Tag: Joshua Jacobs

5 keys to a Chargers victory over Raiders on Thursday night

Here’s how the Chargers can get back on track against the Raiders.

The Chargers will be looking for a win on Thursday night after a relatively dismal stretch since the bye. Los Angeles is 3-6 after they originally got back to .500 on the season. While playoff contention is out of the picture without Justin Herbert, jobs are still on the line. These last four games could still play a pivotal role in determining which players, coaches, and front-office members are back next year.

Here’s how the Chargers can get back on track against the Raiders.

The run game has to move for Easton Stick to execute

The Chargers had a better day on the ground against the Broncos compared to the production they had been getting. Austin Ekeler had 51 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown while Isaiah Spiller’s touches didn’t look too bad.

They’ll need to build on the positive momentum from the run game last week in this one. Given the circumstances for Easton Stick, a solid rushing attack is how they can slow down the game for him. More chances at calling RPOs to let Stick get into a rhythm seems like the way to go as opposed to dropping him back a lot vs. Maxx Crosby.

They don’t need amazing production from the running backs, but 80-100 yards would go a long way toward aiding the situation. Las Vegas is 25th in the league with 127.4 rush yards allowed per game.

Dealing with the Maxx Crosby issue better this time

The offensive line has been a bit of a mess without Corey Linsley as the season has gone on. LA has allowed the highest rate of unblocked pressures in the league since his absence.

The first game the Chargers played without Linsley was their first meeting with the Raiders in Week 4. Justin Herbert was sacked five times and took 15 pressures. Star edge defender Maxx Crosby had eight pressures himself with two sacks while also opening up opportunities for his teammates to get in unblocked.

Simply put, the Chargers have to find a way to deal with Crosby better than they historically have. I’m not expecting Trey Pipkins or Rashawn Slater to have their best reps against him given the state of the offensive line this season. But whether it’s chipping or getting extra help, the offensive line has to find some way to stabilize against Crosby for any chance at a salvageable offense.

Quentin Johnston, early and often

The Chargers will have Josh Palmer available to play tomorrow, but Brandon Staley has said he’s less than likely to play a full load. Keenan Allen has registered two DNPs on Monday and Tuesday on the injury report with a heel injury. His status seems less than certain.

Johnston had his first 90+ yard game in his rookie season and it feels like a big part of the Chargers’ offensive purpose over these last four games should be feeding him to work towards 2024. Assuming Mike Williams is not back next season and the wide receiver room looks different as a whole, Johnston will be relied on heavily.

Assuming Nate Hobbs works in the slot against either Allen or Palmer for a majority of the game, Johnston should at least be able to get some more favorable matchups outside.

DB’s turning over Aidan O’Connell

The Chargers were able to force Aidan O’Connell into some turnover-worthy plays in their last matchup. Asante Samuel Jr. had a pivotal pick given the point in the game.

O’Connell has four interceptions over his last three games, including a three INT effort against Miami. If there was a game for the secondary to make some turnovers, it’s this one.

This is not a game where you need to produce tons of Raiders’ turnovers to stop them defensively, but it’s important to set up Stick with at least a few chances at short fields. The fewer drives that he has to manufacture yardage himself, the better.

Hopefully, this is also a get-right game for Derwin James after his lowest graded game of the season vs. Denver last week.

Getting home on pressures

The Chargers totaled 25 pressures against Denver on Sunday. However it never really felt that way with how Russell Wilson generally stayed steady in the pocket with evasiveness. LA only brought down Wilson for two sacks.

The Raiders’ offensive line has not exactly stabilized since the last time the Chargers played them either. Since O’Connell’s return to the starting role, Las Vegas has given up 60 pressures in four games. O’Connell has been sacked ten times.

Khalil Mack had six sacks in the Chargers and Raiders’ last matchup. As he leads the NFL in sacks with 15.0, he’ll be looking to score some potentially easy ones again.

Getting pressure is obviously another way to force turnovers too. Mack had multiple strip sacks on O’Connell the last time the two teams met.

Statistical Breakdown: How the Chargers and Raiders stack up before Week 15 game

Here’s how the Chargers and Raiders stack up statistically ahead of the Week 15 matchup.

The Chargers and Raiders are set to square off this Thursday.

Here’s how Los Angeles and Las Vegas stack up statistically ahead of the Week 15 matchup:

This college golf camp is hoping to transform the recruiting space, even for top players

There’s an 8-to-1 ratio of golfers to coaches, with the Top100 receiving a 6-to-1 ratio.

College golf coaches are always recruiting.

There’s no offseason when it comes to finding the next batch of players to don their school colors. Whether it’s in between tournaments during the season, amateur events in the summer and more, there are bound to be numerous college coaches scouting the field and pursuing the top junior golfers.

And what junior golfer doesn’t want to go to a school with incredible facilities, dazzling uniforms and top-notch competition every week? That doesn’t make the recruiting process any easier. There are a few camps held throughout the country and College Golf Experience is an example of a growing stage on which college players can showcase their talents.

Changes to the recruiting schedule in 2019 made camps an integral part of the recruiting process, and not just for blue-chip prospects. For golfers looking to play at top-notch programs or Division III schools. College camps are more important now than ever.

That’s why Joshua Jacobs said he created CGX.

It started in June 2021. Jacobs saw an opportunity to change the camp scene, and he wanted to reinvigorate it. He even had the endorsement of the Golf Coaches Association of America.

“Golf is a lot different than a quarterback camp or a running back camp,” Jacobs said. “There really can be these intimate engagements where these coaches can really learn a lot about not only the player and the family they may spend four years with, but also the way they think around the golf course.”

College Golf Experience camps are growing exponentially across the country. (Photo: Brian Walters)

There were three CGX camps in 2021. Last year, there were 28, and about 60 will take place by the end of 2023. Jacobs is expecting that number to be around 125 or more in 2024.

There are annual Top100 camps for elite golfers that include college golf coaches and institutions. There are also geographical showcase camps and preview camps that feature similar personalized instruction.

For any level of college golfer, there’s a camp or camps to assist in the recruiting process and assist players as they prepare for the next chapter in their career.

And CGX is one of numerous companies capitalizing on the importance of hosting camps.

All of the CGX camps come with individualized personalization, too. There’s an 8-to-1 ratio of golfers to coaches, with the Top100 receiving a 6-to-1 ratio. This enhances the experience, making sure each golfer who attends a CGX camp receives personalized instruction.

“As coaches, we use our time at these camps to help the kids become better players and, the better we get to know them as people – beyond just watching shots, swing speeds and short game skills, the more we can help them,” Illinois men’s golf coach Mike Small said.

Oklahoma State men’s golf coach Alan Bratton watches a golfer at a College Golf Experience camp. (Photo: Brian Walters)

Small is one of numerous Division I coaches who have attended one or multiple of CGX’s camps. J.C. Deacon, head coach of the defending men’s national champion Florida Gators, will be at a Top100 camp in Atlanta in November, along with other coaches from current top-10 programs in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings.

CGX had 42 juniors and seven coaches, including then-assistant Pepperdine coach Blaine Woodruff, at its first camp in California. At the Top100 camp next month in Georgia, Woodruff, now the head coach at Chattanooga, will again be in attendance.

Others who will be there comprise of an all-star lineup of college golf coaches: on the men’s side, East Tennessee State’s Jake Amos, Missouri’s Glen Millican, Notre Dame’s John Handrigan and Wake Forest’s Jerry Haas. For the women, Alabama’s Mic Potter, Arkansas’s Shauna Estes-Taylor, Florida’s Emily Glaser,  Florida State’s Amy Bond, Maryland’s Kelly Hovland, Princeton’s Erika DeSanty, South Carolina’s Kalen Anderson, Texas A&M’s Gerrod Chadwell, Virginia’s Ria Scott and Oklahoma State’s Greg Robertson.

And that’s just one of CGX’s camps. Come December, there will be another Top100 camp, this one in Arizona featuring defending national women’s golf champion head coach Kim Lewellen from Wake Forest among numerous others.

“You’re breaking down the barrier between juniors and coaches,” Jacobs said. “Coaches, they’re going to tell it like it is and what college golf is all about, navigating the process, the recruiting process to college golf, and how to find your fit.

“They’re getting simulated practice rounds and tournament rounds with these coaches. They are walking fairways with coaches. They are learning about how to prepare for a golf tournament. They are learning about course management and strategy which is something that every single college coach will tell you is the number one weakness of junior golfers.”

The CGX camps are open to players of all abilities and ages 10-18. Jacobs said most of his camper base are tournament golfers ages 13-17.

Joshua Jacobs is expecting there to be more than 100 camps in 2024. (Photo: Brian Walters)

At these camps, golfers receive instruction and engage with college coaches. They also learn vital information about college golf and the recruiting process from educational seminars.

Jacobs said at one of the seminars, Loyola Marymount coach Jason D’Amore recalls multiple parents in tears because of the advice, instruction and stories their kids were being told.

Thirty-eight percent of CGX campers return for a second, Jacobs said. They crave the experience and how it has helped their personal golf game and prepared them for the future.

“That to me is one of the biggest selling points to players and parents,” Jacobs said.

With the growth of CGX, camp slots fill up quickly, though room remains for camps across the country for the remainder of the year.

“Tournaments are great,” Jacobs said. “They’re going to have rankings and you’re going to find approximately where you belong, but you’re not going to have that connective tissue between coach and player. And that’s what’s going to set us apart”

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Chargers’ Austin Ekeler sounds off on running backs being regarded as ‘discardable widgets’

Austin Ekeler expressed his frustration with running backs being regarded as “discardable widgets.”

Running backs around the NFL are taking to social media to decry the devaluation of their position amidst the league’s turn away from the ground game, and  Chargers veteran Austin Ekeler is at the forefront of this newly formed movement.

A supremely productive piece of Los Angeles’ burgeoning offense in recent years, many thought Ekeler’s performance last season should have warranted a high-dollar extension. Still, their front office wasn’t so sure.

After initial speculation that a holdout could be on the horizon, Ekeler agreed to a revised contract with the Chargers back in May but expressed his displeasure with the state of affairs relative to his situation via a Twitter post on Monday.

In response to a tweet about the modern “rent-a-back” philosophy of NFL roster building, Ekeler made it clear that he and his running back brethren are worth more than the media gives them credit for.

“This is the kind of trash that has artificially devalued one of the most important positions in the game,” Ekeler wrote. “Everyone knows it’s tough to win without a top RB and yet they act like we are discardable widgets. I support any RB doing whatever it takes to get his bag.”

While the brewing firestorm on social media is unlikely to advance Ekeler’s cause in the near term, some of the league’s top rushers chimed in with similar input, frustrated with the diminished leverage that they have in contract discussions.

It is unclear whether these posts constitute a larger effort going on behind the scenes. However, what has become abundantly obvious is that the discourse surrounding the value of the running back position has turned a corner with some of the NFL’s biggest stars, including Ekeler, pushing the dialogue forward.

Chargers’ Austin Ekeler voices displeasure with running back contract values

Austin Ekeler shared how he feels about the running back market.

Austin Ekeler agreed to a revised deal to keep him with the Chargers for another season. But that doesn’t mean he has no opinion on running back’s contract values.

Ekeler appeared on the Rich Eisen Show, discussed the challenges running backs face and expressed frustration over some lesser-valued players landing more significant contracts.

If I’m looking at some of the backup receivers out here that are still making more than me, that’s going to piss me off, right? I’m a little bit like, ‘OK, wait a minute, so you’re telling me these people are the No. 3 receivers and they’re going to make more than me? And I’m the starter? I get more carries, I touch the ball more, I have more of an impact.’

It causes us to question, right? We’re going to fight for that. I’m bringing more value to the team than this person. I think I should be compensated for that. … It seems like it’s about money, but it’s about principles. It’s about the principle of adding value to a team.

Ekeler was granted permission to seek a trade at the start of the offseason because he wanted to be paid like one of the top running backs. However, nothing came out of it after months passed.

After the two parties could not find a suitable trade partner, they reworked his deal by adding $1.75 million in incentives to his contract for the 2023 season.

The longevity of players at the running back position has given teams pause, which is why they aren’t paid like others at premium positions, no matter how productive they are.

In Ekeler’s case, he has been a statistical monster, running for 34 touchdowns and catching 29 scores for L.A. since entering the NFL in 2017. Additionally, he’s amassed 7,125 total yards over that span.

However, Ekeler is approaching 30 years of age, which is right around when running backs are not as coveted.

Chargers vs. Raiders first-half highlights

Get caught up with all the action from the matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders.

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The Chargers lead the Raiders at the half, 13-10.

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

After the Chargers’ former first-round pick Jerry Tillery forced Los Angeles to punt on its opening drive, Kenneth Murray forced a fumble to give the Bolts the ball back at the Raiders’ 25-yard line.

Los Angeles was unable to get points out of it, as Brandon Staley went for it on 4th-and-2 from Las Vegas’ 17 but was unsuccessful.

On the following drive, the Chargers got on the scoreboard.

With Derek Carr scanning the field on 3rd-and-5, he targeted Mack Hollins at the line to gain. Asante Samuel Jr. broke on the ball and tipped the ball up right into the hands of Bryce Callahan. Callahan did the rest, taking it 26 yards into the end zone.

Since that point, Los Angeles settled for two field goals.

Who are the experts taking in Chargers vs. Raiders?

Find out who national pundits are favoring in the matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders.

The Los Angeles Chargers are 2.5-point underdogs to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 13 of the 2022 regular season. The over/under is 49.5 points, per Tipico Sportsbook.

That means oddsmakers are taking bets on whether the two teams will combine to score more than or fewer than 49.5 points.

My score prediction for the game is a 30-27 win for the Chargers, with a total of 57 points. So if I were putting money behind my prediction, I’d bet the over.

As for game picks, analysts are split between the two teams.

Expert Pick
Nate Davis (USA Today) Chargers
Jarrett Bell (USA Today) Chargers
Mike Clay (ESPN) Raiders
Matt Bowen (ESPN) Chargers
Pete Prisco (CBS Sports) Raiders
Bill Bender (Sporting News) Raiders
Gregg Rosenthal (NFL Media) Raiders
Bleacher Report Chargers

Sunday’s game will begin at 1:25 p.m. PT and will be televised on CBS.

Chargers vs. Raiders: 4 storylines to follow in Week 13

Here are four important things to watch during the Chargers’ matchup with the Raiders.

Here are four Los Angeles Chargers storylines to watch for during the lead-up to the team’s Week 13 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Chargers’ keys to victory vs. Raiders

Here is how the Chargers can beat the Raiders on Sunday.

The Chargers continue their gauntlet of must-win games on their quest to earn an AFC playoff bid with a rivalry game against the Raiders on Sunday.

While Las Vegas has struggled in the wins department and dropped the Week 1 matchup between these teams, victory is never guaranteed in the AFC West.

Here’s what Los Angeles must do to come away victorious.

Load up defensively

It’s no secret that the Chargers are a moribund run defense, allowing 6 100 yard rushers in 11 games so far this season. Part of that is injuries, certainly. But part of it is also by schematic design: Brandon Staley wants to live in the nickel, which results in 2-4-5 fronts with light boxes, essentially daring opposing offenses to run the ball. Well, you don’t have to dare the Raiders, who have run Josh Jacobs 57 times in their last two games. Without Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow, Davante Adams is the only threat in the passing game. Asante Samuel Jr., Michael Davis, and Derwin James have all played well this season and should be trusted to handle that. I’d like to see Staley adjust and bring in someone like Breiden Fehoko to play the majority of snaps as a third-down lineman with Sebastian Joseph-Day and Morgan Fox.

Keep Austin Ekeler fresh (and involved)

Joshua Kelley is back from injured reserve. Isaiah Spiller has shown flashes in his limited run this season, enough so that Sony Michel was a healthy inactive last week against Arizona. The narrative around this room in training camp was that the Chargers (and Ekeler himself) didn’t want Ekeler taking a massive amount of snaps the way he did last season, and now is the time to put that plan forth. Despite the per carry numbers, Ekeler looked at his burstiest against San Francisco when Spiller took more of his rushing work. LA has largely moved away from running the ball, which will probably continue, so getting Kelley and Spiller more involved in the passing game is the next step in this evolution. Getting your best players the ball is always a good plan, but 15 targets to Ekeler, as was the case last week, is perhaps an overcorrection.

Spread the ball around

The Chargers were successful in the Week 1 matchup with Vegas when they let Justin Herbert find an open man, regardless of name recognition. No Chargers player had more than four targets on Herbert’s 34 attempts, and nine players caught a pass. The Raiders have since proven they’re one of the worst pass defenses in the league, the worst by DVOA, and that’s even before Anthony Averett hit injured reserve this week. eight of the nine players who recorded a reception in Week 1 are healthy and available in this one, with Mike Williams still sidelined by an ankle injury. That’s been a rare thing for the Chargers this season, and hopefully, it means Joe Lombardi is willing to open up the passing game and let Herbert do what he does best.

Pressure Derek Carr

We all know the story when it comes to Carr: make him feel uncomfortable and reap the rewards. LA recorded six sacks and nine hits on Carr in Week 1, forcing two fumbles and three interceptions as a result. When pressured this season, Carr’s completion percentage craters to 52.2% from 67.7% when he has a clean pocket. Blitzing Carr drops his completion percentage from 65.1% to 56.5%, 23rd out of 27 QBs with at least 75 dropbacks against the blitz. Brandon Staley has been more aggressive with the blitz since the bye, sending an extra defender a third of the time over the past four games. That’s tied for the sixth-highest mark in the league.

Stay aggressive

While we’re on the topic of aggressiveness, Staley has finally found a bit more moxie as a fourth down and late-game decision-maker this season. Going for two to win the Cardinals game in regulation was the right decision because LA did not deserve to win that game after trailing for most of regulation and likely would not have come away with an overtime victory. The Chargers were 4 for 4 on fourth down against the Chiefs in a game where Staley punted on a 4th and 6 with 4 minutes left to salt the game away essentially. It’s been a relearning curve, especially because LA has struggled in short-yardage situations. But more often than not, rivalry games are about breaking the other team’s spirit. Las Vegas looked listless until Carr questioned his teammates’ drive and led them to two straight overtime victories. The Chargers will need to hit the gas and keep their foot pressed all game if they’re going to break the Raiders.

Finish strong, for once

I mentioned the two overtime wins for Las Vegas, and that’s a key point because of how badly the Chargers have struggled in the second halves of games this season. Even in Week 1 against this Raiders team, LA jumped out to a 17-3 halftime lead only to squeak by with a 24-19 victory that featured three punts and a missed field goal on their last four non-kneel drives. It’s been the story all season: the Chargers go into the half with the lead, come out looking somewhere between mediocre and awful in the third quarter, then spend the final frame scrambling to keep up (if they’ve already blown the lead) or tripping over themselves (if they’re still ahead). In the six games where the Chargers have held a lead going into halftime, they’ve gone 3-3, including both losses to the Chiefs and the Sunday Night collapse against San Francisco. The Raiders have shown they won’t go quietly, so LA needs to bring their A game for all four quarters to come away with a win.

4 key things to know about Chargers’ Week 13 opponent: Raiders

To get you prepped for the Chargers’ Week 13 matchup with the Raiders, here are some important things to know about them.

After defeating the Cardinals, the Chargers meet with the Raiders on Sunday, Dec. 4 at 1:25 pm PT.

To get you prepped for the Week 13 bout, here are four key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the matchup.

Running wild

The Chargers have one of the league’s worst run defenses, and they’re set to go up against one of the top rushers. Josh Jacobs leads the NFL in rushing yards (1,159). Jacobs has scored the fourth-most touchdowns with nine. He is coming off a monstrous performance in the Raiders’ victory over the Seahawks, in which he had a franchise-record 229 yards rushing and two scores. He also had six catches for 74 yards.

Adams has been awesome

Davante Adams is just one yard shy (999) of his fourth 1,000-yard-plus season in the past five seasons. Adams has been fantastic over the last four games, averaging 121.8 yards per game while catching at least seven passes and hauling five touchdowns. The wealth has been distributed to him plenty by Derek Carr, as Adams leads the league in targets with 123 this season.

Same ol’ problems

The Raiders have heavily relied on their offense to keep them in games because their defense has still been well below par. The 25.1 points per game Las Vegas is surrendering is the seventh most. They are struggling to get off the field on third down, allowing teams to convert 45.52% of the time, which is the fifth-most. Their opponents are scoring in the red zone 69.44% of the time, second-most. Their 16 sacks are tied for the least. They have produced the second-fewest turnovers (8).

Madd Maxx

Despite being abysmal, the Raiders have one bright spot on their defense: Maxx Crosby. Crosby has been on a tear, proving to be one of the elite defensive players in the league this season. Crosby is tied for third in sacks (11) and tied for eighth in quarterback pressures (45). Along with being a prolific pass rusher, Crosby is arguably one of the best players at the position at defending the run. He is the league-leading edge defender in run stops with 32.