The "Designated to Return" label can only be used on one player per season, so the Chargers won't be able to use the exemption for the remainder of 2014. Ingram suffered a hip injury in last weeks game against the Seahawks. Since 2012, the rule allows a player to return to action instead of missing the entire season as with a non-Designated to Return labeled IR. By the rule, Ingram cannot practice for at least 6-weeks.
This is really disappointing for me as it looked like the combination of Ingram and Dwight Freeney at OLB was causing problems for opposing offenses. Jarret Johnson, who missed the Seattle game because his wife was giving birth, will be back at outside linebacker and rookie Jerry Attaochu will see action as a designated pass rusher. I like Attaochu, he was all over the field in Week 1 against Arizona, but as a rookie he's not an every down player yet. Attaochu is listed as questionable for Sunday. Johnson is in his 12th season (first 9 with Baltimore) the last 3 as the Chargers starting OLB, but isn't the pass rusher that Ingram is. Chargers could also use Tourek Williams, who started last season when Freeney and Ingram were out.
Ingram's speed helped contain Russell Wilson (18 yard rushing) and the Chargers face another mobile QB this week in the Bills' EJ Manual. Johnson is tough against the run, but doesn't have the foot speed to run QB's like Wilson and Manual down from behind like Ingram can. Attaochu has the tools, but don't know how much he will play.
Some good news for the Chargers...Brandon Flowers, who missed the Seattle game with a groin injury, says he's comfortable running at full speed and cutting, so he should play against the Bills. It will be interesting to see if Flowers or rookie Jason Verrett is on Sammy Watkins. Mel Kiper Jr.'s rookie rankings has Watkins #1 and Verrett #2.
The Chargers can beat anyone if the offense keeps the ball in their hands. That's the key to every Chargers game. Although Ingram's absence will be missed, Donald Brown's performance in place of Ryan Mathews will make more of an impact. If Brown can replace Mathew's production the offense has a good chance of dominating time of possession. If they do that, the Chargers win Sunday over the Bills.
Showing posts with label Melvin Ingram. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Melvin Ingram. Show all posts
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Friday, September 19, 2014
Did the Chargers Show the Broncos How to Beat Seattle?
Watching the Chargers-Seahawks game on NFL Rewind. With the Broncos-Seahawks rematch coming up Sunday everyone is talking about if the Chargers provided the recipe to beat the Legend of Doom. My first reaction is that all the Chargers did was do what they did in almost all of their wins last year...hold the ball forever and protect their defense, which wasn't very good last season.
Right off the first possession for Seattle though I see a different Charger defense. OLBs Melvin Ingram and Dwight Freeney (both missed most of last season and never were on the field at the same time) made big plays. Ingram breaking in to the backfield stopping Robert Turbin for a loss then Freeman sacking Russell Wilson for a loss in back-to-back plays. Ingram picked up another sack on the Seahawks next drive. Chargers kept the pressure on Wilson all game and held him to 18 yards rushing.
The Chargers D also had a great series to seal the win. Seahawks tried the jet sweep to Percy Harvin that got them a TD in the first quarter, but the Chargers dropped Harvin for a loss. Pressure on Wilson made him flip the ball to check offs that the Chargers immediately stuffed for no gain on the next two plays. Last pass on 4th by Wilson had no chance. Rivers then took 3 knees and the Chargers kicked a FG to make the final score 30-21.
The question though, was did the Chargers show how to beat the Seahawks?
Well I saw a lot of things that the Broncos like to do that the Chargers were successful with. Mainly, bunch receiver sets and wide receiver screens. Chargers also went to a lineup with 3 receivers to the left with Gates lined up in a normal TE position on the right side of the line. This put Richard Sherman to the opposite side of the field from his normal position on the right side of the defense. If they split Gates out, then I believe Sherman would pickup Gates as a WR. Gates caught several passes out of this formation, including his first two TDs. I can see the Broncos going to this formation to put their talented TE Demaryious Thomas with the whole right side to work with against LBs and safeties. Will be interesting to see if the Seahawks have an answer for that.
What I saw that I don't believe the Broncos can duplicate is the way Phillip Rivers was able to escape pressure and the versatility of the Chargers' running backs.
While Rivers' mobility is sort of an oxymoron, he was able to escape the pressure several times to make plays including 17 rushing yards. On the last two TDs to Gates, Rivers escaped what could have been sacks before hitting Gates for the TD. Peyton Manning, at this stage in his career, doesn't have the same escapablity (is that a real word).
While RB Monte Ball is a talented back, he isn't a great pass blocker which was why he lost the starting job last year to Knowshon Moreno. All 3 of the Chargers backs (Ryan Mathews, Danny Woodhead, Donald Brown) can block, catch passes, and are good runners. It made it tough on the Seahawks to key on what the Chargers were going to do by what personnel was on the field. Ball also has just 5 catches through two games and C.J. Anderson has 0 catches so far this season. In this game alone, the Chargers RBs caught 9. WR Malcolm Floyd was shut down by the Seahawks secondary, but the Chargers RBs more than made up for it.
The one thing I really question about the Broncos is their ability to pressure a QB when they have to. Yes, I know that they signed DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller is back from injury. I also know that they recorded 5 sacks in Week 1 versus the Colts and 3 against Kansas City in week 2. The numbers are there, but in both games, with a big lead, the Broncos' D had a hard time putting pressure on the QB allowing both Andrew Luck and Alex Smith to bring their teams back with a shot at winning/tying the game at the end. Give the Broncos defense credit for preventing those scores, but it seems to me like living on the edge. Also, consider that both Indy and KC have offensive line issues.
I'm not saying I think the Broncos can't win. That's a very talented club in Denver that deserves to be the favorite to be the AFC Champion again this season. I just don't think the Broncos can duplicate the "hold the ball" formula the Chargers used to beat the Seahawks. To use a baseball analogy, the Chargers are built to hit singles and doubles. Besides Wes Welker, the Broncos have home run hitters.
The Broncos can win, they just need to do it their way and not try to duplicate someone else. On offense, there is no physical reason they should have been shut down like they were in the Super Bowl.
Mike McCoy was asked after the game what the Chargers did to beat the Seahawks, he said, "We played our game."
Right off the first possession for Seattle though I see a different Charger defense. OLBs Melvin Ingram and Dwight Freeney (both missed most of last season and never were on the field at the same time) made big plays. Ingram breaking in to the backfield stopping Robert Turbin for a loss then Freeman sacking Russell Wilson for a loss in back-to-back plays. Ingram picked up another sack on the Seahawks next drive. Chargers kept the pressure on Wilson all game and held him to 18 yards rushing.
The Chargers D also had a great series to seal the win. Seahawks tried the jet sweep to Percy Harvin that got them a TD in the first quarter, but the Chargers dropped Harvin for a loss. Pressure on Wilson made him flip the ball to check offs that the Chargers immediately stuffed for no gain on the next two plays. Last pass on 4th by Wilson had no chance. Rivers then took 3 knees and the Chargers kicked a FG to make the final score 30-21.
The question though, was did the Chargers show how to beat the Seahawks?
Well I saw a lot of things that the Broncos like to do that the Chargers were successful with. Mainly, bunch receiver sets and wide receiver screens. Chargers also went to a lineup with 3 receivers to the left with Gates lined up in a normal TE position on the right side of the line. This put Richard Sherman to the opposite side of the field from his normal position on the right side of the defense. If they split Gates out, then I believe Sherman would pickup Gates as a WR. Gates caught several passes out of this formation, including his first two TDs. I can see the Broncos going to this formation to put their talented TE Demaryious Thomas with the whole right side to work with against LBs and safeties. Will be interesting to see if the Seahawks have an answer for that.
What I saw that I don't believe the Broncos can duplicate is the way Phillip Rivers was able to escape pressure and the versatility of the Chargers' running backs.
While Rivers' mobility is sort of an oxymoron, he was able to escape the pressure several times to make plays including 17 rushing yards. On the last two TDs to Gates, Rivers escaped what could have been sacks before hitting Gates for the TD. Peyton Manning, at this stage in his career, doesn't have the same escapablity (is that a real word).
While RB Monte Ball is a talented back, he isn't a great pass blocker which was why he lost the starting job last year to Knowshon Moreno. All 3 of the Chargers backs (Ryan Mathews, Danny Woodhead, Donald Brown) can block, catch passes, and are good runners. It made it tough on the Seahawks to key on what the Chargers were going to do by what personnel was on the field. Ball also has just 5 catches through two games and C.J. Anderson has 0 catches so far this season. In this game alone, the Chargers RBs caught 9. WR Malcolm Floyd was shut down by the Seahawks secondary, but the Chargers RBs more than made up for it.
The one thing I really question about the Broncos is their ability to pressure a QB when they have to. Yes, I know that they signed DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller is back from injury. I also know that they recorded 5 sacks in Week 1 versus the Colts and 3 against Kansas City in week 2. The numbers are there, but in both games, with a big lead, the Broncos' D had a hard time putting pressure on the QB allowing both Andrew Luck and Alex Smith to bring their teams back with a shot at winning/tying the game at the end. Give the Broncos defense credit for preventing those scores, but it seems to me like living on the edge. Also, consider that both Indy and KC have offensive line issues.
I'm not saying I think the Broncos can't win. That's a very talented club in Denver that deserves to be the favorite to be the AFC Champion again this season. I just don't think the Broncos can duplicate the "hold the ball" formula the Chargers used to beat the Seahawks. To use a baseball analogy, the Chargers are built to hit singles and doubles. Besides Wes Welker, the Broncos have home run hitters.
The Broncos can win, they just need to do it their way and not try to duplicate someone else. On offense, there is no physical reason they should have been shut down like they were in the Super Bowl.
Mike McCoy was asked after the game what the Chargers did to beat the Seahawks, he said, "We played our game."
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