Vikings Leave Much To be Desired, Despite a Convincing Win in Cleveland

The Minnesota Vikings were the victors in their week one bout with the Cleveland Browns, capping off the game with an outstanding 64-yard touchdown run by Adrian “All Day” Peterson (his third touchdown of the day).

In spite of the 34-20 on the scoreboard; however, I was all but impressed by the Vikings’ performance.

Disappointed, in fact.

Beyond Adrian Peterson’s 198 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns coupled with rookie standout Percy Harvin’s promising playmaking ability, little appeared different from last year’s Division winning Vikings team.

Don’t get me wrong, a 10-6 record is formidable, sure. But the Minnesota Vikings aren’t aiming towards the Division title. The Super Bowl, as many analysts and critics muse, is a very real possibility given the talent spread around this Vikings team.

The Vikings’ gaze is set upon the Vince Lombardi Trophy, as a team reminiscent of last year’s Wild Card runner-ups just won’t cut it anymore…especially given the tough division they’ve been dealt. It’s not quite the NFC West.

Now in all fairness, I don’t mean to dog on the Vikings, and I certainly don’t mean to downplay their achievements on Sunday afternoon. A 34-20 win is definitely not something to take lightly. With that being said, there were several blaring shortcomings during Sunday’s game, and unfortunately, they were the same shortcomings that held the Vikings from achieving their goals last year. For instance:

 

Special Teams

I’ll give the Vikings’ return game some credit. The addition of Percy Harvin has given the kick return a new, sleeker, meaner look. It’s only a matter of time before that guy finds the end zone on a kickoff. Also notable was the addition of punt returner Darius Reynaud, who averaged an impressive 27 yards-per-return with a long of 36.

However, the team that gave of six touchdowns on special teams last season—a league worst—failed to show any signs of improvement, giving up a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown by Josh Cribbs. In games such as their away game at Soldier Field last year, special teams touchdowns can be the difference between a win and a loss, as the Vikings gave up two special teams touchdowns and lost by seven points in that game.

 

The Passing Game

Again, to the Vikings’ credit, Brett Favre didn’t look like Gus Frerotte tossing three INT’s to one TD or anything, but the Vikings brought in Favre to strike fear into the opponents’ backfield, keeping them from stacking eight or nine guys in the box against Adrian Peterson (who still manages to have outstanding games, I might add).

That didn’t happen, at all.

Favre compiled 110 passing yards to five different players, while Peterson muscled through dehydration, cramps, and an arm spewing blood, to record 180 yards rushing, 18 receiving, and three touchdowns. This was all through the course of 25 rushes and one reception. Hardly, what I would call a passing game.

Granted, Favre isn’t necessarily supposed to be the Vikings’ gunslinger/quasi-franchise quarterback, but I can’t help but think back to the 1998 season when the Vikings brought in another star quarterback who was also well past his prime to lead the second most productive offense in the history of the NFL (only surpassed by the 2007 New England Patriots).

Randall Cunningham could throw the ball, and so can Brett Favre. I wouldn’t expect Favre to be as productive as Cunningham, necessarily. Let’s face it. Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice, and Percy Harvin aren’t Cris Carter, Randy Moss, and Jake Reed, but they aren’t incompetent oafs either.

Air the ball out, Brett!

Or maybe Childess: Let Brett air it out. Let Percy Harvin air it out. Hell, let someone throw the football!

Speaking of others throwing the football, this leads me to my final grievance about the Viking’s week one performance…

 

Where Is This Fabled Vikings’ Wildcat Offense?

I was dismayed that the Vikings didn’t let the cat out of the bag this week. Every third down, my heart fluttered a little bit as the Vikings broke from the huddle, and each time, it was crushed when Favre lined up behind center and Harvin lined up in the slot.

I can only speculate that the Vikings aren’t going to reveal anything about their rendition of the Wildcat, until they absolutely need to. If that’s the case, then I wouldn’t doubt if they withhold the Wildcat until their week four Monday Night Football brawl against their arch-rival, the Green Bay Packers.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Childress wants to keep their toughest opponents guessing, giving them as little to work with on film as possible.

Or things could actually be as they seem…a flashy paint job on an old vehicle. The same Minnesota Vikings we all know and love.

The team that always manages to fall just short.

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Bears Fall to The Pack

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Baptism by fire, Cutler and the Bears struggle against Green Bay.

Going into the season two of the biggest concerns with the Bears were their inexperience at the wide receiver position and the secondary and both were exploited against the Pack.

With pressure in his face the entire first half Cutler never got into a rhythm with any of his receivers. Being forced out of the pocket Cutler made some questionable throws on the run and even across his body to the other side of the field.

It looked like the Bears receivers and tight ends hadn’t practiced with Cutler all season. Routes were stopped when they looked like they should have run through them, not coming back to the ball when Cutler was scrambling and even a few drops plagued the passing game.

It looked like there were adjustments made at half time and Cutler was able to stand up in the pocket and make solid throws.

Hooking up with Devin Hester for a 35 yard touchdown and rookie Knox down the field for a huge first down was a promising sight as was the Bears commitment to running the ball even if it did face a stiff Packer defense.

Matt Forte couldn’t get going and only mustered 55 yards on 25 carries but never stopped running hard. Garrett Wolfe showed promise as the change of pace back if only for a moment.

The commitment to the running game was clear, even though they didn’t start the game that way. A healthy dose of Forte and Wolfe probably would have eased the pressure from the Packers new defensive scheme.

The Bears front 4 looked like they were getting a constant push and disrupting the timing of Aaron Rodgers and the passing game.

The aggressive defensive play calling of Lovie Smith paid dividends for most of the game and even resulted in points when Daniel Manning caught Aaron Rodgers for a safety.

Adewle Ogunleye looked like a man possessed in the first half shaking two blockers at times on his way to recording two sacks.

With injuries to Urlacher and Tinoisamoa the Bears were forced to dip into their deep line backing corps and didn’t seem to lose too much of a step until the Packers final scoring drive which could mostly be attributed to a bad play by Nathan Vasher.

The last thing that stood out was the challenges by Lovie Smith. To the naked eye they looked like solid challenges but someone in the booth has to be in Lovies ear telling him to keep the flag in his back pocket.

 

The Good: Bears Pass rush. Ogunluye got the ball rolling with constant pressure on Aaron Rodgers. 

The Bad: Injuries. Two starting line backers, Frank Omiyale and Desmond Clark were unable to finish the game.  

The Ugly: Miscommunication. Between Cutler and his receivers, between Patrick Mannelly and Garret Wolfe (fault Wolfe for not seeing Mannelly blatantly pointing at him). Every instance of miscommunication helped stop any momentum the Bears might have had.   

The Difference: Experienced wide receivers. Even though Aaron Rodgers was under fire most of the game his receivers kept with the game plan and made plays when they had to.

 

What was most frustrating about this game, specifically the Bears offense, is that there were glimpses of what the Bears could and hopefully will be with Cutler under center. Some extra work in practice will hopefully clear up all the miscues.

 

 

Five Questions

After seeing the Bears receivers struggle will Jerry Angelo go out and get Bobby Wade or even Marvin Harrison?

Was I the only person who cringed when Rasheid Davis lined up on offense?

Will Urlacher play hurt or sit out until he’s 100%?

Did Aaron Kampman play in this game?

Do you miss John Madden on color commentary as much as I do?

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Super Mario Manningham Shows the New York Giants He Has Serious Game

Had Mario Manningham stayed at the University of Michigan for his senior year, there is little doubt that he would have been taken in the first or second round of this year’s NFL Draft.

Instead, Manningham left Michigan after head coach Lloyd Carr retired in 2007, choosing to forego his final year of eligibility and try his luck in the NFL.

The New York Giants were looking for a young receiver to backfill the potential void that would be left by Amani Toomer, also a former Wolverine, who they did not plan to re-sign after the 2008 season.

Manningham fit the mold perfectly. After seeing him grab 72 receptions for 1,174 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior in 2007, the Giants selected Manningham in the third round of the 2008 draft, but soon would realize that the college wunderkind was still a bit green.

Before the draft, scouts had downgraded Manningham because he had failed several drug tests for marijuana and his reported Wonderlic score was 6 out 50. But in all actuality, he was just another kid and neither of those things kept the Giants from drafting him. He has been nothing but a hard worker and a team player since he arrived here.

The truth about the rookie wideout was that the explosiveness was there but his frame was slight and he could not tangle with with pro defensive backs the way he did on the collegiate level. He got touched up in training camp, which sent him to the bottom of the team’s depth chart.

The Giants didn’t really need Manningham to produce right out of the box. Toomer was still in front of him as was Plaxico Burress, Steve Smith and Sinorice Moss.

He was at least a year away.

That year is here. Manningham has become a favorite target of QB Eli Manning, working from the slot as well as the outside. The electricity he had in Ann Arbor is now being displayed in East Rutherford.

Yesterday, Super Mario was one of seven receivers that caught passes for the Giants, but it was his elusive 30-yard tap dance down the sideline for the team’s only offensive touchdown that had people talking.

The usually grounded Manning seemed excited about his newest weapon. “Mario did some real good things today. He’s got a lot of ability. That touchdown pass was all him. That’s what we need…our receivers to makes some plays, make guys miss and get some yards after the catch.”

Manningham downplayed his efforts. “I was trying not to run out of bounds. We work on that in practice. I’m just one receiver in our receiver corp. We all can make plays.”

Not like that. His moves may just be a preview to a long and productive career for the New York Football Giants.

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Breaking News: Brian Urlacher Out for the Season with Dislocated Wrist

Updating our previous post this morning that Brian Urlacher would have to have surgery on his dislocated wrist, the latest report out of Chicago is even more ominous.

Brian Urlacher is reportedly out for the season, according to Vaughn McClure of The Chicago Tribune:

Brian Urlacher appears to be out for the season after dislocating his right wrist, the linebacker said Monday. The team has not given the official word, but Lovie Smith is expected to address the issue during his afternoon press conference.

This is obviously terrible news for the Bears and their fans and comes on the heels of a heart-breaking loss in Green Bay during which new quarterback Jay Cutler threw four interceptions.

Urlacher, to describe him in completely cliched term, is the heart and soul of the Bears’ defense. And even though the primary weakness in the current Bears defense appears to be in the secondary (and specifically cornerback Nathan Vasher), Urlacher’s athleticism and experience often helped to compensate for issues elsewhere.

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Buffalo Bills Breakdown, Week One: The New England Patriots

If you’ve been searching for an in-depth, detailed preview of tonight’s game, look no further—Buffalo Bills Breakdown is exactly what you’ve been looking for…

It’s here. Finally, tonight we can sit back and watch the Buffalo Bills in meaningful action. Monday Night Football is the biggest and brightest stage, and opening a season on national television has generated an electric buzz in Western New York today, even if everyone’s Bills play in Foxboro on the night Tom Brady returns to the NFL.

The Bills last beat the Patriots on the road in 2000, and the players are hungry to come out of Gillette Stadium victorious after being shut out at home by New England in Week 17 of last season.

The Bills are, as you may well imagine, underdogs and have received much criticism for their recent offensive modifications heading into their divisional showdown.

Here’s the breakdown of tonight’s game, which has a chance to be a great one.

 

Bills Advantages

Lee Evans vs. Leigh Bodden

The Patriots brought in Bodden from the Detroit Lions as their once veteran secondary of Randall Gay, Asante Samuel, and Ellis Hobbs became increasingly thin over the past two offseasons. Bodden began his career in Cleveland and racked up six INTs in 2007, but he is hardly a shutdown corner and was used sparingly this preseason.

Much has been made of the Terrell Owens-Shawn Springs matchup. Owens has owned the “rivalry,” averaging nearly 90 yards and over one score a game, but as far as an advantage for either team, I just don’t see it.

Evans is a polished route runner, and his speed makes him a coverage nightmare. He should see his first single coverage since the days of Eric Moulds—Evans will relish in the fact that Owens is now his teammate.

He’s never performed great against the Patriots, but this is a new defense, and there’ll be few times when double coverage is rolled his way. Look for Evans to have his biggest night in New England. 

 

Roscoe Parrish/Leodis McKelvin vs. Patriots coverage team

The Patriots were near the cellar of the league in terms of covering punts and kickoff last season, and as we all know, the Bills have excelled in that facet of the game for years.

In a game where the Bills could run into some issues on the offensive side of the ball, field position could keep Buffalo in the game.

Parrish and McKelvin are amongst the league’s most dangerous duos on special teams, and if there’s one area of the game the Bills are ready to feast on, it’s with these two returning kicks.

 

Bills offense vs. Patriots’ base 4-3 defense

I know you’re thinking I’m crazy for favoring the Bills offense against a New England defense that’s owned Buffalo of late, but the Bills have had their problems when facing the 3-4 alignment.

The trade of Richard Seymour to Oakland is big (eliminates a truly underrated yet ferocious edge rusher). The Patriots have stated their base defense will revert back to the 4-3.

Last season Trent Edwards and the offense went 1-8 against teams using the 3-4 and 6-1 against teams whose defensive foundation is the 4-3. Just a thought.

 

How the Bills win

First and foremost, forget the offensive line—they need to get to Tom Brady. We’ve seen that even the game’s better quarterbacks (Jay Cutler, Jake Delhomme) can look bad when pressure’s applied.

Remember Brady’s last full ball game was against the Giants in the Super Bowl, and then-defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo brought the house as creatively as possible, throwing off the All-Pro’s timing consistently.

Perry Fewell is known for his “sit back and wait” defense (seems like I bring that up in every article), but that will be completely ineffective in tonight’s game. If Brady has time to throw, it’ll be a near impossibility for the Bills secondary, as deep as it may be, to slow down the likes of Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Please blitz.

When I say blitz, I mean bring a variety of blitzes—zone blitzes, delayed blitzes, corner blitzes, stunt blitzes, anything to throw their wily line off balance. Look at what the Jets did to Matt Schaub and the Texans.

Equally, the Bills’ line needs to hold its own after a week of being bashed by the media. I’m sure AVP has devised plays to hide the apparent weakness of the line. I’m not fully against the moves made, although the inexperience is hard to miss.

I’m in favor of the new toughness and agility the line boasts, and hopefully screens, quick slants, and bubble screens will be used to put the line’s new attributes on display.

This could have easily been listed first: The Bills need to take shots down the field. Apparently the Bills call for deep balls frequently, but the protection is never good enough for the plays to develop. I don’t believe it, and even if the plays are called, Trent Edwards needs to man up and get the balls deep to his playmakers, even when they aren’t wide open.

Think about it—what are the outcomes of a deep pass down the field?

– Outcome No. 1 | The ball is caught, which is an obvious positive. It keeps the secondary on their heels throughout the contest.

– Outcome No. 2 | Pass interference. With Terrell Owens’ ability to get the ball thrown long, you should see a lot of jockeying for position that could result in the big penalty.

– Outcome No. 3 | Pass incomplete. No big deal, it’s not like the offense has been clicking already. At least it tells the defense they need to be ready on every play to backpedal deep, thus setting up comeback routes.

– Outcome No. 4 | Interception. Probably the least likely of the four. Also on a third down, it’s essentially a punt, minus any return. Still reminds the defensive backfield of the Bills’ downfield threats.

See what I mean? If the Bills want to stay in a game that most likely will be a high-scoring affair, they need to keep pace with Brady’s well-oiled machine, not by checking down, but by going deep, a lot.

Lastly, and most critically, don’t turn the ball over. Or at least win the turnover battle. If the Bills can keep the ball off the turf, they’ve got a shot.

 

Patriots Stat of the Week

I’m not big on looking at the past when talking about the future, especially with all the player turnover, but the Patriots have won 42 straight games when leading at halftime. If that’s the case tonight, the Bills will really have the odds stacked against them.

 

Bills Stat of the Week

Fred Jackson ran for 136 yards in the Bills’ last meeting with the Patriots. This was in a game where New England knew plenty of runs were coming. As Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com has stated, the blocking wasn’t great in that contest either.

 

Prediction: Bills 27, Patriots 24.

For a few reasons. I haven’t yet seen a prediction, anywhere, that’s given the Bills the slightest chance. I can’t name a legitimate wide receiver on New England besides Moss and Welker, and Welker’s banged up—though Joey Galloway may have a few more big plays in him (Julian Edelman and Sam Aiken do not count).

Lastly, chances are, after a few games, I’ll be frustrated, so my optimism is at its height right now, so why not pick a Bills win.

What do you think? Either way, you’ve gotta be pumped.

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Fumbles and Interceptions: Which One Is Jake Delhomme Better At?

Hoping to justify his new contract and shake off his horrible performance of six turnovers in last season’s playoff game, Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme played like we were watching a rerun of last January’s game.

 

Not only did he throw interceptions, he threw the ball right to the Philadelphia defense. Not only did he fumble, but the ball seemingly jumped behind him right to the goal line, but not quite touching the end zone.

 

After leading his team on an opening drive, clock consuming touchdown, Delhomme was embarrassed more than Jeff Van Gundy at Michael Jordan’s Hall-of-Fame induction.

 

It wasn’t just making mistakes; it was the way he made them. It seemed as if he transcended the act of the turnover, and turned it into an art form.

 

Delhomme finished the game with four interceptions and a lost fumble, before being taken out of the game. He only threw for 73 yards.

 

Now, Carolina must make some tough decisions. 

 

It seems as though Delhomme’s best days are behind him, but with the money they just spent on him, either way they seem to lose.

 

No one will trade with them and inherit his contract. If they cut him, they don’t get a single thing in return. And if they keep playing him, the losses will mount and the fan base will grow weary.

 

Obviously, the Player of the Week must be Drew Brees. And obviously, the Flop of the Week must be Jake Delhomme. 

 

But instead of giving out a Least Valuable Player of the Week award, I’d like to go the Don Imus route, and name Jake Delhomme my Nappy-Headed-Ho of the Week.

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NEWS: Brian Urlacher Out for Season!

According to Chicago media outlets, Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher will have season-ending surgery Monday morning on a dislocated wrist that kept him out of the second half of Sunday night’s season opener.

Urlacher had three tackles in the first half.

Everything coming from Bears camp this summer was that Urlacher was finally fully healthy after two years of back and neck issues. This, however, devastates the Bears defense.

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Cincinnati Bengals: Offensively Challenged in Week One

Sunday’s Cincinnati Bengals-Denver Broncos game was a cold, brutal example of the old saying, “It aint over, till the fat lady sings.”
 
A brilliant drive by QB Carson Palmer put the Bengals up 7-6 with under 40 seconds left to play.
 
But then the football gods struck.
 
With 38 seconds to go, QB Kyle Orton threw a deep ball that was deflected into the air off of CB Leon Hall’s hands and landed right into the gloves of WR Brandon Stokley. Then 87 yards later, the Broncos stole a victory in Cincinnati.

The final: 12-7…a rusty steak knife right through the middle of every Bengals fans’ heart.

 
Cincinnati’s Air Attack
 
The first pass of the game was an 18-yard bullet to Chris Henry. That was his only catch of the game. In fact, he wasn’t even thrown to again for the entire game.
 
On Palmer’s second pass, a 21-yard gain by Chad Ochocinco, he looked like he was in midseason form with the kind of zip and accuracy Bengals fans have come to expect.
 
However, Ochocinco then gets hit with a holding penalty that stalls the first drive and forces a punt. This would be the theme of the game, dumb mental errors.
 
The second drive is highlighted by another penalty and a huge third down drop by new Bengal Laveranues Coles. The pass simply bounced off of his hands.
 
After the drive stalls on the Broncos’ 10 yard line, a terrible snap by long snapper Brad St. Louis resulted in a blown opportunity for three points.
 
Up to this point, the massive Bengals’ O-Line has looked respectable against the smaller, quicker Broncos’ D-Line. RB Cedric Benson has space, and Palmer hasn’t been pressured.
 
This changes on the third drive. After another terrific throw by Palmer to Ochocinco for 34 yards, the O-Line begins to fall apart. A blitz by Denver catches RT Anthony Collins off guard and this results in a 10-yard sack. Palmer didn’t have a chance on the play. They are unable to recover from a 2nd-and-20 and are forced to punt.
 
Cincinnati begins to move the ball down the field again on their next drive. FB Daniel Coats redeems himself with a 16-yard play after dropping an easy one earlier. After the O-Line gets pushed back twice in a row, Laveranues Coles catches an 11-yard tight spiral from Palmer, first down on Denver’s 31.
 
On 3rd-and-six, Palmer forces a pass to OchoCinco. CB Champ Bailey tips the ball before Ochocinco can get to it, and Wesley Woodyard picks it off. It was a forced throw by Palmer that should have been incomplete, but on this day, it fell right into the arms of Woodyard.
 
After another drive of short Benson runs stall out, it’s halftime. Zero points for the Bengals. 3-0 Denver.
 
At this point Palmer is 9-of-15 for 132 yards with an INT, while Ochocinco had two receptions for 56 yards. They drove into Denver territory on their first five drives, but had nothing to show for it.
 
The second half wasn’t any better.
 
The Bengals had three drives in the quarter, but two of those went three-and-out. On the second drive, they got the ball on the Denver 45, but back-to-back sacks of Palmer killed the drive. He is getting no chance to read the defense before the Broncos are in his face now.
 
FB Jermi Johnson drops a short throw then Coles followed suit with his third on the day. Great start with your new team Coles. Twice on Sunday, he dropped first down passes on third down.
 
Cincinnati had seven dropped passes on the day.
 
Through three quarters, the Bengals have a 201-167 advantage in total yards. Palmer’s line is 13-of-23 for 167 yards.
 
The fourth quarter starts with a 23-yard catch by Ochocinco erased by an offensive pass inference call on him. Palmer is facing more and more pressure as the game progresses. The lack of depth on the O-Line is starting to be evident (thanks A. Smith).
 
The running game has come to a halt. Benson is getting no push from the O-Line at the point of attack and Palmer is rushing throws because of the pressure.
 
Down 6-0 with 6:21 left in the game, the Bengals take over at their own nine yard line.
Ochocinco has a 12 and a 13-yard catch sandwiched between a three-yard loss on the ground by Benson. A Palmer bullet to WR Andre Caldwell for 13 yards puts the Bengals on the Broncos 32.
 
With decent protection, Palmer finds a wide-open Brian Leonard for an 18-yard pickup. Great decision by Palmer, he was looking for somebody else, but found the open man.
 
Inside the Broncos’ 10, Caldwell catches another that puts him down to the one-inch line. His butt was in, but the ball wasn’t.
 
With plenty of push, Benson bullies his way into the end zone for the first and only Bengals TD of the game with only 20 seconds left for Denver.
 
Then the refs’ inexplicably say that the previous play (Caldwell catch); was considered a lost challenge by Marvin Lewis and the Bengals. They were docked a timeout.

And some how they tack on 18 additional seconds. Too bad that with under two minutes in the game, everything is a booth review.
 
You know the rest of the story…the final: Denver 12, Cincinnati 7.
 
“We have to find a way to score points on offense, and we will. It’s disheartening,” said Palmer, who was 21-of-33 for 247 yards and two interceptions. “We moved the ball effectively, but just not into the end zone.”
 
He shook off some rust early, but looked fine for the most part. The second INT was a last prayer Hail Mary to end the game.
 
Ochocinco had five catches for 89 yards and looked rejuvenated. He was getting yards after catch (YAC), on every reception. Caldwell had 54 yards, Benson 32, while Leonard 24, Henry 18, Coats 16, Coles 11, and Foschi just three.
 
The O-Line had its moments, but it’s certainly a work in progress.
 
Coles is the goat of the game for his three drops.
 
The Bengals now go to Lambeau to play the Green Bay Packers, and then it’s a date with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Can they just hit the reset button?
 
Green Bay’s defense was extremely aggressive against Chicago. QB Jay Cutler threw four INT’s and was roughed up physically by the Packers’ front seven. Palmer is going to have to keep his eyes on Cullen Jenkins all game long next week.
 
If Palmer and company can’t establish the run against a stout Packers’ frontline, it’s going to be a long day.

Thanks again A. Smith.

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San Diego Chargers: Against Questionable Defense or Not, Norv Turner Finally Has All the Answers

Repeatedly, you read that writers just don’t trust Norv Turner to lead men. Turner can not possibly get the best out of his Chargers.

You read that Turner’s Chargers have lost three more games than the previous season two years in a row, so they are destined to have a 5–11 season – but will still win the weak AFC West.

Coach Turner repeatedly preached one thing, and that is the Chargers offense could always run a bad defense off the field, but would be stymied against a great defense in big games. He declared that he’d get this offense to the point that they’d score points against the great defenses.

I believe this mission will be accomplished this year. Whatever a defense wants to bring, Norv has the answers.

The Chargers can beat your pressure with screens and quick passes.

They have overwhelming options in the red zone from Gates to Tomlinson to Malcom Floyd.

They can beat you deep with Chris Chambers, Floyd, or Vincent Jackson.

They can beat you to the corner in the run game with Darren Sproles.

They can run it right at you at the end of the game with Tomlinson.

Along with the Saints and Patriots, the Chargers offense is far too dangerous for most defenses to contain.

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Indianapolis Colts: Struggles Continue in the Running Game

In a very close and gritty AFC South division game to open the season, the Indianapolis Colts found themselves still struggling to get any kind of consistent running game going.

The Colts in the offseason tried to improve their rushing attack by drafting Donald Brown out of the University of Connecticut. But the combination of he and fourth-year back Joseph Addai only combined to rush for 75 yards.

Addai, who rushed for 42 yards on 17 carries, showed brief glimpses of his old self, but was unable to get anything going from down to down. Donald Brown was much of the same carrying the ball 11 times for 33 yards. Both backs combined to only average 2.75 yards per carry on the day.

Late in the fourth quarter, Indianapolis could not convert on a 4th-and-1 which could have put the game away. They had two shots at it failing on 3rd-and-1 and again Donald Brown got stuffed on their fourth down try to gain one yard on the ground which would have all but sealed the win for the Colts.

One interesting play to me, however, was on the goal-line touchdown from Joseph Addai in the second quarter when defensive end Eric Foster was sent into the game as fullback. The Colts in recent years have not had a true fullback to speak of on the roster.

Foster made a great block to spring open a hole for Addai to squirt through and get into the end zone for a touchdown.

Indianapolis is also going to have to find a way for the offensive line to get a better push off the ball and get some run blocks put on the defense or it is going to be a very long season for both Addai and Brown.

The inability to get any form of run block in critical short yardage situations is going to cost the Colts valuable first down conversions during upcoming games.

One way I see the run game could open up some is if the Colts try to stretch the defense out at the line of scrimmage with some different looks at the wide out positions and double tight end formations. Three and four receiver sets would force the defense to cover the receivers leaving fewer defensive players close to the line.

The double tight end sets would allow for more run blocking to be present in the backfield to open more holes for both Addai and Brown to pound the ball through.

This may be easier said than done as wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez went down during the game and is projected to be out two to six weeks.

One thing is certain this season for the Colts. They are going to have to find a way to convert some of these short yardage situations on the ground to either put teams away or keep drives alive late in games. This will prove to be more crucial now with the injury to Anthony Gonzalez. This will certainly put a strain on the Colts offense early this season.

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