Gates left wide open by Jags

Mamba · Sep 20, 2010

Chargers Antonio Gates catches a 2nd quarter touchdown in front of Jacksonville's Daryl Smith.

They look in the locker-room mirror. They see the same thing everyone else sees when looking at them. You know, the Chargers. Passing. Lots and lots of passing. And more passing.

“Throwing the ball down the field is definitely our strength,” said tight end Antonio Gates. “It’s usually hard to get people to see past something that you do well.”

Like someone really checking his or her own reflection in the mirror, though, the Chargers see little changes in what they see. Differences taking shape. New wrinkles. “Character” lines maybe a tad more pronounced than they were even yesterday. Or, more importantly, last Monday night.

“We want to be able to do different things, to establish what the San Diego Chargers are,” said Gates. “We don’t want to be known as a one-dimensional team, don’t want to be known just as a passing team or a running team or whatever the case may be. We want to be able to run the ball when necessary, want to be able to pass the ball when necessary.”

“Hand in hand,” said Gates, more than once. Because the Jaguars saw so much more of the Chargers’ running game than they might’ve expected _ especially the way Mike Tolbert ran through and past them for big gains and short touchdowns after the loss of Ryan Mathews to injury _ things opened up for Gates and the rest of the receivers in a way that they hadn’t in the season-opening loss in a Kansas City monsoon.

“I was glad we were able to come back and have some production offensively,” said Gates. “We still have some things we can clean up. We still made some turnovers. But all in all, collectively, we did what we needed to do. That’s what we talked about doing.”

Given his resume, it wasn’t a news flash that Gates caught five passes or even that two of them went for touchdowns, the 61st and 62nd of his career. With the latter, he’s now tied with Shannon Sharpe for second place on the all-time number of scores by a tight end, the ongoing leader being Tony Gonzalez of the Atlanta Falcons.

The stunner, the absolutely unfathomable part, was how almost completely alone the Jags had left him for the two scores.

“Both of those plays, he was supposed to be double-covered,” said Jags head coach Jack Del Rio. “So, yeah, we could do better at executing.”

The Chargers would like to believe that they were hitting Jacksonville with such a vast arsenal of weapons _ eight different receivers, four different rushers _ that the Jags simply couldn’t afford to focus so heavily on even their most accomplished target.

“All along I’ve been talking about the ability we have in the receiving corps, the way they can make a play and make you respect Malcom (Floyd) and Legedu (Naanee) and Buster (Davis) and now (Patrick) Crayton,” said Gates. “To me, they were concerned about what the guys outside were going to do. Obviously, I was left wide open to make a play.”

By winning yesterday, perhaps the Chargers can stop hearing or talking about Kansas City, the mistakes and the ultimate upset. Among the most common explanations of what took place was the Chiefs’ decision to almost never leave Gates single-covered, something Gates didn’t take personal. He thought that was more a case of K.C. wanting to take away the slot receiver, usually Gates, and force Rivers to make longer, wider throws of a wet ball through a wicked crosswind.

For obvious reasons, there were no such problems for the home opener. Not that things didn’t get squirrely out there in the brilliant sunshine, too. The two offenses combined for a total of nine turnovers, six of them by the Jaguars, but the Chargers’ three included an interception in the end zone of a pass off Gates’ hands.

“It was kinda like a circus, something we definitely will address,” said Gates. He added, “Luckily, I had a chance to redeem myself.”
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http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/sep/19/gates-left-wide-open-jags/

Mamba · Sep 20, 2010

Yeah, I don't get how they left him so wide open. He's only the best TE in football right now.

DP · Sep 21, 2010

Theres a ton of Tight Ends no one can cover, and a lot of them are being left open, like Finley..

Mamba · Sep 21, 2010

Yeah, but Gates has been doing this year in and year out. He's clearly the Chargers' top weapon on offense.

44Thrilla · Sep 21, 2010

Gates>Gonzalez>Clark>Witten>10 other TE's>Finley

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Gates left wide open by Jags

Mamba The King is Back Staff Member Global Moderator

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DP He shoots, he scores!

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44Thrilla cuatro cuatro

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Gates left wide open by Jags

Mamba The King is Back Staff Member Global Moderator

Mamba The King is Back Staff Member Global Moderator

DP He shoots, he scores!

Mamba The King is Back Staff Member Global Moderator

44Thrilla cuatro cuatro

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