WARHORSE
09-12-2008, 10:03 PM
TED SUNDQUIST’S WEEK TWO SCOUTING REPORTS: CHARGERS AT BRONCOS (http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/09/12/ted-sundquists-week-two-scouting-reports-chargers-at-broncos/)
Posted by Mike Florio on September 12, 2008, 9:33 p.m. EDT
[Editor’s note: Former Broncos G.M. Ted Sundquist’s prepares scouting reports for three games per week. For the first time, he scouts his franchise with which he worked for well over a decade.]
It doesn’t take a math major to figure out that the San Diego Chargers (http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/09/12/ted-sundquists-week-two-scouting-reports-chargers-at-broncos/#) have had the Broncos’ number the past 2 seasons. The Chargers dominated Denver in 2007, holding the Jay Cutler-led offense to only two FG’s, while piling on 64 points of their own.
Don’t expect more of the same in ’08. Cutler was a machine in guiding his troops to 41 points against a Raiders defense that punched Denver in the mouth the year before. Now the Broncos look to exact revenge on a San Diego team that must rebound quickly from last week’s opening-day upset in order to keep pace in the AFC West. All that with an injury list that keeps going and growing.
The formula for San Diego success isn’t all that complicated. In fact it’s quite simple, “Out physical ’em!” The Chargers rushed for 367 yards in two games last season, averaging almost 4.9 per carry and holding the ball some twenty minutes more over the course of both games. They converted 52% of third-down situations, turning the ball over only once on a late third-quarter fumble in Game #2. The explosive playmaking production of LaDainian Tomlinson (who practiced Friday with a toe injury) will be the focal point of re-creating last year’s performance, but controlling Denver’s retooled defense will start up front, which is KEY #1.
San Diego’s offensive line must do a better job creating movement than they did against Carolina last Sunday. The Panthers kept Tomlinson under 100 yards and held the Chargers to a modest 33% conversion rate (SD had a .857 winning percentage win L.T. rushed for 100+ yds in ‘07). To keep the ball out of the hands of Cutler and his explosive offense, San Diego will have to create big plays on the ground (Denver was next to last in preventing such last season), keep the chains moving, and control the clock. The inside trio of Kris Dielman, Jeremy Newberry, and Mike Goff will need to handle new addition NT Dewayne Robertson and second-year DT Marcus Thomas. Between the tackles is where the Chargers have struggled and more than anything a physical attitude must be projected. Tomlinson is comfortable attacking the edges and the Chargers might be best served at running at DE Elvis Dumervil. Dumervil is Denver’s premiere pass rush specialist, but his limited size has shown to be a factor against a power running game. KEY # 1 ½ will be to get the ball in the hands of uber-talented TE Antonio Gates (if healthy and able to play). Denver’s defense was last in the League in shutting down the TE last season and Gates presents a mismatch with the Broncos defense, whether covered by the SLB or an inserted nickel back.
Defensively the Chargers must shut down the Broncos re-emerging pass game. Denver raved about rookie WR Eddie Royal all summer long and he lived up to the hype with a 9-catch, 146-yard rookie debut. WR Brandon Marshall will return from a one game suspension, and TE Tony Scheffler will also be at Cutler’s disposal. The play of CB’s Antonio Cromartie, Quentin Jammer and rookie Antoine Cason will be KEY #2. Cromartie (if healthy and able to play) matches up well, and at 6’2″ 203 lbs has the on-field presence to battle the physical Marshall. The question then becomes, “Who will hang with the speed and quickness of Royal?” But unlike the Oakland defense that appeared totally unprepared for this new build of Bronco receiver, the Chargers will have at least a week’s worth of highlight reel to try and figure it out.
The second half to the equation will be getting some pressure on Cutler. Oakland showed no ability to do this, coming up blank in sacks and hurries. Denver is playing with very young, but very talented, OT’s in Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris. The loss of Shawn Merriman for the season is a blow, but Clady is still a rookie and should be game=planned as such. Harris in a sense is one as well. Chargers pressure sacked Cutler 4 times in Game #2 last season, and it appeared to get inside his head. They need to force Cutler to find the outlets and then converge down with some punch on the backs and receivers.
The development of Jay Cutler appears to be moving the Denver offensive minds towards a primary passing attack now supplemented by the run game. The Broncos for years depended on the balance of the two in putting together a game plan to keep opponents guessing. 2008 appears to be a season in which Denver will use a trio of solid RB’s to try and recreate the production of Terrell Davis, Mike Anderson, Olandis Gary, or Clinton Portis. Make no mistake; Cutler is the driving force of this unit. But Denver will need to establish the running game a bit better against a San Diego defense that is suspect to stopping it. Thus, the play of RB’s Selvin Young and Andre Hall is KEY #3 for me. Young and Hall form a nice complement to one another, each bringing a different set of skills to the position. Both are tough, hard-nosed players that fight and pick up extra yards after contact. Denver will be well served in showing some patience and establishing their traditional inside zone scheme, slowing down the rush and putting a little “mile high” altitude on the Chargers. Let’s see if second-year OLB Jyles Tucker (who is replacing Merriman at OLB) can keep his discipline on the backside, squeeze down on the cutback, and yet not fall prey to the bootleg. That’ll be a lot to ask.
On defense Denver will have to prove they can slow down the Chargers ground game. KEY #4 will be the opposite of the first; Denver’s defensive line must control the line of scrimmage against San Diego. Stack the front, force the bounce, and thenthe tackling of LB’s Nate Webster, Jamie Winborn (or Boss Bailey), and D.J. Williams will come into play. Webster and Williams are solid, but they’ll have to step up in space against the explosive Tomlinson. The move to the weakside position finally gets D.J. back to where he can “flow and go”, and look for him to use his speed and explosiveness to run down plays from the backside. The coordinated play of new safeties Marlon McCree and Marquand Manuel will also be a factor in shutting down L.T. near the LOS. The combination of these two was significant in last week’s win over the Raiders.
Finally, as much as I’d like to say that the placekicking of Matt Prater will be KEY #5, Prater will look like the right move for the Broncos at Invesco Field. He should consistently put the ball out of the back of the endzone with his kickoffs, and long-distance field goals won’t be out of the question with his powerful leg punch. I would rather keep an eye on the continued “shaky” tackling of Denver’s coverage units. It really makes no sense, and yet year after year the Broncos are at or near the bottom in both categories (punt and kickoff cover). Darren Sproles is a legitimate threat in creating all kinds of hidden yards for the Chargers.
Posted by Mike Florio on September 12, 2008, 9:33 p.m. EDT
[Editor’s note: Former Broncos G.M. Ted Sundquist’s prepares scouting reports for three games per week. For the first time, he scouts his franchise with which he worked for well over a decade.]
It doesn’t take a math major to figure out that the San Diego Chargers (http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/09/12/ted-sundquists-week-two-scouting-reports-chargers-at-broncos/#) have had the Broncos’ number the past 2 seasons. The Chargers dominated Denver in 2007, holding the Jay Cutler-led offense to only two FG’s, while piling on 64 points of their own.
Don’t expect more of the same in ’08. Cutler was a machine in guiding his troops to 41 points against a Raiders defense that punched Denver in the mouth the year before. Now the Broncos look to exact revenge on a San Diego team that must rebound quickly from last week’s opening-day upset in order to keep pace in the AFC West. All that with an injury list that keeps going and growing.
The formula for San Diego success isn’t all that complicated. In fact it’s quite simple, “Out physical ’em!” The Chargers rushed for 367 yards in two games last season, averaging almost 4.9 per carry and holding the ball some twenty minutes more over the course of both games. They converted 52% of third-down situations, turning the ball over only once on a late third-quarter fumble in Game #2. The explosive playmaking production of LaDainian Tomlinson (who practiced Friday with a toe injury) will be the focal point of re-creating last year’s performance, but controlling Denver’s retooled defense will start up front, which is KEY #1.
San Diego’s offensive line must do a better job creating movement than they did against Carolina last Sunday. The Panthers kept Tomlinson under 100 yards and held the Chargers to a modest 33% conversion rate (SD had a .857 winning percentage win L.T. rushed for 100+ yds in ‘07). To keep the ball out of the hands of Cutler and his explosive offense, San Diego will have to create big plays on the ground (Denver was next to last in preventing such last season), keep the chains moving, and control the clock. The inside trio of Kris Dielman, Jeremy Newberry, and Mike Goff will need to handle new addition NT Dewayne Robertson and second-year DT Marcus Thomas. Between the tackles is where the Chargers have struggled and more than anything a physical attitude must be projected. Tomlinson is comfortable attacking the edges and the Chargers might be best served at running at DE Elvis Dumervil. Dumervil is Denver’s premiere pass rush specialist, but his limited size has shown to be a factor against a power running game. KEY # 1 ½ will be to get the ball in the hands of uber-talented TE Antonio Gates (if healthy and able to play). Denver’s defense was last in the League in shutting down the TE last season and Gates presents a mismatch with the Broncos defense, whether covered by the SLB or an inserted nickel back.
Defensively the Chargers must shut down the Broncos re-emerging pass game. Denver raved about rookie WR Eddie Royal all summer long and he lived up to the hype with a 9-catch, 146-yard rookie debut. WR Brandon Marshall will return from a one game suspension, and TE Tony Scheffler will also be at Cutler’s disposal. The play of CB’s Antonio Cromartie, Quentin Jammer and rookie Antoine Cason will be KEY #2. Cromartie (if healthy and able to play) matches up well, and at 6’2″ 203 lbs has the on-field presence to battle the physical Marshall. The question then becomes, “Who will hang with the speed and quickness of Royal?” But unlike the Oakland defense that appeared totally unprepared for this new build of Bronco receiver, the Chargers will have at least a week’s worth of highlight reel to try and figure it out.
The second half to the equation will be getting some pressure on Cutler. Oakland showed no ability to do this, coming up blank in sacks and hurries. Denver is playing with very young, but very talented, OT’s in Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris. The loss of Shawn Merriman for the season is a blow, but Clady is still a rookie and should be game=planned as such. Harris in a sense is one as well. Chargers pressure sacked Cutler 4 times in Game #2 last season, and it appeared to get inside his head. They need to force Cutler to find the outlets and then converge down with some punch on the backs and receivers.
The development of Jay Cutler appears to be moving the Denver offensive minds towards a primary passing attack now supplemented by the run game. The Broncos for years depended on the balance of the two in putting together a game plan to keep opponents guessing. 2008 appears to be a season in which Denver will use a trio of solid RB’s to try and recreate the production of Terrell Davis, Mike Anderson, Olandis Gary, or Clinton Portis. Make no mistake; Cutler is the driving force of this unit. But Denver will need to establish the running game a bit better against a San Diego defense that is suspect to stopping it. Thus, the play of RB’s Selvin Young and Andre Hall is KEY #3 for me. Young and Hall form a nice complement to one another, each bringing a different set of skills to the position. Both are tough, hard-nosed players that fight and pick up extra yards after contact. Denver will be well served in showing some patience and establishing their traditional inside zone scheme, slowing down the rush and putting a little “mile high” altitude on the Chargers. Let’s see if second-year OLB Jyles Tucker (who is replacing Merriman at OLB) can keep his discipline on the backside, squeeze down on the cutback, and yet not fall prey to the bootleg. That’ll be a lot to ask.
On defense Denver will have to prove they can slow down the Chargers ground game. KEY #4 will be the opposite of the first; Denver’s defensive line must control the line of scrimmage against San Diego. Stack the front, force the bounce, and thenthe tackling of LB’s Nate Webster, Jamie Winborn (or Boss Bailey), and D.J. Williams will come into play. Webster and Williams are solid, but they’ll have to step up in space against the explosive Tomlinson. The move to the weakside position finally gets D.J. back to where he can “flow and go”, and look for him to use his speed and explosiveness to run down plays from the backside. The coordinated play of new safeties Marlon McCree and Marquand Manuel will also be a factor in shutting down L.T. near the LOS. The combination of these two was significant in last week’s win over the Raiders.
Finally, as much as I’d like to say that the placekicking of Matt Prater will be KEY #5, Prater will look like the right move for the Broncos at Invesco Field. He should consistently put the ball out of the back of the endzone with his kickoffs, and long-distance field goals won’t be out of the question with his powerful leg punch. I would rather keep an eye on the continued “shaky” tackling of Denver’s coverage units. It really makes no sense, and yet year after year the Broncos are at or near the bottom in both categories (punt and kickoff cover). Darren Sproles is a legitimate threat in creating all kinds of hidden yards for the Chargers.