Chargers Weekly: Tony Jefferson Talks About His Interception & Broncos Matchup

On this episode of Chargers Weekly, Bolts radio play-by-play announcer Matt “Money” Smith and host Chris Hayre recap the latest news involving LA and the entire NFL. The hosts are joined by safety Tony Jefferson, who talks about his crucial interception in the Bolts’ win over the Las Vegas Raiders during Week 2 and an analysis of the Denver Broncos offense, including quarterback Bo Nix, leading into the Chargers’ Week 3 home opener. Presented by Splitero.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Late fifteen to ten touchdowns.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
What's some guys, Welcome into a brand new episode of
Chargers Weekly. We are presented by Splittero as always, joined
by the voice of the Chargers, Matt Muddy Smith. An
awesome episode today, Tony Jefferson gonna join us in a
bit but money two and zero before even heading to
Sofi Stadium in the division you beat the Chiefs in
Brazil Monday night football in Vegas. Probably the loudest CROWDFF

(00:34):
heard at Elligia Stadium twenty to nine.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
Yeah, and a tip of the cap to Bolt fam.
A lot of Charger fans out there. Now last year
Week eighteen was ridiculous, right, it was probably over fifty
percent Charger fans. But where our broadcast booth is, you know,
on the seventh floor, directly across from the Chargers bench.
It was just a sea of powder blue behind them.
So a lot of that noise was being made by

(00:58):
the folks that made the trip out there to to
Vegas to watch their Chargers. And you know what, what
do you do when you're in a hostile environment, You
set the tone immediately. First play of the game is
our first play from scrimmage, I should say after the
kickoff is a lowie Gillman bringing some thunder on that
hit and popping the ball in the air creating the interception.
And that really set the tone for the day in

(01:19):
terms of passless defense and turnovers and a defense that
just looked impenetrable that there was nothing the Raiders could
do to get over on that particular unit on that
particular night.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
Three free points really to start the game, and it's
probably a good starting points that defense, you know, similar
to Makai Beckton. You know, Dan Henley a late add
to the injury report within illness and listen, man, that
was one of the best games he's ever played in
his career as a flu game. And you know Dayon
was the one who had that interception to start the game.

(01:52):
But we talked about it with Tony who you'll hear
from it a little bit. Fifteen pass deflection, seven guys
had two past deflections, three interceptions. Gino Smith, who carved
up the New England Patriots had no shot against this
secondary on whatever.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
Yeah, and I think you know the one thing and
I credit I should say credit. I attribute this, you
know when I'm about to say to it to Daniel
Jeremiah who does the games with me in the booth,
and early on, like one of the things I love
about coach Minter is you can feel him feel the game, like, Okay,
what's gonna work. We're gonna throw some different things and
then we're gonna play the hits and figure out what works.

(02:29):
And early on there are a couple blitzes Gino, couple
good completions off those blitzes, and then from that it
was probably like maybe ten twelve plays in. From that
moment forward, it was just rush for. It was rush
for muddy the picture behind, and it's not just a
standard rush for, like, hey, here comes our best, what's
your best, Let's see who went? It was exotics. There's

(02:52):
people come dropping out. There's six on the line of scrimmage,
four coming three from you know, heavy on one side.
There's corners, there's safe fifties, there's linebackers like they He
really did an exceptional job of not allowing Gino to
get comfortable, not allowing the offensive line or the tight
ends or the backs to figure out where it was

(03:13):
coming from. And then on the back end make him
view through a clouded lens. And that's where Gino was
always run into trouble and man, that secondary was sensational.
The line was incredible by rushing four and still getting
all those pressures, particularly two Lee two.

Speaker 2 (03:30):
We had an exceptional game. They did, and normally in
a game like this you can point to like one
or two guys who had the exceptional game. Everybody touched
the football. I mean everybody got their hands on the football.
You mentioned the defensive line. I think that's one of
the strengths this year. Well, when Pudaford went to the Rams,
I think people were concerned. They have like five or
six guys they can go super deep across the defensive line.

(03:51):
Khalil Mack comes out, Caleb Murphy and Bud Dupree step up.
Denzel's not in this game. Troy Die plays fantastic and Jefferson,
the guy we're going to talk to, gets elevated. And
I don't care if it's a preseason game a regular
season game. Every time Tony Jefferson is on the field
during a football game money he makes plays. And he
did that interception right before the half was huge.

Speaker 1 (04:13):
It was And I do want to because you started there,
so I'm going to start where you started. Chris and
I do think Look, Nakwan Jones was exceptional. You know,
here's someone who did not play in week one comes
into this game and man, when you go back and
watch how that big man moves. There was a play
when he was tracking. I want to say it was

(04:34):
Gino to the sideline. I don't remember if it led
to an interception, but I remember after the play, DJN
I looked at you, like, man, that's a three hundred
and forty pound guy. I don't know how he is
moving like that, but he had pressures, he was absorbing
double teams like he really played well. And I think
it goes again weep. We keep harkening back to this
point where they said, hey, yeah we lost Poona. We

(04:55):
were doing it in volume, and it's just like between
Nakuon and look, we know tier Tart's great, that's already
been established. I don't feel like we need to say
that week in and week out. But I think between
DeShawn Hand, between these three, DeShawn Han, Nakwon Jones, and
Jamari caledwell, what those three are giving. You know, Jamari
had the sack, Jamari had pressures, he was wrecking. You know,

(05:16):
they talk about block destruction true was I mean, he
was a one man wrecking machine. I watched him pick
up I don't remember if it was DJ Glaze or
if it was Cap. I think it was Glaze literally
threw him into the tight end, who then bunked into
Ashton Genty, who then went flying five yards back like

(05:38):
it was crazy to watch the physicality with which that
line played and how effective they were.

Speaker 2 (05:45):
The two guys who you know we talked about before this,
Ashton Genty and Brock Bauers, the two guys who could
actually like affect a game and maybe a wreck a
game for you. I know, brock Bowers was coming off
a knee and I think that showed a little bit.
It really did. But you know, ashion Genty had so
much juice, and there were a couple of plays when
you get little worried that he was going to break one.

(06:05):
Just the discipline in keeping Genty and check and you know,
whether it was Durwin or Brock Powers or somebody else
in zone coverage, they were able to limit those guys.
And then Gino really didn't have any other answers outside
those two guys.

Speaker 1 (06:18):
No, well, look, Gina wants pushball downfield. Yeah, that's what
he wants to do. And he's really good at he's
got a big arm, he's an accurate thrower. And the
Chargers basically just came into this game and said not today,
that's that's not what it's going to be today. And look,
remember Patrick Mahomes tried to do that to him and
it really kind of cost the Chiefs the first quarter.

(06:38):
You know, the Chargers were giving them all the underneath stuff,
but Mahomes. The narrative surrounding this team going into this
year was, oh, you'll see what you know, we haven't
lost our explosives. We're still that same offense from five
years ago when they just haven't been they haven't been
an exciting watch. They haven't had those explosives. Now, it's
not fair to, you know, take those shots and Homes
without Rashi Rise, without Xavier Worthy Worthy who got not

(06:59):
but it cost him. And I think in this game,
same thing. You know, you've got Gino coming in nine
of thirteen against the Blitz forty four percent, one thirty
one passer rating, so Mentor backs out of that.

Speaker 2 (07:11):
It's like, Okay, we're not going to do that.

Speaker 1 (07:13):
We're just going to rush four and he's still trying
to execute the plan that the Patriots allowed him to
execute because they blitzed almost half the time. And so
when you look at the numbers coming out of New
England for Gino it was nine passes of twenty plus
air yards, he had three over thirty plus air yards,
zero for ten, zero for ten against this team for

(07:34):
the number one yards per at temp quarterback, you know,
coming out of week one and it's just like, you
can't do that, that's not where and what do they do?
As I'm looking at it, I just want to make
sure I have it exactly, Chris. This is what they
make you do. They make you take the play nineteen plays,
sixty two yards, eleven minutes and fifteen seconds and settle
for a field goal like that's and that is not what.

Speaker 2 (07:59):
It's in.

Speaker 1 (08:00):
That drive was resulted in three points for the Raiders,
but it was incredible what the defense did on that
series when time was their friend because they're up twenty
to six.

Speaker 2 (08:08):
Yeah, they're on the field for a big chunk of
that second half. And to to have Gino Smith go
nineteen plays in just net three points, you know it's
gonna be the complete opposite. I think this Sunday with
a guy like Bo Nicks who doesn't really throw push
the ball down the field, but.

Speaker 1 (08:24):
He has that's the weird he has. But but no,
I mean like this year he's trying to Yeah.

Speaker 2 (08:28):
But but Gino, like Gino was trying to force almost
force a square peg into a round hole. Yeah, and
he failed at that. And you know, no fault of
his own, because I tell you what that secondary they
they just look different this year, money Tar, he still
looks like a different guy to me. For his as
great as he played his rookie year. You know you
talked about his tackling. Man, that's that's about as evident

(08:50):
as you can see. He has been a really special player,
no doubt.

Speaker 1 (08:54):
Look he and he said it, you know in his
when we were when we when they put him at
the podium, or when they put up with the lectern
in training camp, you know, all the stuff that he
was working on and what he wanted to improve. Because
here we are and we should have. You know, he's
a fifth round pick. We're celebrating him for his coverage
and how good he was in the interceptions and and
you know he talked about coming in with Khalil and
working with Khalil. And that's look that I don't mean

(09:16):
this to like take shots at the you know, at
previous coaching staffs and previous you know, rosters, but like
that was always an issue, that the cornerback tackling was
always an issue. And when you looked at the run
stats and why is this there? You know, there were
years when this was like the worst run defense and
everyone's like they got to fix the line, and I'm like, man,
it's corners aren't tackling, man, They're getting trucked. Think about

(09:40):
you know, speaking of the Raiders, think about that Raider
game and Josh Jacobs the week eighteen. You know, if
you can hold him to a tie, we're both going
to the playoffs. And what happens. It's Josh Jacobs left edge,
the edge doesn't set the edge, and he's in a
Sante Samuel's chest and carrying him like a backpack for
fifteen yards. And that's just not this team. Man, That

(10:02):
is not tar Heed. Still think about you know, the
cam Hart, the physicality that he played with. You know,
unfortunately got that hip and had to leave, but man,
just the physicality, and I'm sure it's it's a talking
point for these coaches, for Clink, for Fuller, you know,
for jesse Minner. These guys have to tackle. If you

(10:22):
don't tackle, you're not going to be on the field.
And man, tar Heeb had one on Brock Bowers where
it's like giving up fifty pounds here man, and you
said it, Brock was not right. And you see what
that offense looks like when Brock is not right, because
don't they were like, okay, you get it to Brock
will be fine, We'll rally and tackle.

Speaker 2 (10:40):
But he's in the open field.

Speaker 1 (10:42):
I'm not saying I would have gone for a touchhop,
but it would have been an explosed It would be
like a fifty yur play and he just squares them up,
wraps them drops and I'm like, man, that's that's the
play right there. That's the tar hep still play.

Speaker 2 (10:52):
I remember an episode that we did this this off
season and I think I asked you about the biggest
off season move that was made. You said that, you said,
keeping jesse Minter, making sure jesse Minter doesn't leave the building.
And I think the entire NFL world saw, especially on
two primetime games, what jesse Mintter has done with his defense,

(11:13):
how they play, the physicality they play with in the
fact that they get their hands on the football. So
you have to give the defense a lot of credit.
You flip it the offense money. Very similar to Brazil.
They started throwing the football first seven plays of the game.
Almarin Hampton, Najia Harris didn't touch the ball, right, you know,
so they are they are starting, they are leading with

(11:36):
Justin Herbert throwing the football. He had a great game.
You know, he was efficient. Quentin three for seventy one,
that sixty yard touchdown. You know, we saw Keenan five
for sixty one in a touchdown lad so that trio
you ad Trey Harris who had a couple of nice scrabs.
The passing game was getting going.

Speaker 1 (11:54):
Yeah, and I think you know, look, it started out
one for five. So Herbert starts out one for five.
Just why do I bring that up? Because he finished
eighteen to twenty two. So start one for five, eighteen
to twenty two. The explosive obviously to q the sixty
yard touchdown pass, which was just a I mean, it
was art, you know, the the it's just I don't know,

(12:15):
it's weird. I think people because it looks so clean,
it looks easy. But if that ball is not placed
exactly where it's placed, that's not a touchdown because the
corner is still Stokes I think it was Stokes.

Speaker 2 (12:27):
It was with him is.

Speaker 1 (12:28):
Still right in step, and for Q to not half
the gear down one bit and then you know this
flips to Q where he's not freaking out.

Speaker 2 (12:38):
He doesn't gear don't. We talked about some.

Speaker 1 (12:39):
Of his issues tracking the ball over his shoulder his
rookie year, and like that's the thing, man, Just for
people to have patience and let guys develop and figure
it out. Like that is not something Q did in college.
That is not something he did last year. I mean
he did a little bit last year. But to see
him track that, not break stride, not gear down, to
let that ball come to him, and it's just it's,

(13:02):
like I said, it's art. It's I know exactly where
he's going to be, how much air to put under
this ball so he can catch it in stride and
score the touchdown. It was just a beautiful play. And
Q's got three touchdowns. He's one of the best receivers
in football right now. And like you said, there's a
million different places he can go with the ball, and
I applaud coach Roman for leaning into it. It's like, hey,

(13:22):
we we got a guy who's playing quarterback better than
anybody else in the NFL, right now, let's just lean
into it and see if anybody can stop it. And
so far through two games, the answer has been no.

Speaker 2 (13:31):
Quintin a lot of his touchdowns he looks to be
wide open. Maybe it's just because Quentin Johnson is a
pretty good football play yeah, right, you know you said it.
It looks easy, but it's it's not easy to get
open in the NFL. And I do think that having
Keenan and lad on the field at the same time,
just like we'll get into the Broncos. But like pastser
Tan can't guard all three of those guys, right, all right,

(13:51):
so somebody's going to be open. And I just if
we shifted to number thirteen, man, like, it's like he
never left. It's like Chigo never happened. He has that
chemistry instantly. With Justin Herbert watching his mic up, you
could just see how engaged he is with the other receivers,
the other guys on the team, getting the defense fired up.
It's like, we go into training camp and we didn't

(14:14):
even think Keenan Allen was going to be a thought
this year now and he comes in and he's got
a touchdown in each of his first two games, and
it's just like we're looking at like twenty twenty one
all over again.

Speaker 1 (14:24):
Yeah, he's been exceptional. That fourth down play, that fourth
and two, and you know it all like that's the
thing about football compared to other sports, right, you know,
Baseball is initiated with a one on one battle. It's
it's a pitcher and a batter, you know, and basketball
oftentimes is set up in one on one situations.

Speaker 2 (14:40):
You know, football is chess. You know.

Speaker 1 (14:42):
Football is eleven players moving in unison, the defense trying
to prevent forward progress, the offense trying to impose their
will and gain ground. And if it doesn't work in concert,
it doesn't work. And so it's so important to point out.
And you see it on that fourth down play. Man,
it's a fourth and two and you've got a front

(15:02):
five that has stonewalled that defensive front of the Raiders,
and I'm pretty sure memory serves right. Max Crosby's coming
off the right side, and he's coming off and I
feel like Pipkins blocks down and Conklin is now tasked
with having to slow down Max Crosby. And look, he

(15:24):
got his I'm not taking a shot at matchup. But
Hampton comes across and chips him right when his leverage
isn't there, and he pops Max into the air and
that allows justin that split second to keep rolling to
his right. That's not a fourth and two for three yards.
That was a fourth and two for fifteen yards to
Keenan Allen And all of that was made so for

(15:46):
people that are all the fumble from Hampton And what
about the yards per carry man? He is so good
in pass pro and without that chip, I'm assuming that
Max is coming off of Tyler and he's in Justin's
lap on a fourth and two.

Speaker 2 (15:59):
I think that I think Justin actually got uh Dania
for that fumble. Yeah, because because Hampton hadn't security, it
wasn't the greatest exchange, you know, but you know, and
then Nagi comes in and ice is the game. Yeah,
but just to talk about this tight ends a little bit. Yeah,
Conchland wasn't targeted. Disley was targeted. Once they were tasked
with keeping Max Crosby off of Justin and if you

(16:20):
look at Disley's passing pass blocking grade exceptional. Cochland had
a good a good game blocking as well. So it
just it shows every single week the game plan can change.
You know. Conkland had two big balls that he caught. Uh,
I guess the Chiefs two for fifty, I think in
that game. So it's going to change every week. But
to have those tight ends, to be able to block

(16:41):
the way they did money, it was pretty good.

Speaker 1 (16:43):
It's it look it's it's it's an embarrassment of riches,
right like that's and so for me, I think I
will say this though, I do think because we'll get
into the rush attack and Nashi and how good he looked.

Speaker 2 (16:54):
But I do think that for like this week, I
wouldn't I wouldn't mind see entire fisk.

Speaker 1 (17:00):
Like if you're not going to target Conklin and we
know how good his hands are and how good his
route running is, I wouldn't mind seeing five receivers and
three tight ends instead of six receivers and two tight ends.
I think what we saw in the you know, Tyler
Conklin was the highest graded run blocker for the Chargers
in the preseason, wouldn't mind maybe throwing that in there

(17:22):
just to see because they've really struggled running this football
for the most part. Like I think about that that
goal line stand and it's like if you you know,
if you want to get into credit card alignment and
get under center and run power, it's just it hasn't
been there this year. And I do think Tuckerfisk can
help with that. Like I would have preferred, and again

(17:44):
I say this recognizing that I'm an idiot, but I
would have preferred to Like when you watch them run
out of that spread when it's just more effective, it
feels like it. And I don't know what the numbers are,
but I just feel like when I and I said
this during the game, I'm like, man, they got Joe
Walt moved to the right side, and they've got an
extra chablenge just like that didn't happen all game long.

(18:04):
It's like, all game long, this has really been working.

Speaker 2 (18:06):
Man. You're just you're you're.

Speaker 1 (18:08):
Running with these guys spread out. You've spread this defense out,
and I I'm anxious to see kind of what their
takeaways are and if we see a little bit of
a tweak there for Week three against the Broncos.

Speaker 2 (18:17):
Yeah, before we get to Tony Jefferson's interview, just we
could touch on the running game a little bit. Twenty
six for eighty one yards as a team, three one
yards per carry. Naji Harris, Samari, and Hampton each had
eight carries, just sixteen carries combined. You saw Naji kind
of take the lead in icing the game at the end.
Listen O Mari and I think he had an eight
yard run that was a penalty on the Raiders automatic

(18:38):
first down. Yeah, so that that got negated. You mentioned
the exchange with Justin Again, we'll get into it with Denver,
but I do think that there may be an opportunity
to run the football against the Broncos. I think there.

Speaker 1 (18:50):
Look, I think one of my big takeaways from the
Raider game is that I'd like to see Naji carry
the ball more. I think you saw that Naji Harris
that you know, sort of quintessential Najie Harris. It's like, hey,
we've blocked it for three, I'm getting you four. You
know that's Nase And I think you saw that, like
you said, to ice the game, two big receptions in
the flat can get his foot in the ground, put

(19:12):
his shoulder and he's two and fifty pounds and he's
two or forty pounds, so he's a low. There was
one play where he was hit behind the line of scrimmage.
I want to say he was hit probably four yards.
I think they were at the twenty seven. It was
a second. It was like a second in three and
he gets hit at like the thirty something or no,

(19:35):
you know what. It was the series that they turned
it over on downs when they went fourth on fourth down,
so they're on their half of the field. I think
they're at the twenty seven. It's like a second and
three and he gets the hand off and he gets
hit in the backfield, and I think he gets hit
by Butler or Kons, one of those two.

Speaker 2 (19:50):
He picks him up.

Speaker 1 (19:51):
If you watch the film, he literally picks the guy
up and he carries him two yards before he vaults
forward and nearly gets back to the line of scripts.
It would have been a five yard law. It ends
up being a one yard loss and it becomes a
third and four instead of a third and eight, and
they end up converting the first down and take some
more time off the clock. Like when I saw that
I was like, all right, man, we gotta get just
got a football more. Yeah, like, na, she's back.

Speaker 2 (20:12):
Smart, smart football player. I know there was a penalty
in the Charges that came back, but like right at
the two in the morning, he slides down instead of
getting extra yards, slides down, knows that the game is
over at that point. Yes, you could, you could so
smart just kneel kneel it out, but I think the
Chargers were called for a penalty on that play, so
it ended up not not working out that way. But
but just Nase has so much awareness. His football IQ

(20:36):
is a is a big reason why he's had so
much success in the league, in addition to his durability
and just the size of both those guys' money. It's
something we talked about all off season, like when it's
when it's winning time in the fourth quarter and you
need those guys to ice a game. We kind of
saw that on display late in the fourth.

Speaker 1 (20:51):
Yeah, and look, I think I think in their defense
as well, it's also important to point out.

Speaker 2 (20:58):
Like running rhythm, running backs need contact. Like that's so.

Speaker 1 (21:03):
When you got two carries a piece in an entire
first half and then all of a sudden you get
to the end of the game and it's like, all right,
let's go. It's like you have to expect, like okay,
shake some rust off and stuff and so not making
excuses for him, but to me, it's I'm trying to
find this Nase, you play because I'm so excited I
heard this.

Speaker 2 (21:18):
Watch this, dude, so watch.

Speaker 1 (21:20):
Sorry folks that are uh, they can't see this, but
this is what I'm talking about.

Speaker 2 (21:24):
So it's an offset.

Speaker 1 (21:25):
I they're their own twenty seven on a second and three,
five minutes left in the fourth quarter, and here comes
Nase and bang he gets hit at the twenty three
yard line. So they are now losing four yards on that.
And watch what Naj does, just flips the guy and
falls forward all the way to the twenty six yard line,
and now you got a third and four and they converted.

(21:45):
It is the statue, No, it shows up as a
loss of one in the stat sheet, but it's like
it instead of third and eight, it's third and four,
and like that's the difference. Like that's the things that
people are Oh, it's your EPA is the worst in
the league and you're getting two yards carrying. It's like
those are the things that if they can just get
this thing blocked right, and these guys can get a
little bit more time to get together and to move

(22:07):
this thing, you know. And by them, I mean the
offensive line. Yeah, it's there, Like the running backs are
gonna be fine. I think it's just getting what's in
front of them squared away.

Speaker 2 (22:17):
All right, let's get to Tony Jefferson and then on
the other side we'll preview this game against the Broncos.
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(22:38):
share of your home's future value. Pay off debt, renovate
your home, and better your life. Get your free cash
estimate at splittero dot com. Slash Chargers was promised. Tony
Jefferson joins us on Charges Weekly. First order of business.
Congratulations just all the press release side of the fifty
three mail roster. How would you describe this last week
for both you and the defense man?

Speaker 3 (23:00):
Uh?

Speaker 4 (23:01):
Just a great step forward. I thought we did a
good job executing. Preparation was good all week. Guys were confident,
and we're just building that trust week in and week
out and loving the preparation that we're doing.

Speaker 3 (23:15):
Just got to continue doing that going forward.

Speaker 1 (23:18):
Think about Baltimore and we think about physicality and you know,
a violent defense. Watching that game back against the Raiders,
don't I don't know the last time I saw a
Charger team pop like that. Man, it really felt like
and we saw in that Chiefs game, but it felt
like this last week. Man, there was some serious hitting
going on.

Speaker 4 (23:38):
Yeah, uh, well, we understand the rivalry. We understand you know,
the Charger Raiders thing, So that was at the forefront
of our mind there. And also just how we started
off on the very first play. It was like wow,
like very first play, I in t like we putting
what we did in the practice film in the film

(23:58):
room to work right away. And I think that really
set it off for us as a defense. The energy
you felt it and then being physical, I mean, that's
that's something that we have to do as a defense.

Speaker 3 (24:11):
That's not an option.

Speaker 4 (24:12):
So that's just part of our pillars and separators that
we talk about every day, and you know, like I said,
physicality is not an option.

Speaker 2 (24:23):
Fifteen pass deflections seven guys.

Speaker 3 (24:25):
That was crazy.

Speaker 2 (24:26):
Seven guys had two past deflections and obviously three interceptions,
and you had one of the key ones right before
the half. I saw you tweet this, I thought the
same thing. In real time. You weren't down, were you?

Speaker 3 (24:36):
I don't think.

Speaker 4 (24:37):
I was like, I honestly felt like I could have
helped our offense get better field position to try and
get a score before half. But you know, they call
what they call it bang bang, but it was bang bang.
But I was like, it's too bang bang to call
that down that quick, but it is what it is.
I thought it was an opportunity. I could have, like
I said, gotten a little more yards to get off

(24:58):
of some space out of there. But you know, good
play overall.

Speaker 2 (25:01):
Yeah, we got the replay in the booth and we
were saying.

Speaker 3 (25:04):
Like, that's that's not right.

Speaker 1 (25:05):
I mean, I know, if someone touches you and you're down,
you're down, but that didn't look like that. But just
to the interception, I mean, there's a lot going on
there with the way you were hand fighting and what
you were doing with or if you could like, you know,
for people to kind of think, oh, you just jumped
up and caught the ball, there was a lot going
on on that route for you.

Speaker 3 (25:19):
Yeah, no, it was. It was it was a lot.
You know.

Speaker 4 (25:22):
I was a half player, so you know, I broke
on the route. And obviously we understand how Gino is
as a quarterback. He can move around, and so we
talked about plaster all week. So I plastered my guy
and I knew Gino was outside of the pocket. So
if you saw, I kind of gave him a little
veteran push stepped out of bounds, so, uh, he can't be.

Speaker 3 (25:45):
First touch anyway.

Speaker 4 (25:46):
So I felt I felt comfortable, you know, just turn
it back for the ball, no panic because I knew,
you know, I was the only one that could really
get that ball in that in that situation. So, uh,
you know, just preparation and stuff like that just leading
to production.

Speaker 2 (26:00):
Is that muscle memory?

Speaker 1 (26:02):
Is it like just when it's subconscious or is it
because look you say it like it was. It took
ten minutes. I mean that's three seconds, four seconds when
you make that decision, So how does that work in
your mind when you know to do that?

Speaker 3 (26:15):
Uh, just part of being an unk man.

Speaker 4 (26:19):
It's part of being been to the game a long time,
see it a lot, and it's just like it's just
second nature to me. It's like, okay, plaster quarterbacks rolling out,
he's close to the sideline.

Speaker 3 (26:30):
Sideline's your best friend, use him, right.

Speaker 2 (26:33):
So we talked about this a little bit in the
locker room Tony and it talked about it with daylight
after the game. Just you know, Elijah goes out, Denzel
goes out, Khalil goes out in the game. Yet it
all looks the same no matter who's in there. Is
that just a product of what Jesse Mintzer preaches or
just affected you guys have been together for a couple

(26:53):
of years now, how does it look the same?

Speaker 4 (26:57):
Uh? I mean I give credit to Jesse clink Fuller,
Like everybody on our defensive staff, I mean they don't
even really have to say next man up. We know,
like it's it's just guys, when somebody goes down, like
you have to be able to come in and there
doesn't need to be a drop off at any at
any point.

Speaker 3 (27:16):
And uh, we truly trust in each other. We believe
each other. Uh.

Speaker 4 (27:19):
Durlin says it all the time, like you're not out
here by yourself, like we've got your back, and uh,
it's it's just a true genuine like team thing that
we do. And you know, you get opportunity.

Speaker 3 (27:32):
Why not.

Speaker 4 (27:33):
You know what I'm saying, You get your opportunity. It's
it's it's your it's your time to shine.

Speaker 1 (27:39):
When you say UNC that makes us think of Okay,
elder Statesman, young player. I think because of what what
Dan did and what Durham was doing that that maybe
Tarhee isn't really kind of talked about as much from
that game, but I don't know how much you had
to do with it. But man, that dude is turning
too the one of the most sound tacklers at a

(27:59):
cornerback spot that that I think we have in the
NFL kind of what's what can you say about his
jump from year one of year two?

Speaker 4 (28:04):
Yeah, I mean he spoke to the defense one Chiefs game,
Chiefs game, he spoke to the defense and he told us,
you know, he felt like you always want to figure
out what you need to work on, and last year
he felt like his covering was good, but he wasn't
a sound tackler. So he told us his main focus

(28:25):
this year was tackling, and he's really gone out there
and put it, put it on tape man like, I'm
telling you them. Open field tackles are not easy. They're
not easy. And Bowers is a big guy, fast, he's
he's a guy and you know he's chopping him down
and that's just a credit to him, just understanding, especially

(28:46):
from a young player. You know, you don't you don't
see that that much. Guy's taking accountability like that, and uh,
he's kind of just he's matured in such a like
like fast ascending way just from his mind set. Obviously
he's a great player, but he's he's just on a
very good wave of progressing to be one of the

(29:09):
better players in the league.

Speaker 2 (29:10):
You know, it's been evident to us really since the
beginning of training camp that you guys had a clear
idea of what the schedule looked like at the beginning
of the year, right Chiefs in Brazil, Monday night football
on the road, pair of primetime games and then never
coming to Sofi Stadium. You check off the first two boxes.
What an opportunity on Sunday to start three and oh

(29:32):
overall in three and oh in the division how quickly
have you guys flushed Monday night football and moved.

Speaker 3 (29:37):
Ahead of the Broncos.

Speaker 4 (29:38):
Yeah, I mean we had we had to flush it
pretty quick just because it's a short week. But we
understand the opportunity that's ahead of us, Like I said,
I think I said it after a game, like it's
been rare that you get three division games in a row,
first three games, and we understand where that would put us.

(29:58):
Being three No, isn't so early, So we understand that.
But at the same time, it's a week by week basis.
That's how this league works, and it's game by game,
and we treat every game like it's a championship game.
We prepare every week like it's a championship week. And
if we continue that mindset, I think the Sky's are
living for.

Speaker 1 (30:18):
Us yards per attempt three point four. That's insane, Like
that's just it's crazy. So kind of if you can
share this sort of philosophy, what you guys are looking
to do, the defense that you want to execute when
you go into a game, and what leads to I mean,
because Gino came in average in ten point six per
at tenth, you went zero for ten on anything over
ten are yards Like it was crazy to erase that,

(30:40):
So how does that happen? Like what are you guys
trying to do out there?

Speaker 4 (30:43):
Yeah, So obviously like going into a game no explosives,
we don't want to give up explosive plays. We want
to keep everything in front of us, especially from a
secondary standpoint in the run game, you want to keep
those runs per us. What under under three two yards?
Want to keep it around there. And you know, everybody's

(31:05):
flying to the ball. We call it bt B bt
B and like when you turn on the tape other
teams are they want to see like or say like wow,
like these guys are really running to the ball. The effort,
all all that, all that stuff really comes together and
that that kind of makes the stats what they are

(31:25):
with eleven guys flying to the ball because not not
everybody's gonna make every tackle. There's going to be miss tackles.
But if you miss a tackle, you got ten other
guys flying to the ball, You're you're gonna limit the
yardage and the leak yardage and stuff like that. So
we we really dive into that stuff every day in
meetings and uh, you know, guys believe guys believe.

Speaker 2 (31:45):
A small sample size first two weeks of the year,
but bo Nick's his average depth of target one of
the lowest in the league. But they have a lot
of playmakers, man, I mean you talk about Courtland, Sutton, Ingram,
jk who you guys are very well and in the
rookie r J. Harvey the backfield. What have you seen
from this this Broncos offense that that presents challenges for defense?

Speaker 4 (32:05):
Yeah, starting with bow Knicks, great player, really really fast,
Like I don't think he gets enough credit for what
he can do with his legs and keeping plays alive.
So obviously, just like last week, plastier coverage, this guy
is going to be running around, moving around stuff like that,
and they have all the weapons. Uh underrated receiver they

(32:28):
have in Franklin. Guy's a really good route runner. I
believe he was there in Oregon with bow Nick, so
they probably have a little connection going on there. Evan
Ingram coming in a tight end, who's elusive, can run
good routes, and obviously Sudden he's one of He's one
of those guys where you've you've got to know where
he's at in the field at all times. And then

(32:49):
our our our friend JK. Dobbins. He already sent me
a friendly text like early this week.

Speaker 2 (32:54):
Oh yeah, what was it? What was that deal?

Speaker 4 (32:57):
We'll keep that on side, so imagine that, you know.
But uh yeah, I'm looking forward to the matchup. I
think it's good.

Speaker 3 (33:03):
Man. It's a Division game Denver.

Speaker 4 (33:07):
Like I'm I'm I'm old school, so you know, I
grew up a Chargers fan, so I know you know
what these games mean.

Speaker 3 (33:14):
So I really excited for the opportunity.

Speaker 2 (33:16):
Man, I feel like I have to do this.

Speaker 1 (33:19):
I was, I was with Lorenz O'Neil yesterday, since you
grew up a Charger fan and talking about one of
the alties should be in the Hall of Fame. It's
a great crime that he's not. But I mentioned I said, look,
I love Tony man, He's one of my favorite guys
on the team. And I feel like I gotta say
this because I was watching, you know, and maybe it's
the Dodger guy and me and you're a Padre guy,
and like I'm I'm watching on the field and we

(33:39):
got a bunch of guys playing catch. I'm watching Tuley
and I'm I'm watching Tony, and I think Troy Die
was throwing around and was a Marlowe.

Speaker 2 (33:47):
It was okay.

Speaker 1 (33:49):
So I'm like, you know, when when Tony had to
make a long throw, balls come up a little bit short,
when he had a cris like when he was fine
when he was going on the arms, but when he
went that agonal.

Speaker 2 (34:02):
Yeah, I watched two when I was like, both from
hit the dirt a little bit and I got to
ask him about it.

Speaker 3 (34:06):
I did.

Speaker 4 (34:06):
I did dirt a few only because the Raiders coach
was like a few yards, like fifteen yards behind, be respectful.
I was being respectful. I didn't want to get the ball,
so I was coming up. Why I had to bring
it up, I know, but I was like, but this
week we should have a little more room. So if
you want to be watching out, okay, I have my
twenty three on. I'm like when I when I'm in
baseball mode, I consider myself like a tatist.

Speaker 3 (34:29):
Okay, that's what I played in the Little league. I
was an outfielder. He goes and like tracking the right
left center centers.

Speaker 4 (34:35):
I would have assumed, yeah, with the coach would be like, hey,
this guy is there, big hitter. We want you to
move over to rife or whatever. So tracking the ball
and I like doing that pregame. That gives me a
little Yeah, and hey.

Speaker 1 (34:48):
Paid off on this off, paid on that armunt throughout that.

Speaker 2 (34:54):
But I'm sorry, Chris, because this is great. I love this.

Speaker 1 (34:56):
So how would you explain Tatis and his lack of
power for about six seven weeks and now all of
a sudden there's this burst of home runs. What would
you attribute that to?

Speaker 4 (35:10):
Uh, championship mentalities. He's getting ready for the playoffs, man,
he's getting ready for the playoffs. We got to finish
this series with the Mets good win last night.

Speaker 2 (35:20):
But it's it's you know this happens. I hope, I
hope it's Dodgers Padre.

Speaker 3 (35:26):
It always has it is.

Speaker 4 (35:30):
You know, Michael King's coming back. You know you had
a rough game the first one, but he's just getting
back into it. Uh We're I think we'll be fine.

Speaker 2 (35:37):
Like you're a big fan, right, huge?

Speaker 3 (35:39):
But I love I love it.

Speaker 4 (35:40):
I went to Game five last year when they beat
us in at Dodger Stadium, and uh yeah they Dodger fans.
Let me have it there, I have my Tatis jersey.
I was leaving there throwing bottles at stuff. So you guys,
Dodger fans, be nice, be nice, you know right, it's fun.
I respect the rivalry, Yes, it's fun.

Speaker 3 (35:59):
It's padres All.

Speaker 2 (36:00):
Day Tony last one for me, Jim Harball. Just the
competitive nature that he exudes. What is it like, especially
for a division game? Like to get you guys up
for these games. I know it probably doesn't take much.
You guys are professionals. But when you have a coach
that wants to win, is desperately as coach Harball wants

(36:20):
to win, it's got to be infectious.

Speaker 4 (36:22):
It's it's really infectious, man. And as a player, that's
the type of coach you want to be playing for
because he's like he's played it. And then like when
he's talking, you can feel like he wants to be
in the game. Like he like that's like you get
that real feeling and it's real, it's genuine. He's he's
all about ball, and like I love that. I love

(36:42):
that about coach. He's he he knows how to how
to reach us and uh, you know, we're we're all ears.
When he talks and like he doesn't just say he's
he's not just talking. Like when he says something he
actually means it and like his heart's in it and
we could feel that players, and then it makes us
just want to.

Speaker 3 (37:02):
Go out there.

Speaker 4 (37:03):
And I heard Durwin before the game against the Raiders like, hey, Coach,
we got your back, and he's like you that's that.

Speaker 3 (37:11):
Yeah. So man, It's it's so fun, Bro. I love
it here.

Speaker 4 (37:14):
I love playing for for coach and the whole staff,
all my all my teammates.

Speaker 3 (37:18):
Bro.

Speaker 4 (37:18):
It's just being where I'm at in my career. It's
just it's just been a blast here and I'm just
I'm willing to do whatever at any point in time.

Speaker 2 (37:28):
But I was going to say, we have our ear
to the ground. The fans love Tony. It was really
cool to see just the outpouring of love for you
after that game. Just being in this league for as
long as you have, your story is well documented, and
just stepping up in a primetime spot. Man, it was
really cool to see.

Speaker 3 (37:46):
Yeah, I appreciate it. I'm an. Everyone keeps telling me
you need to write a book one day or whatever.
I don't know. I don't know. I might do something
I need to, like somehow tell the story.

Speaker 2 (37:55):
The title is the title.

Speaker 3 (37:58):
From Young and too unk. I don't know something like that.

Speaker 1 (38:01):
I got to do it. We got to get you
to lunch because you gotta eat. But I do want
to ask before you go real quick. You may as
long as you want. I do not disagree that San
Diego's Mexican food is incredible and it's probably the best,
but I feel like probably I fit Listen, I just
open that up, you know. I want to be respectful
of some spots in Texas that are right on the
border and stuff like that. You know, I want to

(38:22):
be respectful. I feel like you're not even giving LA
a chance. I feel like you won't even go. Like
if I want to take you to on Hell's right
off the seven ten, and I'm going to take you
to that truck in the middle, Like I feel like
you're like, no, I don't even want to go. I
don't even want to know that there's the possibility that
there's something better off there.

Speaker 3 (38:36):
No.

Speaker 4 (38:36):
I want to go because I love good Mexican food.
But I just know that overall San Diego's Mexican food,
I feel like it's more authentic, it's more real, and
like in San Diego we have certain places, so like
if you want a California brido. Is there California bridos
out here?

Speaker 3 (38:56):
Yeah, I can get you.

Speaker 2 (38:59):
I can get your California brea California breed. Is that
what the competition is? Like, you tell me what the
competition is.

Speaker 4 (39:05):
The competition for me is a California brito and Cornea
side of fries.

Speaker 2 (39:10):
Okay, I like out here, I'll take you.

Speaker 3 (39:14):
I don't.

Speaker 4 (39:15):
I haven't really heard of like Carnea side of fries
out here. Like that's really huge in San Diego, right,
And like we have certain spots for certain things. So
like if I want a California brito, I have a
certain spot for there. If I want California Cornea side
of fries, I have a certain spot for there.

Speaker 3 (39:30):
And like and if I want Alabama.

Speaker 4 (39:32):
Tacos, everybody knows in San Diego you go to Tacos
o Gordo, shout out Tacos o Gordo and it's exceptional.
Oh man, it's amazing. So but like I said, I
did say, La does have good Mexican food, it's just
not on the level of San Diego Mexican.

Speaker 3 (39:46):
I mean, it's like San.

Speaker 2 (39:50):
Diego and you're still my number one. I want that
road trip was a week six Miami. That should that
may lineup with Dodgers padres CARNI watch the game, but
I just I want to watch you to watch the game.

Speaker 4 (40:03):
Yeah, but what we're not going to do is say
Texas text mex Is in any.

Speaker 1 (40:08):
Type of conversation have you ever had? Yeah, like ol
pastos got pretty damn good Mexican food.

Speaker 3 (40:14):
I was in Oklahoma.

Speaker 4 (40:15):
When I was in Oklahoma when I first got there,
the first thing I did I try to go find
Mexican food. And I told him, I said, can I
get a like corner side of They're like huh, I'm
like where am I at? And so they were like, no,
you got to try text men went to the wrong spot.
So I went to Dallas and I tried there.

Speaker 3 (40:36):
I was like, no, but.

Speaker 1 (40:37):
See Dallas would be like La whereas l Passa would
be like San Diego right there on the board, you
know what I mean?

Speaker 4 (40:43):
Yeah, I got because El Paso is closer to South
So okay, I just don't want to disrespect I was.
I was like more more North Texas when I tried that,
So not okay.

Speaker 1 (40:53):
Yeah, I'm still looking. I'm still giving San Diego front.
I just feel like if I guide you, Okay, well
we can get you.

Speaker 4 (40:59):
We're gonna We're have to get a day where we
go and I'll stream it, I'll put it on Twitch.
We'll do the whole. We'll go to the best spots
in LA. I'll give a true review done and with
no bias to San Diego and we'll do that.

Speaker 2 (41:12):
Now, I'm hungry.

Speaker 3 (41:13):
If we go, me too.

Speaker 2 (41:14):
We gotta get.

Speaker 3 (41:16):
All Tony. Look, yes, sir, Thank you, guys, appreciate it.

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Speaker 2 (42:00):
You know, Muddy, I really meant it. The love for
Tony Jefferson among Charger fans has been real since he
really he became a Charger, But just to see what
he's done a preseason, to have his number called in
a big spot, for him to perform the way he
did against the Raiders was pretty awesome. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (42:16):
Look, he's everyone's favorite. He's great, and I think when
he didn't make the initial fifty three, we were all
worried that he was going to get picked up. And
I think certainly what we saw in the transaction that
happened today is after that game, you can't he's he's
gonna get claimed, Like, you can't put him back on
the practice squad or he's a goner. And so I
think they recognize that, and I think that's something to
keep in the context and to keep perspective when we

(42:39):
go through this again next year and it's time to
put the fifty three together and everyone's like, we gotta
get Nico, we gotta get Marlowe, We've got to get
you know, and it's like, remember, if you get those
guys their depth pieces, they're going to likely be inactive
for most games as they continue to develop to turn
into great football players, and you certainly don't want to
lose them in your system. But I think, like in

(43:00):
the case of Raheem Sanders, right, everybody's freaking out, and
it's like that guy would have been inactive every single
week if they kept four backs, because they certainly aren't
not going to keep Asan Haskins, who's arguably one of
their three best special teams players, you know, and of
course I'm Marian Anton and Najihiera. So it's like you're
freaking out over someone who's going to be inactive, and
here's Tony Jefferson who has a huge impact on every

(43:24):
game he plays, and so we're so precious about things
that we don't know and what they could be. What
could Nico Rebia. I hope he's a great player in
an all pro corner and I think he could be that.
But you know, Tony Jefferson with Elijah Molden getting a hurt,
goes out there defense, does not miss a beat, and
he comes up with his fifth career interception.

Speaker 2 (43:44):
It's awesome, And I think you said it too in August.
It's all we got. We're watching preseason. We're seeing these
guys show out, you know, KALs Man like KALs was awesome.
In August, they don't need him right now right and
you know that the game will come to him, like
he will have a big play in a game, come out.
But when Keenan comes in and does what he does, man,
it's like you're pretty good with Quintin lad and Keenan,
And then you know Trey Harris having a couple of

(44:06):
big receptions as well. Let's get into this Broncos game. Obviously,
the Chargers two and zero in the division. What an
opportunity to go three and oh in the division, three
to o to start a season. You're in September to
get a leg up on this division. Again, a small
sample size with the Broncos, say a close game Week

(44:26):
one against the Titans, kind of a lower scoring game,
twenty to twelve, and then they probably should have won
that game against the Indianapolis it's kind of a did
he hit did the lever hit?

Speaker 3 (44:38):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (44:38):
It was leven Yeah, jumped on top of the long
put a hand on top of the long snapper and
shove them down.

Speaker 2 (44:42):
You can't touch that, So a sixty yard field goal
becomes a forty five yard field goal. Colts win the
football game. Love it just just to give you guys
again with with Bo Nicks. I was looking at some
of his pro football focused ats, and you take it
for what it's worth, right, but he's the worst graded
quarterback in football right now. It was forty out of forty.
His average depth of target six point two yards, thirty

(45:04):
fifth among quarterbacks. He has three interceptions. He has six
turnover worthy plays, which is thirty ninth among quarterbacks. And
I mentioned the forty out of forty great quarterbacks forty
point nine. He did have a few touchdowns against the Colts,
but he's a guy who you know, last year I
didn't really see him push the football down the field much.
And the way that the Chargers are playing defense right now,

(45:28):
I'm very intrigued to see how the Broncos are going
to try to attack this defense. Yeah, look, he's tried to.

Speaker 1 (45:33):
I went through all of his throws earlier this week
and just kind of was shotting some stuff down because,
like you said, he had a couple nice touchdown throws
down the field, but last week throws of ten plus
yards ten plus air yards one for seven, one touchdown,
one interception, one for seven. And then if you go

(45:54):
for the entire year, for the first two weeks, I
say the entire season, the first two weeks. If you
put the Tennessee numbers in there, seventeen, two touchdowns, two interceptions.
So he's clearly trying to push the ball a lot
more than he did last year and it's not working.
And so that's probably what's led. I mean, he's five
to seventeen's under thirty percent. He's like around thirty percent

(46:15):
completion rate on those. He's trying to get these explosivenesses
not happen. And you mentioned the six turnover worthy plays.
There were two more in there where there's a straight
up pick six that was dropped by Tennessee where receiver
got undercut by the defensive back. It hit him right
between the numbers and he just dropped it. But a
lot of his stuff that works is in the middle
of the field. It's checkdowns underneath, and I think that

(46:36):
plays into what the Chargers do.

Speaker 2 (46:38):
Right.

Speaker 1 (46:38):
No explosives, You're gonna have to just dink and dunk
your way down the field and eventually we're gonna get you.
We're gonna get you with a holding penalty, get you
with a sack. We're gonna tip a ball and pick
it off, and like that's just the way Jesse Minner
wants to operate, and I think it does sort of
play into how you know, bo has to operate to
be successful. The one thing to remember though is Bonicks

(47:00):
carved this defense up in the first half of that
game on Thursday night, and bon Nicks used his legs
really kind of became bon Nicks in the first meeting
in Denver in the second half of that game, So
we know he's had some success. So I think the
idea that we can just apply what has happened against
Tennessee and Indy and assume it's going to be the case.

(47:21):
This is a guy that's played this team twice and
it's played okay.

Speaker 2 (47:23):
Yeah, you know, Tony mentioned that they have weapons on
the outside Courtland Sutton is probably the leader when you
talk about their number one option. Evan Ingram did not
practice on Wednesday, I believe. So that's something to monitor
throughout the week. And you know, we know who JK.
Dobbins is, and I know that he's probably gonna want
to come in here and put on a show.

Speaker 3 (47:44):
R J.

Speaker 2 (47:44):
Harvey had a big run against Tennessee, didn't really get
loose against the Colts, So I don't know, do you
think they'll maybe lead with the run on Sunday.

Speaker 3 (47:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (47:53):
Look, JK has been doing a lot of what he
did here. You know, he's had a couple of big
explosive runs and then others that really aren't doing a
whole lot. But he's still a threat. You know, he
can break tackles. He's explosive when he gets into the
open field. So these guys know it. They practice against
him every day. It's a good offensive line. I think
they're celebrated a little bit more than they should be,

(48:14):
but it is a good offensive line. It's going to
be the best offensive line they've seen of these three
games that they've played. The thing that really jumped out
at me when I was looking at the box car,
I was like, gott, I go back and watch this
because this is weird. So Daniel Jones man freaking Indianapolis.
Jones attacked Patrick Sartan over and over and over again.

Speaker 2 (48:36):
In that game.

Speaker 1 (48:36):
He threw out him nine times for seven completions, sixty
three yards as nine per reception and five first downs.
Like Daniel Jones was not afraid of Patrick Shirtan in
the least bit, and they went at him. Riley Mossel
so eight targets, allowed, six catches, ninety yards a touchdown,
fifteen yards per reception against what a lot of people

(48:58):
think is the best corner tandem in the league.

Speaker 2 (49:00):
So there's some.

Speaker 1 (49:01):
Film there, you know, for guys that are a lot
smarter than me to figure out, you know, a lot
smarter than me, a lot smarter than I am. Never
we go trying to figure out that's a me or nine.
I think it can work both ways if I put
a period, But I do think that there's something there.
Like normally it's like, hey, man, stay away from from
Patsartan and just work the other side of the field.

(49:22):
But Daniel Jones like, whatever, man, we're going after him.
And meanwhile Jonathan Taylor ran for one hundred and sixty yards.

Speaker 2 (49:29):
Yeah, two hundred and fifteen total yards. Yes, right, So
that was another thing I think if you want to
get this running game going and established a run, and
we've seen kind of great Roman do the opposite of
what he typically does. He's leading with the pass, he's
leading with justin Herbert. Jonathan Taylor twenty five carries one
hundred and sixty five yards. He had a sixty eight
yard run six point six yards per carry. Also had
a pair of catches for fifty yards at a touchdown,

(49:51):
so two or fifteen total yards from one guy. You
mentioned Daniel Joe's twenty three of thirty four three hundred
and sixteen yards in a touchdown. I want to give
Shane's tyking a little bit of credit. So Shane, you know,
we saw Shane do this with Justin Herbert his rookie
year and what he did in Philly, and it's clear
that that they targeted Daniel Jones and had a plan
for him. And you know they're they're two and oh

(50:12):
at this point. We'll see them later in the year.
But I look at this as an opportunity. You know,
Drake Greenlaw probably won't play in this game. He hasn't
played yet for the Broncos.

Speaker 3 (50:20):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (50:20):
I think he practiced yesterday. He did not practice. No,
he didn't practice. That's he. I think he's a quad injury.
So maybe that's something to monitor. Maybe he practices today.

Speaker 3 (50:28):
Well.

Speaker 1 (50:28):
Nick Benito has always done a number on this team. Yeah,
so he's an eye on him man, and he's I
think had a sack if I remember right last week.
But he's always been uh he's a really good player.
They typically at least I shouldn't say typically, watching back there,
I watched all their defensive pass rushes as well, and
typically they're just rushing four, but then you get those
perfectly topt Benito just he's so good at timing it up.

(50:51):
He's a real headache. So he's one to keep an
eye on.

Speaker 2 (50:54):
I wash.

Speaker 3 (50:54):
You know.

Speaker 2 (50:54):
What I was going to say is.

Speaker 1 (50:57):
Like we saw finally, you know, not you get those
two pass is in the flat, and it's like when
you look at the when you look at the Chargers
right now, whereas it eighty two percent of their dropbacks
are wide receiver targets.

Speaker 2 (51:10):
Eight two percent.

Speaker 1 (51:11):
So it's like, let's see if we can get you know,
with Naje getting those two dump offs for ten yards
a piece, let's just kind of get a little bit
more of that incorporated, because you do want to try
to put this defense on their heels a little bit more,
you know, and I think they did a really good
job of doing that with play action in their first
two games. So to me, that's another element where you
can try to get this defense because it's a good
defense man to sock off a little bit instead of

(51:33):
having their ears pinned back and coming right at you.

Speaker 3 (51:36):
You know.

Speaker 2 (51:36):
Steve Spagnola after the Brazil game said that they caught
them off guard a little bit. The Chargers started to
started with the pass. Yeah, and I tried to establish
the run because they tried to establish the run every
game last year. What do you think Greg Roman tries
to do in this one, knowing that you know, the
Broncos run defense was a little shaky last week.

Speaker 1 (51:58):
Yeah, I don't, Like I said, I think the only
the only thing I can see perhaps changing is that
tight end receiver combo. You know, when we were talking
about the fifty three, we were like, Wow, it's not
necessarily who's going to make it. We know these six
are going to make it. It's who's going to be
an active every single week Because I just assumed that
Tucker Fisk was going to be active every single week,
that that's how they wanted to play. So that's the

(52:21):
one thing I'll be looking at because I think that's
they do need to start running the ball. I know
Play Action works without being successful in the run game,
the under center run game, but at the same time,
I feel like you've got to start getting you have
to start having some success or teams are just going
to make you prove it, and it's going to be
a little bit harder to get those, you know, because

(52:41):
Herbert's so good on play action, and I think we've
seen enough from both of these backs that it can
work if we get it blocked upright or they figure
out the right way to run the ball, that it
can work. That these backs are plenty talented enough to
get you four or five yards per carry and maybe
pop one. So I think that's certainly something that I
think could I could see that maybe is a difference

(53:01):
is that one of those six receivers is inactive and
Tucker Fists is active for this game, just to see
if that's something you can help out with a little
bit more.

Speaker 2 (53:12):
I think the first two weeks as well as like
you know, Greg Roman and Jim Harball, their reputation for
wanting to run the football is almost enough for play
actually at this point. Now now you have to prove it.
You have to run the football. But I do think
just their history of what they like to do offensively
has really maybe caught the division off guard a little
bit to start the year in terms of just seeing

(53:33):
justin throw it all over the.

Speaker 1 (53:35):
R nine point two per attempt. Yeah, like that's that's
a crazy number. And he's, like I said, you can
put him in the conversation with Mark Jackson and Josh Allen.
That's the big three right now in the NFL. They
are the three that they are in a tier under
themselves through two weeks, and everyone else slots in behind him,
and I credit, you know, coach Harbaugh and coach Roman
for leaning into it. It's like, well, whatever, man, we got,

(53:56):
we got one of those elite quarterbacks.

Speaker 2 (53:58):
Let's just ride it. That's right.

Speaker 1 (54:00):
And he's running around and he's extending plays, so just
keep it going and don't worry about chipping your way
down the field, chunk your way down the field. And
that's kind of what's been happening here.

Speaker 2 (54:10):
Justin was nearly perfect. I mean he is. He has
one turnover worthy play this year and it was that
that interception that didn't happen against the Raiders that probably
should have happened. But outside of that, man, when you
have your when you have a quarterback protect the football
like Justin, I mean, it just it brings this this
kind of unsaid element to your team where you don't
have to worry about the turnover battle. And you know,

(54:33):
we know that fumbles can happen and interceptions happened, but
like Justin has been so good taking care of the
football through of course of his career.

Speaker 1 (54:39):
I had three interceptions last year, zero this year to
five touchdowns. And then you talk about the defense, and
you know that that's Look, that's complimentary football.

Speaker 3 (54:48):
Right.

Speaker 1 (54:48):
You have a defense that's not allowed seven points in
a first half yet this season and went ten consecutive
games without allowing more than seven points in a first half.

Speaker 2 (54:56):
And it's like only Green Bay has done that this year.
I think, yeah, take care.

Speaker 1 (54:59):
Of the football. Care of the football. Defense will that game.
You know, there were a couple of weird moments right
in the Raider game. But at the same time, we're
like doing anything against this defense, like it just doesn't
like it. I don't know, I'm not not nervous like
I normally am. You know, like, oh boy, I was
just gonna money out football.

Speaker 2 (55:14):
Here we go.

Speaker 1 (55:15):
No, it's just like, yeah, let's the defense is crushing it, man,
They'll continue to crush it.

Speaker 2 (55:20):
I said this as soon as the schedule came out.
We were going to know so much about this team
after the first three weeks of the season, NBC right
to win the first two. I mean, Maddy, I don't
know if you could just put into context winning your
first three games all in the division, how that sets
you up for success? And you know, knowing that if
you beat the Broncos, they'll be one and two. The

(55:41):
Raiders are going cross country to play Washington coming off
a loss with a little bit of rest, and hey,
the Chiefs have to go to New York, and the
way that Russell Wilson played last Sunday, I wouldn't put
it past them to maybe upset the Chiefs.

Speaker 1 (55:54):
Look, it's a coach said it after they beat the
Chiefs that it's worth one and a half and then
he's like, you know, it's kind of two and then
maybe three, right, because look, you go three and zero
and you now have a three and zero record in
your division, which is the secondary tipe breaker beyond head
to head. So you're already guaranteed at least a five
hundred record in the division. And like you said, the

(56:17):
Broncos slipped to one in two, and you've already got
a victory over each and every opponent, Like it's a
huge setup for them to start this season. And I
think we know what the back end of the schedule
looks like. How gnarly it is, you know, to have
the Eagles and the Chiefs in back to back weeks.
Chiefs on a short week, Eagles are Monday night. You
get the Cowboys in there on the road. I think

(56:38):
the Texans are in there as well, So it's you know,
it's a pretty gnarly finish. But you know, and the
Denver Broncos on the road in week eighteen. So like
you look at that and now you look here and
you're like, Okay, here's our opportunity. Let's build this equity
in the division. You know, I think they'll do it.

Speaker 2 (56:54):
It's been fun, fun to see the fans of Sofi
Stadium too. Sunday finally right.

Speaker 1 (56:58):
Yep, no doubt looking forward to it home opener. It'll
be electric, no doubt about it. Very excited, very.

Speaker 2 (57:05):
Excited, Tony Jefferson. We appreciate you joining us, man for money.
I'm christ this has been Chargers Weekly. We'll see it
so fine