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Mike Pouncey and Chargers line face difficult test with Rams’ familiar interior
By RYAN KARTJE
Chargers center Mike Pouncey, middle, and his offensive linemates will be tasked with trying to contain the Rams’ talented defensive front when the Rams and Chargers meet on Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Pouncey and Rams defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh were teammates with the Miami Dolphins. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze/SCNG)
COSTA MESA – Over the three seasons together in Miami, Mike Pouncey watched as opposing offensive lines had no answer for Ndamukong Suh on the interior. Now, as the Chargers prepare for Suh and the Rams’ dominant defensive front, Pouncey is the lineman tasked with finding one.
At least, that’s how it seemed on Wednesday, as question after question was posed to the Chargers center about how to stop his former teammate. But no one here, Pouncey especially, is purporting to have the blueprint for slowing Suh or his equally terrifying linemate, last year’s Defensive Player of the Year, Aaron Donald.
“You’ve just got a guy (in Suh) who’s been a dominant player for a long time,” Pouncey said, “and he’s next to another dominant player. It’s going to be a real challenge for the offensive line. It’s going to be a really good test for us to see how we are up front as a unit.”
At the center of that challenge is Pouncey, a three-time Pro Bowl lineman who coaches and teammates have consistently raved about since his arrival this summer. His communication up front will be critical as the Rams try to create 1-on-1 rush situations for Donald, Suh and defensive end Michael Brockers, all of whom are capable of wreaking havoc if left without a double team.
As you might reason, the math generally doesn’t work out in their opponents’ favor.
“You can’t double team everyone,” right guard Michael Schofield said.
You can, however, get the ball out as quickly as possible. That’s how the Raiders successfully attacked the Rams defense in the first half of their Week 1 opener. It’s also generally how Philip Rivers has operated in the Chargers offense. But in the six quarters since they were caught flat-footed by that quick-passing strategy, the Rams haven’t allowed a single point on defense.
“I think they’re stacked in every position on every level,” Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said.
While the Rams secondary has been as tenacious as any in the league, the Chargers know their defensive dominance starts in the middle, where Pouncey, Schofield, and left guard Dan Feeney will have their hands full.
That trio has generally impressed Lynn thus far; though, through two weeks, Pro Football Focus has been less bullish, grading the Chargers offensive line as the third-worst in the NFL. With the most difficult interior challenge of the season ahead, there’s little room for that kind of error up front.
“In the run game, we have to do a really good job of going forward instead of backward because these guys like to cause havoc in the backfield,” Pouncey said. “They base their defense on shooting the gaps and making a mess.”
And after three seasons of seeing Suh up close, Pouncey knows all too well where that mess leads.
NOTES
The Chargers worked out three free agent defensive linemen on Wednesday. Among that group was defensive end Kony Ealy, a former second-round pick of Carolina who recorded three sacks in the 2016 Super Bowl. “Always looking for added depth,” Lynn said, when asked about the workouts.
Right tackle Joe Barksdale will miss Sunday’s game with a knee injury. Like Bosa, he remains week-to-week. … Wideout Travis Benjamin (foot) was limited at practice on Wednesday and left with a trainer during the open portion of practice. His status is uncertain for Sunday.
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Btw former Ram Joe Barksdale did three Q&A's with ROD. The links are posted below.
https://ramsondemand.com/forums/q-a-with-joe-barksdale.36/
https://ramsondemand.com/forums/the-return-of-joe-barksdale.54/
https://ramsondemand.com/forums/joe-barksdale-the-trilogy.65/
