Read on for The Victory Team at Keller Williams Gateway, Keys to Victory but if you want to go into more detail on what’s explored here in this shortened version, check out my full Battle Plans piece here.
Defensive Keys
Communication in the secondary
• The Chargers offensive system, that Joe Lombardi from the Saints has installed, replicates a decade-long successful approach in New Orleans to get the best out of Drew Brees.
• This shell and their bent to build around Justin Herbert’s talents has led to a sophisticated passing offense with concepts built to beat any defensive setup.
• They have a number of variations on the dagger passing concept, the kind of hi-lo read with the drag and dig, is exactly the kind of concept that this offense thrives with.
• They have a multitude of zone-beating concepts, one which works well for this and especially against Cover 4 is the Scissors concept.
• The Ravens must communicate well in the Secondary this week, using the Scissors concept as an example, the Ravens can utilize a pre-snap Zorro call in coverage if they are in Cover 4 to ensure that assignments are switched.
• This kind of adjustments in coverage with Chuck Clark getting them in the right calls are something the Ravens have been proficient with in the past and they will need to be at their best on Sunday.
Wink’s choice – what kind of blitz will work?
• Herbert is quietly putting together one of the best seasons ever in terms of passing on 3rd down, his +39.5 passing EPA on 3rd/4th down leads the league by a considerable margin.
• On 3rd down Wink should go back into his box of tricks this week and only pick out two different types of blitz, no halfway-house calls. It should be all or nothing.
• This means either, Cover 0/all-out blitz, or his Dog blitz/simulated pressures that only bring four but look like they might bring more.
• Herbert still likely hasn’t seen the kind of pressure packages that Wink dials up but he’s a quick study and the Ravens will need to keep him guessing all game.
Getting pressure without the blitz and stopping Austin Ekeler
• With the news that Oday Aboushi will miss this game, the Chargers will now field an entirely backup right side with Storm Norton already deputizing for Bryan Bulaga at RT.
• The Ravens could use stunts, which has been a slight weakness for this line, against the Chargers strong left side in Corey Linsley, Matt Feiler and Rashawn Slater.
• The other reason why pressure is important, is to force the Chargers to use more players in protection, particularly the Running Backs and therefore keep Austin Ekeler in the pocket.
• They have utilized Ekeler on a variety of routes with success this season and it could be a feature of their gameplan to feast on a defense that hasn’t shown an ability to stop backs in the passing game yet this season.
• Chargers are multiple in their running offense, they seem to have most success when they can get their linemen to the 2nd level. Ravens must occupy double teams to allow their LBs to make plays.
Offensive Keys
Run Zone
• Brandon Staley’s defense is still taking form but will be similar to his mentor, Vic Fangio’s unit, when the masterpiece is finished.
• His defense utilize a two-high shell which can turn into all manner of different coverages post snap to guard against the pass.
• For the running game, it uses the depth of the Safeties to create the illusion of a light box to run your running game into, only for the Safety to attack combined with gap-sound play on the defensive front to neutralize your running game.
• The Chargers simply aren’t very good yet at running Staley’s system of run defense yet. The real problem is the Defensive Line is not yet playing gap-sound and have certainly not yet learnt the Fangio stack-track-fall back technique.
• This defense is mainly built to combat the proliferation of the zone blocking scheme across the league, so when it isn’t being executed to the highest level, bringing exactly that scheme to bear against it can be easier.
Have a three-pronged plan for Derwin James
Derwin James regularly plays within the framework of this defense and thrives in doing that, but his most impactful plays are when he’s allowed to freelance or when he’s covering a different assignment to the traditional split-field safety role. He could be…
1. Covering Mark Andrews. James has proven that he has outstanding man coverage skills on some of the best weapons in the game
2. Rushing off the edge. They’ve used James off the edge quite a few times this season and there are some important rules for offenses to follow when they do.
3. Lamar-stopper. This would not be an effective way to defend this Ravens offense, taking your most effective coverage defender out of the framework of your defense is not a good idea.
Matchup to Watch
Keenan Allen vs Marlon Humphrey
You cannot look past a matchup that will signal how the game ends up, but also pits two of the best players in the league at their respective positions against each other. Marlon Humphrey will likely cover Keenan Allen most of the night and if you’re at all a fan of Wide Receiver or Defensive Back play, it will be a barn-burner.
