How to slay the beast?

[Dr. Defense]

Everyone has been so focused on the Rams, LDT, and Merriman that they have forgotten about the other beast playing in a San Diego unifrom. Antonio Gates. Everyone seems to have forgotten about him. My question to you guys is how we prevent a Rivers to Gates for a TD type of day? He's too big for a CB, too fast for a safety, and just to beasty for a LB to handle him by himself. I think that we'll see alot of double coverage on him, with a LB getting safety help.

[Varg6]

Everyone has been so focused on the Rams, LDT, and Merriman that they have forgotten about the other beast playing in a San Diego unifrom. Antonio Gates. Everyone seems to have forgotten about him. My question to you guys is how we prevent a Rivers to Gates for a TD type of day? He's too big for a CB, too fast for a safety, and just to beasty for a LB to handle him by himself. I think that we'll see alot of double coverage on him, with a LB getting safety help.

Well you're the Doctor, think of something.

[RAM-BO]

Drop Merriman's pants and expose his shrunkin' family jewels, which will make his boyfriend Gates cry and run into the locker room. heh, sorry about that.

[Dr. Defense]

In my professional opinion (all those hours of playing madden coming back now
) we can do this a couple of ways.

1. We get into the backfield. We cause havoc. This messes up the timing between the two and forces a throw that he doesn't want to make. We are then put in a position of taking control of the ball and keeping LT off the field.

A) We can do this one of two ways. Blitzing or front four pressure. If we can collapse the pocket, then our chances of getting a sack or a qb pressure skyrocket. Some force fumbles might occur too.

1. Because of the blitzing or our pressure they might be forced to assign another blocker. Now this could either be Gates or another TE. If it's another TE that gives us another defender to cover him or force the qb into a throw that he doesn't want to make. If he is the blocker then he will either do 1 of 3 things. 1) Block a DE 2) block a blitzer 3) chop block. Number three is the one that we need to worry about as he will slip into the coverage between the line and the linebackers.

2) We assign two blockers onto him. Personally I would put Pisa on him at the line of scrimage. Then I would have him "lead" him backwards into the safety zone of Chavous. Then the two of them could cover him.

3) Play in a nickel and bring in Hill. Hill will then play him from the line of scrimage and lead him backwards to Chavous.

The problems with playing two people on Gates is that it reduces our ability to blitz. So at some points I believe that he will have to have some 1v1 on him. If that's the case then I think that Witherspoon should be the one covering him.

These are just a few of my ideas. Willing to hear your ideas about them.

[Goldenfleece]

I think we're probably in as good a shape as anyone when it comes to trying to cover a maniac tight end like Gates because we do have such speedy linebackers in Pisa and Spoon along with a good coverage safety in Chavous. Since the rest of their wide receiver corps is relatively weak, I reckon we'll see at least a couple defensive backs come on the blitz.

I'd also throw out this possibility for consideration, although I don't know how effective it would be: keep one guy back in a short zone/spy role in the middle of the field. That way Rivers has got to be aware of the possibility of getting anything in that area of the field batted down or intercepted (because a 5 or 10 yard throw is not going to have a real high arc). It wouldn't help if they send Gates deep, but it takes time for that kind of play to develop and the Chargers prefer short 3 and 5 step drops. With a rookie, there's a decent chance you could catch him staring down his target.

Honestly, though, I'm not so concerned about Gates right now. His biggest game all season was a 78 yard performance against San Francisco and that was mostly because they gave up 57 yards on one play. For the rest of that day, he had only 4 receptions for 21 yards. He had no less than 9 receptions last game but for a total of only 63 yards.