Tag: Chargers vs. Falcons

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.

6 takeaways from Chargers’ victory over Falcons

Here’s what we learned from the Chargers’ victory over the Falcons.

In comeback fashion, the Chargers beat the Falcons on Sunday to improve to 5-3.

Here are my final takeaways from the Week 9 battle.

Top Twitter reactions from Chargers’ win over Falcons

How Twitter reacted to the Chargers’ victory over the Falcons in Week 9.

The Chargers picked up a 20-17 win on the road against the Falcons on Sunday.

The nail-biting showdown came to an end on a game-winning field goal from kicker Cameron Dicker in his debut game.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the Bolts’ victory:

Studs and duds from Chargers’ victory over Falcons

Here’s who came through and who disappointed in the Chargers’ victory over the Falcons.

The Chargers escaped with a 20-17 victory over the Falcons on Sunday following a game-winning field goal by rookie Cameron Dicker.

Here’s who pulled through for the victory and who needed help from their teammates to pull it out.

Stud: Drue Tranquill

Tranquill’s breakout season continued Sunday morning with another stellar performance. The linebacker has excelled as a blitzer this season, a trend that carried through the bye week as Tranquill added another sack by dominating Falcons guard Matt Hennessy on his way to the quarterback. Cordarrelle Patterson did truck Tranquill on his second TD of the game, but for the most part he got into position as a defender and got the job done. With ten total tackles and two for loss, Tranquill continued to show why he deserves a contract extension.

Dud: Drops

This was mostly a third-quarter issue, but drops killed multiple drives for the Chargers that made this game closer than it needed to be. Gerald Everett dropped a pass up the seam on the first play of the second half, causing them to go three and out. On the following drive, Josh Palmer dropped a pass directly at his chest, leading to a Justin Herbert interception off the tip. Everett and Palmer have had drop issues all season, and they’re lucky their mistakes this week did not cost Los Angeles the game.

Stud: Michael Davis

Davis performed very well after being reinserted in the starting lineup after J.C. Jackson’s patellar tendon injury, and it’s clear that this defense is more frequently on the same page assignment-wise when Davis is on the field. Davis was at his best when he was able to jam Drake London at the line of scrimmage, as he did when the Falcons ran London on a fade in the end zone in the second half. The corner was also in position to make tackles when playing as a zone defender and was one of the few defenders who did not noticeably miss any tackles.

Dud: Sony Michel

With Joshua Kelley on injured reserve, the past few weeks have been Michel’s opportunity to cement himself as the clear RB2 option, at least until Kelley returns. Instead, the veteran was phased out in favor of rookie Isaiah Spiller, who out-touched Michel seven to one in this game. Michel was another victim of a costly drop on a second down play and was barely visible in the game after this. Spiller, meanwhile, took seven carries for a pedestrian 29 yards but showed flashes of brilliance as a pass protector. Even if Michel and Spiller are equals at this point, there’s no reason not to play Spiller over the veteran to continue to develop the rookie.

Stud: Run blocking

Trey Pipkins looked healthier in this game until leaving late in the fourth quarter, and it showed in the run game against Atlanta. Pipkins and Zion Johnson moved the Falcons off the line of scrimmage, opening lanes for Ekeler and Spiller to at least get a few yards. Hopefully, Pipkins’ injury is not serious because the Chargers finally looked like they had their rest-of-season offensive line at something resembling 100% in this game. Between Jamaree Salyer, Matt Feiler, Corey Linsley, Johnson, and Pipkins, L.A has the potential to at least keep the run game afloat to keep defenses honest.

Dud: Run fits

Defensively, the trenches have work to do. The Chargers continue to struggle to fit the run even with their free-agent additions, largely because their second-level defenders are simply not performing at a high level. Kyle Van Noy played better than Chris Rumph has in the past few weeks, but he still doesn’t quite have the mass to set the edge on the outside. If Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson, who left the game with a knee injury, do not play every play perfectly, it’s guaranteed to be a seven to ten-yard gain. It’s hard to say what the issue is at this point. The team is dealing with injuries, Joey Bosa chief amongst them. It shouldn’t be a talent problem, given the additions. Whatever it is, something needs to be adjusted.

Stud: Khalil Mack

The stat-sheet doesn’t show that Mack had a huge impact on this game, but he’s on here primarily for one play only. Taking the ball away from an NFL receiver as Mack did is a grown-man play. There’s no other way to say it. The situation that play came in is an important factor to consider: the Chargers were leading 14-10 when Mack forced this fumble. Atlanta would have been inside the five-yard line if London went down, and the way their run game was working, they would’ve almost certainly scored a touchdown. Instead, Mack preserved the lead going into halftime and retained LA’s momentum.

Dud: Defensive gameplan

I don’t think the Chargers’ defense played this Falcons’ offense as well as they could have, but they were bailed out on numerous occasions by Marcus Mariota simply missing throws. In their defense, Los Angeles was forced into making some of the decisions I specifically thought they should try to mitigate because of the game state. But Atlanta found success on play-action readily as defenders crashed down to defend against the run, and Mariota frequently put flat defenders into conflict by getting outside the pocket with a short route over the top. Yes, L.A. held Atlanta to 17 points, which should be credited accordingly. But they allowed 201 rushing yards and would’ve given up two or three huge passing plays if Mariota was able to hit a few of the throws that he missed today.

Everything to know from Chargers’ thrilling win over Falcons

Highlighting all the important stuff from the Chargers’ Week 9 victory over the Falcons.

You might’ve heard me say this before, but it wouldn’t be a Chargers win without doing so in nail-biting fashion.

And that’s what happened at Mercedes Benz Stadium on Sunday, as Los Angeles squeaked out a victory over the Falcons.

To recap the Bolts’ 20-17 win, here is everything to know.

Chargers vs. Falcons first-half highlights

Get caught up with all the action from the matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Atlanta Falcons.

The Chargers lead the Falcons at the half, 14-10.

Here are all of Los Angeles’ notable highlights from the first two quarters.

Drue Tranquill’s career year continues.

With the Falcons facing a 3rd-and-7 from their own 34, Marcus Mariota dropped back to survey the field. Before he could get his head around, Tranquill wrapped him up for a near-instantaneous sack.

After going three and out on their first two possessions, the Chargers put together a 15-play, 83-yard drive that included conversions on 3rd-and-15, 3rd-and-6, and 3rd-and-9. Ekeler eventually took a two-yard carry into the endzone to cut the Falcons’ lead to 10-7.

After the Chargers found the endzone for the first time, their defense built on the momentum by forcing a three and out of the Falcons’ offense. On 3rd-and-3, Los Angeles sent James on a looping blitz that got home and ensured an Atlanta punt.

Talk about being a second-quarter team.

After getting the ball back, the Chargers scampered up the field for a 10-play, 63-yard drive. The result was a passing touchdown to Ekeler, marking his second of the day.

Chargers’ keys to victory over Falcons in Week 9

Here is how the Chargers beat the Falcons on Sunday.

The Chargers return from the bye on Sunday to face the Falcons, an unlikely first-place team through eight weeks of the season.

Los Angeles’ injury luck has not turned even with an extra rest week, making Sunday’s contest feel much closer than it should, given the preseason expectations of these two teams.

Here’s what L.A. needs to do to come away with a victory.

Find offensive contributors

We know Mike Williams and Joshua Kelley will miss this game. Keenan Allen aggravated his hamstring injury during the bye week, despite contrasting reports from Brandon Staley. Donald Parham Jr. looked set to come back from a concussion, only to be added to the injury report Thursday with a hamstring issue. Even kicker Dustin Hopkins and backup kicker Taylor Bertolet are on the injury report. Someone for Los Angeles has to step up beyond just Justin Herbert and Austin Ekeler. Maybe that’s Josh Palmer putting together his best game of the season as he returns from a Week 7 concussion. But more likely, it’ll need to be an unheralded name. Isaiah Spiller as RB2 behind Ekeler. Michael Bandy or a practice squad receiver like Keelan Doss, who was promoted. Whoever it is, the Chargers need someone to step up and produce because we’ve seen what this offense looks like without Allen. Now without Williams, there’s little reason to be optimistic about moving the ball if nobody answers the call.

Run the ball effectively

Speaking of moving the ball, one of the biggest reasons the Chargers haven’t been able to do so is that the running game is not functioning well. The blame is easy to place on offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi (more on that in a bit), but I think Lombardi’s run game calls have been the most creative and effective part of this offense. The issue is the blocking, especially on the interior. As Daniel Popper of The Athletic pointed out in this week’s mailbag, the Chargers have been at their most effective running the ball when center Corey Linsley has been 100%. That’s been a rarity, but it should be true on Sunday. Combine health, relatively speaking, with the creativity Lombardi has shown as a play-caller, and it should result in a big game on the ground. With the injuries at wide receiver, that’s exactly what the Chargers need.

Call a complete game

Okay, back to Lombardi and the blame game. Multiple things about this offense are true. Lombardi has shied away from dialing up the deep shots we’ve come to expect from Justin Herbert. That’s partly on Lombardi, of course, but it’s also that the Chargers find themselves in a lot of second or third and longs due to their poor run game. It’s also partly because Herbert’s rib injury has affected his ability as a passer. Herbert just wrapped up the worst five game stretch of his career by EPA/play, and not all of that can be waved away by playcalling or injuries to other personnel. He’s fighting every week, and credit to him, but the rib is clearly bothering him.

This, again, brings us back to the offensive coordinator because what is also true about this offense is that it’s falling flat for reasons beyond the injuries. With Herbert’s injury, Lombardi’s playsheet feels like it’s shrunk to just Stick, Hank, and the occasional Austin Ekeler screen. He has to do better, and he’s had the bye week to cook up some new variations. If LA is going to pull this one out even with all the talent missing on offense, it has to be because Lombardi reaches into his bag and produces something new.

Keep Marcus Mariota in the pocket

Atlanta has one M.O. on offense: get Mariota on the move. One of their most effective plays has been running crossers to the right side as Mariota rolls that way off of play action, primarily because it puts any zone defender in that half of the field in conflict as they follow Mariota’s eyes. If that defender crashes down to protect against a scramble, Mariota throws it over their head. If they stay home, Mariota can tuck and run, where he’s proven to be dangerous as well. The Chargers have to protect against this outcome, especially because of how poor the tackling has been this season, by playing outside contain. This has its risks, namely that Atlanta will use Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley as battering rams on the inside as a counter. But it’s a risk worth taking because if Mariota has to shorten his bootleg to remain inside the tackle box, things get much harder. Every single one of his six interceptions this season has come between the numbers.

Limit the explosive play

The Chargers are 31st in plays of 35 or more yards allowed this season with 13, per TruMedia. Again, there are multiple reasons for this, in my opinion. Joey Bosa’s absence has decimated this run defense, especially on the outside. Running backs can direct plays behind the tackle blocking a Chargers defender not named Khalil Mack, at which point defenders in the second and third levels have struggled to make tackles. Kenneth Murray in particular has struggled, logging a 28.4 PFF grade as a run defender on 113 snaps thus far. But the pass defense has given up 8 of these 13 plays as well. Maybe it’s as simple as chalking that up to JC Jackson losing track of his zone responsibilities, and we can close that case. But if it’s not, and I don’t think it is, LA had plenty of time to get their defensive miscommunications ironed out. On Sunday, they need to show their work if the Chargers will come away with the victory.

Generate momentum plays

LA is 4-3 coming into this game and will drop to .500 if they lose, with clashes against the 49ers and Chiefs next up on the schedule. PFF says the Chargers have the 4th hardest remaining schedule in the league. Although they still have a 47% chance to make the playoffs, per PFF, coming away from this game with something to feel positive about is paramount. The offense needs to find some sort of rhythm. The defense could use a turnover or two, especially ones that lead directly to points. A special teams splash play could flip the momentum of this game just as easily as an offensive or defensive one. This will likely be a one-possession game, but it needs to be one that the Chargers a) win and b) feel good about. They’re 3-1 in one-possession games this season, but all three wins came with growing pains. Against the Raiders, the game shouldn’t have been one possession in the first place. The Cleveland game was mired in controversy over Brandon Staley’s decision to go for it on fourth and two and felt more like an escape than a victory. Ditto for the Broncos game, in which the offense could only muster 19 points in an overtime contest. The best possible path to victory, on Sunday and beyond, is for LA to convert on big plays of their own and feel like they went out and took a game for perhaps the first time this season.

Chargers vs. Falcons: 5 storylines to follow in Week 9

Here are five important things to watch during the Chargers’ matchup with the Falcons.

The Chargers return to the field after their bye week, as they’re on the road set to take on the Falcons.

Here are five storylines to watch for Sunday’s matchup.

Doing with what they got

The storyline leading to the trade deadline was if the Chargers were going to trade for a receiver, given that their top three at the position had been dealing with their perspective injuries and lacked speed. They did not.

Keenan Allen is out after he reaggravated his hamstring during the bye week. Mike Williams is out for the next few weeks with a high ankle sprain. Josh Palmer, who was out in Week 7 with a concussion, will play.

That leaves Palmer as the No. 1 wideout. DeAndre Carter is questionable. Behind them, it’s Michael Bandy, Jason Moore, and Keelan Doss, who was promoted from the practice squad.

While they are limited at the position, the Bolts could possibly get by, considering the Falcons are 30th in pass defense DVOA. They will be without starting cornerbacks Casey Hayward and A.J. Terrell.

How is Herbert?

Justin Herbert has not been the same since he injured his ribs against the Chiefs, and he will be dealing with this injury in some capacity for the remainder of the season. But when he takes the field on Sunday, it will be nearly two months since he fractured his ribs.

Therefore, it’s worth monitoring if Herbert can finally establish some comfortability in how he’s playing, whether it be taking hits, moving around inside and outside the pocket, and trusting his receivers to make throws down the field more often than not.

Can the run game come to life?

The Chargers have been inconsistent on the ground and are 28th in rushing offense DVOA. But, again, injuries have been a significant factor.

They have been without Rashawn Slater, who ruptured his biceps. Corey Linsley has been healthy for only three games. Trey Pipkins has been playing with a sprained MCL. The tight ends have been inconsistent as blockers. Further, they’re missing their most productive rusher in Joshua Kelley.

But something will eventually have to give if they want to avoid their offense from being so inefficient.

Austin Ekeler has been good, but he’s been more active in the passing game. Sony Michel has been effective as a short-yardage specialist but nothing more. Rookie Isaiah Spiller deserves more looks at this point, even if it means sacrificing his snaps as a pass blocker.

Finding the EDGE

Another position that the Chargers are very thin is edge defender. Joey Bosa has been out with a groin injury. But they will also be without Chris Rumph II, who has a sprained MCL.

Los Angeles will turn to Kyle Van Noy to start opposite Khalil Mack, with Derek Tuszka and recently acquired Jeremiah Attaochu serving as the rotational edge defenders.

After moving across the field, Van Noy will be a mainstay off the edge for at least the next couple of weeks. He is coming off his best pass-rushing performance so far, as he had four pressures against the Seahawks.

Eliminate the explosive plays

The Chargers have given up the sixth-most explosive plays of any defense in the NFL with 55 — 18 rushes and 37 passes. The big carries have come from not being gap-sound up front and defenders taking bad angles and missing tackles in open space. And there have been far too many busted coverages.

The Falcons have one of the better offensive units, ranking No. 10 in rushing offense DVOA. Further, they run a lot of play-action off the running game, where wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts each have six explosive receptions.

5 key things to know about Chargers’ Week 9 opponent: Falcons

To get you prepped for the Chargers’ Week 9 matchup with the Falcons, here are some important things to know about them.

Fresh off their bye week, the Chargers travel to meet with the Falcons on Nov. 6 at 11:00 am PT.

To get you prepped for the Week 9 bout, here are five key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the matchup.

New guy under center

The Falcons signed Marcus Mariota this offseason after trading away Matt Ryan to the Colts. Up to this point in the season, Mariota has been serviceable for Atlanta. Mariota has thrown for 1,432 yards, ten touchdowns and six interceptions with a passer rating of 92.7. But in the last three games, he’s had a passer rating of over 100. While he’s passed the ball well in recent weeks, Mariota has made his money running in the ball. He has 55 carries for 280 yards and three scores this season.

Cordarrelle could be back

The Falcons designated Cordarrelle Patterson to return to practice after he was placed on the injured reserve after Week 4. Before he went on the IR, Patterson was fourth in the NFL in rushing (340 yards). Patterson had a career year in 2021, leading Atlanta in rushing (618 yards), in touchdowns (11) and finishing third in receiving (548 yards). The 10-year veteran brings a unique skill set as he spent the first eight years as a wide receiver.

One-two punch

Even though the Falcons have missed their best guy in the backfield, they still got plenty of production on the ground with rookie Tyler Allgeier and second-year Caleb Huntley. Allgeier has 324 rushing yards, 3.9 yards per attempt and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Huntley is averaging 4.6 yards per carry, and has forced 13 missed tackles. Allgeier and Huntley establishing themselves as productive backs could also allow the Falcons to move Patterson around more if he returns.

Imposing presences along the interior

The Falcons’ defensive line has some studs up front with Grady Jarrett and emerging star Ta’Quon Graham. Jarrett has 25 pressures, 15 hurries and five sacks. Graham, on the other hand, has 12 pressures and the second-most quarterback hits (six). But along with their high-level ability to get after the passer, the two are forces against the run.

Suspect secondary

The Falcons could be heading into this week without some key pieces in the defensive backfield, starting cornerbacks Casey Hayward and A.J. Terrell. Hayward is on the injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Terrell remained out of practice on Wednesday or Thursday with a hamstring injury. If Terrell is out, Atlanta will field second-year Darren Hall and recently acquired via trade from the Chiefs, Rashad Fenton. Heading into Week 9, the Falcons have one of the league’s worst passing defenses, allowing the most yards per game (306.9), the second-most yards per attempt (7.7) and the third-most touchdowns (14).

Chargers WR Keenan Allen suffers another injury setback

The Chargers’ wide receiver room is thin heading into Week 9.

The bye week was a good time for Chargers players to rest and recover, especially the ones who had injuries.

However, that was not the case for Keenan Allen.

Allen said his hamstring worsened during the bye week when training.

He did not practice Monday or Wednesday, and it’s possible he will miss Sunday’s game against the Falcons, according to Brandon Staley.

After missing five games following the season opener, Allen returned to the lineup in the Week 7 loss against the Seahawks. He only played in the first half.

Allen said he felt great going into Week 7, but not 100%.

Nothing happened in the game,” Allen said on the injury setback. “Taking my time with it and just going through it how we planned it and just through the bye week, kind of hit it again.

“I don’t think it was a restrain or anything. It is just some more scar tissue that is trying to break off and whenever it is ready to heal, just got to let it do its own thing.”

If Allen does not play, the Chargers could be without their top three receivers. Mike Williams is out for weeks with a high ankle sprain. Joshua Palmer is out of concussion protocol, but Staley did not say if he will play.

That would leave DeAndre Carter, Michael Bandy and Jason Moore as the active receivers. Joe Reed or John Hightower would likely be promoted from the practice squad.