Charger Defense Braces for Test Against the Run
So, now that the Chargers are first in the AFC West and owners of the best record in the conference, they must brace themselves.
Because, here comes the run.
Over the next three weekends, starting this Sunday in Indianapolis, the Charger defense will be challenged by the likes of Eric Dickerson, Marcus Allen, Bo Jackson and Curt Warner.
So, it’s going to be time to get tough up front. Time to dig in.
Time to build on what the defensive line accomplished in Sunday’s 27-24 overtime victory over Cleveland.
Anyone notice a somewhat-rattled Bernie Kosar trying to protect a 10-point Cleveland lead in the fourth quarter and ultimately running away from defensive pressure to loft a game-deciding interception in overtime?
Ron Lynn, the Chargers’ defensive coordinator, noticed.
“We were getting hits on (Kosar) on almost every play as the game wore on,” Lynn said. “He got the ball away sometimes, but he usually took a hit. Our defensive line played very well late in the game.”
Anyone notice the Browns’ rushing attack--two years ago, both Kevin Mack and Ernest Byner rushed for more than 1,000 yards--was able to push the Chargers’ line around for only 72 yards Sunday?
Al Saunders noticed.
“(Joe Phillips and Les Miller) are really giving us a great deal of size up front,” Saunders said. “Their temperment and tenacity seems to be rubbing off and the people up front are playing well.”
Anyone know that Charger defenders were actually hoping the team would lose the coin toss at the beginning of overtime?
Gunther Cunningham, the Chargers’ defensive line coach, knew it.
“Our defense was playing well and we wanted to go out there and force (Cleveland) to punt,” Cunningham said.
As it was, the defense went out there and then Kosar threw that interception. Pressure from the line caused him to throw on the run and he overthrew Byner. Vencie Glenn intercepted it and soon after, the Chargers were 6-1.
“You go into a game against a team like Cleveland and you’re concerned about the size in their offensive line,” Cunningham said. “They’ve got some big guys (the average is 6-foot 6-inches, 280 pounds) up front but we’ve got some size, now, too.”
That size addition has come in the forms of Phillips (6-5, 275) and Miller (6-7, 285), who both made the team after starting as replacement players. Lee Williams (6-5 1/2, 263) and nose tackle Mike Charles (6-4, 287) aren’t to be taken lightly, either.
“We’re not getting pushed around up front anymore,” Cunningham said. “It always concerns a defensive line coach when the other team has a bunch of behemoths up front. And Cleveland had that. But, we ended up roughing them up.”
Cleveland’s offense was limited to just 82 yards of total offense in its final eight drives of the game. In the fourth quarter, the Browns moved the ball only 30 yards as the Charger defense gave the offense a chance to rally from 24-14 down.
Now, in the next few weeks, there will be more challenges.
Charger Notes
The National Football League trading deadline is 1 today, but it doesn’t appear that the Chargers will be making any deals. Steve Ortmayer, director of operations, said the club did not have any deal in the making as of Monday night. “There really isn’t anything going on and I don’t expect that anything will happen one way or another,” Ortmayer said. The Chargers were thought to be negotiating for All-Pro cornerback LeRoy Irvin of the Rams, but Ortmayer said they were not. “We did talk to his (Irvin’s) agent (Ernie Wright) Monday morning and he expressed that LeRoy would have an interest in playing here. But we don’t know which way the Rams are going to go.” Irvin was put on the inactive list by the Rams last week, the same list Eric Dickerson was put on before the Rams dealt him to Indianapolis. “Of course, if we can find a player who can help us in the stretch run, that would be a positive thing to do,” Coach Al Saunders said. “I’m always in favor of obtaining people of great quality. But, if we have to go with the players we have now, that’s fine, too.”