Game Day Thread - Chargers at Team

[cakmoney61]

31 minutes ago, skins4eva said:

Chargers had the ball for over 36 minutes and had 425 yards of offense.  We got our asses handed to us.  A better, more solid, well coached team could have perhaps pulled this one out at home, but not us.  Never us.  I love Ron R as a person, but he's a mediocre head coach and he's brought in below average coordinators, and it will haunt us all season.

I agree that the offense lacks imagination when compared to other offenses.  But it may have everything to do with the QB position. 

 

Also, I would like to give a huge shoutout to the officials who did everything in their power to give Washington the victory.  In fact, they were the reason Washington only loss by four points.  The way Washington was dominated from start to finish, nothing else explains it.

[NoVaSkins21]

6 minutes ago, Warhead36 said:

The game was lost on the missed FG. That set up the short field for the Chargers that allowed them to drive. The pick was nice but we were still inside our own 4 yard line and most likely would have punted it back to the Chargers on a short field anyway.

 

If we're able to at least make a FG, we're up 6 and the Chargers are resetting at their own 25 ish. Completely different set of circumstances.

 

 

I have ZERO faith in Hopkins making a 51-yarder.  I thought they could've maybe gotten a TD if not for Scherff committing a dumb holding penalty and they starting going backwards.

[Warhead36]

1 minute ago, Bacon said:

This game is one reason why total defense is measured in yards and not points. 

There are a lot of metrics to use.

 

I've always said the three most important are: red zone %, turnovers, and third down. If you're good at those three, you're probably pretty good on defense.

 

Turnovers, we got two, but one got us the ball inside the 5 and the other was a really fluky sack/fumble that led to a touchback that should have been an incomplete pass. Both takeaways were after long drives, but they took points off the board which is good.

 

Red zone % was okay. 50/50. We were a little over 50% last year which was 3rd in the league, so we appear to still be fairly stout in the red zone.

 

But third down was devastating today. I even commented when it was 3rd and 16 "they'll pick up this 3rd down" and lo and behold I was right. Whenever the Chargers absolutely needed a play they got it. It was really their own screw ups that prevented them from scoring 30+.

[Conn]

3 minutes ago, ExoDus84 said:

Not a lot to feel good about. Gibson was a stud, except for the killer fumble. 

 

Defense allowing the second most 3rd down conversions in franchise history is...putrid. Jesus.

 

Oline couldn't give Heini any time. Dline couldn't get any pressure on Herbert. 

 

Lousy performance against a good team. It's a miracle we only lost by 4. 

Gibson was fine. He’s being forced a ton of touches, but he’s not breaking off big plays or showing special vision or anything yet. He wasn’t a stud though, he was the focal point. He can be much better too, and it’ll help him when we’re less predictable in playcalling. But he doesn’t look exactly like a guy you WANT to force an offense through right now, he just looks good. Given the poor efficiency running your offense through a running back results in, he’d need to be a lot better than merely good for that to

be worth it.

[Warhead36]

Just now, SAli457180 said:

I have ZERO faith in Hopkins making a 51-yarder.  I thought they could've maybe gotten a TD if not for Scherff committing a dumb holding penalty and they starting going backwards.

Yep same. I even mentioned at the time we should have taken a 5 yard penalty and pooch punted it. Play field position up 3. When we were playing field position earlier in the game we were doing quite well.

[TysonM]

What this thread looks like right now.

 

 

 

From my perspective the Chargers looked like a very good team and that is why they won, a supreme QB combined with a dangerous defense.  Penalties really messed with us (glares at Scherff).  I thought there were some bright spots in the game, I'm still optimistic about the team, it's a long 17 game season and other than Fitz I don't think we got any injuries.

 

Now, it's time to crush NY on thursday, nothing else matters.

Edited September 12, 2021 by TysonM
dammit I still say San Diego

[Warhead36]

Just now, ConnSKINS26 said:

Gibson was fine. He’s being forced a ton of touches, but he’s not breaking off big plays or showing special vision or anything yet. He wasn’t a stud though, he was the focal point. He can be much better too, and it’ll help him when we’re less predictable in playcalling. But he doesn’t look exactly like a guy you WANT to force an offense through right now, he just looks good. Given the poor efficiency running your offense through a running back results in, he’d need to be a lot better than merely good for that to

be worth it.

Gibson is a good player. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being like Christian McCaffery, I'd put him at an 8 or 8.5. But you're right that he really shouldn't be THE focal point. Ideally he's another weapon on an offense that has a couple good receivers and a legit QB already.

 

But he looked real good today. The fumble sucked, but what are you gonna do, those things happen sometimes even to the best. Dalvin Cook just fumbled in OT to cost the Vikings the game(they were on a likely game winning FG drive inside Bengal territory and ended up losing at 0:00).

[Leonard Washington]

Scherff had a bad game. Two costly penalties and he was in a prime spot to fall on Gibson’s fumble and somehow lost it. 

[shakinaiken]

5 minutes ago, ExoDus84 said:

 

What do you expect when the defense allows 14-18 third down conversions? Holy ****, no wonder they were gassed. 

 

I don't know if I've ever seen a worse 3rd down conversion % by our defense. You're not going to win any games being that bad and not getting off the field. 

 

They were gassed on the first drive of the game. See James Smiths-Williams offside penalty. Also, 14-18 third down percentage, defensively, is as much on them, as it is on the back seven. The D-line was very far from, "elite" today. Just a fact.

[Skinsinparadise]

 

 

[Warhead36]

1 minute ago, TysonM said:

What this thread looks like right now.

 

 

 

From my perspective San Diego looked like a very good team and that is why they won, a supreme QB combined with a dangerous defense.  Penalties really messed with us (glares at Scherff).  I thought there were some bright spots in the game, I'm still optimistic about the team, it's a long 17 game season and other than Fitz I don't think we got any injuries.

 

Now, it's time to crush NY on thursday, nothing else matters.

I'm trying to avoid making any season lasting judgments based on one game. It could be that we're a decent to pretty good team that just ran into a Charger team that might end up being really good. It could just be a generally fluky Week 1(check out the rest of the league, some weird results).

 

If we come out with a big win against the Giants, and the Chargers smoke the Cowboys next week, things might look more clear.

[PartyPosse]

3 minutes ago, cakmoney61 said:

I agree that the offense lacks imagination when compared to other offenses.  But it may have everything to do with the QB position. 

 

Also, I would like to give a huge shoutout to the officials who did everything in their power to give Washington the victory.  In fact, they were the reason Washington only loss by four points.  The way Washington was dominated from start to finish, nothing else explains it.

Taylor had 16 pass attempts, Fitz had 6. 22 in all. The game plan was to pound the ball repeatedly with a guy who has never done it before. Scott was delusional in how he thought he was gojng to dominate offensively.

[Conn]

2 minutes ago, Warhead36 said:

Gibson is a good player. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being like Christian McCaffery, I'd put him at an 8 or 8.5. But you're right that he really shouldn't be THE focal point. Ideally he's another weapon on an offense that has a couple good receivers and a legit QB already.

 

But he looked real good today. The fumble sucked, but what are you gonna do, those things happen sometimes even to the best. Dalvin Cook just fumbled in OT to cost the Vikings the game(they were on a likely game winning FG drive inside Bengal territory and ended up losing at 0:00).

There’s a lot of truth to this, but I’ll just say that Gibson isn’t 80-85% of a fully healthy CMC. Not yet. He’s not that natural of a RB yet, and his physical skills earn him some extra yards but he leaves yards on the field that a more instinctive RB would get, too. Either way he’s good enough to be our starting RB, he’s just not so special that he can carry this team the way they want him to. They need to get more creative and be better passing the ball. 

Edited September 12, 2021 by ConnSKINS26

[Cooleyfan1993]

Did rivera say what the prognosis is on fitz’s injury or who will start Thursday? 

[skinny21]

10 minutes ago, shakinaiken said:

 

Awesome news. Our "elite" D-line was dragging, in the first game of the season. Bodes well for the rest of the season.

To be fair, they were on the field a lot.  LAC with 14 minute TOP advantage, and it’s got to be mentally exhausting to give up 3rd down conversions consistently. 

 

 

In the moment, I understood RR punting on 4th and 7 - putting the game on Heinicke is asking a lot, and leaning on our D makes sense.  After thinking about it though (and watching the clock run down), if you don’t convert, Chargers have a shorter field and likely can’t take as much time off the clock, plus the D has a chance at forcing a fg.  Then it’s a one possession game with some time on the clock.  If Heinicke converts, you’re in pretty good shape offensively and rest the D that much more.

 

Overall though, 4th and 7 isn’t a great position to be in (I like Heinicke’s chance to scramble for a 1st though).

 

Tough game.  Not too far off from what I expected.  Of course, I didn’t think we’d suck so bad on 3rd downs.  With an average secondary (I hoped they’d be better, but average was my expectation) and sub par linebackers, most qbs that can get the ball out quick are going to produce against us.

[RichmondRedskin88]

Positives- We’re looking at a great draft pick.  
 

 

[profusion]

Just now, Cooleyfan1993 said:

Did rivera say what the prognosis is on fitz’s injury or who will start Thursday? 

 

I believe he said he won't know more until tomorrow.

[CapsSkins]

Just now, Cooleyfan1993 said:

Did rivera say what the prognosis is on fitz’s injury or who will start Thursday? 

 

Said will know more on Fitz tomorrow, just that it's hip-related. Personally I'd be surprised to see Fitz go on Thursday on a short week after a pretty gnarly hip injury at his age. Especially with how Taylor looked. 

[PartyPosse]

1 minute ago, Cooleyfan1993 said:

Did rivera say what the prognosis is on fitz’s injury or who will start Thursday? 

I can’t see him being ready.

[No Nonsense]

11 minutes ago, ExoDus84 said:

Not a lot to feel good about. Gibson was a stud, except for the killer fumble.

 
Stud? 

[PartyPosse]

1 minute ago, skinny21 said:

To be fair, they were on the field a lot.  LAC with 14 minute TOP advantage, and it’s got to be mentally exhausting to give up 3rd down conversions consistently. 

They have no one to blame but themselves.

[skins4eva]

17 minutes ago, Warhead36 said:

The game was lost on the missed FG. That set up the short field for the Chargers that allowed them to drive. The pick was nice but we were still inside our own 4 yard line and most likely would have punted it back to the Chargers on a short field anyway.

 

If we're able to at least make a FG, we're up 6 and the Chargers are resetting at their own 25 ish. Completely different set of circumstances.

 

 

Hopkins is really the perfect kicker for this team. He’s emblematic of their consistent underperformance with zero consequence. We all knew there was no chance he was going to make that kick from 50. Meanwhile, I watched a rookie hit a 53 yarder like it was nothing. When the time comes that we have a chance to win a game on a long field goal, just remember when Hopkins misses it that this team from the coaches (and owners of course) on down, are not pursuing excellence. We are always plastering over a crumbling foundation. Sorry to be so negative but this was really and truly a horrific eye opening performance. We are a team with middle to upper tier talent at some positions but I think we will be drafting in the top 5. 

[Rex Tomb]

8 minutes ago, SAli457180 said:

I have ZERO faith in Hopkins making a 51-yarder.  I thought they could've maybe gotten a TD if not for Scherff committing a dumb holding penalty and they starting going backwards.

Scherff wants to be paid like an all pro, but he routinely makes those kinds of bone headed penalties 

[Redwolves92]

overrated defense and trash offense. whats new? Werent good last year either. Wont be anytime soon either. GG

[shakinaiken]

4 minutes ago, skinny21 said:

To be fair, they were on the field a lot.  LAC with 14 minute TOP advantage, and it’s got to be mentally exhausting to give up 3rd down conversions consistently. 

 

 

In the moment, I understood RR punting on 4th and 7 - putting the game on Heinicke is asking a lot, and leaning on our D makes sense.  After thinking about it though (and watching the clock run down), if you don’t convert, Chargers have a shorter field and likely can’t take as much time off the clock, plus the D has a chance at forcing a fg.  Then it’s a one possession game with some time on the clock.  If Heinicke converts, you’re in pretty good shape offensively and rest the D that much more.

 

Overall though, 4th and 7 isn’t a great position to be in (I like Heinicke’s chance to scramble for a 1st though).

 

Tough game.  Not too far off from what I expected.  Of course, I didn’t think we’d suck so bad on 3rd downs.  With an average secondary (I hoped they’d be better, but average was my expectation) and sub par linebackers, most qbs that can get the ball out quick are going to produce against us.

 

Agreed. And I'm very cognizant that its literally one game. But I can't discard the feeling that our vaunted D-line isn't as dominant as we perceive. I think Rio has to be more aggressive, defensively, moving forward.