As champions of exotic American football, Harbaugh and McVay succeed by taking an ultra-physical approach that sets the tone for the entire team. While their creative play designs and unique formations dominate the headlines, both are old-school thinkers with backward-looking philosophies who continue to work in a passing-centric league.
Harbaugh, in particular, has won at every level using a ground-and-pound attack, despite routinely having talented quarterbacks at his disposal. Whether it’s Andrew Luck at Stanford or Alex Smith/Colin Kaepernick at the San Francisco 49ers or JJ McCarthy at Michigan, Harbaugh’s QB1 operates as a cog in an offense led by a dominant front that fuels a hard-hitting running game.
Since taking over the Chargers in January, Harbaugh has consistently emphasized the importance of the offensive line. It is evident that his winning plan begins and ends with the greats at the helm.
“To me, the offensive line is important,” Harbaugh told reporters at the League’s Annual Meeting in March. “If I asked you the question, what position group doesn’t depend on any other position group to be good, but every other position group depends on them to be good? What position group is that? Offensive line.”
So, yes, it was absolutely fitting that the first pick of the Harbaugh era in Los Angeles was offensive tackle Joe Alt. The towering Technician, taken No. 5 overall, is a rare talent with refined skills as a run blocker. and passes. Plus, he possesses the kind of nasty on-field temperament that offensive line coaches love. The Notre Dame product partners with 2021 first-round pick Rashawn Slater to give the Chargers an excellent set of bookends with the ability to knock defenders off the ball and shut down dangerous attackers. This will allow the Bolts to engage with hard-hitting foes at the line of scrimmage. Harbaugh aims to dominate the opposition with a “three yards and a cloud of dust” philosophy that ultimately creates big-play opportunities through the air.
With Justin Herbert positioned to benefit from a “less is more” approach that prioritizes efficiency over volume, the Chargers could rely on a complementary game plan that forces opponents to excel in each of the three phases (offense , defense and special teams). to be able to defeat them. While it’s not a sexy approach, it’s similar to how Marty Schottenheimer turned the Bolts into a powerhouse with Drew Brees/Philip Rivers and LaDainian Tomlinson in the first decade of this millennium. Fast forward to 2024, and the Chargers could turn to the familiar gap running game that helped Stanford and Michigan run roughshod over their opponents with Harbaugh on the bench.
Given offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s success in punishing NFL opponents with a creative scheme that has expanded since his time under Harbaugh in San Francisco, Los Angeles’ running game should be in good hands with a pair of former Baltimore Ravens (Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins). reprising his roles as co-RB1 in the Chargers’ version of offense. While neither is considered a top-level No. 1 running back, the collective production of a pair of tough running backs should open the field for a blue-collar group of pass catchers on the perimeter. Without a true WR1, the Chargers will rely on Josh Palmer, Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston to make key plays on a variety of intermediate and deep throws off run fakes. While the jury is still out on whether those young wide receivers can adequately replace the production that came out the door when Keenan Allen and Mike Williams were fired, Los Angeles will clearly rely on a ball-control approach to produce more wins in 2024.
McVay made a similar gamble a year ago when he revamped his offensive approach to include more gap scheme runs, moving away from the previously preferred wide zone/interior zone system. The schematic change fit better with the Rams’ revamped offensive line, which featured more levelers than dancers at the line of scrimmage. With the running game featuring more pulls and kicks, rather than choreographed steps, the Rams’ running backs could run through the creases against an overly aggressive and undisciplined front seven. Additionally, the transition to a gap scheme improved the physicality of the group, with Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson really thriving at the point of attack. With Jonah Jackson signed to a big-money contract in free agency, the Rams now have an interior trio with the size, strength and power to intimidate opponents in the trenches.
Last season, Kyren Williams rumbled for 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns on 228 carries (5.0 yards per carry), exhibiting outstanding vision, balance and body control as he slid through the gaps between the tackles. The former fifth-round pick took advantage of undisciplined defenses with timely cuts, showing home run potential when he reached the second level. Williams, a natural scat back due to his lightweight frame (5-foot-9, 194 pounds), surprisingly carried a heavy workload in 2023 (seven games with at least 20 quick attempts), but a key addition could lead to a job shared. Fixture at 24. Blake Corum (5-8, 213) adds more toughness and pop to the backfield as a downhill runner with exceptional lateral quickness. The third-round pick displays extraordinary poise and striking as he weaves through traffic, routinely finishing his runs with the violence of a sledgehammer.
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