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Austin Ekeler’s usage and how the Chargers will replace Chris Harris: Mailbag
By Daniel Popper Sep 17, 2021
The Chargers (1-0) host the Cowboys (0-1) on Sunday afternoon in their home opener at SoFi Stadium.
Friday brought a wave of injury news for the Chargers. They placed starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga on injured reserve with a back injury, meaning he will miss a minimum of three weeks. Defensive back Chris Harris was ruled out of Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury he suffered last week against Washington. And defensive lineman Justin Jones will likely miss Sunday’s game with a calf injury he sustained against Washington. Jones is officially doubtful and did not practice this week.
You ask. I answer.
It’s the mailbag.
What’s the DB depth chart looking like now for Sunday? — @matt_moskovitz
The Harris injury is a big one. It is slightly surprising that Harris was not able to practice this week considering he finished Sunday’s win and played all but one defensive snap in the game. But coach Brandon Staley said Harris fell on his shoulder during the game and woke up Monday feeling “really, really sore.”
Harris is an integral piece in this defensive scheme because of his versatility. In base packages, he was playing outside cornerback opposite Michael Davis. In one variation of the nickel package, he was defending the slot. In another variation, the big nickel package, he was playing safety, with Derwin James moving up to defend the slot — what Staley calls the “Star” position. And then in dime packages, Harris was moving back to Star, with James playing the dime backer — or “Money” — position.
The Chargers do not have a player on their roster who can fill all those roles as Harris did. Staley said they will use a “combination” of defensive backs to replace Harris.
What does that mean specifically? Well, based on Staley’s comments, I expect Asante Samuel Jr. to play on the outside in base, nickel and dime packages. Samuel only played in nickel and dime last week against Washington. I also expect the Chargers to rely on the big nickel package more, with James defending the slot at Star. Nasir Adderley and Alohi Gilman will man the safety spots in that package. Adderley is officially questionable with a shoulder injury, but Staley said he will play Sunday against Dallas.
Against Washington, James played Star on 13 of the team’s 55 defensive snaps. He played eight snaps at Money and 34 snaps at safety. I think he will spend most of his time at Star against the Cowboys. Staley said Friday that his “best five” defensive backs right now are Adderley and Gilman at safety, James at Star, and Samuel and Davis outside.
The real question is what the Chargers will do in dime packages. Reading into Staley’s comments, it sounds like Trey Marshall, who the Chargers picked up on waivers earlier this month, will come on as the sixth DB, playing Money. James would stay at Star in this scenario.
If the Chargers want to move James to Money in dime packages — where he played last week when the defense went with six defensive backs — then they could bring on Kemon Hall to play Star. Staley mentioned him as an option. But Marshall is a more experienced player. He spent time with Staley in 2019 when Staley was the outside linebackers coach for the Broncos. Defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill coached Marshall for two seasons in Denver. Marshall is familiar with the scheme and the coaching staff.
Staley did not mention Star as a possible position for Marshall. So the natural assumption is that Marshall would play Money in dime packages with James playing Star.
The Chargers’ secondary depth will be tested in this game against a really explosive Cowboys passing attack featuring Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper. This is a matchup to watch. Lamb and Cooper went off against the Buccaneers in the NFL opener, catching a combined 20 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns. Of Lamb’s 104 yards, 63 were after the catch. That was the second most of any receiver in football in Week 1. The Cowboys completed five passes of 20 or more yards against Tampa.
If J.J. can’t go, which D lineman do you think they’ll activate? — @KevinCurnick
J.J., of course, refers to Jones, who almost certainly will not play in this game. That leaves the Chargers with only four healthy defensive linemen. And Staley said Friday that they will be making a move from the practice squad to bolster their depth. Christian Covington had a solid game against Washington, particularly against the run, and will slide into the starting lineup. Eric Banks, whom the Chargers claimed on waivers after cutdown day, will be in the rotation. Staley said they are still deciding between Forrest Merrill, Breiden Fehoko and Joe Gaziano as far as who they will call up for the game. Merrill made the initial 53-man. But with Banks’ ability to play nose tackle, I think they will go with an exterior player to round out the five-man group. That points to Gaziano. Fehoko is a more natural interior lineman.
With Bulaga out, and Norton presumably coming in, what did you think of Norton’s performance on Sunday and what it means going forward? — @UltiimateLaxBro
Storm Norton will start Sunday’s game at right tackle, according to Staley. After watching the tape, I actually thought Norton played a fine game. He had one bad rep, and that came on Justin Herbert’s sack-fumble in the red zone. Norton was matched up with Montez Sweat and got beat badly off the edge one-on-one. But that was really his only glaringly bad rep in the game. He mostly held up otherwise and even effectively blocked Chase Young one-on-one in pass protection on multiple occasions. They will need to give Norton help, even with the Cowboys injuries on the edge. DeMarcus Lawrence landed on IR with a broken foot, and Randy Gregory remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The Chargers will need to chip on Norton’s side with running backs and tight ends. They did plenty of that against Washington after Norton replaced Bulaga for the second half.
Is Tranquill strictly special teams/depth now? Does he not fit into Staley’s defensive scheme? — @JMelch31
Kyzir White beat out Drue Tranquill for the second starting inside linebacker spot during training camp. White made the most plays of any defensive player and earned that spot alongside Kenneth Murray. And for now, Tranquill does not have a path to get on the field with the defense. He played only three defensive snaps against Washington and I do not expect that number to increase unless White suffers an injury. Tranquill will have to make his impact on special teams, where he is a core-four player. Tranquill fits in the scheme. It’s just that White, for now, brings more athletically to that position and is playing at a really high level, even with a few missed tackles in the opener.
White forced the fumble in the fourth quarter that turned the game against Washington and led to the go-ahead touchdown.
How are we feeling about Jerry Tillery’s progress? — @JustWIN_Herbert
Tillery did not jump out on the tape from the Washington game. He played 42 snaps and did not have a pressure or a tackle. I came away with the same feeling I had watching Tillery play last season: Meh. He certainly does not look like a first-round pick. But at this point, Tillery is all Staley has to work with, especially with the Jones injury. They just have to hope he improves.
Staley was rather diplomatic when assessing Tillery’s performance against Washington.
“I think Jerry’s playing really, really hard,” Staley said. “We were able to move him throughout the formation, which is a goal of ours. I feel like he had some of that kind of almost production in the rush. But we’re excited where he’s at. His weight is really good right now. His body’s good. He was really active. I feel like we’ve got a good rotation going with him. He played a really good number of snaps in the game.
“Just positioning him in the right ways in pass rush, too. It wasn’t a game last week where it was just kind of a pure-on rush sort of game, like third-down-and-we’re-ahead type game. So we kind of had to play it straight up, and he’s playing rugged and tough in the run front. So I’m excited to keep working with him, because he’s improving every day and he’s totally invested in what we’re doing. He’s in great shape. So I think the way he’s changed his body is allowing him to make a lot more plays in the run game and play the way we want to play. I’m excited to see him keep going.”
What was the cause of Ekeler not receiving any receptions and do you think this is going to be normal moving forward? — @orennasab
I wrote about this in my Final Thoughts, but I got a lot of questions on this topic, so I figured I would dive a little deeper.
Austin Ekeler did not have a target as a receiver against Washington. But I do not think that is an indication of how he will be used in the passing game. That, to me, was more a function of how open Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Jared Cook and the rest of the Chargers’ receivers and tight ends were getting downfield.
The Chargers still moved Ekeler all over the formation. He lined up in the slot five times and outside once, according to Pro Football Focus. He also ran routes on more than 50 percent of Herbert’s dropbacks. There were just players more open farther down the field.
“He’s definitely a weapon in the passing game,” Staley said of Ekeler this week. “We had a couple things up for him that didn’t get called. When we were in some of our stuff where we were split out, the ball just went other places. But that’s a big part of our offense, getting him activated in the passing game. Whether it’s from the backfield, split out, or in the screen game. Excited to see how that expresses itself as the weeks go on. He’s definitely an asset to us, for sure.”
By Daniel Popper Sep 17, 2021
The Chargers (1-0) host the Cowboys (0-1) on Sunday afternoon in their home opener at SoFi Stadium.
Friday brought a wave of injury news for the Chargers. They placed starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga on injured reserve with a back injury, meaning he will miss a minimum of three weeks. Defensive back Chris Harris was ruled out of Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury he suffered last week against Washington. And defensive lineman Justin Jones will likely miss Sunday’s game with a calf injury he sustained against Washington. Jones is officially doubtful and did not practice this week.
You ask. I answer.
It’s the mailbag.
What’s the DB depth chart looking like now for Sunday? — @matt_moskovitz
The Harris injury is a big one. It is slightly surprising that Harris was not able to practice this week considering he finished Sunday’s win and played all but one defensive snap in the game. But coach Brandon Staley said Harris fell on his shoulder during the game and woke up Monday feeling “really, really sore.”
Harris is an integral piece in this defensive scheme because of his versatility. In base packages, he was playing outside cornerback opposite Michael Davis. In one variation of the nickel package, he was defending the slot. In another variation, the big nickel package, he was playing safety, with Derwin James moving up to defend the slot — what Staley calls the “Star” position. And then in dime packages, Harris was moving back to Star, with James playing the dime backer — or “Money” — position.
The Chargers do not have a player on their roster who can fill all those roles as Harris did. Staley said they will use a “combination” of defensive backs to replace Harris.
What does that mean specifically? Well, based on Staley’s comments, I expect Asante Samuel Jr. to play on the outside in base, nickel and dime packages. Samuel only played in nickel and dime last week against Washington. I also expect the Chargers to rely on the big nickel package more, with James defending the slot at Star. Nasir Adderley and Alohi Gilman will man the safety spots in that package. Adderley is officially questionable with a shoulder injury, but Staley said he will play Sunday against Dallas.
Against Washington, James played Star on 13 of the team’s 55 defensive snaps. He played eight snaps at Money and 34 snaps at safety. I think he will spend most of his time at Star against the Cowboys. Staley said Friday that his “best five” defensive backs right now are Adderley and Gilman at safety, James at Star, and Samuel and Davis outside.
The real question is what the Chargers will do in dime packages. Reading into Staley’s comments, it sounds like Trey Marshall, who the Chargers picked up on waivers earlier this month, will come on as the sixth DB, playing Money. James would stay at Star in this scenario.
If the Chargers want to move James to Money in dime packages — where he played last week when the defense went with six defensive backs — then they could bring on Kemon Hall to play Star. Staley mentioned him as an option. But Marshall is a more experienced player. He spent time with Staley in 2019 when Staley was the outside linebackers coach for the Broncos. Defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill coached Marshall for two seasons in Denver. Marshall is familiar with the scheme and the coaching staff.
Staley did not mention Star as a possible position for Marshall. So the natural assumption is that Marshall would play Money in dime packages with James playing Star.
The Chargers’ secondary depth will be tested in this game against a really explosive Cowboys passing attack featuring Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper. This is a matchup to watch. Lamb and Cooper went off against the Buccaneers in the NFL opener, catching a combined 20 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns. Of Lamb’s 104 yards, 63 were after the catch. That was the second most of any receiver in football in Week 1. The Cowboys completed five passes of 20 or more yards against Tampa.
If J.J. can’t go, which D lineman do you think they’ll activate? — @KevinCurnick
J.J., of course, refers to Jones, who almost certainly will not play in this game. That leaves the Chargers with only four healthy defensive linemen. And Staley said Friday that they will be making a move from the practice squad to bolster their depth. Christian Covington had a solid game against Washington, particularly against the run, and will slide into the starting lineup. Eric Banks, whom the Chargers claimed on waivers after cutdown day, will be in the rotation. Staley said they are still deciding between Forrest Merrill, Breiden Fehoko and Joe Gaziano as far as who they will call up for the game. Merrill made the initial 53-man. But with Banks’ ability to play nose tackle, I think they will go with an exterior player to round out the five-man group. That points to Gaziano. Fehoko is a more natural interior lineman.
With Bulaga out, and Norton presumably coming in, what did you think of Norton’s performance on Sunday and what it means going forward? — @UltiimateLaxBro
Storm Norton will start Sunday’s game at right tackle, according to Staley. After watching the tape, I actually thought Norton played a fine game. He had one bad rep, and that came on Justin Herbert’s sack-fumble in the red zone. Norton was matched up with Montez Sweat and got beat badly off the edge one-on-one. But that was really his only glaringly bad rep in the game. He mostly held up otherwise and even effectively blocked Chase Young one-on-one in pass protection on multiple occasions. They will need to give Norton help, even with the Cowboys injuries on the edge. DeMarcus Lawrence landed on IR with a broken foot, and Randy Gregory remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The Chargers will need to chip on Norton’s side with running backs and tight ends. They did plenty of that against Washington after Norton replaced Bulaga for the second half.
Is Tranquill strictly special teams/depth now? Does he not fit into Staley’s defensive scheme? — @JMelch31
Kyzir White beat out Drue Tranquill for the second starting inside linebacker spot during training camp. White made the most plays of any defensive player and earned that spot alongside Kenneth Murray. And for now, Tranquill does not have a path to get on the field with the defense. He played only three defensive snaps against Washington and I do not expect that number to increase unless White suffers an injury. Tranquill will have to make his impact on special teams, where he is a core-four player. Tranquill fits in the scheme. It’s just that White, for now, brings more athletically to that position and is playing at a really high level, even with a few missed tackles in the opener.
White forced the fumble in the fourth quarter that turned the game against Washington and led to the go-ahead touchdown.
How are we feeling about Jerry Tillery’s progress? — @JustWIN_Herbert
Tillery did not jump out on the tape from the Washington game. He played 42 snaps and did not have a pressure or a tackle. I came away with the same feeling I had watching Tillery play last season: Meh. He certainly does not look like a first-round pick. But at this point, Tillery is all Staley has to work with, especially with the Jones injury. They just have to hope he improves.
Staley was rather diplomatic when assessing Tillery’s performance against Washington.
“I think Jerry’s playing really, really hard,” Staley said. “We were able to move him throughout the formation, which is a goal of ours. I feel like he had some of that kind of almost production in the rush. But we’re excited where he’s at. His weight is really good right now. His body’s good. He was really active. I feel like we’ve got a good rotation going with him. He played a really good number of snaps in the game.
“Just positioning him in the right ways in pass rush, too. It wasn’t a game last week where it was just kind of a pure-on rush sort of game, like third-down-and-we’re-ahead type game. So we kind of had to play it straight up, and he’s playing rugged and tough in the run front. So I’m excited to keep working with him, because he’s improving every day and he’s totally invested in what we’re doing. He’s in great shape. So I think the way he’s changed his body is allowing him to make a lot more plays in the run game and play the way we want to play. I’m excited to see him keep going.”
What was the cause of Ekeler not receiving any receptions and do you think this is going to be normal moving forward? — @orennasab
I wrote about this in my Final Thoughts, but I got a lot of questions on this topic, so I figured I would dive a little deeper.
Austin Ekeler did not have a target as a receiver against Washington. But I do not think that is an indication of how he will be used in the passing game. That, to me, was more a function of how open Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Jared Cook and the rest of the Chargers’ receivers and tight ends were getting downfield.
The Chargers still moved Ekeler all over the formation. He lined up in the slot five times and outside once, according to Pro Football Focus. He also ran routes on more than 50 percent of Herbert’s dropbacks. There were just players more open farther down the field.
“He’s definitely a weapon in the passing game,” Staley said of Ekeler this week. “We had a couple things up for him that didn’t get called. When we were in some of our stuff where we were split out, the ball just went other places. But that’s a big part of our offense, getting him activated in the passing game. Whether it’s from the backfield, split out, or in the screen game. Excited to see how that expresses itself as the weeks go on. He’s definitely an asset to us, for sure.”
