The Chargers came up short against the Broncos 24-17 this past Sunday. It wasn't much of a game for Chargers fans until the 4th quarter, when the Chargers scored all 17 of their points. Chargers bid for a comeback ended when the Broncos ran out the last 3:53 of the game converting on a 3rd and 17, a 3rd and 6th, and finally a 3rd and 1. Backup LB Bront Bird was in the game due to injuries and he was absolutely lost in pass coverage. Both the 3rd and longs were completed in Bird's area of coverage. I'm not blaming Bird though. Bird had played earlier in the season due to injuries so the coaches new he wasn't the best in coverage. The smarter move would have been to blitz Bird. Would it have made a difference? Who knows, but I believe Bird would have been better utilized as a blitzer than in coverage.
Although the failure of the defense to get the ball back sealed the Chargers faith, overall it was a good defensive effort. Three of the four lowest scoring games the record setting offense of the Broncos put up were against the Chargers. 28, 20, and 24 points for a team that was averaging about 39 a game. The other team that held the Broncos under 30 were the Chiefs on Week 11 (27 points). I also have to wonder if the game would have turned out differently if Shareece Wright hadn't dropped a sure interception on the Broncos 1st drive.
I've been hyping rookie WR Keenan Allen all year and he was really the only one that showed up on offense on Sunday against the Broncos. 6 catches, 142 yards, 2 TDs. The coaches were way too conservative against the Broncos. Rivers only threw 8 passes in the 1st half and ended the game 18-27, 217 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs. It wasn't garbage stats. The game was still in doubt when the Chargers started to throw the ball. There was still 3:56 on the clock when they closed the score to 24-17. I had all the confidence in the world that if they had gotten the ball back that Rivers would have led them to a tying TD.
I was pretty prophetic in my preseason post on the Chargers (Last Look Before the Season). In that post I said the Chargers look to be a .500 team and could possibly make the playoffs with a 9-7 record if they caught a few breaks. I also gave tight end Ladarius Green some props and thought he would eventually be Antonio Gate's heir apparent. I also thought that the coaching staff had a plan for Danny Woodhead even though he didn't play much during the preseason.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Chargers vs. Broncos, the Rubber Match
Random thoughts about the AFC playoffs...
OLB Melvin Ingram wasn't expected to play this season after suffering a knee injury in preseason, but came back to practice in just over 6 months. Ingram played a week later against the Giants and I don't believe that it's a coincidence that the defense has improved since Ingram came back. With Ingram in the lineup the Chargers beat the Giants 37-17, then the Broncos 27-20, and then the Raiders 26-13 despite the offense turning the ball over 3 times. Next was the Chiefs game that the Chargers should have lost. For some reason the Chargers couldn't get their collective act together for that game. Inexcusable for what it meant...a spot in the playoff. Regardless, the Chargers didn't squander the gift and upset the Bengals 27-10.
The other reason for the resurgent defense is that DC John Pagano inserted a new scheme for the Giants game. Jon Gruden called it the "Amoeba Defense" during the Thursday Night Broncos win after studying the Giants game the week before. I won't pretend to understand the ins and outs of how it works, but if you watch the Chargers defense they only put one or two of the front seven in a 3-point stance. They shift in and out of a 3-4/4-3 defense by using the weak side linebacker as either the OLB in the 3-4 or DE in the 4-3...in effect changing the roles of the players up front. Ingram's interception in the 4th quarter against the Bengals was a result of a shift from the 3-4 to 4-3. Ingram is the strong side OLB and the primary pass rusher in the 3-4, but when the Chargers shifted to the 4-3, the defensive end becomes the primary outside pass rusher. Ingram stayed in coverage and jumped the short route by the TE.
Before I give you the idea that "the Amoeba Defense" is something new, it isn't. Teams like the Browns, Steelers, Falcons, Patriots, and Saints (and most likely many others) have ran similar schemes from time-to-time (I notice that it's a base 3-4 defense sort of thing...I've never seen a base 4-3 team run it).
Interesting to note that, along with the Broncos, the three teams left in the AFC playoffs are the teams that gave the Broncos their three loses during the season. Colts 39-33 in Week7, Patriots 34-31 in Week 12, and the Chargers 27-20 in Week 15. The Chargers were the only one to do it in Denver.
Interesting note #2, the Broncos and Chargers have never met in the Playoffs.
Interesting note #3, Phillip Rivers is a perfect 6-0 when he wears gloves.
Whatever the reasons, the Chargers have historically given Peyton Manning a hard time. The Chargers are 7-6 all time against Manning. He is 4-4 vs. the Chargers at home. Manning is 3-1 vs. the Chargers since becoming a Bronco, including the 35-24 win in Denver in 2012 when the Chargers were up 24-0 at halftime aided by a fumble and interception return for TDs in the 2nd half. The other games were close...30-23 in San Diego last season, 28-20 in San Diego earlier this year, and the Charger 27-20 upset in Denver last month. While playing for the Colts, the Chargers knocked him out of the playoffs in back to back years (28-24 in 2007 and 23-17 in overtime in 2008) in the only times Manning has faced the Chargers in the playoffs.
I'm hoping the Chargers can even up the record against Manning on Sunday and keep the perfect record during the playoffs. It's going to take a great game on both sides of the ball against a record setting QB that is having the best statistical year in NFL history.
OLB Melvin Ingram wasn't expected to play this season after suffering a knee injury in preseason, but came back to practice in just over 6 months. Ingram played a week later against the Giants and I don't believe that it's a coincidence that the defense has improved since Ingram came back. With Ingram in the lineup the Chargers beat the Giants 37-17, then the Broncos 27-20, and then the Raiders 26-13 despite the offense turning the ball over 3 times. Next was the Chiefs game that the Chargers should have lost. For some reason the Chargers couldn't get their collective act together for that game. Inexcusable for what it meant...a spot in the playoff. Regardless, the Chargers didn't squander the gift and upset the Bengals 27-10.
The other reason for the resurgent defense is that DC John Pagano inserted a new scheme for the Giants game. Jon Gruden called it the "Amoeba Defense" during the Thursday Night Broncos win after studying the Giants game the week before. I won't pretend to understand the ins and outs of how it works, but if you watch the Chargers defense they only put one or two of the front seven in a 3-point stance. They shift in and out of a 3-4/4-3 defense by using the weak side linebacker as either the OLB in the 3-4 or DE in the 4-3...in effect changing the roles of the players up front. Ingram's interception in the 4th quarter against the Bengals was a result of a shift from the 3-4 to 4-3. Ingram is the strong side OLB and the primary pass rusher in the 3-4, but when the Chargers shifted to the 4-3, the defensive end becomes the primary outside pass rusher. Ingram stayed in coverage and jumped the short route by the TE.
Before I give you the idea that "the Amoeba Defense" is something new, it isn't. Teams like the Browns, Steelers, Falcons, Patriots, and Saints (and most likely many others) have ran similar schemes from time-to-time (I notice that it's a base 3-4 defense sort of thing...I've never seen a base 4-3 team run it).
Interesting to note that, along with the Broncos, the three teams left in the AFC playoffs are the teams that gave the Broncos their three loses during the season. Colts 39-33 in Week7, Patriots 34-31 in Week 12, and the Chargers 27-20 in Week 15. The Chargers were the only one to do it in Denver.
Interesting note #2, the Broncos and Chargers have never met in the Playoffs.
Interesting note #3, Phillip Rivers is a perfect 6-0 when he wears gloves.
Whatever the reasons, the Chargers have historically given Peyton Manning a hard time. The Chargers are 7-6 all time against Manning. He is 4-4 vs. the Chargers at home. Manning is 3-1 vs. the Chargers since becoming a Bronco, including the 35-24 win in Denver in 2012 when the Chargers were up 24-0 at halftime aided by a fumble and interception return for TDs in the 2nd half. The other games were close...30-23 in San Diego last season, 28-20 in San Diego earlier this year, and the Charger 27-20 upset in Denver last month. While playing for the Colts, the Chargers knocked him out of the playoffs in back to back years (28-24 in 2007 and 23-17 in overtime in 2008) in the only times Manning has faced the Chargers in the playoffs.
I'm hoping the Chargers can even up the record against Manning on Sunday and keep the perfect record during the playoffs. It's going to take a great game on both sides of the ball against a record setting QB that is having the best statistical year in NFL history.
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