The Chargers Need A Balanced Offensive Attack To Win
By Thomas Conroy
Hall-of-Fame head coach Bill Parcells once described the style of football his team played as, “You are what you are, “ and that’s a great way to define the San Diego Chargers offense.
They have one of the most prolific passing attacks in the NFL, thanks to Philip Rivers steering the controls from the quarterback position. Their quick play capability has brought joy to all in Chargerland. Now, the offense has added a new dimension in explosive rookie running back Melvin Gordon.
Head coach Mike McCoy has done a nice job of not allowing the Chargers offense become too one-dimensional. He fully understands that to win in December and January, your team must have a balanced offensive attack. If not, then good playoff teams have better shot of effectively shutting down your offense.
Do The San Diego Chargers Have A Balanced Offensive Attack
I don’t care that the NFL has transform itself into a pass-happy league. If you cannot sustain time-consuming drives that put points on the scoreboard and keeps the opposing team’s offense on the sidelines, then you will have little chance of an extended stay in the playoffs.
McCoy has avoided the tendency to over-use his talented, young tailback, but this stallion is stomping and ready to be let out of the stable. Gordon has shown great vision to anticipate where the holes are opening downfield, which has allowed him to break off big runs in his brief NFL career. Gordon’s ability to cutback and reverse his field has been intoxicating, as he creates more space for himself to run freely.
The versatility of the year’s receiving corp. adds to the goal of gaining a more balanced offensive attack. Stevie Johnson and Malcolm Floyd have done a nice job of spreading the field by running precision vertical pass routes, as this helps opposite-side receiver Keenan Allen to gain coverage mismatches across the middle of the field for big yard receptions.
Danny Woodhead is the best third-down receiving back in the NFL, who can also be an effective situational runner. Woodhead does an excellent job of keeping his body low to the ground and making himself a difficult target to gain a direct hit upon. Offensive coaches want the ball in his hands, especially in third-and-long situations.
The fate of gaining a more balanced offensive attack will depend heavily on the offensive line winning the battle at the line of scrimmage. They must block and protect for their stars. Collectively as a group, the O-line must become more consistent and cutdown the amount of blocking scheme breakdowns that often occur in games. If they do, then the Chargers should have a winning record, but if they don’t, then close games become tough losses because the offense was compounded by their own mistakes.
Football is an easy game to play, as you simply have to run, block and tackle your opponent to win a game. It’s September and every NFL team has flaws. Right now, the Chargers offense is the team’s lifeline, but Rivers’ arm cannot continually win every close contest. A more balanced offensive attack is the key to the Chargers success.