making it a little easier to follow along if it’s a high traffic day.
Here we go StormCloud! WHO’S GOT IT BETTER THAN US?!
I think our 1st round pick is gonna be alright. 👍🏼
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https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5760981/2024/09/12/joe-alt-chargers-debut-raiders-maxx-crosby/?source=dailyemail&campaign=601983&userId=12566676
@buck-melanomaย
Overall, it was very impressive to see. ย I was absolutely wrong about wanting Naber or MHJ. ย Alt was the right selection at #5 . ย As soon as his run blocking improves heโll gonna be an all-pro. ย Eventually this o-line is gonna maul opponents.
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As happy as I am with our tackles, I’m skeptical of the IOL. Let’s hope they continue to improve.
@buck-melanomaย
Itโs just a matter of time until Davante Adams starts wanting out. ย Chargers should jump on that, & he would strike fear in the heart of the opponent overnight.
Yahoo Sports Power Rankings: https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-power-rankings-aaron-rodgers-wasnt-great-but-its-not-time-to-freak-out-about-the-jets-043048242.html.
They have the Chargers at #20 , behind:
I think the Chargers would easily beat any of those teams. Will be interesting to see when the national media jumps on the Charger bandwagon. I think they’ll need a victory against a top-5 team (Chiefs, Ravens) to get into the top-10.
And, I kind of like the Chargers being under-rated. Much rather manage expectations down, then exceed them.
Hi Gents.
Just setting the scene that I’ll never be participating in game day threads due to the timezone differences here in Australia. I work during the day, studiously avoiding scores, and then I watch the game with Andy in the evening (Aus time) very delayed.
Last night, Andy and I overdid it with the cocktails (Gin/Triple Sec/White Creme De Cacao/Lemon Zest/Egg Whites for those playing at home) and beers, and I’m nursing a killer hangover. today I can’t recall having much more fun than we did last night watching a season opener. When Dobbins broke his second long run, Andy and I performed a deep front-on hug that felt like it lasted 30 seconds 🤣ย
I’m incredibly excited by what I saw. The Offense obviously had some issues. I listed a few here: https://twitter.com/TDU_Chargers/status/1833278638248366576
However, it was an outstanding debut by Jesse Minter, and you’d have to think some of theย funkย on Offense was stuff that will resolve itself over time as the players become more familiar with the scheme and each other. Offenses are usually a little slower to start the season anyway (apparently, total pass yards this week across the NFL was the 5th lowest total since 2000).
What I saw gave me great hope that we can be a playoff team this year, and maybe even do a bit of postseason damage.
Hope you all enjoyed watching the game. I’m taking a week off TDU as my wife and I getaway to enjoy a few nights down the coast together. But I’ll be back next week ๐
Also want to shoutout QJ. Was he targeted a lot? No. But I thought he made the most of the times when he was, and he looked much more natural and comfortable out there. Hopefully a performance he can build on.
I thought he looked great in space. Both he and McCarthy look to be dangerous in space. Shocking the way QJ was used last year.
Yeah I think last year someone asked why they didn’t run the Tyrell Williams (I think that’s his name) play with QJ – and voila, there it was! (short crosser, caught on the run for YAC)
@ljonesbighandskelcherdeanย
Yes, I was the one that emphasized that when others were down on Johnston.ย Last year, they were trying to use him like Mike Williams when he is much more like Tyrell Williams.ย For the life of me, I could not understand last year why our coaches all but refused to run Johnston on short crossing patterns when his most famous highlight from his college days was the TD he scored against Harbaugh’s Michigan team on a short crossing pattern that he took to the house where he looked very dangerous running after the catch.
I get the sense that this year’s coaching staff does not miss much.
I watched the game at a friend’s “football kickoff” party. Lots of food/drinks. Most were Falcon fans, and they were pretty disappointed by the time of the Chargers kickoff. Sounds like you and Andy had fun. You may want to try Z-Biotics (let me know if they’re not available in Australia and I’ll bring you some).
You make some good points in your tweet, I think the Chargers knew they would beat the Raiders, so they’re putting tendencies down on film, so they can break them when the time is right. I believe this staff are a collection of very good chess players. They’re thinking several moves down the board.
This is a team and staff built to challenge this year. Are they as good as the Chiefs? Probably not. Can this team beat the Chiefs? Absolutely.
Never heard of Z-Biotics, Kev. We’ll accept all the hangover help we can get entering our mid-thirties. Hits differently these days! ๏ปฟ๐๏ปฟ
I think you’re right that they didn’t want to show everything in Wk 1. They are building the foundation for long-term success and it looks and smells pretty good to me mate.
All I can tell you is that it only gets worse….
ZBiotics are a designed probiotic that is supposed to help your gut break down the alcohol in your gut, reducing the effects of a hangover. I’ve load-tested them and they help, but don’t prevent hangovers. I will bring a few for you, Andy and Jack to try.
More on ZBiotics:
Pre-Alcohol
Alister, I think a major trepidation that was expressed in the game thread over the offense was that many, myself included, were beat over the head in the offseason with this expectation of a punishing Roman rushing attack. I can’t speak for everyone, but I was expecting to see a Ravens/Niners type rush offense where we were consistently pushing the LOS and getting 5yd + gashing runs. Not the 3 yards and a cloud of dust up the middle pile ups we saw. Unless we can start to manufacture those chunk runs, I am not sure how effective the PA game will be. Like I said, this is a new scheme, coaches and personnel, so it is a work in progress. Interesting to see if we can get it to a SF level of rushing attack? Glad you enjoyed the game. Lets keep it rolling in week 2 so you can be nursing another victory hangover!!!
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I’m very pleased with the second half adjustments. Harbaugh has stated a few times that week 1 to 2 often shows the biggest improvements. I’m hoping to see that.ย
Buck, totally agree. I think the game was like a prize fight where both teams were feeling each other out, without trying to make a big first mistake on both sides of the ball. I can not really argue with Minter’s final product as it was refreshing to see us not be playing soft giving up yards and chunk runs, although I did want to see a little more aggressiveness early to rattle Minschew from the start. With the soft defenseless BS we have witnessed the last few years, I will take ugly ground and pound wins over high flying losses and day.
What was great to see was essentially zero blown coverages. There was the missed tackle(s) for the Mattison TD. A couple instances where Davante found the soft spot in the middle of the field in zone coverage. One instance of Colson losing track of Bowers in coverage for a big completion. But generally, the coverage system was excellent. DBs had eyes on the QB and really understood their responsibilities. An early Asante tackle in the flat as he passed off Davante to Ja’Sir really highlighted that.
Also, Kristian Fulton had the best quiet game imaginable. Basically locked down his side of the field, helped in run support when needed, and was quick to trigger on that Minshew ludicrous throw/fumble. Great debut from him.
I’ve just finished watching the All-22, Erick. In the first half, Pipkins/Zion struggled with their down blocks. Easier said than done against Wilkins and John Jenkins but they lost the battle. As the game wore on though, Zion in particular really lifted. Maybe it’s Ben Herbert’s regime kicking in. You can see on Twitter I’ve posted Zion making three critical blocks on consecutive plays during the game winning drive. Dominating when it mattered most!
I know Cleveland got a lot of pre-season love and their defense looks legit, but my god, the Watson trade/contract is turning out worse than the Denver Russell Wilson fiasco. Watson’s dead cap hits:
There’s talk in Cleveland now about benching him. Not sure how Cleveland is going to get out of this situation. I don’t see how they could field a team if they cut him over the next two years. Crazy-bad front office decision.
Kev, I don’t know how they can afford to cut him until 2027, and now he is facing a new sexual harassment charge. I hope the league doesn’t let them off the hook, by suspending him or making him exempt or something over this where Cleveland get out of paying him. They should have to pay every penny and/or suffer the cap consequences for signing him to begin with.
A few interesting Defensive PFF scores:
Khalil Mack: 87.2
Joey Bosa: 91.4
Poona Ford: 89.2
Derwin James: 66.5
Asante Samuel: 63.5
Kristian Fulton: 66.4
Ja’Sir Taylor:72.1
Daiyan Henley: 59.0
Refreshing to see a 2nd half (heck 4th Qtr) team! Staley’s team would have lost this game. D was lights out. O needs work esp in receiving game, but anytime they beat the Raiders makes a good Sunday.
I watched this game and it’s a relief not yelling at BS of how shiite of a coach he was just knowing we have an adult running the team now.ย There was a lot of energy out there and the defense was all over the place.ย I told my brother this team reminded me of those early 2000s Chargers teams when Shottenheimer first took over the team.ย It’s just going to take some time for Herbert and his receivers to get in sync considering he was out late last year and this was his first real game in 10 months (?).ย But the defense.ย I can’t stopped talking about the defense.ย Still thinking this team will win 10-11 wins this year.ย Believe in Harbaugh!ย ย
Did anyone else notice the gang tackling all game? Seems like every player was swarming to the ball to get in on the tackle. I can’t remember seeing that enough in the past that I actually took notice. I would still like to see more wrap up tackling rather than the hit stick shoulder blocks, that resulted in the Raiders TD. Anyway, as coach said after the game there are things to clean up, but it is nice to have a victory Monday after week 1, no matter how we got there.
What I really liked about yesterdayโs game (aside from the win, of course), is that this team has a clear identity now. ย They talked about it all offseason, & now we finally got to see it in action. ย They were physical on both sides of the ball. ย Defense played disciplined, & the offense wore down the Raiders as the game went on. ย You can clearly tell that the Raiders were frustrated late in the game. ย I fully expect to see this exact script many more times as the season goes on.
As much as Iโd love to see Herbert sling it around, itโs now time to play winning football. ย There will be many moments where heโll need to do that. ย But the game plan cannot be the same every week with hoping Herbert rescues the team. ย In this particular game, he wasnโt asked to do too much. ย And thatโs totally fine with me when it results in a win.
Thoughts on the game:
I hope the Chargers take care of business this week – should be a game the Chargers dominate.
First and second halves were quite different. Glad to see adjustments made.
FTR
What a relief it will finally be to have coaches who can make half time adjustments that matter. I hope it continues.
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I’ll admit being disappointed in how flat the offense looked first half and the missed tackles and not enough pressure by the defense. But I held out hope that there would be appropriate adjustments….and there were. That’s a damn good sign.
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Stronger teams will require faster starts. I’ll be expecting targeted improvements next week as another sign of positive change.
I am so happy with this win and seeing a different team in the 4th quarter in a close game. I know it wasn’t a great overall game and the beatdown we all hopef, but Raiders games are always close, IMO. Amazing to see a great defense and a dominant rushing rushing attack win this game!ย
And frankly, I haven’t read all the comments, so I don’t know how everybody else feels or if this has been said, but I just came to say:
F— Crosby and Wilkins. 2 players out to stir shit and fight. How do they not get disqualified too by throwing down Johnston and Dissly after the fight was over. 2 P’s of 🤡 !!ย
Jones started it all by throwing punches at Palmer all game. he’s a POS.
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Palmer got a raw deal on the ejection.
I am ecstatic with the win because this team no longer plays an attacking instead of bend but donโt break defense, stopped the run especially on third and fourth down, can run the ball when it counts to close out games in the fourth quarter, and plays a full 60 minutes unlike much of what this team has been through the TT years. To me it was a breath of fresh air after 12 or so years of mediocre to poor coaching.
The O line struggled early (essentially 3 new starters since Pipkin was moved to guard playing against Wilkin and Crosby in their first start together) and Herbert did not have his best game with a mostly brand new WT/TE group and yet they still won. I think his lack of practice due to the injury showed at times and there was always going to be an adjustment after losing KA and MWill.
Itโs a new era and I love it.
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I hope the IOL gels. Not sold on Pipkins at guard….wasn’t before the game and that hasn’t changed. Bozeman was…steady. Better push in the run game in the second half. Stunts were an issue for him and Pipkins. Zion held up pretty well.
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This game plan worked against a Minshew-led Raiders team. Lotta work to do to run with KC. I expect to get there but I doubt it’s this year. That’s not meant to be negative. It’s the reality of digging out of a hole.
Yes moving in the right direction with a lot of work to do before they compete with KC.
Pipkins had a tough tough matchup in Wilkins for game 1 plus Crosby stunting across him. Not all games will be so difficult and I expect him to improve as he gains experience. I am going to remain hopeful with him but I take your point he is a weakness at this point in the season.
As a QJ detractor after last season, and to your earlier comments about him, he looked good on the crossers and had not just burst but some wiggle after the catch. Looked much more confident in those routes. Glad to see Roman took your advice and ran routes where QJ can succeed. I am moving to cautiously optimistic that QJ can be a meaningful contributor after yesterday.
My happiness stems from a game where I did not yell at the TV once because I knew they were well coached and the HC would make good decisions. They certainly could have lost but the style of play – the fight when the Raiders tried to bully them early, the discipline to keep running the ball when it looked futile early, the beauty of watching a RB in the fourth quarter break a long run while Herbert got to stand there and watch, a defense that understands their assignments, stops the run and is attacking but not recklessly as I thought the Raiders D became in the second half. These to me are foundational to winning games now and in the playoffs.
Without having read all the posts in this 27 page thread, I predict there were plenty of doom and gloom posts based on how the game went. If true, let this be an example of why we all need to let the game play out enough before passing judgment.
Ever since Hortiz and Harbaugh arrived, they have done what they said they would do. Today’s game is another example of that (e.g., committed to running game, committed to good defense).ย
I will offer you neither doom nor gloom. It was a meh win, but it was a win. Letโs hope this team rolls to another one against a not-so-good opponent next week.
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The offense? A work in progress, I suppose. Dobbins broke a couple & got a TD….that’s the good. Pipkins looked ineffective, had a lot of trouble with stunts. IOL didn’t get much push in general.ย
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I’ll of course take the win. Not at all sure a team led by a better QB wouldn’t have beaten us. Looking to see improvement next week.
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If that’s doom & gloom, so be it. I consider it a fair take. No one called for Harbaugh’s head. I AM glad to see Minter’s half time adjustments which dialed up the pressure on Minshew.
On offense, Pipkins was by far the weakest link. Pushed around. Couldn’t pick up stunts. Just bad. From my eye, it looked like Bozeman was OK, Johnson was pretty good and Alt/Slater were great. If I’m playing the Chargers, I’m scheming to defeat Pipkins all day long.
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Pipkins’ weakest parts of his game are overall strength and anchoring. Now he’s facing guys weighing on average 30+ lbs more than most edges with good short area quickness and strong punches. Then on stunts he’s gonna face the edges with a head of steam. I just don’t see this working out well. Inside pressure is tough on almost any QB.
Exactly right. I saw Pipkins get knocked on his ass several times.
Tau, view it as an Article, not in the forum. Comments are organized “newest” down to oldest, and has much less pages.
For Game Day threads, I highly recommend the Article page.
I try very hard not to let a football game affect my mood, but Iโve been a few pounds lighter all evening. Bolt Up!
Safe Travels Buck. It wasnโt pretty, but a W is a W.ย
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Lotta work to do but yeah….it’s a W. Last year it likely wouldn’t have been.
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My game ball goes to Bosa. I’ve fed him plenty of crap and likely will again but he came to play today.
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I’m not overly concerned but I gotta say this….I really hope Roman doesn’t turn Herbert into a game manager. He has too much talent for that.ย
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Attendant to that statement….I didn’t see our receivers getting much separation today. Makes it pretty tough to get the passing game going. Add in near constant pressure and you get a pretty mundane stat line.
Hahaha! Well, thatโs one. Letโs keep it rolling. Damn that feels good.
Wilkins trying to mess with Alt on the kneeldowns. Fuckers. Joe was having none of it. Feels like a very good debut for him!
Ow this is beautiful!
Ford Trust Respect!
Ford, Turnovers galore, Ramming the Raiders in a– with a big L
OK fellas, I’ve got an hour+ drive left and left NYC at 10am. I’m out. Good hanging with y’all.
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FTR.
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AWESOME. Lock up the W. FTR for life!!!
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I think.
What the fuck. Straight up brawl
Family. Trust. Respect.
Gotta love the play call here
There ya go rook!!!
If they get this W they way they went about it has to be the exact way Harbaughled teams win and play football games.
Yeah I’m also not sure that this is going to keep working against other teams with better QBs. However I just wanted to point out that we shouldn’t have been very surprised at how this game is going
Where’s the hammer Gus Edwards??
Dobbins seems to have lost some long speed but at least he’s aware to wrap that rock up.
Yeah he looked gassed. Great run though
yeah, he ran out of gas. But that’s OK.
Tough running by Dobbins!
whew!
Crap spot but just enough.ย
They got the 1st though
Cmon offense!!!!!
Are they really punting?
Yeah I guess. Hope they regret it
I really thought they’d go for it
Yeah, same here
Whew!! Just short.
Minter, stuff this shit. Time to get on the right side of Chargering. LFG!
That was disappointing
And Matlock is not a pass catcher.
10 minutes to go. Get points here and it’s halfway in the bag. Go 3 and out and it’s probably another close loss.
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I’m not pleased with this performance but I’ll be damned if I’m gonna give up before the game ends.
I like the adjustments the defense has made.
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The offense? Not so much. The run game has gotten a couple of good hits but it’s not a strength. Not yet. I’d be looking hard at Pipkins and searching for a center upgrade.ย
Okay offense. Time to help out the defense here.
Lucky Minshew missed his target and it got caught anyway
2 possession game. Keep that foot on the gas now defense!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Go get your bag, JK!
3 and out would be enormous here
Awesome!