A video of two Arizona Cardinals absolutely lighting up Justin Herbert for a sack while *three* Los Angeles Chargers offensive linemen blocked a single dude went super viral after Sunday’s 26-14 Cardinals win. Everyone online was losing their minds, trashing the Chargers’ O-line for what looked like an all-time embarrassing blunder.
Kelce Throws Flag On Fan Outrage
But hold up, former Eagles center Jason Kelce, a guy who knows a thing or two about the trenches, jumped onto social media and dropped a massive truth bomb. He wasn’t having any of the online hate. “A lot of people showing they actually have absolutely no idea how protections work or what the offensive line is responsible for on any given play,” he wrote. Talk about shutting down the armchair coaches, right?
The Chaos Of A Disguised Blitz, Broken Down By A Pro
Kelce didn’t just stop at calling out the haters, though. He went full film study mode, breaking down *exactly* what went down on that play and how the Cardinals basically pulled a fast one, disguising their blitz and creating total chaos. He laid it out plain: the Chargers’ O-line started, as they should, by blocking the five guys on the line of scrimmage. Standard stuff, right? But then, BAM. Two of those guys, the ones the OL was initially focused on, suddenly dropped back into coverage. That immediately flips the script for the offensive linemen, leaving them scrambling to adjust in a split second.
Kelce continued his masterclass, explaining how in that chaos, “the right guard applied back when his guy looped out to the tackle, the center applied left when his guy dropped.” It’s a complex dance in the trenches, and when one piece shifts, everyone else has to react instantly. The left guard, according to Kelce, was already blocking “his man” alongside the other three. While Kelce conceded that maybe the left guard “could have redirected maybe a touch sooner,” he was quick to point out those blitzers were already well past him by that point. It’s an impossible ask when guys are flying at you.
Here’s the absolute kicker, and it shifts a lot of the “blame” away from the O-line: it was a five-man protection. Kelce stated that unless Herbert pulled a “crazy call out of his ass” because he somehow, miraculously, knew this exact blitz was coming, he was going to be “hot.” That means the quarterback *has* to know he’s going to have immediate pressure and needs to get the ball out ASAP. Kelce even went further, talking about a “sort to the left” call. While that *might* have sped up the left guard redirecting, he emphasized they’d *still* be hot from a guy like Budda Baker screaming into the backfield. And if you’re thinking the left tackle should have just “squeezed” on the play? Kelce says they’d *still* be hot. It’s a no-win scenario for the O-line without the QB reading it pre-snap.
So, what does it all mean? Kelce’s message was clear: Herbert should have had a “hot route” ready, a quick throw to get the ball out before the blitzers even sniffed him. But whether Herbert didn’t get it out in time, or the receiver didn’t run the route, or it was just covered up, Herbert ended up taking that sack. Yeah, the play looked rough, no doubt. But Kelce’s breakdown proves that sometimes, what looks like a monumental screw-up from one angle is actually a chess match gone wrong, with blame spread across the board. It’s a brutal reminder that football isn’t always as simple as it looks on replay, even if the Chargers’ O-line still wasn’t exactly having their best day.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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