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MCDANIEL’S LAST CHANCE?! | Chargers vs Rams Week 8 Preview · The Thunder Down Under Chargers Podcast

0:12
What's up guys? Welcome to the Thunder Down Under
0:14
Chargers podcast, Andy and Alistair here. No
0:17
main show this week and no Jack liked the Chargers.
0:20
He's taken the week off though still toiling
0:23
away behind the scenes to get this show to you,
0:27
the listeners. Al, we were ready to get recording
0:30
the second something, anything got announced
0:33
out of Chargers land, but nada. Surprised? Not
0:38
surprised. I think the noise was all external.
0:41
I thought it was very unlikely, very unlikely
0:45
that the Spaniard would give up on an asset within
0:49
six weeks. I mean, it's taken almost 16 years
0:53
to give up on Trey Pickens. So with the money
0:55
they've tipped into Mike McDaniel and the hype
1:00
around the team. This was always going to be
1:03
a week of reflection and making tweaks and all
1:06
that kind of thing. For my part, man, this was
1:08
a pleasant week because we had no charge as football
1:11
to ruin it. Uh, how do you feel coming off the
1:16
bye week, mate? Uh, I feel like I've clawed back,
1:21
you know, a heart. You know, if you think of
1:25
like a heart in a Mario game, one of those hearts
1:27
of my love for, for the sport, having not, like
1:31
you said, so aptly, uh, having not succumb to
1:35
another charges loss this season. So yeah, good,
1:38
uh, refreshed, but I'm so unsure of what I want
1:43
for the rest of the season. Right? Like, do you
1:46
want to just tank it out, suck more and just
1:49
absolutely hate the season land yourself? First
1:54
overall pick or do you want to see something
1:57
get a bit of enjoyment out of it? I'm probably
2:01
the latter Yeah, just not a good loser really
2:06
And Ryan put it well this afternoon from powder
2:11
keg our buddy. It's win -win really. I think
2:15
enjoy enjoy Hope for wins. If wins happen, be
2:19
happy about it, guys. I've been a little bit
2:21
maudlin today saying, hey, we could be dead this
2:24
time next year and I'll never see the draft pick.
2:26
So I want to win each week. That's maybe too
2:28
unnecessarily despondent, but you should enjoy
2:33
watching your team and wanting a win. God knows
2:35
I don't. We're investing four hours of our time
2:38
every Monday. One would assume it's because you
2:41
want to watch entertaining football and victory.
2:43
Right. But then. The beautiful silver lining
2:47
is if the team doesn't win, it only advances
2:48
your draft pick. So I think listeners this season
2:51
is now win win mode from here on out. Very glass
2:56
overflowing with water there, which is good to
2:59
see because it's pretty doom and gloom in Chargers
3:01
land. So, uh, that's, that is a, that is an excellent
3:05
way of, uh, describing your vibe after the bi
3:10
-week. And before we hit the Rams. What are you
3:15
expecting to see from this team? Well, what have
3:19
you been thinking or reflecting about this bi
3:22
-week, about the football team? Because I can
3:25
tell you what I've been thinking. It just kind
3:27
of came to me while you were doing your intro.
3:30
I think we're talking about feedback time. We're
3:34
going to get a lot of feedback. We've been going
3:37
through feedback in my workplace. Anyone who
3:39
works a corporate job knows this compulsory feedback
3:42
at a certain time of the year. And you don't
3:44
always like to hear the feedback that people
3:46
throw your way, but I think just watching these
3:49
games from now on Sunday's, mate, we're going
3:52
to see do the players care? Are the players checked
3:57
out on the season? Does this coaching staff have
4:00
the ability to adapt and make changes? Do the
4:06
Spaniard have the ability to either take their
4:10
hands off the strings or make some tweaks? that
4:13
work can schematically, Mike McDaniel potentially
4:17
do less of what he wants to do and more of what
4:20
suits his current personnel. I think we're going
4:22
to get a lot of feedback and we don't always
4:25
like what we hear when, when we get it, but it's
4:27
going to be interesting to see play out. Yeah.
4:30
I think if you're hoping for a lot of those things,
4:32
you'd be wildly disappointed, especially anything
4:35
to do with the spawners having less control or
4:38
doing something good. Uh, Yeah, I just want to
4:43
see some change. I want to see change in McDaniel.
4:48
I completely agree with your point on him adapting
4:51
to what he has rather than what he wants or his
4:54
ideal situation. He's living in a very, uh, kind
4:58
of altered reality, which is probably no surprise.
5:02
Uh, I want to see an identity for this football
5:04
team, for this offense. And I want to see Justin
5:07
Herbert stop throwing these interceptions. Don't
5:11
expect the world because if lad was if a banged
5:14
-up lad McConkey is your best receiver then We're
5:18
in a little bit of trouble and we're not going
5:21
to be throwing for 350 yards a game But just
5:26
you know a few of those little things Because
5:28
they're the absolute killers and you know, they're
5:31
the big they can be a big reason why you lose
5:33
games as we've seen so Things can change and
5:37
yeah, I agree. I like the win -win mentality
5:41
because if it doesn't work and it's not going
5:43
to work against proper outfits and we're not
5:45
through this horrid uh schedule run so um we'll
5:51
see and it's a good test of coach harville who
5:54
has not been in this position before and he spoke
5:57
today and he said it sounds like herbert and
6:01
mike mcdaniel have been spending an incredible
6:03
amount of time together going through things
6:05
and reflecting and making tweaks it sounds like
6:09
they had some kind of open mic night or open
6:12
mic day with the player open mic night open mic
6:16
you got mike mcdaniel up there on the stage with
6:19
his freaking guitars improv why does it always
6:24
rain on me but apparently they've had the hard
6:30
conversations the honest conversations and we'll
6:33
see surprise us If they want to, I know everyone's
6:36
turf the season, given up on the season. If they
6:39
really want to surprise us, come in and beat
6:41
the Rams, be one and six, and then your schedule
6:44
starts to soften up. You're going to play a lot
6:46
of teams with losing records who have injuries
6:49
and who aren't world beaters and see if you can't
6:52
get some momentum rolling as the season goes
6:54
on. Surprise us. Yeah, exactly. Balls in your
6:58
court charges. We will. Now get on to where the
7:03
Rams have been this year they've been to Melbourne
7:05
we came we went and saw them And they probably
7:10
haven't been the Super Bowl prima donna that
7:13
they were labeled in the offseason It's been
7:16
a bit of a stumble to get where they are And
7:22
all this sort of star power hasn't really panned
7:24
out Myles Garrett's on IR Aaron Donald isn't
7:28
Aaron Donald that he was when they won the Super
7:31
Bowl But they scorched the Raiders Got massively
7:37
hot in the first half and scored touchdowns on
7:40
four consecutive drives to pile on an insurmountable
7:43
28 to 6 lead at the half and run away 35 to 21
7:48
In the end against, you know, what's been a pretty
7:52
High -scoring Raiders team. So to keep them to
7:54
three scores or thereabouts Stafford and Puker
7:59
I thought did enough but it was that running
8:01
back tandem in Kyron Williams and Blake Coram
8:03
that pulled on 192 yards, a score and Sean McVeigh
8:09
and his 13th personnel. Davis Allen, two touchdowns.
8:15
They just do what they need to do, don't they,
8:17
on offense, Al? They look like a professional
8:20
outfit. Not gonna lie. They look dynamic and
8:25
adaptable. The Rams, what a deep team that can
8:27
cover for injuries looks like. They have lost
8:30
Devonte Adams. They were going at the fourth
8:33
highest pass to run ratio in the league. So they
8:36
were airing that thing out. And then last week
8:38
they said, well, we no longer have Devonte Adams
8:40
and the guys behind him. Guys like Jordan Whittington
8:44
and Kanata Mumfield and Tutu Atwell. So do you
8:47
know what? We're gonna lean into our two fantastic
8:50
running backs and our three terrific tight ends
8:54
and we're gonna run the ball with reckless abandon.
8:57
And they did and they were unstoppable. So it
9:01
wouldn't it be nice to just be able to pull those
9:03
levers and go, okay, we lose one of the hottest
9:06
wide receivers in the NFL. We still got Puka
9:08
and we still got Stafford and let's just run
9:11
the ball. different ways, downhill, a touchdown
9:16
off a toss play, play -action working, it was
9:21
pretty impressive. And then on the defensive
9:23
side of the ball, I mean, they're missing Miles
9:25
Garrett, Puna Ford, Kobe Turner, and Trent McDuffie
9:28
in this football game. They look pretty good
9:32
to me. I don't know. I was, I think the record
9:36
of this teammate might belie the way they're
9:38
trending. I know Rams fans are quite upset at
9:41
the moment. And with their three and four record,
9:43
they've asked who have we actually beaten? Cause
9:45
their wins have come against the giants, Eagles
9:47
and Raiders. But that looked clinical to my untrained
9:52
eye. And when we played the Raiders, it did not
9:54
look like that. No, it did not. Uh, clinical
9:59
is a great way to describe it at times. Like
10:01
once they'd gone. past that sort of hot streak
10:03
of scoring, the game was kind of boring. They
10:05
were just like, just dink, dink, dink. And, uh,
10:10
you're right. It just looks clean. It looks,
10:13
uh, it looks reliable. Um, you sort of get what
10:17
you're expecting. And that is a bit of a worry
10:21
for me coming up against Chris O 'Leary's defense,
10:25
uh, 22nd, I think in the run game and. This is
10:32
just going to be a, a world of pain against,
10:35
um, Williams and Coram. Yeah. And I, but I think
10:41
like the numbers on our run defense are interesting.
10:43
The yards are high, but the EPA is really good.
10:45
So I always think EPA is better because I think
10:47
teams are running the ball against us a bit more
10:49
and we're seventh in EPA. They're just doing
10:51
it a lot, right? They're, they're like, we get
10:53
that we're wherever we're ranked pretty poorly
10:56
for. rush yards conceded. It's because they're
11:00
running, teams are running the ball on us. And
11:02
because they've had the lead. So why wouldn't
11:04
they in these games? So I actually think you've
11:07
got to be careful with certain stats and that
11:09
might be one of those, but it's not to say we're
11:13
a perfect run defense and having no deal in James
11:16
Hurts against three Titans. It's been confirmed
11:19
today that he's closer to going on IR than returning.
11:22
He's suffering some, he suffered a setback somehow
11:25
during the bye week. dance party over at Derwent's
11:28
house. So that's not good, but I think they should
11:35
basically run a version of a similar game plan
11:37
to the one they ran against the Chiefs who I
11:39
said on the last show we did. They played a lot
11:42
more man coverage so they had the extra dedicated
11:45
resource in the box and every now and then K9
11:48
got his own. But I think for the most part that
11:51
was that's probably the only way we can really
11:54
win this game because I think if you don't stop
11:57
Coram and Kyra and Williams, you're just, yeah,
12:01
you're not going to win time of possession. You're
12:02
not going to score enough points for their offense.
12:05
It ain't happening. Yeah. I think the, the key
12:07
will be winning the early downs and sort of taking
12:12
away that whole three tight end play action,
12:16
full menu availability. Throughout the game.
12:19
It's really putting the pressure on them early
12:20
Stafford's not I think he's had 12 Turnover worthy
12:24
throws so far this season. So the the pick that
12:27
he had against the Raiders probably wasn't his
12:29
fault But he does you know, he can make decisions.
12:31
He's a gunslinger Yeah, I did it what I actually
12:35
sat up on the couch and got oh No, no, it's the
12:38
other LA team that I go for 28 to 6 that can't
12:43
be us No, it's an attempted short pass to one
12:46
of his tight ends who just fumbled it up into
12:48
the air and Nakobe Dean, who has the knack of
12:50
doing those things, just picked it off. That's
12:52
kind of what kept the Raiders in the game. And
12:54
I have a feeling we're going to need that kind
12:56
of turnover luck. Karen Williams fumbled a ball
12:59
as well. So I think that kind of thing is what
13:04
we'll need. Matthew Stafford, interesting stat.
13:07
So the offensive line looks terrific for the
13:09
Rams. They've allowed the second fewest pressures
13:12
per drop back. Wouldn't it be nice dare to dream?
13:16
But when you get pressure on Matthew Stafford
13:20
his pff grade is thirty six point five When under
13:24
pressure seven of those turn over worthy plays
13:27
have come when he's been under pressure They're
13:29
not easy to get pressures on but maybe some targeted
13:34
overload blitzing the Rams one sack the Raiders
13:38
had a nice game and stunts up front And, and,
13:42
and I think it was Dotson and the running back
13:45
both went to pass, protect the spiker and talking
13:48
to Hemingway, the loop that came around straight
13:50
up the middle clean. I'd like to see more of
13:52
that because I don't think the charges D -line
13:54
runs enough stunts or games. So that's one area
13:57
I wouldn't mind seeing a tweak on defense. Otherwise
14:00
they've been good all year. Yeah, agreed. Sacked
14:03
on only 3 .7 % of his dropbacks. I think the
14:06
key for O 'Leary will be not to. Do it relentless
14:11
not to sort of blitz relentlessly, but just be
14:13
a lot a lot more smarter and strategic with pressure
14:17
plans like you said stunts Because that's the
14:22
sort of that's the way that you can kind of get
14:24
to him and disrupt his timing Which is you know,
14:28
it's it's a it's a big thing of their offenses
14:32
that timing so They've just got so many ways
14:34
they can hit you though, man. We've been talking
14:37
almost five minutes about the Rams' offense.
14:39
We haven't really talked about Pukin and Akua
14:42
and the way they basically go here. Go man, screen
14:45
pass, PA boot into the flat, dig route. Here's
14:48
a short curl when you turn upfield for a touch.
14:50
He's just a freak. He's an absolute freak. And
14:56
then they mirror run and pass so well. With their
15:01
three tight ends. You've got no idea if it's
15:03
a running player a passing play and in the Ren
15:05
zone It just you know, they'll do that little
15:07
leak Yeah, if one of their three tight ends Davis
15:10
Allen had two touchdowns like that and you could
15:12
just see the Raiders just had no idea They look
15:15
the exact same you play run whoop off you go
15:18
behind touchdown How do you yeah? Somebody you've
15:22
stopped them. I don't think I don't know. I think
15:24
they're here. How do you think the charges? How
15:27
do you, especially without Dylan James, how do
15:29
you think the Chargers line backing group will,
15:31
you know, cue into that, that, that call for
15:35
coverage? Yeah. Trouble. Trouble. I think we're
15:40
going to have Del Sean and Henley on the field,
15:42
basically entire game. You may get die. Maybe
15:45
I'd get dying there in red zone plays who might
15:47
just be a bit quicker to cover instead of biting.
15:51
Del Sean might bite a bit more, same with wax.
15:54
So I think maybe you'd use the linebackers a
15:56
bit more strategically, depending on down and
15:58
distance and where you're on the field, that
16:00
kind of thing. Yeah. But jeez. I mean, I hope
16:04
we get Dante Jackson back because bracketing
16:07
is probably important and he can be one of those
16:09
guys. Yeah, agreed. It's just a little, it's
16:14
a little too much to ask of the, the youthful
16:17
DBs that we've got, even though they've been
16:19
playing good football, but. Tony Jefferson is
16:23
going to have to have a big game too. I just
16:25
think that he's like smarts are going to be crucial
16:30
on this defense and helping out. That's not good,
16:33
man. We're really at the point. That's where
16:35
we're at, isn't it? TJ is very good on the gold
16:38
line. He'll make that huge playing fourth down.
16:42
Yeah, we need turnover luck in this game. I dare
16:45
say we need at least two for this to be competitive.
16:50
Yeah. Well, one place that we could find them
16:54
and we're improving and the Rams are ranked 32nd
16:56
is special teams. Uh, so there is, there are
17:01
opportunities. I've been critical of the special
17:03
teams. Most of us have so far this season, but
17:06
that chiefs game was actually a bit of a turnaround
17:08
with the, uh, the, uh, fumble, the force, uh,
17:13
fumble and recovery. And the Rams have been susceptible
17:17
to a pretty average. special teams unit this
17:21
year. So, um, hidden yardage will be crucial
17:25
and not allowing the Rams to start possession
17:29
in our half of the ground. That would be critical
17:33
too. We've got a fighting chance. I watched the
17:35
Raiders, you know, as you did, of course, watching
17:38
the Raiders game in the first quarter, they allow
17:40
two long kick returns and a long punt return.
17:43
Then later in the game, they allow a fourth and
17:45
five fake, fake punts conversion. Yeah. Uh, and
17:51
they lose big, big fat ass Harrison Beavis Meavis.
17:53
He gets cut, uh, after the Bills game, I think.
17:59
Their kicker. Yeah. Blake Groupie chums in. Yeah.
18:03
I think they, and they've just got in Brandon
18:04
McManus, the former Bronco. You saw how Groupie
18:07
did his ACL, didn't you? Remind me. Oh, he did
18:11
what JK Scott refused to do in the pre -season
18:13
and went to tackle a returner and got polaxed
18:17
and it somehow tore his ACL. because he rotated
18:20
through the air 40 times before he hit the turf.
18:23
So Jake, I had the right idea. You deal with
18:25
a little bit of mirth and criticism from fans
18:28
for all of what, two days, four days, and everyone
18:31
completely forgets. And then he's thinking, you
18:34
guys don't understand. I want to collect two
18:36
and a half, $3 million this year. And it's a
18:39
per DM, per game check. I'm absolutely not tackling
18:45
this guy in pre -season week three. Yeah. What
18:49
I'd like to say, I don't need JK Scott to be
18:51
laying, laying the smack, but I'd love to see
18:54
a cheeky little fourth down throw converting
18:57
to something. Just give us a little bit of hope
19:00
as a... I'd like to see him punt the ball 35
19:03
yards. That would be nice. It's true. He's trying
19:07
to hit the roof every time. Can we get a bit
19:08
of length on that thing? Put the field, kindly.
19:13
Is it too much to ask, JK? Okay. Onto the Chargers
19:20
offense. Where do we want to start in this game
19:23
on this side of the ball? Cause this is the big
19:25
like show us something, surprise us, make me
19:29
feel anything. Yeah. Joe Walt should play, uh,
19:35
which is, are we putting him at left tackle and
19:38
disrupting Travis Burke? Are we moving him and
19:40
moving Travis Burke to right tackle? Cause Alex
19:42
Harky can't play over Burke surely. No, and we
19:46
should have said Harky was a Absolute disgrace
19:49
against the chiefs in past protection. We didn't
19:52
really bother in the last show. We were just
19:53
ranting and raving We didn't go into individual
19:55
player performance It showed we got a seventh
19:58
-round rookie at right tackle who cannot pass
20:01
protect and I think it was four or five pressures
20:03
and he was the weak spot Travis Burke was fine.
20:06
So I'd go alt at left. I'd go Burke at right.
20:10
It's a real shame Coyote Oshika just can't come
20:13
back like The team didn't place him on IR. I
20:17
was thinking, Hey, maybe you've got a chance.
20:19
Like guys who you plan to start on the line from
20:22
left to right. Like that's your week one starting
20:25
three from left to right, but he's not practicing
20:28
still with his fibula. I think we're six weeks
20:30
in now. So it looks like it'll be more Logan
20:33
Taylor. I'm afraid. Yeah. Well, at least Joel
20:38
back because we'll need it. Even though Miles
20:41
Garrett's remains on IR, uh, it's still, you
20:45
know, the run defense alone, minus Turner and
20:48
Puna Ford, as you mentioned before, still kept
20:51
the Raiders and Ashton Gentry to 48 total yards
20:54
and just crushed Clint Kubiak's sort of mojo
21:00
in that game. That's a lot of pressure for, you
21:05
know, the charges to run the football and develop
21:08
the play action. So it's going to be interesting
21:12
to see how McDaniel kind of comes up against
21:15
that. sort of shock, which he should anticipate,
21:18
I think. Like, you've got to go into the game
21:21
planning that your offensive line, be it all
21:23
rookies, thereabouts, is probably going to get
21:26
beaten quite a bit. So plan for that quick game.
21:33
Where do you see it being? Where do you see our
21:36
greatest chance on offense? Because they're still
21:41
a good coverage team. They're second, I think,
21:44
even though McDuffie's out. Gosh. It's a shame
21:52
because as of today, McDuffie is trending towards
21:55
making his return. And so is Nate Landman, their
21:58
starting linebacker. And one of my keys in this
22:00
game was going to be, well, you don't have McDuffie
22:02
on the one side, who's one of the better cornerbacks
22:05
in the NFL. On the other side, you've got Jalen
22:07
Watson, who's playing really well. We listeners
22:12
will maybe remember him from Kansas City. They
22:15
got both the Kansas City corners, and he had
22:18
three pass breakups against the Raiders. They
22:20
targeted him eight to ten times, and he was brilliant.
22:25
But then I was going to say, when McDuffie's
22:28
not in, you've got Emmanuel Forbes who weighs
22:30
170 pounds, and the moment he's in the game,
22:33
you run the ball stretched to that side of the
22:35
field. That's what you do. And then you have
22:39
the fourth string cornerback, Josh Wallace, who's
22:42
been playing OK, but he gave up deep. Pass interference
22:45
against the Raiders, and maybe you test him out
22:48
down the field. Alas, that's not what's going
22:50
to happen. So what do I want to see in this game,
22:52
Andy? I want to see... What do you want to see?
22:55
Do what we've been asking for, at least what
22:58
Jack's been asking for for weeks, what fans have
23:00
been asking for. Simplify a few things. Probably
23:05
less of the pre -snap motion. I know you want
23:08
to do it a lot. 75 % of the time must be too
23:13
much. with the way this team's been playing with
23:15
all the pre -snap penalties. So how about 50
23:18
% of the time? How about 45 % of the time? Maybe
23:21
you can reduce some of the penalties. Definitely,
23:24
it's time to just go, Amarin Hampton, let the
23:28
shared workload across the backs is hurting our
23:31
timing and momentum, causing confusion, substitutions.
23:35
We're wasting timeouts. We've got penalties.
23:38
Yeah, let's see a 22 carry game from Amari and
23:41
Hampton. Let's run between the tackles a little
23:43
bit more. Let's run without 21 personnel all
23:48
the time. I looked it up, the Chargers are running
23:50
21 personnel at a league high rate. It's 26 .95
23:56
% where it's just one tight end and Matlock.
24:00
Usually it's Kola. The league average is 5 .9
24:03
% for this personnel grouping. We're doing it
24:05
27 % of the time. And we rank 22nd in EPA from
24:10
that personnel grouping. What that kind of does
24:13
is it telegraphs you're going to run the ball
24:15
because they're not really pass options. Cole,
24:18
Lara and Matlock, they're not scaring anybody.
24:20
So the defense loads the box. I want to mine
24:24
some more old fashioned run the ball out of 11
24:26
personnel with three wide receivers, Hampton,
24:29
out of the shotgun, inside zone. You might just
24:33
catch six guys in the box. And then I'll take
24:37
a Marion Hampton one -on -one with a linebacker
24:39
instead of eight guys crowding the box. Yeah,
24:42
good chair, good chair. Those are just a few
24:44
things. Simplify your past concepts. Forget the
24:47
dirty bunches where you have three by one formation
24:51
and the guys pre -snap on the bunch side change
24:55
positions and one guy's in motion so they release
24:58
in different orders. It's just not working. They
25:00
look confused. They're getting each other's way.
25:03
They don't run the routes with precision. So
25:05
I wouldn't mind. Let's go. Greg Roman, old school
25:07
two by two formations. Simplify the thing Andy.
25:12
That's, that's my mantra for one week. Can't
25:15
be worse than what we've been doing. No. And
25:17
it's more than apparent that it's been too complex,
25:21
too complicated. The message is not getting across.
25:24
So simplifying seems to be the only way. I think
25:26
that's one of the big changes that I'd love to
25:28
see coming out of the bi -week. Do you think
25:32
Harbaugh would have been having conversations?
25:35
What's your gut? We see the Harbaugh as he presents
25:40
to the public impresses and then they've now
25:42
had 14 days to work out how do we fix this thing?
25:47
Do you think Harbaugh has been telling McDaniel,
25:49
I want you to do this, or do you think he's more...
25:53
you know, differential than that as a leader,
25:56
what's your take? It's a tough one. If you'd
25:58
asked me this about Harbaugh when he was at the
26:00
49ers, I would have said, certainly he would
26:02
have, um, been rah rah demanding. I don't know
26:08
if he's like that now. I don't know if there,
26:09
if he, if he has the comfort in his relationship
26:12
with Mike McDaniel, if they feel like they have
26:15
the sort of the rapport to, uh, you know, to
26:19
talk to him that way, even though he's sort of
26:21
the boss, um, But, uh, I think he has to have
26:28
said something, right? He has to have kind of
26:29
got stuck in and, and told him to change. And
26:34
he would have heard the noise and, and relayed
26:37
that on. McDaniel would, they'd all be hearing
26:38
the noise. And I think the writing's pretty blatantly
26:41
on the wall about wake up and realize that you
26:47
can't do all the things that you used to be able
26:49
to do with Jalen Waddle and Tyree Kill. You don't
26:51
have those specimens at your disposal. So. I
26:57
don't, I really hope you did. I really hope you
27:00
would. Me too. Cause I mean, it's been pretty
27:05
damning. I've had to watch it every week multiple
27:07
times on different angles. Steve Smith put out
27:10
a video with James Palmer earlier today, again,
27:12
showing some of the disconnect between scheme
27:16
and players. A lot of these routes where Herbert's
27:19
there waiting to throw the ball and the receivers
27:21
not in the spot yet, cause they're not fast enough.
27:23
They don't move around quite quickly enough.
27:26
And you've just got to make more changes quicker.
27:29
Six weeks is enough. I'm sure at the start, as
27:32
an OC, you don't want to depart completely from
27:35
the plan for multiple reasons. One, you're hoping
27:39
it's going to work with time, right? You're thinking,
27:41
they'll get better. This is teething. These are
27:43
growing pains. They'll get there. This is the
27:45
scheme. This scheme works. They're going to get
27:46
there. They're going to get there. Six weeks
27:48
is enough where if it's not happening, you've
27:50
got to make drastic changes. And early, He's
27:55
also worrying about the egg on his face and confidence
27:58
from the team if you decide to throw out the
28:01
game plan and the playbook after one week and
28:03
go, we're going to simplify this down to year
28:05
nine high school concepts. That's condescending.
28:08
Players are like, what? Well, we spent the whole
28:10
off season talking about how we're going to take
28:12
the lead by storm. At this point, now McDaniel's
28:16
going, OK, my job's online. This is a square
28:19
peg in a round hole. Hopefully we see some change.
28:23
We'll know within the first two drives based
28:24
on what kind of plays they're calling. I can't
28:27
wait to see it. It's going to be good. Do you
28:30
think the scripted stuff will tell you a little
28:32
bit more than how he reads the game? Well, that's
28:38
actually, that's an even better comment. I think
28:41
you're right. I think it will be quarters two
28:43
and three. We'll see how he adapts. And we'll
28:46
see how patient he is. We'll see how tempted
28:49
he is to do something that he might've liked
28:51
to have done with Miami, you know, a backwards
28:54
pass or a flea flicker or whatever trickeration
28:57
he feels moved to do. I don't think it's the
29:01
way to go. Pass. How do you feel about the passing
29:06
game in this one? So pass protection, holding
29:09
a gap up against the Rams D line and the charges
29:13
current pass receiving. options, pass catching
29:16
options. Yeah, so I sort of mentioned a banged
29:20
up McConkey as your sort of best guy is concerning,
29:27
especially against whether McDuffie plays or
29:30
not, it's still a good secondary. So there's
29:33
worry there. What concerns me the most about
29:37
the protection is Aaron Donald and Braden Fisk
29:41
on the interior defensive line for, and look,
29:46
young as well, like they've got, they've got
29:48
guys, uh, and that just inexperience and cold
29:54
strange on the interior offensive line is just
29:58
going to get absolutely pancaked, just flattened.
30:03
So I really, I really need to see some efficient
30:09
screens, quick game, stuff over the middle. Do
30:14
what Matt Stafford did to the Raiders. I think
30:16
it was. I want to say 8 of 9 within 10 yards
30:21
of the line of scrimmage. Just that, just quick
30:24
connect, just move the ball. But have we got
30:28
the pass catchers to break into those routes?
30:30
Have we got the tight ends to, you know, provide
30:32
a viable chip block and then leak into the...
30:36
Turn around. Yeah, turn around. Ronday Gadsden.
30:41
I don't really know what the solution is. I'm
30:44
just... hopeful that Herbert doesn't get obliterated,
30:48
really. Yeah. I don't think the Rams D, I might
30:54
live to regret this, but I don't think they're
30:56
world beaters up front this year. I think they're
31:00
struggling to sack the quarterback. I think Donald
31:02
still commands respect. He's now, it's amazing.
31:05
He's now just a good defensive tackle. He's not
31:08
a really good defensive tackle. He's a good defensive
31:11
tackle who can still disrupt the game, but you're
31:13
used to seeing the best player of all time. So
31:15
it's a bit of an adjustment. Byron Young is their
31:20
most dangerous guy, but then you've got a Michigan
31:22
Wolverine second year player or rookie in Josiah
31:25
Stewart, and you've got Fisk, who's developing.
31:29
But I think the team's got a fighting chance
31:31
up front. Chris Schuller's been playing more
31:34
man coverage. In week one, when they played in
31:37
Melbourne, they ran all this zone, got criticized
31:40
for it, and they've tried to become a greater
31:42
man coverage team. I don't necessarily think
31:45
we've got the guys who can beat that. There probably
31:48
needs to be some crossing routes off play action
31:50
to give us a chance, but Ladd playing in this
31:53
one is a really big one for me. It's Ladd -McConkey
31:57
playing. It's attacking over the middle of the
31:59
field against their linebackers. I think we're
32:01
not going to have a lot of success outside the
32:03
numbers, especially if Trent McDuffie is back.
32:06
Quinton Lake is a dude in the nickel. They've
32:10
got... decent safeties and kitchens and curl.
32:14
I really think you're getting, you're trying
32:15
to get a running back mat matched up on a linebacker.
32:19
We're running a wheel route. You're trying to
32:21
get your tight ends matched up on linebackers
32:24
in the middle of the field. That's where the
32:25
team's going to be. It's just not been where
32:27
we've done anything this year in the middle of
32:30
the field. There's just been no damage with that
32:31
has there. We're hopeful, but we're not expecting
32:36
much. Why would we based on what we've said?
32:40
No, it was definitely more hopeful 32 minutes
32:43
ago I Don't even know if it was hope it was just
32:50
a feeling fresh Here's the hope mate. Here's
32:54
the hope alt is back and lad mcconkey looks like
32:57
he's definitely back If Lad looks like he did
32:59
on the first drive of week one against the Cardinals
33:01
and he's catching three play -action passes and
33:04
he has 55 yards receiving, three catches on drive
33:08
one, and Herbert's high -fiving, he's high -fiving
33:11
his buddy Old, they're sitting there going, noooo!
33:14
Kissing each other. We know. We know we're back
33:19
in the game. Forget Madison Beer. I've got Joe
33:22
Odd back. I've got Lad McConkey back. Give us
33:25
something to feel good about charges or lose
33:28
and we can get the number one overall pick. Yeah
33:32
Don't say forget about Madison beer. Don't do
33:35
that Anything else to add on this before we wrap
33:39
it up tonight, sir No, just inviting comments
33:44
inviting views Inviting, you know engagement.
33:47
It's been good. Yeah, we've got it We've we've
33:50
been hearing the stuff you saying we've loved
33:52
chopping it up with you in the comments but I
33:54
think the biggest question now is Do you walk
33:57
into games wanting a win or do you walk into
34:00
games wanting a loss? I think it's a great conversation
34:03
piece. I think you either think life's too short.
34:05
I watch football. I want to win. Winning culture
34:08
matters. We need to build things and get things
34:11
going. Or you think tank, tank, tank, Jeremiah
34:15
Smith. We actually have quite a good roster.
34:17
So this is our one chance to bottom out, get
34:20
a whole bunch of high draft picks and reload
34:22
next year with a different offensive coordinator
34:24
like Shane Steichen. When you say it that way
34:29
My prediction is Rams 27 Chargers 17 Chargers
34:34
are gonna go 4 to 0 and 7 in this game and then
34:38
I think they are gonna work their way into some
34:40
victories playing some teams who have some issues
34:42
the Jets and the Bucks and the Texans and and
34:46
whoever else but this week the Rams scared me
34:48
too much Andy how they looked against the Raiders
34:50
I think it's gonna be too good for us Yeah, like
34:53
I said, there's we've said it the The Rams were
34:58
without key personnel, and will be without key
35:01
personnel in this game, but they just have broad
35:05
depth and, if you can say that, and they are
35:10
a well -oiled machine. I can't say the charter's
35:13
winning this one, sadly, so 0 -7 it is. And we'll
35:18
see. We'll check the temperature. Jack can be
35:21
our barometer next week. He may have totally
35:24
checked out. He'll be doing the show in a Hawaiian
35:27
shirt or something. We'll be hearing a bit of
35:32
Aaron Donald. Yeah. We're certainly going to
35:33
hear about that. I look forward to hearing about
35:35
that. That'll be good stuff. All right guys.
35:39
Thanks for tuning in. Appreciate it. Appreciate
35:42
you. We'll see you next time on the Chargers
35:44
podcast. Good night to all!