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San Diego Chargers: With a Little Luck
Published: May 28, 2009
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Season previews the last few years for the San Diego Chargers used to be pretty easy: As LaDainian Tomlinson goes, so do the Chargers. And to be sure, LT is still the Bolt’s bread and butter but coming into the 2009 season a caveat can be added to the general company line; LaDainian Tomlinson can get the Chargers to the playoffs, but Darren Sproles is can get the Chargers to a Championship.
Sproles was one of the most electrifying players in last year’s playoffs, picking up the slack for a less than one hundred percent LT. If Norv Turner and the Chargers staff can find a way to effectively use the one-two punch of these very different running backs the Chargers could be in business in January and February.
Can one player change the prospect of a team so dramatically? Is it actually reasonable that the Chargers could be thinking Super Bowl? This is a team that was 8-8 last year, a team that did not draft all that well, and that has not added any significant free agents.
True, and perhaps Bolts fans shouldn’t be booking their flights to Miami just yet, but considering that nearly all the salient pieces of those Chargers teams that won 25 games in two seasons are still there, and they are playoff tested, and as streaky as all exhibitionist on a college quad, it’s not insane to think they can take a stab at a title.
Besides, how often do you see a team get hot in the playoffs and seize an unexpected Super Bowl appearance? (I’m looking at you, 2008 Cardinals). Unfortunately, if you’re a Chargers fan, you’re relying on unreliables to get you to the mountaintop because the smart money says you’re gone by the second round. The Chargers CAN do it, but will they?
That depends on Sproles. Look, because they haven’t added any names and their defense is aging (not to mention Tomlinson, who will enter his 9th year of NFL service, which is like 30 in running back years), the Chargers simply haven’t kept up with the cream of the AFC. They’re not in that conversation anymore.
The Steelers and Titans have passed them and the Colts and Patriots still have more gas in the tank. The Chargers have spent their offseason taking risks at the Draft like picking long shot Larry English in the first round and sitting on their hands when it comes to free agents. San Diego’s window is closing and they have to win now.
And to do that they’ll need to get Sproles more involved. The way they used their two running backs in the playoffs last year, not to mention the four game win streak they went on to end the regular season, gave a preview to what (if Coach Turner and his staff have half a brain) opposing defenses can look forward to seeing this season. A devastating combination of speed and power, like a two headed hydra of a ground game. Scared yet? Imagine what Oakland’s feeling.
It’s true, where talent is concerned, the Chargers are fourth or fifth in the AFC, but a playoff-bound Chargers could be mighty dangerous with a offensive attack that is weather impervious and one that will open up the game for the more than capable Philip Rivers.
The major playoff roadblocks would be the Patriots and the Steelers. The Chargers could pull a miracle against one of them (the Patriots will be the lesser of the two) but if they have to face both in the same playoffs? Forget it. The 2009 Chargers will go 10-6 and lose in the AFC Championship Game.
So where do the Chargers get 10 wins? Hmmm…let’s see…against the scrubs in their division, that’s where. This was a team that was 8-8 and 5-1 against the AFC West. And the one loss came courtesy of some questionable officiating against Denver. Plus, the rest of the field in the division was more stable last year than this year!
All three of San Diego’s challengers are in transition. Denver has a new coach and got a new quarterback in a very professional, non-distracting manner (eye roll). Kansas City has been completely overhauled and Oakland is still toiling in the seventh circle of hell. The quarterbacks that San Diego will face in their division are two career back-ups and a fat guy from LSU. So yeah, I’ll take the Chargers, please.
Denver didn’t do anything to address it’s defensive needs and run defense will be a top priority to stop the Chargers this year. Sure, the offensive looks pretty good but it requires a lot of faith in Kyle Orton and Knowshon Moreno.
Kansas City made all the right moves but c’mon, they won two games last year. Scott Pioli can’t play wide receiver and inside linebacker, can he? To say Matt Cassel is unproven is to say that Kansas City has a few barbeque joints. And besides, who is he going to throw to? Dwayne Bowe is a few notches down from Randy Moss.
Is Oakland still owned and operated by Al Davis? The Raiders have some talent but have shown so signs of turning that into wins and don’t count on them doing that this year.
Look, Kansas City will get better and Denver is a mystery, but does anybody honestly expect them to compete this year? As for Oakland, The Bleacher Report published an article today entitled, “It’s Time the Oakland Raiders Met Expectations.” Oh, they will this year. I fully expect them to be terrible.
The buzz phrase for the 2009 San Diego Chargers should be “Pensive Optimism.” The Chargers will make the playoffs, and once the playoffs start anything can happen, right?
