Tag: Chargers film room

Chargers film room: Poona Ford anchors strong Week 1 defense

Poona Ford was one of the bright spots for the Chargers defense that held the Raiders to 71 yards rushing in a Week 1 victory.

The Chargers looked like a completely different run defense in the first game of the Jim Harbaugh era, holding the Raiders to just 71 yards on the ground as a team.

Instrumental in that effort was defensive tackle Poona Ford, who signed a one-year contract with Los Angeles in the offseason after playing a depth role for the Bills in 2023. Penciled in as a starter nearly by default because of the Chargers’ struggles on the defensive interior, Ford broke through with one of the best games by any defensive tackle in the NFL in Week 1 to aid Los Angeles’ defensive effort.

Let’s turn to the film to see how Ford made his impact.

Ford started strong on the opening drive of the season, pushing Raiders center Andre James into the backfield and forcing running back Zamir White to funnel his carry back inside on 3rd and 1. White’s cut brings him back into the path of Joey Bosa pursuing on the back side of the play. Bosa makes the play, forcing a Raiders punt.

On the next Raiders drive, Las Vegas lines up to go for a 4th and 1 from their own 41, bringing tight end Michael Mayer into the backfield in a pistol look. Ford beats James instantly off the snap and runs through Mayer, causing a pileup in the backfield that absorbs White and stuffs the Raiders. The field position set up the Chargers for the opening field goal of the game.

Ford initially gets driven off the ball by Raiders guard Cody Whitehair on this toss play in the second quarter as James pulls to support the block, but Ford gets past the double team and helps close the hole alongside cornerback Kristian Fulton to limit White to a gain of 2 on first down. Fulton slips a block from Mayer to help Ford make the tackle.

Coming out of the two-minute warning, the Raiders try to set up a screen to running back Alexander Mattison, but Ford reads the play after getting through the A gap without much resistance from James or Whitehair. Instead of chasing after Gardner Minshew, Ford runs with Mattison and tips the ball. As Mattison tries to corral it, Ford continues to play through his hands, eventually knocking the ball away and forcing the Raiders into a third down.

On a 3rd and 7 in the third quarter with the Chargers leading 9-7, Jesse Minter dials up a sim pressure with Junior Colson, Daiyan Henley, and Derwin James all walked up to the line of scrimmage. All three of them come on the blitz while Ford briefly engages with Andre James before dropping into a zone over the middle. The design prevents the Raiders from sliding the protection to either side. Henley jumps to get in the throwing lane of Minshew and Colson breaks into the pocket for a pressure, forcing a throwaway. Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson missed a 49-yard field goal on the next play, leading to a Chargers touchdown drive.

Zooming out to the field view for this 3rd and 10 from the Chargers 23, the seventh play of a pivotal Raiders drive early in the fourth quarter. Las Vegas runs a screen to wide receiver DJ Turner on the outside and has three blockers, including two offensive linemen, for three Chargers defenders in front of Turner. As he approaches the first down marker, however, Turner is chased down by Ford, stopping him short of the sticks and forcing the Raiders into a field goal attempt to make the game 16-10 rather than setting up a red zone first down to cut the lead to two.

Ford caps off his performance – and the game – with this tip drill interception just after the two-minute warning. Khalil Mack drives right tackle Thayer Munford Jr. back as Minshew tries to swing the ball to Mattison. Mack gets his hands up and bats the ball into the air right as Ford disengages from his blocker. Unlike most defensive tackles who let the ball fall into their chests, Ford extends outside his frame slightly to make the catch and gets to the ground to secure the victory.

Ford continuing his strong play will be instrumental in the Chargers fielding a top defense this season, as his Week 1 tape was some of the best Los Angeles has gotten from a defensive tackle in the last couple of seasons. Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack both looked impressive as well, setting up a potentially dominant Chargers front if all three can sustain their levels of production.

Chargers film room: Justin Herbert’s phenomenal performance vs. Vikings

Justin Herbert was lights out in the Chargers’ victory over the Vikings.

On Sunday, Justin Herbert went 40/47 for 405 yards and 3 touchdowns, finishing with the best completion percentage of any quarterback to throw at least 40 passes in the Next Gen Stats era.

The scariest part: he could have been even better.

Let’s get to the film.

Film room: Breaking down Chargers’ dominant run game vs. Dolphins

Dissecting one of the best overall team rushing performances in team history.

While it may not have been the 1-0 start the Chargers were hoping for, Los Angeles had one of the best overall team rushing performances in team history. In fact, their 66.7% success rate is tied for the seventh-best rushing performance in the league over the past decade.

How did offensive coordinator Kellen Moore scheme it up?

Chargers film room: Michael Davis shines in victory over Dolphins

Michael Davis was a key piece in slowing down the Dolphins’ passing attack.

Michael Davis wasn’t even supposed to be on the field this much this season.

After a down 2021, the Chargers signed J.C. Jackson, a seemingly obvious replacement for Davis, given second-year corner Asante Samuel Jr.’s progress on the opposite side. Like Davis, Jackson is a corner who excels playing press, but the former Patriot is also a ballhawk. Once Davis officially lost his starting gig to Samuel in the preseason, it seemed like he’d be a clear-cut candidate to open the 2023 offseason.

Then, Jackson ruptured his patellar tendon. 43, you’re back up.

Davis came out swinging from the jump with a series of solid to good games, but his performance against Tyreek Hill and the Dolphins was his best yet. It shouldn’t be a surprise if you’re familiar with his game: Davis has always been the Hill shadow dating back to the speedster’s time in Kansas City.

Let’s head to the film to see what made Davis successful on Sunday.

Right away, the Chargers’ defense came out playing fired up. The play before the above was a pass deflection from Derwin James’ replacement Alohi Gilman on a deep shot targeting Hill. Tua Tagovailoa went back to Tyreek on second down, trusting him to beat Davis on an intermediate crossing route. Instead, Davis stayed in phase all the way through and didn’t let the former Chief get any space, sticking his arm in for the PBU to force a third down and keep the energy going.

You’ll notice a theme as this film room goes along: Davis played Tyreek Hill about as physically as you legally can. On this slant in the shadow of Miami’s goal line, the corner stays patient as Hill makes his release, already a critical factor in limiting football’s fastest player. Feet lie, hips don’t. Davis does a great job staying at home as Hill tries to sell an outside route before breaking back in. From there, it’s about staying connected, which Davis can do without garnering a flag before logging another pass breakup.

This play was so deflating for so many reasons. It was the first time Davis was “beat” all game; the first time Hill got free all game save for the fumblerooski touchdown in the first half. Watching the replay and wide zone angle above, it’s clear Davis has a read on this route before he trips on Hill’s feet, trying to track the ball in the air. Before that, however, Davis again has Hill locked down. Tagovailoa is only throwing this ball, in my opinion, because it’s one-on-one with Hill, but his receiver is not open on this play. It was just bad luck from Davis, and for a while, it felt like the latest stroke of bad luck for a Chargers team that has been stricken with it all season.

Cut ahead to the fourth quarter after a slowing offense in the third quarter put pressure on Davis and the defense to make plays to keep the Dolphins from storming back. Davis’ man isn’t part of the play here because of Tagovailoa’s progressions, but sometimes your coverage, when nobody is looking, is just as crucial as when all eyes are on you. You can see the same things that crop up all over this game film on this play: Davis allowing zero space to his man, making sure that the Dolphins know that he’s not to be trifled with, especially in crunch time.

This time, Davis’ corner route is the primary read for Tagovailoa, who quickly realizes that despite almost bumping into Drue Tranquill, Davis has the corner route from Trent Sherfield locked up. Tagovailoa has to check the ball down and live to see another play. Again, Davis can stay ideally in phase with his receiver, even as he has to get skinny to avoid a natural collision with Tranquill. Again, Davis stays connected without drawing a flag to get a read on where Sherfield’s next break is coming. And again, it’s blanket coverage.

Davis benefited tremendously from a Chargers game plan that sought to get after Miami’s speedy receivers. LA played more press coverage than they have all season on Sunday, and on pretty much every play included here, you can see that what that meant was that Davis played press while the rest of the secondary played off the line. That’s when Davis is at his best; he always has been. When LA backed off to prevent a big play in the fourth quarter, Davis gave up two catches to receivers running short routes he had to break on. When he was eye to eye with his man on the line, he allowed only the touchdown to Hill, based on my viewing of the game.

So, where does LA go from here? This is Davis’ best performance of what’s been a stellar season after 2021 was a massive letdown. His cap hit next season is $9.4 million, a steep price to pay for a CB3 once Jackson returns from injury. Samuel has continued to develop and his lower price tag and higher upside will entice Chargers brass. That said, you can’t write Davis off as a cap casualty any longer; he’s played too well for that to be a realistic option. Jackson will likely miss part of the early season as he recovers, and even when he does, bringing in Davis alongside him to run some real aggressive press looks is a possibility for this defense.

Either way, Davis has redeemed himself this season. Sunday was merely the coup de grace.

Film room: Chargers QB Justin Herbert is getting healthy

The bye week seems to have done Chargers QB Justin Herbert a lot of good.

The bye week seems to have done Justin Herbert a lot of good.

Good timing, too, because the Chargers have needed him to elevate his supporting cast to even be competitive these past two weeks. With Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Jalen Guyton all out with injuries, L.A. is seemingly on the brink of holding a fan raffle to determine its next starting receiver.

And yet, against one of the best defenses in the league, the Bolts hung tough, eventually losing 22-16 on Sunday Night Football. Herbert was a big reason why spending all game making plays that few others in the league could.

Let’s get into the film.

Early on, many of Herbert’s throws were keyed in on 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga, a breakout star who’s made his money as an aggressive ballhawk and tackler. Here, Hufanga is the read – if he carries Michael Bandy upfield, Herbert hits DeAndre Carter on the crossing route. If Hufanga stays home, as he does, it gives Herbert the option of launching the go route. The only problem is Bandy doesn’t generate any separation on the corner. Knowing the routes have played out, Herbert bails from a clean pocket to generate movement downfield. Tight end Gerald Everett drifts towards the sideline, where Bandy has cleared the field for him and makes a nice catch outside his frame to pick up the first down.

I love everything about this play. I love the design to get Josh Palmer open. I love how Palmer delays his release to set up the first rub from DeAndre Carter. I love Herbert’s throw to hit Palmer and pick up another first down. Everything about this is executed perfectly, which is a credit to Palmer, Carter, and Bandy for getting their timing down. This is the kind of play you can call when you know your QB can hit throws like this. While Herbert makes it look easy, there are a lot of QBs in the league that end up trying this throw and get picked by the safety drifting over.

Tre’ McKitty must still be kicking himself about this one. Corner Charvarius Ward (the red arrow going upfield) has deep half responsibility here, which leads him to carry Richard Rodgers upfield on the seam route. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw has seen this movie before from the Chargers. Half expecting Herbert to swing this out to Austin Ekeler, Greenlaw is caught just flat-footed enough for McKitty to sneak past into the open field. By the time Ward turns around, the ball is already in the air. If McKitty hauls this in, it’s, at minimum, a first down and, more likely, a touchdown. Instead, it bounces off his hands.

Luckily for McKitty, most of the Chargers fans watching live forgot about his drop immediately because this absolute seed was the very next play. Herbert is watching DeAndre Carter on this crossing route the whole way, and he has him open when he throws this ball. The only complication comes when McKitty’s underneath route coincides with the ball placement, which makes for an insanely tight window throw that teleports through the hole and hits Carter in stride. Herbert throws this while the pocket around him dissolves, and he takes a hit. This isn’t a throw he threads into that window earlier this season when the rib injury had a visible impact on his ability to drive the ball.

Similarly, this isn’t a play Herbert makes before the bye week. LA loves to get Herbert moving as an extension of their run game in doses here and there, just enough to remind defenses that their QB has wheels, too. But pre-bye week, Herbert barely ran the ball, instead opting to either take a checkdown or throw the ball away. What I find incredible here is how Herbert navigates this pocket: step up to avoid the pressure coming from both edge rushers, then immediately takes a hop step to avoid running into another oncoming defender. I do think Herbert intended to slide here but ended up being tackled behind by Fred Warner, leading to the nasty hit that put the QB in concussion protocol to end the first half. Still, hit or not, this play is a good process, showing that Herbert is confident enough in his ribs to scramble more often. That’s a great sign.

Joe Lombardi is trying to call plays deeper down the field. Sometimes, like in our first clip today, they simply don’t get open. That’ll happen when you have one of the slowest WR groups in the league. But sometimes, they are getting open, as Carter does here. On most of those occasions, the Chargers’ patchwork offensive line is giving up pressure that forces Herbert off the deep reads. This pressure design by San Francisco is beautiful: not only is their formation overloaded to the right side, but Fred Warner loops around everyone after the linemen have engaged to rush free on Herbert. That forces him to move off his first read (Carter on the deep cross) and get rid of the ball for survival purposes.

All this is to say: I don’t think this offense is broken, at least not systematically. Physically, they’re somewhere between broken and hurting bad. The game plan against San Francisco incorporated way more intermediate and deep routes as Herbert’s primary read than we’re used to from Lombardi. This fell apart once the 49ers could scheme up more pressure in the second half, yes. But it’s an encouraging sign that Lombardi at least has the plays in his arsenal. Now that Herbert is healthy enough to execute them, Lombardi has shown he’s more comfortable calling them. If/when this team gets Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Trey Pipkins back, I’d expect much more productivity and explosiveness from this unit. This is good tape, even in a loss, missing five starters (including Gerald Everett, injured on Sunday) and three skill position contributors.

In short: Justin Herbert is coming soon. Get the popcorn in the microwave.

Film Room: It’s time to extend Chargers LB Drue Tranquill

Highlighting why Chargers LB Drue Tranquill is deserving of a contract extension.

The 2019 Chargers draft class has had a rough go of things in the league. Jerry Tillery never became the consistent starter Los Angeles envisioned when they drafted him 28th overall, and his fifth-year option ended up being declined. Nasir Adderley hasn’t found a way to refine his tackling angles. Trey Pipkins finally won a starting job this season, only to sprain and reaggravate his MCL. Easton Stick has played in one game, while Emeke Egbule and Cortez Broughton are no longer on the roster.

For a long time, this class has been considered a letdown largely. None of the players have yet earned a second contract with the Chargers. Pipkins is the most likely, considering he’s played well when healthy at right tackle, a pain point of LA’s offensive line over the past two seasons. But there’s one other draftee who deserves an extension, perhaps even more so than Pipkins.

Fourth-round pick Drue Tranquill.

Tranquill’s 2022 has been the best season of his career, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for the Notre Dame product, who’s in a contract year along with his draftmates. Against Atlanta on Sunday, he continued to perform, racking up ten tackles and his third sack of the season.

Let’s head to the film to see what’s made the fourth-year linebacker so good.

Tranquill has made a killing on these blitzes all season because LA does a great job disguising pressure with this six-man front. On any of these plays, Tranquill, Kenneth Murray Jr., or Kyle Van Noy can and will drop back into coverage, causing miscommunication along the offensive line if they guess wrong. On this particular occasion, there’s no glaring mistake from Atlanta. Tranquill simply bullies Matt Hennessy into Marcus Mariota’s lap.

Credit to Christian Covington here, who will play a bigger role with Austin Johnson out for the season. While Covington is the catalyst for blowing this play up, Tranquill is a key element. There isn’t another Charger consistently showing the quick diagnosis the linebacker does here. Not only that, but Tranquill is filling two gaps here: originally, it looks as though he and Cordarrelle Patterson will meet off the left shoulder of center Drew Dalman. As Covington continues to force Dalman into Patterson’s path, the vet cuts back inside, but Tranquill sees it coming and mirrors the back, coming up with the tackle for loss.

On this one, you can see Hennessy turn as Tranquill runs past him because Hennessy is supposed to climb off his double-team block on Morgan Fox to hit Tranquill next. Notre Dame’s finest is too quick to read the play, however, and he simply fills the wide-open hole. What I like most about this play is that Tranquill overruns it, forcing Patterson to cut back inside, where Tranquill has help because of the direction of the play. By turning Atlanta’s play call against them, Tranquill forces another stuff, even if he’s not the one to make the tackle.

Again, Hennessy is unable to reach Tranquill on this play. After being beaten lightning-quick a few times, the guard gets off his double team faster, expecting to meet Tranquill further upfield as he takes a linear path to the ball. Instead, Tranquill drifts slightly to the outside before hitting the hole, avoiding Hennessy and getting to Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier. Tranquill can’t finish the tackle, but occupying that gap as it’s drawn up gives his teammates enough time to rally.

Tranquill almost looks like he’s teleporting to the side of Drew Dalman here; that’s how fast he gets off this block. You can see the linebacker diagnose that he’s the only man going to get in the way of Patterson here, and to do so he needs to get off this block and get off it now. He does so, and Patterson knows he has nowhere to go, so he just lowers his shoulder to cut his losses and take the yards.

Brandon Staley’s defense asks its linebackers to diagnose plays quickly because they’re meant to be the cleanup crew. Staley likes to build his run defense – with a strong crew up front, the linebackers should have these wide-open gaps to fill. But with lighter fronts, sometimes that requires those linebackers to stack and shed blocks to make the plays they’re being asked to. This season, nobody is doing that better than Tranquill – in fact, hardly anyone else is doing it. Don’t believe me?

Murray immediately crashes into a gap that is not open, instead giving up outside contain and allowing Allgeier to gain 44 yards down the sideline. This play isn’t solely on Murray – nearly every player on the field gets beat here. But in an ideal world, a Brandon Staley linebacker sees that play coming and stays back until they see where it is going. Tranquill can do that, at least up the middle.

So, Tom Telesco, Brandon Staley, et al., if you’re reading this: get that man his money.

He’s earned it.