Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1526921
52 SEPT. 28, 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TODD D. BURLAGE G iven the unenviable challenge Joe Alt faced before his first NFL game, it would have been understandable if the Los Angeles Chargers rookie got off to a rocky start in the season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders Sept. 8. Asked to begin his career by trying to contain All-Pro Raiders defensive rush end Maxx Crosby, Alt and his worth as the No. 5 overall draft pick last April were going to be measured and scruti- nized right out of the gate, fair or not. The 27-year-old Crosby entered this season coming off a third consecutive Pro Bowl selection, and as a second- team All-Pro honoree in 2023 after he recorded 14.5 sacks and 90 total tackles — both career highs. Not surprisingly — at least to the folks who followed Alt closely at Notre Dame — the baby-faced, 21-year-old, hardly even broke a sweat blocking Crosby and finished his NFL debut with one of the highest offensive grades from Pro Foot- ball Focus in the entire league. Alt allowed only one pressure and no sacks in 29 pass-blocking snaps, show- ing off the skills that made him a two- time All-American at Notre Dame and an opening-day rookie starter in Los Angeles. "If you don't like the challenge, then you don't like to compete," first-year Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said, when asked about the Alt-Crosby matchup. "And the thing I know about Joe Alt is he likes to compete." The Chargers controlled the line of scrimmage against the Raiders and cruised to a 22-10 victory. Alt's performance against Crosby in his first career game was so solid, for- mer Chiefs All-Pro right tackle and Su- per Bowl champion Mitchell Schwartz gushed over it play by play and block by block on his YouTube channel. "Pass blocking is not easy, but Alt is making it look like it is in his first NFL game," Schwartz said. A week later, as an encore in a 26-3 win over the Carolina Pan- thers, Alt posted the highest PFF grade in the league for an offen- sive tackle with an 87.2, and he handed three- time Pro Bowl rush end Jadeveon Clowney the worst grade (30.5) of his 11-year career. B e yo n d t h e p a s s blocking, the Chargers t h ro u g h two we e k s were averaging 197.5 r u s h i n g y a r d s p e r game, which ranked second in the NFL, and their 5.6 yards per carry rated sixth best. For comparison, the team ranked 27th in yards per carry (3.8) last season. Through two Chargers games and two victories, Alt was lead- ing all offensive rookies with a 78.5 overall grade from PFF after allowing only 2 pressures and 1 sack in 54 pass-blocking snaps. If there is one sidelight that quickly came clear after the draft in April, it's that Alt's new sur- roundings would be a perfect fit. Harbaugh has a reputation for physical running attacks. And at each of his career stops, the former Michigan skipper installs a blue-collar, no-bull approach that suits Alt well, and is already lifting a franchise that lost its fi- nal five games and eight of its last nine last year. Additionally, led by stars Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa, the Chargers feature one of the deepest collection of edge rushers in the NFL. "Being able to go up against them, you're learning and getting better every single day," Alt said. "You're seeing dif- ferent moves. It's just allowing me to grow my ability." ✦ FIGHTING IRISH HEADLINERS Kyle Hamilton (Played at Notre Dame from 2019-21), S, Baltimore Ravens, NFL The 2023 first-round draft pick made 6 tackles in a 26-23 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders Sept. 15, includ- ing 3 defensive stops (tackles that result in a failure for the offense). The Greece native and Atlanta product also allowed only 26 yards on 7 opponent receptions in pass coverage. Marist Liufau (2019-23), LB, Dallas Cowboys, NFL A third-round draft pick of the Cowboys in April, the Kalihi, Hawaii, native made his first career start in a 44-19 loss to the New Orleans Saints Sept. 15, and recorded 3 tackles and 3 defensive stops. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (2017-20), LB, Cleveland Browns, NFL The 2021 second-round draft pick recorded 7 tack- les (2 for loss) in an 18-13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars Sept. 15. Through the first two weeks this season, the Hampton, Va., native led the Browns with 16 tackles, 12 solo. Rookie Lineman Joe Alt Makes An Immediate Impact I R I S H I N T H E P R O S "Being able to go up against them, you're learning and get- ting better every single day. You're seeing different moves. It's just allowing me to grow my ability." ALT ON PRACTICING VS. JOEY BOSA AND KHALIL MACK After the first two weeks of the NFL season, Alt was the highest-rated tackle in the league with a PFF grade of 78.5. GRAPHIC VIA X (FORMERLY TWITTER)