DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2018 NFL Season Looking Back: Browns 14 Chargers 38 Chargers Breakdown!!

Chargers depth chart:

http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/depth/_/name/lac

ok ok ok, just to start this off a positive, we always seem to play well against the chargers. no matter how trash our teams have been, we manage to keep the games close and competitive.

so i've started posting the rankings since we're deep enough into the season to start seeing the identities of each team. obviously, stats dont tell the whole story, and context matters, but its a good baseline to start. also, i will start posting our teams rankings in relation to theirs.

as always, lets start with the offense:

overall rank: 7th, 405.2 yards a game
passing: 13th, 289.6 a game
rushing: T-11th, 115.6 a game
scoring: 8th, 27.4

Browns defense:

overall rank: 27th, 398 yards a game
pass: 27th, 281.4 a game
rush: 22nd, 116.6 a game
scoring: 12th, 22.6 a game

ok, so we all know the chargers live and die by Rivers. and Rivers is have a great start to the season right now, with 13 TD's with only 2 picks, throwing for 8.59 yards per attempt. and this year, they are running the ball effectively, with melvin gordon averaging 4.6 yards a carry, with 3 TD's and no fumbles.

i'm comfortable with saying that this is the most balanced offense our defense will go against so far this season. They can torch us on the ground, and in the air, especially if Rivers gets hot. And when Rivers is on....good luck.

however, this is where our pass rush needs to finally get home. Rivers is not a mobile QB, and his LT and RT okung and barksdale are questionable to play. most likely they will play, but they are dinged up, which should be an advantage to our front 7, as rivers has been sacked 6 times this year.

however, as we've seen, sometimes we dial up blitzes as the worst of times, and melvin gordon will make us pay for that screw up. he already has 3 receiving TD's on the year, averaging 9 yards a catch. Him and Kamara might be the closest thing we get to playing against Gurley all year.


Also, Virgil green and keenan Allen are absolute studs. we all saw last year what Allen can do to us, and even with a new secondary, this is gonna be a tough matchup. also, don't sleep on antonio gates, as he's still dangerous. Our defense is gonna have a tough game if we can't atleast stop the run consistently, and i worry about our LB's getting exposed agains another great pass catching RB and really good TE's. The chargers don't really turn the ball over, so i wonder if we can be disciplined enough to not too take many risk.

Chergers defense:

overall: 15th, 365 yards a game
pass: 19th, 270.2 a game
rush: 10th, 95.8 a game
scoring: T-21st, 26 points a game

Browns offense:

overall rank: 16th, 376 yards a game
pass: 23rd, 231.4 a game
rush: 2nd, 144.6 a game
scoring: 20th, 22.8 a game

straight up, unless we can somehow find a way to run the ball, this is gonna have to be on Baker mayfield to win us the game. they are stout against the run, and while we are an excellent running team, i worry about Todd haley's play calls at the worst of times. We all love Denzel Ward, but he's in a battle for ROTY because Derwin james is an absolute beast. Casey Hayward is a solid corner, and Harrison will once again be up against a good DE in Melvin ingram. Bosa is out, so Hubbard's job might be a little easier this week, but i'm still considered about the right side of the line protecting mayfield. I worry about Calloway, and Jarvis might have coverage rolled his way.

however, this could be prime oppurtunity for david Njoku to finally pull his head out of his ass and have a monster day, as the chargers are vulnerable to TE's on defense. This could be a game where Njoku and Willies have great days as a pro.

overall, this game has the makings of a potential shootout. I dunno who wins, but due to our leaky defensive play, shotty special Teams, and our team dropping the ball so much, i'm unfortunately leaning toward the chargers in a close game 38-34.

we certainly have a solid chance to win this game, though. but some questions on how:

- can we limit the damage of Keenan allen and Virgil Green?

- are our LB's gonna be exposed this week?

- can collins/peppers limit Green's damage?

- Can we limit the effectiveness of melvin Gordon?

- can we pressure Rivers enough?

- Will our line get enough push on the ball to run?

- can our receivers catch?

- will we use duke more?

- can baker extend plays long enough to get guys open?

- will our kicker miss a XP and FG?

Can we stop their RBs from catching and getting YAC?

Can we get pressure on Rivers with the front 4?

Can we run the ball effectively to set up PA?

the Chargers are a better offense this year because of Eackler and Mike Williams finding his groove in the offense.
Rivers isnt being sacked as much this year. hes been able to checkdown to his rbs and they are good at getting YAC.
Keenan Allen is playing at a high level but hes had a quiet yet productive yr.
Tyrell Williams might be the one everyone sleeps on.
hes tall and can get behind CBs.Green isnt much to worry about..he has 105yds for the year.
I think Wiiliams will have to lay off the blitzes and let the 4 man rush get their.

statistically our D looks bad, but to be fair, it was the steelers and Raiders game that make the numbers look worse than it really is.

the stat that matters to me the most is scoring. and we're 12th. i think we would be top 10 if it wasn't for the raiders game. but it is what it is. we're allowing teams to move the ball, but not get in the endzone. thats important.

another thing that makes the stats bad is our secondary takes a ton of risk. its good and bad, but its why we're in the top 3 in takeaways. Williams is making these guys play with instinct and take risk. i can live with that.

offensively, we have to remember that we left a ton of plays out there with TT starting. i still agree with starting him at the beginning of the season, but our offense, at least passing wise, would rank higher if baker started *IN THEORY*

once ogbah is back into game shape, i think our pressures and sacks will go up as well, which is gonna limit the yardage we give up.

but again, the main stat to me that matters is scoring. and we're close to top 10 in that.

we're gonna have to blitz if we want to get pressure on rivers, IMO

is Tyrell fast, or is his route running that good?

Rivers is excellent in the pocket, no doubt. i think their right side is a weak point though, so maybe our DT's and ogbah might have a bit of success, as teams have to regularly double garrett now.

but i agree, we have to limit the blitz, cause they have weapons to eat us alive.

If we blitz Rivers he will pick us apart (like he did last year). We disguise our blitzes so poorly that QBs like Rivers know exactly what’s coming. We need Garrett and Ogunjobi to get pressure quick.

in 2016 when Allen went down Williams had a 1000 td season.
he averages about 16 yds a catch for his career.
hes like Josh Gordon..hes deceptively fast at 6'4.
hes the guy to worry about.
he has height radius and good hands.
then you have to factor in Benjamin and Williams.
Browns CBers better be on their game.

I believe Travis Benjamin is hurt.

I think you are spot on.

I said in another thread, we should try to ground and pound them. Wear out their suspect Defense running the ball, and throwing to our backs and TE a lot - and have them lower their shoulders *ahem, njoku*.

Put some hurt on them, and keep Rivers off the field. I think this is a game for us to win, we need to keep TOP on our side. If we get into a shootout, the bet goes with rivers IMO. If we keep the game run heavy or even balanced - it favors us.

Most everything you listed there is why I'd like to see stats/rankings for the Last 3 Games.

As for us running the ball and worrying about how stout they are against the run, we just ran it pretty well against a better Run D. I'm not saying that this guarantees us success, but it tells me that we are up for the challenge - without a doubt.

For their passing game, I'm literally not worried about whomever it is that Ward will be covering. It's going to come down to their RB/TE and/or their 2nd or 3rd WR. Ward simply takes pieces off the board and will punish you if you try to put them back on it too often.

The REAL question is going to be our WR's vs their secondary.
Actually, it might be the ONLY question in this game.

i think if we broke down the last 3 games, at least offensively, we'd be top 10 in all the rankings that matter.

i mean damn bro, our rookie QB was more efficient on third downs that Flacco was.

i agree with you about ward. i dunno what it is, but our LB's still look slow. and we seem to have a lot of mental farts, leaving RB's and TE's wide open in flats, and sometimes in the middle.

Calloway needs to show up. i know he's a rookie. but its one thing to struggle getting open or running routes. its another to be doing good in both those, but cant catch worth a damn.

I'll try, but I'm not very confident in my defensive game plan.

On offense:

--I think we need to control the ball as long as possible. I think we want to take the "air" out of the ball. That is a basketball term. Limit LA's possessions.

--I would run it a lot.

--I would let the clock bleed down each snap as long as we are still in the game.

--I would throw to the TEs a lot.

--I would throw a lot slants.

--I would roll Baker out on occasion and even let him scamper for yards and get out of bounds before being hit.

--I would not run any plays that would put us in negative down and distance situations.

On Defense:

--While Rivers is good under pressure, there is no way you can let him sit in the pocket.

--Thus, I would run some stunts w/the DL and some Double A gap blitzes that would pressure him up the middle.

--I would actually encourage him to roll out. No way do I want him to have time to step-up in the pocket. Up the middle pressure is key.

--I would play a ton of zone in this game. They have too many weapons.

--I would be very physical w/them. To the point that I would not be adverse to a couple of penalties. They are more skilled than we are. We have to beat them up and I think we might be able to.

Conclusion:

I don't feel real good about this game. The Chargers are loaded. They were my Super Bowl pick for the AFC Championship game. The good thing is that we are at home and this team has gained some confidence due to the Baltimore victory.

I think we lose, but I hope we are at least competitive.

I agree that pressure in Rivers's face is probably a big key.

plot twist:

what happens if Ward ends up shutting down Allen?

More hardware from Pepsi for the rook and John Dorsey bobblehead for fans at the Chiefs game.

I don't think we'd do it, but I'd but Ward on Williams. He is more of a big play threat.

Allen is legit. He and Rivers have good chemistry.

They are so tough because they have threats at all levels of our defense.

I fixed it for you

Great job as usual ... like the additional stats ... THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME to do this ... appreciate it ...

I’ll add a few factual things for now ...

- the bolts have lost to the Lambs and the Chefs ... possibly the best two teams in football ..

- the bolts have beaten the Jills in Allen’s first game starting, the faiders and squeekede by the niners led by betheard not JG ...

Not a real impressive list of wins but u can only beat who u play ....

I think this is as big of test for them as it is for us ....

There O is the most diverse we’ve seen ... they have more weapons than any team we’ve faced and a trigger man that gets it where it belongs very very quickly ...

Ward can shut anyone down ... its not a matter of if its a matter of witch skills will be the most important today ... Ward checks all the boxes .... thats rare ... very very rare ... he will fail sometimes ... Allen presents a different challenge and we need Ward to be up to the task when were not in the zone ...

We need to put pressure on Rivers with our front 4 ... if we can’t it could be a real long day ...

We can’t play that soft zone with the middle of the field wide open ... Rivers will kill us ... this is going to keep circling back to the front 4 ... Rivers can be rattled ... your just not gonna do it with blitzes ...

Gordon is real good and Eekeler is a weapon ... hes got some skills ....

Is Benjamin playing? ...we could really struggle with his speed and he is not very good but brings a whole new dimension to that O ...

Will be back later for some more ....

It looks as if they all will be nail biters!!!!!

link

Browns Heap Praise on Philip Rivers


We’re only five weeks into the 2018 NFL season and Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is on a historic pace.

If he continues at this rate, he is on track for career-highs in touchdowns and completion percentage.

Though Rivers is in his 15th season, the success he’s had doesn’t surprise the team’s Week 6 opponent – the Cleveland Browns.

“He’s one of the best quarterbacks in this league,” Browns Head Coach Hue Jackson said. “He’s still playing at a high level (and) completing over 70 percent of his passes, so I expect nothing but that from Philip. I see no decline in him at all. If anything, I’ve seen him continuing to get better.”

“I love Philip Rivers,” added quarterback Baker Mayfield. “I think he’s an unbelievable competitor. He’s a guy that gets the ball out quickly, gets it in his playmakers’ hands (and) puts his team in position to win. I love the passion for the game side of his mentality. That’s something I really do respect, and I’m looking forward to the challenge come Sunday.”


The Browns know stopping Rivers won’t be an easy task. Particularly, with all the weapons at his disposal.

“When you look around, having the young player out of Clemson, the receiver Mr. (Mike) Williams and obviously, you can’t take anything away from 13 (Keenan Allen),” Jackson continued. “He’s been as good as anybody in the league. The running backs are playing at a high level. I think they’ve been together long enough now that those guys know how Philip likes to play, and so now they’re creating those special plays among the team.”

Flipping to the other side of the ball, Mayfield will be the second rookie QB to go up against the Bolts’ defense this season. According to Mayfield, it’s not only what that stands out about the unit, but who as well.

“Number 54 (Melvin Ingram),” Mayfield mentioned. “You’ve got to keep your eyes out for him. (They’re) doing a good job of putting him in situations, mixing him around where he’s at on the line of scrimmage, mixing the looks up, confusing offensive fronts. They’re not bringing a whole lot of people but they’re really, really good at what they’re doing, so I think we need to be fundamentally sound to take care of that.”

Another defensive player the Browns will have their eye on this Sunday is safety Derwin James. Jackson called the rookie a “tremendous player” while Mayfield raved about how multiple he is.


“I wouldn’t do him justice to (name just) one particular thing (he does well),” Mayfield said. “I think he’s a do-it-all safety, and that’s what the buzz was about him before the draft. He’s just making all that come true now. He’s doing everything on the field. He can blitz (and) he can get back there in coverage. It’s impressive to see a rookie be able to do that for a defense.”

Pretty good video.

thanks for that!

Get in Rivers face, make him uncomfortable, knock him down, we win ...

Damn good.

The Chris Carter one that came up next is outstanding.

CC is one of my favorite analysts. He seems to really be able to communicate things well for me

This was a fun clip top watch.

Why? Because it sets up the big points... and doesn't trash CLE in the process.

Here’s my O breakdown ...

Gonna be tough to overcome the loss of Bake’s security blanket and then Willies ... how far has that room come? ...

Callaway is not ready ... we need him to make a few big plays ... Njoku has to step up ... he not only has to catch everything eh should he has to make some plays in the process ... maybe snag a few he shouldn’t have and/or make some people miss or run them over and make some huge YAC ... maybe deValve ... maybe Ratley ... Duke ...

Were asking an awful lot of our rookie QB .. but nuttin s fazed him yet ... he works as best he can with what he has and guys seem to believe in him ... its a tall task for a rookie ... lets see if he can rise to the occasion again ...

The OL and Hyde and Chubb and Duke ... EVERYONE NEEDS to pick it up ...

So far this team has shown GREAT RESILENCY ... this is another pretty big hill to climb ... i’m Not feeling good about this one .... but then that HOPE creeps in .....

Can’t wait for kick off ...

LETS GOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo

Ratley will have 6 catches for 83 yards and a TD.

Book it.

in his career? I'll take it

Mayfield is gonna drop a TD catch in the philly special.

if Njoku is playing there shall be drops

I'm counting on Njoku to have a big day. Well, me and my fantasy team.

GO NJOKU! GO BROWNS!