teams down there, hard to figure out even though it's
December. No doubt Chargers. Yeah, they're one of them. One
of the poster teams for that fun to watch. I really don't
know what you're
going to get offensively.
So last week at Cincinnati. It was good. Yeah, really good.
They won't 4122
last four weeks. 20 points against Minnesota, right? 41,
Pittsburgh 13, Denver and then 41 Sunday. Yeah. What's
the deal? Well, I think the big thing I look at more than
anything is the way they
called the game, the way they approach this game a little bit
against the Cincinnati Bengals. Goes, you know, yeah,
the Chargers are one of those teams. You mentioned, man.
Cincinnati is all about. Also.
I think one of those teams that would put in there. I actually
have less questions about Cincinnati to the Chargers.
I'll say it. I don't mean to be disrespectful. I think if those
two teams play each other 10 times, I think the Bangles
would probably win seven of them. Really, at least six. I'm
going to say.
But I'm not like totally confident that but just from
what at watching the game live watching it on film. Yeah. Did
I come away thinking? I felt Cincinnati was a little bit
better for team. Certainly, but not so much, so too.
A few great plays by Justin Herbert and Company or
some mistakes by Cincinnati, can set them up.
But I think the big thing for me, especially off fensively
is and we've talked about this in weeks past lack of a big
play, lack of speed down the field,
you know, too much 6-yard throws 8-yard throws where
teams have been able to play aggressive. Now, they got
Pittsburgh on a night where you know, they were undermanned had
a bunch of injuries and they toured them up. I didn't sit
there and go. Oh, there's anything
special schematically.
Lie. This game there was schematically
like wait, we're going to have an approach in this game
to take shots down the field, open up the field a little bit.
Cincinnati will give us some one-on-one opportunities down
the field and you got to Talent of the quarterback to continue
to be throwing the ball. Six yards down the field and I'll
get through their
meat and potatoes offense is really good. I like it.
But even when you have a good meat and potatoes,
you got to have some other side dishes to keep people honest,
right? And that's where I think I fell. Like they have dropped
the ball a little bit, some of their stale points where this
week. Like I said, there's,
I would say eight to ten plays where I go. These are game plan
just for this week and it makes their whole offense look
better, you know, one it got people, it gets people off
their running game a little bit and then it gets now they're
six and
eight yard passes. They like to throw right do one on same
style right there more open and there's just there's a Fear
Factor in the back end from Cincinnati because they gone.
Whoa, you know, they're attacking us today. We can't
just play downhill and aggressive on.
On their normal stuff. I know he has some good place to look
at that are really good examples of what the Chargers
did at Cincinnati. Before we get there. Yeah, to set it up
even more. Let's take a look at you kind of what you were
talking about graphically
passes. 20 yards are down field or more this season. The first
11 games, only 8% of the total passes, 20 yards or more right
Sunday and Cincinnati got up to 20%. You
really shocks me is that
if you ask me, who are the best five deep? All throwers in
the NFL. I know Herbert is somewhere on that list. No
doubt about it. So everybody, I mean Drew Brees. We talked
about it on Sunday Night Football, a few weeks ago. Same
thing when they got a
little bit in one of the games where we were talking, like
man, just let it go a little. Yeah, you got to attack,
but I think that's the thing in the game. Now, of course. Hey,
Cincinnati messed up some things early on, right? But
either way, it doesn't matter. The first three touchdowns from
the Chargers offense. We're all set up
by a big pass play to get them in position to score
the touchdown or it actually scored the touchdown. So I think
I like that aspect of it. Hey, the other thing I think in just
a bring up, Up, you know? And again, I think I would like to
say this.
I don't look at numbers
Pete. I send Peta notes,
you leave that to us and I just go, my eye tells me, they threw
the ball. More down the field in this game than any game all
year. And then Pecos what, you know, he'll come in to meet
the room the next morning and actually the
numbers back it up and that's what he tells me and I think
that makes me feel good. But I think that's a good thing. You
know, the Bengals defense, good it sound in a lot of ways, but
the one thing I'll say, About them. A little predictable,
a little bit too much Zone too much Manuel. Just a little too
basic in general. You line up, you kind of know what you're
getting. Now. We're breaking the Huddle. You can kind of
see. Oh, it's quarters this play. Oh, what's man? This
play? You know,
I'd like to see a little bit more trickeration and disguises
and then back to our old favorite thing. I'd like to see
a little bit more bullets to drop to a little bit of that.
Not that they need a whole lot of it almost like the vice
versa of
like what we're talking about with the Chargers.
You got a good meat and potatoes.
We just need a few side dishes. Wishes to change things up
every now and then. So a quarterback can't feel so
comfortable or an offensive coordinator. But
either way, I like the Chargers approach in this one big time.
I think the key word for that approach is aggressive from
start to finish. I think it's especially in the beginning. So
let's get you up here
early first quarter. Yeah,
scoreless second down 11. Yeah. Second down and 11. And,
you know, I think we got a
first drive of the game
right there in a running set. It's it's three receivers, but
it's a running set. All right, and you got Herbert underneath
Center, which I love to again
underneath Center. Some of the best ways to create big plays
in the pass game. Alright, so there's that aspect. It's it's
a,
it's a
Zone coverage, a 3D Zone. All right, and of course, it's like
a match zone. So it's like to your thing where it's going to
look a little bit like man-to-man on the outside with
the corners. All right, and
it's a simple play.
I mean, it's simple, it's going to be,
you know, fake, the run to the left. Here comes the Backside
tight end to pull under and block, to make it look like
more of the Run play itself. You know, we see usually
typically right like the post route with the Deep krauser
here, right? We see that a lot
every week teams, run that. Well, instead of just doing
that. They kind of changed it up. And when fake, the Post
Corner routes on Mike Williams and then Keenan Allen ran
the crossing route, and they're ready to Max protect here. Is
there are ready to Max protect. I mean,
give the guys some time
and let him read. Let your receivers who are Altered work
down field and this is where you can strike and make
explosive plays. So you see he's got pretty good
protection. It's got a nice pocket to throw into
and here's the aspect. I like about it a lot like in this is
to me again. You got to have guts to do this a little bit.
But this is a real, has
real value in the NFL.
You see it's a one-on-one shot. He's not wide open.
But you know guys, Mike Mike Williams back to like what
we've always talked about. 50/50 balls aren't really 50/50
balls with a guy like Mike will write. They're not it's more
like a
70/30 ball. And you add that on to the fact that the DBS, got
his back turned as the balls in the air. You're going to like
those chances
anytime. Either way. It's a perfect throw, right? And not
like it reinvented the wheel with. Oh, wow. This is some
crazy play,
but good Basics, aggressive and tying together
with an offense of play
that you run a whole lot. You know, I mean, how many times
have we broken down? The inside Zone? Tight end goes the back
side. They press the front Gap. If they had They don't there's
going to be a back side hole,
right? Well, they do that a lot.
So they use that off of that ties it together.
It's not like oh, wow. Our team has to learn some new crazy play
but it's effective and it gets Cincinnati thinking early
to where they got to back the fuck off of. Sorry other stuff.
Take a right here and pause it. And if you're just listening,
hopefully you're watching whether it be if you're
listening. I want to pause it right here. So Justin,
Herbert's getting set up and thinking back to it to where
this conversation started about us wondering. Why aren't they
throwing the ball downfield, more often like this? Like they
Did Sunday right on every single Sunday,
hit play. And let's watch the ease with which he throws
the ball 50 yards. It's like he's throwing a screen pass and
really watch his mechanics.
I know how does that guy, not let that ball. Go 10 times
a game, right? I don't know either, and that's where the,
I think the coaching staff has dropped the ball there. That's
where and added to it. You know. We talked a little last
week with my father, right?
Chargers are past protecting great.
They can they have plenty of talent up front to let here.
Let these two employees. Now up and let him throw the ball down
the field. This is more what we saw from him last year. Yeah.
I think if they
add this element to their offense, they're going to be scary.
And yes, you're right. It's as easy as it gets to me. It's very,
you know, I'm going to say
Tom, Brady ish. Yeah, that's where Brady doesn't get his
credit credit for his arm all the time because they're so big
and long, they can throw the ball 50 yards and it looks like
deer point. They're throwing a five yard pass. Yeah, and less
effort less moving Parts ball
on the money right on the money. Yeah, going trusting.
That you'd mentioned Brady. Because I think about them in
December last year. They kind of, they didn't do a 180, but
they really started to focus on tight formations and ground
game, do all that
and it works very well right on the season. Maybe the Chargers,
you know, they've had it around a little bit. Now that
the games are even more important. They lean on it a little bit
more, like Tampa Bay did with the Run game. I hope so.
Because again, you got with Gaiden Williams, Keenan Allen
all have a little sign as well. What exactly all have a little
speed, not that they're like, game breaking speed, but, you
know, then, Oh,
hey, they're all pretty good route Runners to
what sole and let them post corner corner, post work, some
double move, type, aggressive down the field throws.
I really like the way they approach the start of this
game. All right Herbert 47 yards to Mike Williams as we
move along here in this game leads to the second Chargers
touchdown. As you mentioned Joe Williams,
if he wasn't scoring the touchdown, he was setting it up
pretty well. Setting it up pretty well as right. And
here's again another, you know, this is not a Reinventing
the wheel here,
but you know, with this play,
they know the cover.
Judge, they got here.
It's a little bit. Like a
quarters match type of coverage.
You know, it's really quarters. I think 21. Mike Hilton's,
the only one that's involved in like Amanda man principle here.
As far as in the slot against Mike Williams, and I'm going to
stand up.
Okay, but you got one, two, three,
four, either. I think they're just letting my him match up
with Mike. Mike, Mike Williams, Mike Hilton versus Mike
Williams,
and hey, nothing that is Here, okay,
you know, first off, if
they're really trying to
work the out, route to Keenan Allen.
All right, but I think he pulls away doesn't really necessarily
like the way the backers kind of floating underneath it.
Right? So he thinks that's a little tight. You can kind of
tell, I hope you can tell
but Wilson's, kind of floating underneath it. He doesn't want
to take that risk. The corner sees this, and he's kind of
being aggressive on the hitch route. And the two things
I like about this. Just again, the aggressive mentality, like,
we're talking about.
Not a crazy play.
But this is the other thing we're seeing.
I just feel like
Pittsburgh ever since the Pittsburgh aim, the,
the light and his head is gone off to
wait. I'm a really good athlete. Let me run around and
moving the pocket a little bit more. I don't need to be always
mr. Big strong guy. I'm going to just throw in the pocket or
throw over people.
He's going to get outside the pocket here.
I'm all for that. Buys himself a little time.
And again like you see here.
Now it basically plays like man to man down the field
and not like this is the most complicated. Ever, I'm not
trying to say, oh wow, but to me, this was not even a part of
their offense, a lot of the time. It was always, let's be
75 percent, completion percentage. Yeah, let's always
keep our team in a good down a distance.
That's cool. But it's hard. Like we've talked about to go
into the playoffs play better defense has and think you're
going to go on a 12-play 70 play drive, right? Every game
at some point. You got to make some explosive plays like
the Chiefs or the bucks or
you know, all the other teams we've seen in the Super Bowl is
over the last few years because they have that element. Yeah,
they can. Do 12 Place 75 but they don't want to do that.
Every drive. You got to make some plays,
take it back to the beginning, the address and this is
nitpicking because it was a wonderful throws, a great
catch. But protection is very good at is a four-man Rush.
Yeah, he leaves the pocket. Yeah didn't have to didn't have
to have you at
all. Yeah, it doesn't bother me because I haven't seen enough
of it to go. Oh wait, this is a habit or an issue. Okay, you
know, I think here more or less when he looked at Keenan Allen
to his right side here on the little slot out route,
you know, I think he was honestly still looking at him
trying to kind of
Create a better angle to where maybe he could still throw it
to him. Okay, and then realized I don't know if it's going to
be there. Wait. I got Mike Williams way down there, one on
one because to what happens is and again,
it's tough to see from some of these angles. All right,
but you'll see you know, he's like
it is all on Keenan Allen.
He's going to slowly move out here. He's still looking at him.
I think he still thinks wait this coverage, I should get him
but as we go on here you're going to see. And I'm going to
try to pause it right at the right.
Right spot here,
you know, the safety has driven
on on the, on the out route, right? So that's what leads it.
I think to an ultimately going, wait, the hell with it. I'm
going to let it go downfield. See, so, so when
Keenan Allen comes out, not only does Wilson float
underneath it, this safety starts to drive down. And I and
this safeties pushing over.
I think his eyes, just naturally, took them over there,
and that's what got him to it. But I love it. I do. I love it.
And, of course. First, if you got a real man to man type of
coverage or something like that, that would probably be
his first read to look
at this place. Yeah, so that's again. They're attacking at
least and I think that gives them a Fighting Chance going to
the Future as numbers. 26. Completions to 4317. It's about
12 yards of completion. Yeah.
Any time you're near 10, it's pretty good. You're doing good.
If you're over ten, it's it's one of the ways to interpret
that they had an aggressive game plan. And as well, execute
what happened to as it went on is like
Bangles back backed off.
So now Austin, hecklers catching the ball. Out of
the backfield on dry a little. It's dropped passes. I mean, check
down passes
and he's getting six and eight yards per every time he touches
the football because you've done this. Now, you've scared
them to death to where,
you know, underneath completions. You can start to
really gash defenses as well. We have one more look here. 44
yard, completion early, second quarter charges starting to
separate here up
16 to nothing. Yeah, 16 to nothing, you know, and again,
then we're not showing all their there was Other little
package of plays I wanted to show to that. I thought was
cool. As far as just game-planning and again just a
glad we're talking about a few wrinkles to to, you know, just
spicing up the offense, a little just make the defense,
think a little here. This this to me is really cool.
Now, again, Herbert going to get the ball in the shotgun and
roll to the right. I mean, when people see rolled to the right,
I mean, they're thinking
Waycross, maybe cross her here. This guy's going to run an out
route.
Something that nature, some things going to be coming
across the middle and they're going to play to that effect
here
with the Bangles and run.
Okay? Run to the right Justin
and they're going to make it look like. Okay, he's clearing
out and they're doing all this to hit Keenan, Allen on a in
cut, right? And this guy's going to run his single cut
over here.
And I can't remember what here. And I think he runs a deep out,
but that's what they sow. So the defense, he's this Rob
combination and they're gone. All right. He's just trying to
come and
go. One to two to the back side, but what they do is, they
throw a little curveball
as he starts to get down here
and kind of go through the inside shoulder of the safety.
He breaks to the backside corner.
And
now this is where the old adage of. Hmm,
arm strength is not important. Kind of shows the be important
on these plays because now, first off like,
yeah, sorry, the
the Washington football teams. Not calling this play with
Tyler, Hannah, kinda key. All right, there's a handful of
quarterback. So I guess they're just not calling. It's never
Going to be on their radar.
You'll never call it ever in the history of their game. The
50-yard flag that says
right as you run to the other edge of the numbers. All right,
and set up on your own 45-yard line and Now launch back. And
again, it's not the most perfect throw.
He probably could have gotten out of. But again,
it's a pretty good-sized receiver,
one-on-one, downfield. And this time not even with a corner,
it's Jesse Bates. A safety who I think is a hell of a player,
not having his best year this year, but
nonetheless, you
Your top three receivers on a safety one-on-one down,
the field, all the time all the time. So that ends up in
a touchdown
and somebody that was a difference in the football
game. As far as you know, they scored touchdowns and wasn't
a fish until we got down there and kicked a field goal or any
of that.
It was aggressive. We're going to push the envelope
and to put a lot of pressure on the Bengals
defense, a couple of things stand out there watching those
three plays. As number one, Herbert's, a beautiful deep
ball thrower, but number two and I think even more
importantly on this day, looking at those highlights his
Receivers really came through for him. They definitely did in
a big way downfield. I'm sure they were excited about
the game plan. They probably realized. Wait. Why aren't we
throwing the ball down the field more? Right? So to get
those opportunities and
I would be shocked if it doesn't continue. Well, that's
it. I want to finish what we started here with this question
from the armchair. Gm3. Hey, guys, and wondering why you
think the charger's rarely throw the Deep ball will really
finishing where we where we started here. Justin
Herbert is one of the better deep throwers in the league. It
seems like many of the plays, the receivers are 5 or 15 yards
down. Yeah, I, you know again,
I'll have the exact answer. What I would try to tell you by
connecting dots a little bit. You got Joe Lombardi who came
from the Saints, they're all about efficiency. And,
you know, let's keep our offense in good positions
because they believed in their playbook and they believe if
you get in second and six or seven, they got a great list of
place for that and if you get them in the third and two,
they go. All we got you by the balls. I'm gonna be able to do
whatever we want. So that's kind of how they believe in New
Orleans, Joe Lombardi, but, you know to me again it goes back
to her old thing with like team building or Or assessing your
own team. Are
you taking advantage of all your assets you got on your team?
Well, one of the greatest assets you got in the team is
a quarterback and his ability to throw the ball down the field.
I think they realize this is going to open the field up
there wasting that part of his talent and
you know, they have more to offer on the offensive side of
the ball. So I'm glad to see them finally make
the adjustment and I think it's going to make them a lot more
dangerous going.