San Diego Chargers Most Effective Plays From 2008

It seems as if the San Diego Chargers like to run the I-formation, particularly in play action situations. 

a. With the one-point loss to the Denver Broncos, quarterback Phillip Rivers was outstanding.  Rivers completed 21 of 33 passes for 377 yards with three touchdown passes and one interception. LaDainian Tomlinson carried the ball 10 times for 26 yards before leaving the game with an injured toe.  The Chargers finished the game with 80 yards rushing on 18 carries and completed 21 of 33 passes for 376 yards.  Rivers loves playing out of the shotgun.  Defenses can’t focus on one receiver due to Rivers’ ability to read the situation and distribute the ball with great balance.

b. In a Monday Night Football game against the New York Jets, both Rivers and Tomlinson were healthy. Phillip Rivers completed 19 of 25 passes for 250 yards with three touchdown passes and one interception.  Tomlinson carried the ball 26 times for 67 yards with two touchdown runs and caught three passes for 20 yards.  The Chargers finished the game with 107 yards rushing on 35 carries and completed 19 of 25 passes for 250 yards. Tomlinson likes to run the I-formation off tackle in the backfield. 

c. Tomlinson used an offset I-formation for the game against the Oakland Raiders.  He made great cutbacks to reach the end zone.  This play is the staple of their running offense and blends as a good mix of power and finesse.

d. Towards the end of the 2008 season, two key players that set-up for the team were wide receivers Vincent Jackson and Chris Chambers.  Jackson had become Rivers’ favorite target and surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark, catching 59 passes for 1,098 yards and one touchdown. Jackson emerged as a bonafide deep threat. During the playoffs, Jackson was vital to the offense stretching the defense.  His deep threat is what opens up other receivers and pulls safeties off the line of scrimmage, which helped the running game.  During the 2008 regular season, Chambers caught 33 balls for 462 yards and five touchdowns

e. Considering the injuries that the San Diego Chargers had in 2008-09, they had a pretty good year.  During their first playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts, they had injuries to Tomlinson (who left with 2 ½ quarters of the game to go).  Before Tomlinson was injured, he scored with a strong push off left tackle to punch it in from the 3-yard line. A big play for the Chargers was play action out of the I-formation in the second quarter, when Rivers fired a strike to Antonio Gates on the slant.  He broke two tackles and brought it to the 3 after a 30-yard gain.  Gates’ rare skill makes him very versatile and an integral element to the offensive play calling. The game was won by replacement running back, Darren Sproles using the play called “ISO,” when Sproles burst through the left side for a 22-yard touchdown.  A “bread-and-butter play” for the Chargers. Also, in the first playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts, the San Diego Chargers stopped the run and kept the Colts and Peyton Manning to just 44 yards.