Charger time!

[tsylvester]

Yes, another long trip, to the left coast this time. If you have followed the NFL for a while, you know that as a franchise, no matter the coach or quarterback, more times than not, the Chargers find more creative ways to lose football games. This year's version is no different.

So, who are they? What are they good at besides losing?

Offensively, they rank 11th in the league in total offense, averaging. 354 yards per game, 248 yards via the air, 105 on the ground, 25 pts per game.

Herbert, while a pocket passer, is completing. 66% of his passes, with 19 tds and 5 picks, he has been sacked 22 times. He can avoid sacks quite nimbly, and runs well with 186 yards rushing, with 3 tds and 15 first downs.

His favorite targets are big guys who run well and are precise route runners in Mike Williams & Keenan Allen, they also use Ekler out of the backfield quite often.

Defensively, they are holding opponents to an average of 23 ots per game, 35% on 3rd downs, 291 yards per game through the air, with 34 sacks, 102 yards per game on the ground with 12 tds.

This is a game the Ravens really need to win, and should win easily. The last time these two teams met in 2021, in Bmore, it was a whooping, with the Ravens winning 34-6. Should we expect the same?

The defense needs to prove it can hold up for 4 quarters, not give up multiple touchdowns in the 4th. The offense needs to prove it can be taken on the road and produce for 4 quarters, not turn the ball over in the 4fh quarter.

Let your weak opponent hang around they will find ways to win, even this desperate Chargers team who saw their game last Sunday slip through their fingers. Everyone over there is on the hot seat, take it to them and dont spare the rod.

[oldno82]

It does bug me that we have that tendency to let weaker teams hang around and hang around until some fluky thing happens in the 4th quarter and we lose.

I don't see a big margin victory this time. I think our team is very tired at this point and the 3000 mile plane ride won't help. We really need that bye week.

Hopefully they push through the fatigue and bring back a win.

[tsylvester]

Boss will miss this game, thankfully, sprained foot, but they will still have to deal with Mack.

[tsylvester]

Not sure what planet I'm on, but I just realized that it is a night game, oy, dvr another gane. Least I get to skip all of the commercials

[oldno82]

Yep, I dvr all the games every time and then watch them from the beginning after I've recorded about 30-40 minutes skipping all commercials as I watch. I usually catch up to real time in the 4th quarter.

[oldno82]

I think the key to this game is for us to emphasize the run and short passes to move the chains, score points, and keep Herbert, Williams and the rest of the Chargers' high octane offense off the field. As good as the Chargers offense is, their defense is that bad.

[tsylvester]

Obj is questionable, Simpson and Harrison are out, other than that everyone else is healthy including Stanley.

Special teams have been an issue all season, a couple of blocked field goals, a few big returns, don't get me started on the fair catch nor the onside kick...

One way for a bad team to best a good one is via Special teams, the other, turnovers.

The only reason that this game should be close is because it has not started  yet....

[oldno82]

If we show up fairly rested and hungry for victory, we'll beat them. Sloppy play could kill us. Overall, we have more talent than they do.

[tsylvester]

True, but there comes a time when you have to prove that you belong named as one of the best teams in the league. This is that time

[varaven45]

If we show up like we did vs Lions, Seahawks and Bengals; we win.

if we show up like we did vs Colts, Steelers; we lose.  
 

Either team could show up; here’s hoping it’s the former !

[tsylvester]

I want to see them exploit the seam pattern. When ever the Chargers go to zone with split safeties, the seam is going to be wide open with the tight end, use it early, use it often.

[oldno82]

Somewhat intense but the kind of game where you kind of felt it was under control. LAC is a good team and they have some potent weapons. Their defense played better than their year to date stats show but in the end the superior team won out.  Glad it was us and now off to a 14 day well deserved respite before we run that gauntlet of season ending games.

[tsylvester]

Well, a win is a win, right?

Create 4 turnovers and only scored 20 points, 7 of those in the final minute? 197 yards rushing looks impressive, except 37 of those came on one play, in the final minute of the game.

Some lucky non calls that could have changed the game, certainly the score.

4 for 13 on 3rd down? 1 of 3 on 4th down.....

Tucker, 2 of 3 on field goals,,,, again!

Lamar, 56% complete,

No, the Chargers defense did not play better than we expected, the Ravens offense did just just enough to win...

How do you get a delay of game penalty on the extra point? That should have been a big red flag that this team just was not completely focussed.

A win is a win, right?

 

[tsylvester]

Aaaaaand another thing, smart resume recording stinks when using it for a football game. It never takes you to the end of commercial breaks when fast forwarding. Idiots

[varaven45]

fwiw - I predicted for last night's game:

If we show up like we did vs Lions, Seahawks and Bengals; we win.

if we show up like we did vs Colts, Steelers; we lose.  

 

Watching the game, I think we played a tweener - worse than the former, better than the latter.

It looked like the Chargers were trying to give us the game and we weren't having any of it until the last 5 minutes (Flowers TD).   

In the end, our D balled out, the offense stubbed its toe, and coaching seemed in a funk.  

 

Moving forward and looking at the schedule, if we used a mulligan in last night's game, we done used up the last one.

I know we have LA after the bye (which isn't a gimme w Matt Stafford at QB), then close out w/a tough stretch -Jags, 9ers, Fins and Steelers.  

Now is the time for the team to peak - all cylinders, both sides of the ball, complimentary football, etc.       

It's time to get ready, prep and peak for the final stretch.    Let's see where this team goes!   

[tsylvester]

I think the bye came at just the right time, 9-3, could realistically be 12-0, seriously.

3 loses because players and coaches lost focuse, either in preparation or in execution.

Let us hope that they rest up, heal up, realize just how good they can be if focused

[oldno82]

Agree that the bye is here just in time. They've got to be tired with the schedule they've had so far and it's only going to get tougher down the stretch. Much tougher. Va is right too...time to hit on all cylinders. But can they do it? Some games, yes. Most games, no. So far.

If this really is a good offense, we'll find out after the Rams game. They won't be able to hide after that one.

The Defense is really playing well even with uneven performances from the offense.

Thing is, I think we have a really good offense talent wise, but not performance wise. The offense underachieves OR is limited by offensive line woes. I'm afraid Stanley has lost it and Moses is aging. OT play is hurting us in the passing game. We now have excellent receivers even with Mark out and a good rotation in the backfield.

No NFL team is perfect this year but we are 9-3 and it isn't because we've played up to our potential. You're right Tsyl in that we should be 12-0. To be fair, though, I haven't seen a dominant team in the whole league this year and the won lost records reflect it.

I think as was mentioned above by you guys that we just aren't successfully making adjustments when opposing teams begin to realize what the offense is doing. Is that on the coaching? Would seem so. Is Monken having difficulty making mid-game changes? We certainly seem to start off OK in nearly all games, then frequently go into a funk offensively.

[tsylvester]

Stanley is clearly a liability right now. Moses I think is suffering because of Simpson, who is struggling. I wish they would put Merkari in there for Simpson.

But the defense is going to be tested coming up quickly, their 15 pts per game is going to go up me thinks.

I do think the offense is going to out things together. Todd has seen now exactly what works, what Lamar and the receivers are best at and hopefully got those stupid wr screens out of his system.

Likely had his best game as a pro, ran hard, ran fast (stop leaping)

But if they can use him down the middle of the field, the seam splitting the safeties, no one will catch him.

We have found a great bevy of runningbacks, speed, quickness, power; that is a great thing.

 

[oldno82]

The offense undoubtedly has a lot of weapons. Sometimes they score in spite of themselves but they will be strongly tested too after the bye. I think the defense will play at least competently down the stretch though maybe not as 'shut down' as they have been.

The inconsistency on offense is our weak point. Monken has got to help with that.