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HARBAUGH vs MIKE MACDONALD! | Can Chargers Shock Seattle & Avoid 0-4? · The Thunder Down Under Chargers Podcast

0:11
Hey guys, what's going on? Andy and Alistair
0:13
here from the Thunderdown Under Chargers podcast.
0:16
Welcome to the preview of the Week 4 contest
0:19
at Seattle, hoping, praying to turn the tide
0:22
on a rocky, rocky start to Season 2026. Straight
0:26
to it, heading into Week 3, the reigning Super
0:28
Bowl champs sat at 2 -0 with wins over the Patriots
0:31
and Cardinals. The Washington commanders 0 -2
0:34
with away divisional losses to... Philly and
0:37
Dallas and a lengthy injury stint looming for
0:40
Jayden Daniels. So it was Marcus Mariota at the
0:43
helm taking over. First home game from the Commanders
0:46
and they came out sprightly, forcing an early
0:50
fumble on rookie running back Judarian Price
0:52
before swiftly capitalizing with a touchdown
0:54
and the lead. Man, the Commanders came out hard
0:59
at Seattle and it rocked them a little bit. A
1:03
couple of interceptions that really caused a
1:07
lot of game consequences, momentum shifts, especially
1:12
the late pick six. So definitely a few cobwebs
1:16
for Sam Darnold coming back in. We saw how well
1:19
Drew Locke ran the offense. So yeah, maybe just
1:23
a couple of, just a little bit of rust for old
1:26
Sammy D. The Seahawks really struggled to maintain
1:31
any consistency along the ground 18 carries for
1:33
44 yards at about 2 .4 per attempt however, there's
1:37
always salvage possible with trusty receivers
1:41
in AJ Barna and of course Jackson Smith and Jigba
1:44
who just towels it up again Flourishing in that
1:48
second half comeback attempt, but like I said
1:51
despite scoring those three touchdowns From their
1:55
six second half possessions. It wasn't enough
1:57
and The Washington commanders got away with one
2:01
thirty three thirty one God, it's a big week
2:06
week four for the charges We're sort of just
2:11
going whoo Seattle lost. There's a little smoky,
2:14
you know, there's a little there's a little sniff.
2:16
I don't feel like Seattle Al are Clicking like
2:20
they were last year in their run but man Like,
2:26
this stretch of games for the Chargers doesn't
2:28
get any easier, hey? No. You almost wish they'd
2:32
won the game because you feel like Seattle don't
2:34
have that many losses in them and the upset loss
2:36
to the Marcus Mariota commanders. It makes you
2:39
think, are they really going to lose two in a
2:41
row when they go back to home? Well, we better
2:43
hope so. Otherwise it's going to be 0 -4 and
2:45
then the season's really done. I mean, the stats
2:47
with your 0 -3 already something less than two
2:50
and a half percent since the NFL changed to a
2:53
17 game schedule. The only two recent ones I
2:56
can recall were from the Houston Texans. I think
2:58
last year they finished 0 -3. And then made the
3:01
playoffs. So it's not over yet. Yep. Sorry. Started
3:04
on three. Um, I still haven't recovered from
3:08
Jack's teachable moment earlier in the week,
3:11
man. I'm still not ready to record. Yeah. I set
3:15
the studio up again and it just took me straight
3:17
back to the, to that. That was, that was excellent
3:20
stuff. We're going to get kicked off YouTube
3:22
if we don't moderate the language. So we'll try
3:23
to keep it PG for the listeners on this one,
3:26
but check out our show earlier in the week. If
3:28
you missed it, there was a lot of that angry
3:29
talk after a bad loss, but no, no, Andy. I think
3:33
this, that the commanders essentially set some
3:36
kind of a blueprint for how to take advantage.
3:40
of the turnovers that you can get from Sam Darnold
3:44
when things aren't quite working. And you can
3:46
get from a rookie running back in Judarian Prize
3:49
early in the game. Amit Robinson punches the
3:52
ball out. It's exactly what we did a couple of
3:54
times in the game of Buffalo. So I do think there
3:57
are a few chinks in the Seahawks armor, at least
4:00
on the offensive side of the ball, that gives
4:04
you a fighting chance earlier in the game. Yeah,
4:06
you could definitely you definitely saw that
4:08
later in the game like they were able to get
4:10
chunk yardage Down the field like they stopped
4:13
running the ball Probably in the third quarter
4:17
So that is obviously like a glaring threat especially
4:21
with the impending absence or not of Dion over
4:25
Dante Jackson we're waiting to see how his concussion
4:28
protocol goes, but There's definitely chinks
4:34
I think let's finish on the chinks and how we
4:37
can kind of, you know, take advantage of that
4:39
and, uh, have a look at how, like how we face
4:45
up to them as we are, because if Dante Jackson's
4:47
not there, what, how do you feel about the depth
4:50
at cornerback or lack thereof coming up against,
4:54
you know, if Cooper Cup gets going, like there's
4:56
guys in this Seattle offense. Yeah. Unlike last
5:01
week, heading into the game. I'm now feeling
5:06
a bit better about our back end, even if there
5:09
is one weak element. I mean, I think Shelly probably
5:12
won't play again after his performance. I think
5:14
we will see Dean Leonard get the opportunities,
5:17
or they'll just roll in with more still and heart,
5:21
right? And maybe use an extra corner a bit less.
5:26
But whereas last week, I went into the game saying,
5:29
I'll protect the house and let them beat you
5:30
on the ground. I'm actually going about it the
5:33
opposite way this week. I think your only real
5:36
chance to stop this offense is if you stop the
5:39
run so you can get them out of their preferred
5:42
under center passing game because where they're
5:45
really dangerous pushing the ball down the field
5:48
is from under center is using play action and
5:51
then you I see Brian Fleury who's come across
5:53
from the 49ers. He started really really well.
5:57
I don't think you're stopping Jackson Smith in
5:59
Jigba really. They just line him up in too many
6:02
different areas. He can play in the slide, he
6:04
can be the X, he can be the Z. They split him
6:07
out in the backfield sometimes. He's going to
6:09
have his yardage. Your only chance is if you
6:12
kind of keep their running game to two and a
6:14
half yards a carry. That at least makes them
6:16
a bit more predictable with their drop back passing
6:19
game. That's at least something that I'm thinking
6:21
about. And one other thing, Andy, you just need
6:23
to be aware of how much they like to hit that
6:26
tight end screen. Whether it's Barna or Arroyo,
6:29
whoever else, they had two big completions to
6:32
AJ Barna in this game. It worked twice for explosives.
6:35
We should be used to that because the Chiefs
6:37
have done that over time with someone like Travis
6:40
Kelsey. So Derwin, I'm looking at you. You played
6:43
well last week. This is the kind of thing where
6:45
you've got to stop those explosive passes and
6:48
bottle up the running game. Yeah, while we're
6:50
on Derwin, good to see that the fractured pinky
6:52
doesn't look like it inhibited him too much.
6:56
So happy with that. So Seattle ranked 28th, uh,
6:59
in rush APA. How do you see Chris O 'Leary addressing
7:02
that in like personnel wise? Do you think that's
7:06
a, you know, you've struggled a bit and, uh,
7:09
where we don't need to load the box up. What
7:13
do you think? Yeah, I think we can do what we
7:15
essentially did against the bills, which is use
7:17
our odd front with five men on the line of scrimmage,
7:20
two linebackers, four corners on early downs.
7:23
I actually think Judarian Price is quite a talented
7:26
back, especially on outside zone runs. The other
7:29
guys who end there at the minute were Manuel
7:31
Wilson, George Helani, these are slower dudes.
7:35
Currently our run defense is 10th in EPA per
7:38
play, so that even without Tomlinson... I think
7:41
the team has a pretty decent chance. The Bills
7:43
are a much better rush offense to me than the
7:47
Seahawks, and we did a decent number on them,
7:50
at least in the first half. So I don't think
7:51
we need to get too cute. I don't think we need
7:53
to run blitz. For example, Andy, I don't think
7:55
we need to play eight in the box, cover three.
7:58
I think we can play split safeties and just trust
8:02
the seven, at least initially, to start the game
8:04
until it's shown not to work. Yeah, I tend to
8:07
agree with you. What impressed me a lot, and
8:10
I was pinching myself that I didn't get to talk
8:14
about it when we were talking about Chris O 'Leary
8:16
earlier in the week, but is just the presence
8:19
of a pass rush plan, stunts, like we really didn't
8:22
see that sort of stuff. It was so vanilla and
8:26
four sacks on Josh Allen, three turnovers forced
8:31
on Josh Allen, and then the defense obviously
8:33
got the other turnovers as well. That's such
8:38
a critical aspect to the defense and I think
8:44
you're right. The Edgers can lift their game
8:46
a little bit from where they were in the run
8:48
game last week, you know, sort of setting the
8:51
edge and containing the runs inside the tackles.
8:54
I think Henley's playing really well at the moment.
8:57
We're getting great contributions from the Delshon
9:02
Phillips, Troy Dye, the linebackers. and I rate
9:06
our safety and our defensive back group for the
9:08
most part in run defense so I totally agree with
9:11
you I think if we can stymie that then you've
9:14
just got to be uh yeah Derwin James wary of AJ
9:19
Barna and then I don't know a safety help over
9:23
JSN and just not get not get caught into playing
9:27
man against him I think he's really going to
9:29
tear us up Yeah, I think O 'Leary will not do
9:32
much of that at all. I think they'll be very,
9:34
very minimal. It might be two or three snaps
9:36
a game when you're tricking them and you go six
9:38
man pressure and play man. We'll see it a couple
9:40
of times, picking and choosing maybe in the red
9:42
zone. Another wrinkle that we didn't discuss
9:45
on the recap show is weeks one and two, this
9:49
didn't happen, but O 'Leary started using Henley
9:51
as one of his five men on the line on a few pass
9:54
rush rips, reps actually out on the edge. And
9:56
on a couple of them, he was there mainly because
9:59
He threatened Blitz and then he dropped off and
10:01
just stood there as a QB spy in case Josh Allen
10:04
took off with his legs. Sam Darnold can surprise
10:06
you and do some of that himself. So I wouldn't
10:09
mind if the team does at least allocate a spy
10:12
occasionally, particularly on third down. That's
10:14
another way you can stop them just stealing those
10:16
first downs, even if the coverage is good behind
10:19
you. Yeah. Yeah. He'll pinch you for like a 14,
10:22
a third and 14, you know, kind of. Just that
10:26
fourth and seven dump off Alan kind of nonsense.
10:29
Anything else on the Seahawks offense and how
10:32
the Bolts defense sort of faces up? No, because
10:36
I'm feeling better about it than I would have
10:38
been. I know their numbers are pretty good. They're
10:40
still an explosive team, but the Patriots kept
10:43
them relatively under check. They got all their
10:45
yardage against the Cardinals, and we don't think
10:46
they're going to be a really good defense this
10:48
year. And then last week, the commanders managed
10:50
to... do a look a decent enough job and we're
10:54
coming off five turnovers. So I think that matchup
10:57
could be worse for a team that has an 0 -3 record
11:01
heading into week four. What do you think about
11:04
the other side of the ball though? Yeah well
11:06
man is this the greatest stress test for the
11:08
Chargers offense season to date? This is the
11:11
the business of defensive units with a mastermind
11:15
in charge and we've come up incredibly short
11:21
on three occasions to lesser men than Mike McDonald.
11:27
So if I'm asking, I'm answering, it's a big yes.
11:30
And I don't think you're going to argue with
11:32
that. It might even just be the greatest defense
11:35
in the league. So it's the greatest stress test
11:38
for any team. Talk to me about Herbert finding
11:45
answers. in this Mike McDonald scheme. It's obviously
11:48
got its similarities to Jesse Minters. So there's
11:51
a little bit of familiarity with Herbert. How
11:55
different is it? And are you concerned about
11:59
how Herbert is going to process this defense?
12:03
Because he's seeing stuff at the minute. Yeah,
12:07
I'm very concerned because we haven't seen it
12:11
yet. If Herbert of previous years, I'd feel pretty
12:14
good. I'd feel like you've got the tape out.
12:16
Their defense, as you said, is similar to Minter's
12:19
last year. Herbert should, in theory, know the
12:21
soft spots in this defense. McDonald's the progenitor
12:24
of the system. So he's come up against this defense
12:26
all the time in the off season. Unfortunately,
12:29
to beat this kind of defense, it requires decisive
12:32
quick throws in the direction of the pressure.
12:34
They do like to send their nickel pressure. Ryan's
12:37
written about Sanduce and Naileduce and whenever
12:40
you say with a spoon essentially blitz off the,
12:42
from the corner, especially when you run condensed
12:46
splits, like the charges do that invites cornerback
12:49
blitzes because the corners are kind of closer
12:51
to the, to the edge of the defense. So you've
12:54
got to be wary of that, but you should throw
12:57
in the direction of the pressure very quickly
12:59
and use those underneath outlets. When you're
13:02
playing a team that runs heavy, quarters, heavy
13:05
cover six, a bit of cover two, your soft spots
13:08
against cover four and cover six generally are
13:11
in the flats or in that kind of space in your
13:15
kind of hook zone area if you can run some dig
13:17
routes, some dagger concepts, and the commanders
13:20
did that really well. In the red zone, they hit
13:23
this tight window skinny post for a touchdown.
13:27
I can't remember, it might have been Traylon
13:28
Burks. Scored scored that touchdown and I think
13:32
the Seahawks are missing a guy who really makes
13:34
that all run on the back end handy Julian love
13:36
is out and a name familiar to charges fans AJ
13:40
Finley. Yeah. Geez that's a blast from the past
13:45
so so he's there like Josh Job is not the best
13:49
cornerback in the world Terry McLaurin rag dolled
13:51
him a few times unfortunately I just don't think
13:55
Andy we've got an X receiver. Who you can just
13:59
throw the ball to their back shoulder and trust
14:01
they're gonna make a catch like wouldn't it have
14:02
been nice if we were the team that signed Avante
14:05
Adams in free agency a year or so ago because
14:08
that's what this offense is missing someone who
14:11
can make things right when the scheme doesn't
14:14
or when lad Can't get open. So yes long answer
14:18
to a short question, but there are a couple of
14:20
the things yeah They are they're feeling very
14:26
thin at In the defensive back unit because they
14:30
they lost some guys and they didn't really replace
14:33
them They drafted but Nick M and worry. He had
14:35
a little bit of a hamstring twing after his return
14:38
from surgery he did come back into the game,
14:40
but you know, that's still a cloud of sorts and
14:45
Yeah, you're right there the communication, I've
14:48
seen some film breakdown of the Seahawks versus
14:51
the Patriots and just the way that they recognize
14:55
and communicate with each other and just change
14:57
up which of the linemen's dropping into coverage
15:00
and it just absolutely destroys the offense.
15:04
You can't hold the ball. If you hold the ball
15:06
in this game, like Demarcus Lawrence or there's
15:10
Byron Murphy and there's a Chen and Nwosu and
15:12
they just find a way to get to you and their
15:14
linebackers are pretty aggressive and heady after
15:16
the football as well. So, so you do need to just
15:18
get that ball out of the quarterback's hands
15:20
as really as quickly as you can. Yeah. I think
15:23
that's been a big thing that sort of surprised
15:25
me with the, the McDonald scheme and just the
15:29
stuttering of the offense is that there's been
15:31
a lack of the ball getting out quickly. Cause
15:33
when Herbert does get the ball out quickly, Obviously,
15:36
he's efficient. He's not getting pressured. More
15:39
completions. It's when he's hanging on to the
15:41
ball, protection breaks down, sack on third and
15:46
nine. Kind of drive over, game over stuff. So,
15:50
yeah, I totally agree. There are ways to kind
15:53
of take advantage of the defense, especially
15:58
with the familiarity. think Monk McDaniel really
16:02
needs to just fill his boots fill all those trendy
16:05
sneakers that he wears and And ball up to be
16:09
honest and actually coach a winning formula Impress
16:13
us man. Let's see some of these screens here.
16:15
Let's see some more play action We're not running
16:17
anywhere near enough play action 23 % or something.
16:20
It's like a drop backs nine drop backs in the
16:22
game So this is this is the time and if you want
16:25
to just We're also fickle of sporting fans charges
16:29
fans just want to see a win Do you know how quickly?
16:31
Everyone will change their tune if the charges
16:34
come out and look really good on offense and
16:36
score 35 points in this game And suddenly everything's
16:39
click it will change overnight mate if we score
16:41
35 on the Seahawks I'll do next show nude. Yeah,
16:44
me too. Let's lock it in you've clip it off I
16:49
want to talk about one more thing. Please kind
16:51
of before we get into maybe Last little bits
16:55
the current state of the charges special teams.
16:58
How do they fare against return of Rashid rice?
17:00
He's had three return TDs since the Hawks traded
17:03
for him from the Saints We're missing some tackles
17:07
on special teams, man. It's not the the fine
17:09
-tuned find oiled machine Not and we're missing
17:13
some kicks as well. So Shahid poses a significant
17:16
threat man. So that that hidden yardage It's
17:20
gonna matter. I don't feel great about it. The
17:22
other hidden yardage in this game, Andy, is the
17:25
ones that get left on the field by both of these
17:28
conservative coaches. I've spoken oftentimes
17:30
about Harbaugh's conservatism. Mike McDonald's
17:33
extremely conservative on fourth down because
17:35
of how good his defense is, especially in the
17:38
first half of games. There was an example of
17:40
a fourth and four on the first drive. They pretended
17:43
to go for it. They tried to get them to jump,
17:45
took the delay of game, punted. They'll do that
17:47
stuff. Hubble, here's your chance. You can steal
17:50
a possession. You can steal a score in this game
17:53
if you kind of take advantage of the other side's
17:56
conservatism. Do I think he will? I don't know,
17:59
but I'd love to see it. I think that's an opportunity
18:01
in the first half of this game. All right, quick
18:04
game in one minute, mate. You get a one game
18:08
heist. So you get to pinch five players from
18:12
the Seattle Seahawks to play for the Chargers
18:14
in this game. One offensive skill player, one
18:17
O -lineman, one front seven defender, one defensive
18:20
back and a wild card. Go. Okay. Well, Jackson
18:25
Smith in Jigba is the obvious one. On their offensive
18:31
line. I will just take either one of the guards,
18:38
and I know they're rotating at right guard because
18:40
of the situation of our current guard. You said
18:43
I get one front seven player? Defensive, yep.
18:47
I'll take Byron Murphy. Okay. Because I think
18:50
a bit of interior pass rush wouldn't go astray,
18:53
even though Jack's been blowing on the old Justin
18:55
Aboigbe, I still wouldn't mind a bit of Byron
18:57
Murphy. And what's the fourth one, a wild card?
19:02
Uh, you got a DB and a wild card left. Oh, lovely.
19:05
I'll take with a spoon and I'll take M and worry.
19:07
Imagine if you can just have it and worry and
19:09
do an end with a spoon on your defense. Let's
19:12
how do you think I went listeners? That's pretty,
19:14
pretty good. That's pretty good. Yeah. I went,
19:16
uh, AJ Barna over M and worry and I picked gray
19:20
Zabel and Leonard Williams. I took over by Murphy
19:24
leading the team in Sax this year. So can't go
19:27
wrong. There's just, there's a lot, there's a
19:29
lot of good stuff to choose from. Lot of good
19:31
stuff to choose from on that Seahawks team. It's
19:33
gonna be an incredible test for the Chargers
19:37
Part of me says we can't go oh and four. That's
19:40
just not right But part of me also says got a
19:44
long way to go Hmm got a long way to go Al score
19:48
prediction Mike McDaniel Sam Darnold and the
19:53
guys made fun of Jim Harbaugh on all in they're
19:57
laughing at him You know that it was done with
19:59
some, some good humor, but the Donald's impersonating
20:03
him and joking that he, you know, he, he breathes
20:05
with his mouth open and this kind of stuff. It
20:07
could have been nicer talking about, you know,
20:10
the former mentor and head coach, uh, that he
20:13
spent all this time with. I just don't think
20:16
this charges team is an own 14. And I know people
20:20
will call me crazy. I don't care. This is the
20:24
game. The team wins. They almost did it against
20:26
the bills. I think this is the game that just
20:30
sucks us back in and the Chargers are gonna win
20:32
at Lumenfield 27 to 24. Wouldn't be nice to do
20:37
the recap show. Let's go, one and three, guys.
20:41
27 -24 Chargers. Yep. Ladies and gentlemen, Alistair
20:45
Lloyd. I don't quite share the same optimism.
20:50
I'm going Seahawks 27 -21. I will gladly eat
20:53
my words. We all need this win so bad. Thanks
20:58
for sticking with us guys and hopefully it is
21:01
a great result for the Chargers. We will see
21:03
you next time on the Thunder Down Under Chargers
21:06
podcast.