How to play defense against the San Diego Chargers

[TheLBCoach]

How would you guys do it?

I would take the more obvious approach and concentrate on limiting LaDainian every single time he touches the ball. Easier said than done, I know...but that's what I would do. We have to keep their offense in check by throwing multiple looks at them all day. We simply can't allow them to become comfortable giving the ball to LT. It's going to be a long day if that happens.

If we can do that effectively, I believe Robinson and Bennett will be able to contain Chambers and Jackson well enough on the outside. Keep in mind that this is Chambers' first game with his new team so it might take him a few games to really get on the same page with Rivers.

[Vinny]

We've been playing tons of 8 in the box the last few games with really mixed results.

[Sportswriter79]

Tough assignment against the Chargers. I sure would like to see Bennnet get to start for a game.

[TheLBCoach]

We've been playing tons of 8 in the box the last few games with really mixed results.

Tell me about it. lol.

I think some zone blitzing may be in order for this one. Rivers seems to get flustered under pressure. Also, we could run some stunts on the left side of that SD Offensive Line, have Williams and either Greenwood/Clark crash the A gap and sit DeMeco sitting over the top to take away the inside slant. That would force SD to leave an extra back in the backfield to pass protect, thus 'hopefully' limiting LT's productivity.

[schaubisgod]

The best hope we've got is too keep DeMeco Ryans focused on LT. Tomlinson can make plays in a multitude of ways, even with his arm. The second you leave him open, it's most likely going to be 6 points on the board. So, keep him contained and limit the Chargers. If Houston can make Rivers throw, then we have a small chance.

[HydrOshocK]

The best hope we've got is too keep DeMeco Ryans focused on LT. Tomlinson can make plays in a multitude of ways, even with his arm. The second you leave him open, it's most likely going to be 6 points on the board. So, keep him contained and limit the Chargers. If Houston can make Rivers throw, then we have a small chance.

I agree. DeMeco is our best defensive player and a tackling machine. They need to fit his helmet with an LT radar this weekend. Our secondary should be able to handle their WRs. The X factor (other than LT of course) is Gates. We will have to be very physical with him. Simply put, we need to hit him coming off the line to try and disrupt his routes, and we need to hit him hard every time he catches the ball.

I'd be careful about blitz packages because LT is an EXCELLENT receiver coming out of the backfield and he could wind up torching us if we don't disguise it well.

Bottom line......contain LT and Gates at all costs and make Rivers try to beat us.

[TheLBCoach]

I agree. DeMeco is our best defensive player and a tackling machine. They need to fit his helmet with an LT radar this weekend. Our secondary should be able to handle their WRs. The X factor (other than LT of course) is Gates. We will have to be very physical with him. Simply put, we need to hit him coming off the line to try and disrupt his routes, and we need to hit him hard every time he catches the ball.

I'd be careful about blitz packages because LT is an EXCELLENT receiver coming out of the backfield and he could wind up torching us if we don't disguise it well.

Bottom line......contain LT and Gates at all costs and make Rivers try to beat us.

We have DeMeco spy RBs every game pretty much and look where we are. I don't think it's that simple against LT. Look at my above post if you want a real game plan. :)

[HydrOshocK]

We have DeMeco spy RBs every game pretty much and look where we are. I don't think it's that simple against LT. Look at my above post if you want a real game plan. :)

I guess we've got a resident expert on NFL gameplanning here...let me know when you land a job as a coach :rolleyes:

Please expand on "limiting LaDainian every single time he touches the ball"

[TheLBCoach]

I guess we've got a resident expert on NFL gameplanning here...let me know when you land a job as a coach :rolleyes:

Please expand on "limiting LaDainian every single time he touches the ball"

I've got a job as a coach. A high school position coach. But nevertheless, a coach.

I expanded on it the last time my fingers touched the keyboard in this thread.

1) Zone Blitzing - Bring Brown/Boulware off the edge occasionally
2) DeMeco Ryans = Zone coverage over the middle
3) Stunt SD to death! Crash the A gap hard off the stunt and crash it often. SD's offensive line is weak...lets use it to our advantage.

[c.riedinger]

find out what the first 3 teams did to stop LT, and use that tape to our advantage. This league is all about the copycats.

[Towlie]

Perform more stunts than HOLLYWOOD!!!

[HydrOshocK]

I've got a job as a coach. A high school position coach. But nevertheless, a coach.

I expanded on it the last time my fingers touched the keyboard in this thread.

1) Zone Blitzing - Bring Brown/Boulware off the edge occasionally
2) DeMeco Ryans = Zone coverage over the middle
3) Stunt SD to death! Crash the A gap hard off the stunt and crash it often. SD's offensive line is weak...lets use it to our advantage.

My bad coach. In my weak attempt to quickly scan the latest threads on the board I completely missed your second post. Your first one didn't mention the specific use of Demeco but you state it clearly in your second.

I don't pretend to be an X's and O's expert but I understand the concept of your approach. Unfortunately I don't think Smith is that creative of a DC and will probably try to stick with his base.....crowd the box with bodies and emphasize gap protection. That's been the extent of his play calling up to this point, although it looks like he's trying like hell to mix in some blitz packages that don't get us burned for big yardage. He's getting better at that judging by Demeco's grand slam sack/fumble/TD play last week.

I like the idea of using our MLB in zone situations to create more traffic for Gates and the WRs, but Ryans isn't exactly the best cover LB for that role. IMO Barber would be better suited for that. Ryans is our best tackler (and best in the league IMO)... by playing him in zone coverage wouldn't that back him off the LOS and allow LT to penetrate further into the secondary if the stunts fail to be effective? I could be wrong but we've only been mildly successful at stunts, and from what I understand it's not ideal to run stunts against a solid running game. If you get beat you're usually giving up bigger YPC. But like I said, I'm no coach so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong....I'm in favor of anything that improves the team's overall performance.

[HydrOshocK]

p.s. I'm big on the idea of getting Boulware more involved. He's big and physical. He may not be able to cover but he can definitely play the run better than CC. SD doesn't scare anyone in the passing game outside of Gates.

Which would you prefer....Gates matched up 1 on 1 with an undersized CC who has the potential to break up some passes but will get run over if he doesnt, or Boulware who has the potential to give up passes but will likely bring him to the ground quickly? As a coach that has to be a tough call.

[TheLBCoach]

My bad coach. In my weak attempt to quickly scan the latest threads on the board I completely missed your second post. Your first one didn't mention the specific use of Demeco but you state it clearly in your second.

I don't pretend to be an X's and O's expert but I understand the concept of your approach. Unfortunately I don't think Smith is that creative of a DC and will probably try to stick with his base.....crowd the box with bodies and emphasize gap protection. That's been the extent of his play calling up to this point, although it looks like he's trying like hell to mix in some blitz packages that don't get us burned for big yardage. He's getting better at that judging by Demeco's grand slam sack/fumble/TD play last week.

I like the idea of using our MLB in zone situations to create more traffic for Gates and the WRs, but Ryans isn't exactly the best cover LB for that role. IMO Barber would be better suited for that. Ryans is our best tackler (and best in the league IMO)... by playing him in zone coverage wouldn't that back him off the LOS and allow LT to penetrate further into the secondary if the stunts fail to be effective? I could be wrong but we've only been mildly successful at stunts, and from what I understand it's not ideal to run stunts against a solid running game. If you get beat you're usually giving up bigger YPC. But like I said, I'm no coach so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong....I'm in favor of anything that improves the team's overall performance.

I'm no expert either, and I like some of your ideas as well. Perhaps Barber would be better suited to play the zone over the middle. About the stunts vs. a solid running game...I mean, you have to take your chances somewhere, right? If we can hit the gaps hard and frequently we have a chance to knock Rivers out of the game early (mentally knock him out). If you get him flustered, he's useless to his team.

p.s. Smith isn't very creative as a DC. Totally agree.

His pregame speech:

"Uhh...let's crowd the line wif ait (8) men in da box. Uhh...if dat don't work den we'll try sumfin els like maybie bringin DeMeco and Morlon on a good ol' sissor stunt. Let's go get em boys."

[ChainedLightnin]

SD's offensive line is weak...lets use it to our advantage.

That's the same offensive line that produced the league's leading rusher in terms of total rushing yards and rushing TDs last season. I would hardly call that a weak line. Sure, it took them a couple of weeks to gel together under a relatively new coaching staff, but they finally got their groove back in the last couple of games.

[B420tx]

That's the same offensive line that produced the league's leading rusher in terms of total rushing yards and rushing TDs last season. I would hardly call that a weak line. Sure, it took them a couple of weeks to gel together under a relatively new coaching staff, but they finally got their groove back in the last couple of games.

Oh no!, An opposing fan armed with logic!, Head for the hills!

My game plan, crash the line in, blitz the OLBs wide, and hope you stop the running play before it even begins. Just keep 7 in the box and let the other 4 worry about the passes

[HydrOshocK]

That's the same offensive line that produced the league's leading rusher in terms of total rushing yards and rushing TDs last season. I would hardly call that a weak line. Sure, it took them a couple of weeks to gel together under a relatively new coaching staff, but they finally got their groove back in the last couple of games.

Speaking of the coaching staff....what's the general consesus about Turner out there? I'm very familiar with him because he was the OC in Dallas during all of their championship years. As an OC he was excellent. He was able to utilize the talent of his superstar players and played a big role in those SB rings.

However, as a HC he has been a failure everywhere he's been, and I personally don't think it had anything to do with lack of talent. His teams have a tendancy to be widly inconsistent and play down to the competition, which is why I feel like this game will be closer than some expect. That was apparent in the first 3 games of the season.....it was painful to watch LT give a post game interview. I don't know if it's play calling or what, but with Norv at the wheel you have to be a little nervous.

[ChainedLightnin]

Speaking of the coaching staff....what's the general consesus about Turner out there? I'm very familiar with him because he was the OC in Dallas during all of their championship years. As an OC he was excellent. He was able to utilize the talent of his superstar players and played a big role in those SB rings.

However, as a HC he has been a failure everywhere he's been, and I personally don't think it had anything to do with lack of talent. His teams have a tendancy to be widly inconsistent and play down to the competition, which is why I feel like this game will be closer than some expect. That was apparent in the first 3 games of the season.....it was painful to watch LT give a post game interview. I don't know if it's play calling or what, but with Norv at the wheel you have to be a little nervous.

I think right now it's mixed. But in order for Chargers fans to be convinced he was a good hire, Turner would have to have a winning season at the very least. In the first 4 games, I think the coaching staff was trying to experiment with the talent on the team on both sides of the line rather than go with whatever works best for the Chargers. They realized this after they lost the game against the Chiefs, a game in which the Chargers led by two scores and LT gained over 100 rushing yards at the half. They abandoned the running game and decided to put the game on the line by calling more passing plays. I believe LT just gained 6 yards or so in the second half, and this shift in the offensive scheme cost the Chargers the game. The team went back to the drawing board and rediscovered their offensive prowess and defensive aggression by looking back in 2006 and remembering who they were last year. Sure enough, they started to click better as a team in the last two games against Denver and Oakland. However, I personally would have to wait until they play against a much better team to see if they are truly back.

As for Norv Turner's career record as a head coach, one would think that the Chargers execs must have been on crack to replace a coach with a winning career record with someone with a losing record, especially if the previous coach took the team to a 14-2 record. From a continuity standpoint, Turner would seem to be a logical choice because he installed the offensive plays that the Chargers use today -- he was the team's offensive coordinator prior to Marty Schottenheimer arrival. Time will tell if Norv Turner can take the Chargers to the Lombardi Trophy. A lofty goal for a losing coach. Then again, Bill Bellichik had a losing career record too before he became New England's head coach, and look what happened to the Patriots. We could only hope for a similar fate.

[Battle-Red]

p.s. I'm big on the idea of getting Boulware more involved. He's big and physical. He may not be able to cover but he can definitely play the run better than CC. SD doesn't scare anyone in the passing game outside of Gates.

Which would you prefer....Gates matched up 1 on 1 with an undersized CC who has the potential to break up some passes but will get run over if he doesnt, or Boulware who has the potential to give up passes but will likely bring him to the ground quickly? As a coach that has to be a tough call.
Just a note Barber has been banged up all year and Boulware has played more Nickel LB than any other position. Excluding Boulware the best coverage LB's on the team are Ryans, Greenwood, and Barber. As far as R.Smith play calling he rarely commits(ie last week on the big pass play to put them in fieldgoal position, he partially blitzed leaving a partial zone) and prefers to put preasure using just the front 4 and sometimes using a LB, safety, or CB(rarely he may use a combination of LB's, safeties, or CB's).The Chargers line doesnt suck McNiel and Hardwick are both banged up and have been most of the year.

[TheLBCoach]

Just a note Barber has been banged up all year and Boulware has played more Nickel LB than any other position. Excluding Boulware the best coverage LB's on the team are Ryans, Greenwood, and Barber. As far as R.Smith play calling he rarely commits(ie last week on the big pass play to put them in fieldgoal position, he partially blitzed leaving a partial zone) and prefers to put preasure using just the front 4 and sometimes using a LB, safety, or CB(rarely he may use a combination of LB's, safeties, or CB's).The Chargers line doesnt suck McNiel and Hardwick are both banged up and have been most of the year.

Precisely the point. Those 2 guys are banged up...which is the reason that they are mediocre.

I'm reminded of those Bill Engvall "Here's Your Sign" jokes right now.

[Battle-Red]

There is a fundamental difference between sucking because you suck. And not performing to your potential due to injuries.

[sleepwalker]

All we can do is try to contain LT. Base defense Man/Under and give Demeco a chance at LT. I personally like this matchup. If we try to load the box we will lose. Matchup problems all over.

We will do the same crap we always do and give the Chargers all the underneath stuff. So boring. If we can hold them to field goals we got a chance.

[ChainedLightnin]

Precisely the point. Those 2 guys are banged up...which is the reason that they are mediocre.

I'm reminded of those Bill Engvall "Here's Your Sign" jokes right now.

Bear in mind also that McNeil and Hardwick generally do the pass protection duties. Kris Dielman, Mike Goff, and Fullback Extraordinaire Lorenzo Neal do the actual blocking for LT, and they're all healthy. For the offensive linemen, only Nick Hardwick will not play, but his backup, Corey Withrow, is more than capable in filling in. He could actually be a starter for other teams like LT's backup, Michael Turner. Suffice it to say, I don't think they will miss a beat in blocking and/or pass protection.

[Shamrock]

find out what the first 3 teams did to stop LT, and use that tape to our advantage. This league is all about the copycats.

The Chargers altered their blocking schemes in the beginning of the season, but changed back to what worked last year after the loss to Kansas City. Just simple stuff in the way they work the "Power-Ohs" and blocking options.

The Broncos and Raiders tried to "sell out" to stop the run. The Broncos stopped Tomlinson from big yardage, but Michael Turner busted a couple big runs in relief and racked up over 140 yards. Tomlinson hit those big ones vs the Raiders and nearly had 200 yards rushing. When you put everyone up at the line and LT or Turner gets by the first guys .... it's off to the races.

The Broncos manned up their CB's on receivers and Gates, and by formation shift and motion, the Chargers got WR Vince Jackson manned up on Broncos LB due to the confusion, which resulted in a 45 yard pass.

The Broncos also tried man coverage with Champ Bailey on Gates. Gates torched him all game, until Bailey went out with an injury when Gates threw him to the side when Bailey tried to jam him at the LOS. Good luck trying to man up on Gates. He also beat double coverage multiple times vs the Raiders and Donkeys.

Multiple sources said the Chargers had their best two practices of the year on Thursday and Friday. They are focused and motivated. They want to give their hometown, devasted by fires, a reason to celebrate.

I think the Texans are in for a long day .......

[TexanFan2000]

Precisely the point. Those 2 guys are banged up...which is the reason that they are mediocre.

I'm reminded of those Bill Engvall "Here's Your Sign" jokes right now.

I recall reading that McNeal, their left tackle, played most of last season, as a rookie, with two broken hands. Evidently, playing "banged up" doesn't seem to phase him.

[Blazin' Toro]

A wise decision the Chargers will use against us is the play action fake since they know we're going to be locking in on LT.