Miami at San Diego: Five Keys to a Chargers Victory

Like last week’s game, the Chargers face an AFC playoff team looking to establish themselves in the conference pecking order. Only this time, the ‘Bolts face a desperate Miami Dolphins team looking to get their first win.

Miami features a running attack that will be a tough matchup for the San Diego defense. On offense, the Chargers will continue to rely on the NFL’s best passing game in the league at 330 yards per game.

Here’s a look at five keys to a Chargers victory and it all starts on defense.

Load up against the Wildcat

Nine, 10 in the box maybe? The ‘Fins average 164.5 yards per game on the ground, while the Chargers, 24th against the run, are giving up 139 yards per game. Miami is going to run the ball and the Chargers know it. 

Their Wildcat offense is averaging close to nine yards a play. These are crazy good numbers. San Diego saw it in Week Five last season and practiced against it in training camp so that should help.

Still, Ronnie Brown orchestrates the Wildcat beautifully with Rickey Williams and Patrick Cobbs taking hand-offs. 

Every layer of the defense will be under pressure to make tackles. They must also know their assignments and stay disciplined in their gaps.

Defensive end Luis Castillo must anchor a revamped defensive line that will feature a rotation of newly acquired Alphonso Boone, Travis Johnson, Jacques Cesaire, Ogemdi Nwagbuo and Vaughn Martin. 

How that group plays will go a long way in determining the outcome of the game.

Inside linebackers Kevin Burnett, Tim Dobbins and Stephen Cooper are going to have to play a very physical game against a mauling offensive line. The outside ‘backers will also need to be vigilant at keeping runners contained.

Safeties Clinton Hart, Steve Gregory and Eric Weddle will be the last line of defense. They will be depended on to wrap up ball carriers and make key tackles.

It will be interesting to see whether rookie safety Kevin Ellison, known as a big hitter, gets an opportunity to blow up any Miami backs.

If the defense can handle Miami’s ground game the Dolphins can’t control the clock on long possessions, keeping Philip Rivers and the offense off the field.  

Pressure the Quarterback

If you’re going to make Chad Pennington beat you, a good pass rush is needed. So far, San Diego’s rush has been lackluster to say the least. The Chargers are tied with a slew of teams for 24th in the NFL with a measly two sacks. Only three teams have taken the quarterback down less.

Having been sacked six times so far this season, it’s clear Pennington can be gotten to. 

Shawne Merriman didn’t practice Thursday due to a sore groin and simply hasn’t been the same player he was before the injury. It’s going to be a little while before he’s back to his “Lights Out” self so I would think Jyles Tucker and first-round pick Larry English should see time.

Convert in the Red Zone

You’ve got to get touchdowns in the red zone. Chargers are a horrific 1-8 in the red-zone this season. That’s too many field goals. 

Additionally, the defense has been bad in the red-zone giving up TDs on 6-8 possessions from the 20 yard line in. 

If Rivers and Co. can covert 50 percent of their red zone opportunities this game might be over by halftime. 

Look for the Big Play

The Chargers are made for the big play with Philip Rivers spraying balls all over the field to Vincent Jackson, Malcom Floyd, Antonio Gates and Darren Sproles.

As Manning showed, the Dolphins are susceptible to big plays. The Chargers must exploit this.

Chargers have 11 plays over 20 yards which ties them for the NFL lead. Additionally, the ‘Bolts have two plays over 40 yards which ties them for 3rd in the league. This is an explosive offense. 

Commit less than 10 Penalties

San Diego is worst in the league drawing 21 flags so far. The 145 yards is also an NFL worst. You can’t beat yourself and win in this league. The false starts, delay of games and offsides has to stop. 

Conversely, Miami has only committed eight penalties for 47 yards. 

Odd Bits and More

Again, the Chargers avoided the game being blacked out. It was lifted without the 24 hour extension. The Oakland Raiders and Detroit Lions weren’t as fortunate and will have this week’s game blacked out. 

The current Las Vegas line has the Chargers by six while ESPN’s inline has the ‘Bolts by two. I’m thinkin’ they’ll cover easily. 

Next week’s game at Pittsburgh will be on NBC for Sunday Night Football.

The ‘Bolts’ next home game, Oct. 19 against the Denver Broncos, will be on Monday Night Football. Like the opening night game in Oakland, the Chargers and Broncos will wear throwbacks to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the AFL.

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Chargers Lose Veteran Center Nick Hardwick for at Least Eight Weeks

A lot of good starting the season healthy did.

In the matter of a week, the San Diego Chargers have suffered debilitating injuries on both sides of the ball. First, it was Pro-Bowl nose tackle Jamal Williams going down for the year. Now, a Chargers press release confirms veteran center Nick Hardwick has undergone surgery on his injured left ankle, sidelining him for at least eight weeks and possibly the season. 

This is major blow to the Chargers’ offensive line and locker room. Both Hardwick and Williams were team leaders and the core of their respective offensive and defensive units. The leadership roles on this team will now be solidly placed on players such as Philip Rivers and Stephen Cooper, who are ready for the responsibility

The injury to Hardwick, as well as Williams, occurred in the Monday night’s hard fought win in Oakland. Neither injury was initially considered all that serious. That has obviously changed now.

The veteran center, Hardwick had played in 69 games, starting all of them, over six seasons. He’s never missed more than four games in a season and only nine in his career. It will be difficult, particularly in the running game, for the Chargers to replace him long term.

Expect GM A.J. Smith, who has been busy filling Williams’s vacancy, to be looking for another offensive lineman. Rookie backup Tyronne Green has some experience at center but more depth is needed.

Going forward, Scott “Mooch” Mruczkowski will be the man in the middle for the ‘Bolts. The 6’5″, 325 pound Mooch got his first NFL start at center this past weekend against the vaunted Baltimore defense and performed well. Now that the job is his for the foreseeable future, I’m sure he’ll be spending a lot more time in the film room—especially with blitz happy Miami and Pittsburgh up next. 

Mooch has been with the Chargers for five seasons, and that will certainly help him become the full-time starter. Calling out the protections, recognizing defenses, and knowing everything that has to happen on any given play are just of the few things that makes center such a demanding position. 

On a line that had already lost longtime right guard Mike Goff to free agency, it will now be all the more important for veterans Marcus McNeill, Kris Dielman, and Jeromey Clary to step up.

The next two weeks before the bye will be very telling. How the Chargers handle the adversity of losing stalwarts on both sides of the ball will give everyone a very good idea of how mentally tough this team is and how far they might go this year.

Every team suffers big injuries, but it’s the teams that persevere and find a way to win despite it all that end up going places in January. 

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Chargers Defense Will be Tested by Dolphins’ Wildcat, Running Game

I gotta figure the San Diego Chargers are watching Monday Night Football to get a look at next week’s opponent, the Miami Dolphins.

What they saw must have seemed like a waking nightmare with Miami featuring an attack that beat the ‘Bolts last season.

The San Diego Chargers must put the Baltimore game in the rear-view mirror and focus on the incoming Miami Dolphins for an early season must win game. Front and center will be stopping the Fins’ Wildcat offense. 

San Diego is among the worst in the NFL against the run. Giving up 139 yards per game rushing and 4.3 yards per carry is no way to get to the playoffs. To make matters worse, injuries on the defensive line are going to make stopping the run tough.

Getting out to an early lead would take the Dolphins out of the running game, forcing them to throw more. From there the Chargers must make Chad Pennington beat them. Even then, he’s extremely smart and plays an efficient game.

A strong pass rush is imperative; otherwise Pennington will pick the defense apart. If the Chargers can get pressure, Pennington will make mistakes. With the Dolphins having given up six sacks so far, they seem like a good opponent for the Chargers to finally get their pass rush back on track. 

But let’s not forget this team won the AFC East last season; they can play. 

This is an important conference game for both teams, but winless Miami is in a much tougher division and will be desperate to get a win. 

Last year’s Chargers loss to Miami, 17-10, was won by a touchdown scored by Ronnie Brown, who ran wild out of the Wildcat offense. He killed Indy Monday night for 136 yards and two TDs in a performance that reminded people how good he is out of that formation.

The Chargers will no doubt be practicing against the Wildcat this week. Hopefully it’ll help that they worked it into their offense in training camp.

Brown, Ricky Williams, and a bruising offensive line are designed to beat down opposing defenses, but the team lacks an explosive quick strike attack. The lack of big play ability is a major weakness for Miami, but they more than make up for it on the ground.

Miami is averaging 167.5 yards rushing per game, which should worry San Diego defensive coordinator Ron Rivera. The onus will be on Chargers safeties Clinton Hart, Steve Gregory, and Eric Weddle to keep everyone in front of them and make strong one-on-one tackles. 

To make matters worse, San Diego is perilously thin on the defensive line with Jamal Williams (triceps) and Ryon Bingham (triceps) gone for the year and Luis Castillo (elbow) dinged up. Hopefully Travis Johnson (groin) and Jacques Cesaire (calf) will be back from the injuries that sidelined them this past weekend.

Now more than ever, youngsters Ogemdi Nwagbuo and Vaughn Martin are going to be counted on to play more snaps and have to step up. 

To bolster the depth, nine-year veteran defensive tackle Alfonso Boone, cut by the Kansas City Chiefs, signed with the Chargers Tuesday. The 6’5″, 305-lb. Boone had ties to both Chargers defensive coordinator Rivera and defensive line coach Don Johnson from when he played in Chicago. 

Facing such an unusual offense is going to be a lot to ask of a defensive line playing together for the first time.

The Chargers linebackers are going to have to know their assignments and stay in their gaps to be effective stopping the multiple looks and misdirection of the Wildcat. Groin injuries to Shaun Phillips and Shawne Merriman could further deplete the front seven’s potency—not that they’ve done much so far. 

On offense, the Chargers should have the upper hand, but like they did to Peyton Manning on Monday night, the Dolphins will try to keep Philip Rivers and his dangerous offensive weapons off the field by controlling the clock with the running game. When San Diego gets in scoring position, they’ve got to get in the end zone.

The Dolphins secondary is talented but young and has yet to get an interception so far. Up front, the ‘Fins try to get after the quarterback but have only amassed a paltry three sacks. Against the run, Miami is allowing 69.5 yards per game, which is among the best in the league.

The Chargers are only running for 65 yards per game, currently last in the NFL. As it was against Baltimore, it will be all about Rivers and the Chargers’ passing game. Expect Vincent Jackson to be his regular game-breaking self, but I think that Malcolm Floyd and Chris Chambers can both provide down the field options as well. 

Without an effective ground game, the Bolts are going to have to rely on screens and gadget plays to get Legedu Naanee and backs involved in the offense. Antonio Gates should be able to exploit the Miami defense down the middle.

It’s not clear whether LaDainian Tomlinson will be back, but expect Darren Sproles to be utilized, as ever, to the max. Center Nick Hardwick (ankle) is expected to miss the game, while rookie Louis Vasquez (knee) is likely to return at guard. 

Protecting Rivers from Joey Porter and the rest of the Fins rush will be paramount. The offensive line did an exceptional job in pass protection against the Ravens; they’ll be called on to repeat that performance against a Miami unit hungry for their first win. 

The rest is just common sense: Force turnovers and play a much more disciplined game. You simply can’t average over 10 penalties a game, and a turnover ratio of zero doesn’t impress.  

As of now, 2,500 tickets remain for Sunday’s game. If they’re not sold by Thursday, the Chargers will have their first regular season blackout since 2005. Hopefully everyone besides those at Qualcomm will be able to watch.

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Not Enough Sproles Magic Against the Baltimore Ravens for the San Diego Chargers

To win in this league a few things are clear; you have to be able to run the ball and stop the run. The San Diego Chargers weren’t able to do either in their home opener, losing 31-28 to the Baltimore Ravens despite huge days from Philip Rivers and Darren Sproles.

I was at the game and it was obvious, outside of Rivers and Sproles, the Chargers didn’t have much. So on a day when the Bolts lost the turnover battle and mustered only one sack they still were in a position to win the game on the Ravens’ 15-yard line with 37 seconds remaining in the game.

The 4th-and-2 call to run Sproles, who Ray Lewis destroyed in the backfield to end the game, was a bit of a headscratcher. Why try to run on the Ravens with the game on the line when your QB is having a career day? Yeah, bad idea.

Both fullback Jacob Hester and pulling guard Kris Dielman missed Lewis as he shot between back-up’s Scott Mruczkowski and Brandyn Dombrowski en route to blowing up Sproles.

I guess that one’s on Norv Turner. I think Rivers deserved to have that final play on him. Having only amassed 53-yards on the ground, at 2.5 yards per carry, it was clear the Chargers were going to go as far as Rivers could take them. 

Rivers knew it was on him and he responded, throwing for a career best 436 yards. He also had a career long 81-yard TD pass to Sproles on a flare out of the backfield. Vincent Jackson also had a huge day against smaller and slower Baltimore defenders racking up 141 yards on six catches and a TD. 

But ultimately, you can’t be that one dimensional. Additionally, the two interceptions thrown by Rivers proved costly. The first, by Dawan Landry, was a result of Ray Lewis pressure that forced Rivers into a seriously ill-advised throw. 

The second was a hot throw deep in Chargers territory that deflected off Chris Chambers into the arms of Antwan Barnes. The Ravens got points off that turnover too. 

Gates didn’t seem to be used enough, particularly deep in Ravens territory. He usually had a favorable match-up against a linebacker, corner or safety. And when Rivers looked his way other times in the game, Gates made the play.

Sproles, again, does it all but his 278 total yards weren’t enough this time. It was uncanny how he made play after play in all facets of the game. As I’ve said before, there is no way Sproles is going to be able to keep up this level of production without more rest. 

Without Jamal Williams the defense gave up 4.1 per rush for a total of 130 yards. At least it’s better than against the Raiders. That’s scary. Vaughn Martin, Andre Coleman, and Ogemdi Nwagbuo simply weren’t good enough. 

There were too many runs where Willis McGahee or Ray Rice ripped off runs of ten yards at a time. I was surprised, given the depleted Chargers line, the Ravens didn’t run more.

There as also little pressure put on Raven’s QB Joe Flacco. Shawne Merriman didn’t have a sack but neither did any of the other Charger linebackers, who are counted on to get to the QB. Merriman has six tackles and no sacks in the first two weeks. Luis Castillo had a the only Chargers sack.

The one time Flacco was rushed by Merriman, he threw a hurried ball which was intercepted by Antoine Cason. This is how the Chargers must operate to be successful. But, in the end, Flacco was able to avoid pressure and manage the game effectively. 

There were also some significant breakdowns in the Chargers secondary. On Kelly Washington’s TD, everyone got fooled, but strong safety Steve Gregory was way out of position. Gregory also got worked by tight end Todd Heap for a TD. I thought Kevin Burnett was brought in to stop these tight ends.

The Chargers did a good job on third down with Baltimore only converting on 4-of-11. But alas when they got the ball back they weren’t scoring touchdowns. Nate Kaeding was 4-for-4 on field goals which was good I suppose. 

The Bolts were 0-for-5 in the red-zone. You don’t beat playoff caliber teams not converting near the goal line. Got to get touchdowns. Too many field goals. Jackson’s catch setting up a first-and-goal from the one-yard line but the Chargers had to settle for a field goal is example 1A.

Which brings me to the penalties. The Chargers committed 12 penalties, many on the offensive line, for 85 yards. That’s worse than last week against the Raiders. Not a good trend this early in the season.

But what it came down to, despite Norv’s bonehead call, was the Chargers inability to run the ball and stop the run. Without that, in this AFC, the Chargers are going to find it seriously difficult to get tot he promised land of the Super Bowl.  

Now, the Miami Dolphins come to San Diego for a game, which I believe will be blacked out, the Chargers must have to avoid the bad start they desperately wanted to avoid.

Having to go to Pittsburgh Week 4 will be no picnic, but if the Bolts can win next week they will be in a good position heading into the bye week in Week 5 at no worse than 2-2. 

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San Diego Chargers in Trouble Up Front Against the Baltimore Ravens

Both the San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Ravens have serious intentions of representing the AFC in the Super Bowl this season. Both are coming of wins, but neither played up to expectations. They know this will be a pivotal game early in the season. Who ever gets the victory will have an early leg up in the AFC playoff race. 

With the Ravens coming in, no LaDanian Tomlinson and an offensive line that’s beat up, it’s not exactly the home opener the Chargers had in mind. Come to think of it, the defensive line isn’t exactly in great shape either with an ailing Jamal Williams (arm and Travis Johnson (groin) out. 

Who would wan’t to get their first NFL start at center against the Baltimore Ravens? Well, hats off to you Scott “Mooch” Mruczkowski, I believe it will be a day you remember. Haloti Ngata and Kelly Gregg will make sure of it. 

That’s where it will begin and end for the Chargers this weekend when Charm City’s finest comes calling.  The Bolts must protect Philip Rivers at all costs. By using extra pass protections and play calling that utilizes match ups and quickness the Chargers can thwart the Raven’s rush.

Injuries to the only center Philip Rivers has ever known, Nick Hardwick (ankle), and the rookie right guard, Louis Vasquez (knee), is seriously going to test the depth of the offensive line against one of the most ferocious defenses in recent history. 

Rivers is the reason Si.com’s Peter King is going with the Chargers to win a tight game. And there’s no doubt about it: the Bolts chances lie with Rivers ability to get the ball to his myriad of play-makers.

Again, it will be on the line in front of him to give him that chance. Getting it downfield to Vincent Jackson, Antonio Gates and Malcom Floyd are the Chargers best match-ups if Rivers has the time.

Brandon Dombrowski gets the honor of starting at right guard after nine-year journeyman lineman Dennis Norman was signed to fill the void. The pressure is going to be on Marcus McNeill, Kris Dielman and Jeromay Clary to hold it together.

Ironic the Bolts end up with the guy, Norman, the Falcons released in order to bring back Kynan Forney, who the Chargers had signed away from the Falcons in the offseason and then cut after training camp.  

He and rookie Tyronne Green are the safety net. The Chargers coaching staff have to be crossing their fingers that no there are no more injuries on the offensive line. 

As expected the San Diego Chargers beat the Oakland Raiders in Monday Night Football’s opening week finale, but what nobody expected was how hard they had to fight for the win. 

With 18 seconds remaining in the game, Darren Sproles scored on a five yard run to put the Chargers up for good 24-20, capping a comeback that showed the Bolts aren’t as good as predicted and the Raiders aren’t as bad. 

This was most evident on the offensive and defensive lines, where the Chargers struggled. The offensive line took it on the chin losing two starters to injuries and surrendering three sacks before regaining composure in the second half. 

The lone Chargers sack was by defensive lineman Igemdi Nwagbuo. Even if the Raiders went with a lot of max-protections, this is against Jamarcus Russell people! Five to one on quarterback hits also showcased how little pressure the Chargers got on Russell.

Now, due to injuries, Nwagbuo and Vaughn Martin are going to be counted on for a lot more snaps on the defensive line than anticipated. That’s a lot to ask against the healthy veteran line Baltimore starts.

Nine penalties for 60 yards is bad. Anytime the Raiders have fewer penalties than you do, something is wrong. If you take that many penalties against a disciplined playoff team, it makes it very hard to win. 

Once again, a big tight end has a good day against San Diego. Oakland’s Zach Miller exploited the Bolts’ secondary regularly. Strong safety play on Louis Murphy’s deep touchdown was not good. Clinton Hart was out of position big time. Steve Gregory looked over matched as well. 

I expect Todd Heap to get a lot of attention from Kevin Burnett and the Chargers secondary this Sunday. L.J. Smith may also factor in at TE as well. How the safeties cover and tackle will be something interesting to watch. 

The Raiders may have some talented runners but 148 yards at a 4.6 per carry average will not get it done. Eight rushing first downs showed consistent inability to stop opposing rushers.

The bruising Baltimore running game isn’t going to make this any easier. This is one of the reasons the talking heads on Showtime’s Inside the NFL all picked the Ravens. Baltimore’s version of Sproles is Ray Rice, who the Chargers defense is going to have to keep close track of. 

The defensive line has also seen better days with Ryon Bingham gone (triceps) and Jacques Cesaire (calf) yet to see any action. Veterans Jamal Williams and Luis Castillo aren’t going to be able to get the rest a regular line rotation would. This is going to take a toll as the game goes on. 

The Chargers were +1 in the turnover battle. For them to be successful against the Ravens they must win the turnover battle. Taking care of the ball in all facets of the game will be crucial.

Sproles does it all, amassing 246 total yards on 22 touches (nine rushing, five receiving, three punt returns, five kickoff returns). At what point is too much? This is too much. There is no way Sproles can take that kind of beating every week. 

With Tomlinson out, Michael Bennett is going to have to pick up the slack so Sproles doesn’t get over-worked. Jacob Hester might even get a carry or two, but I don’t expect much of a running game against a stout Ravens front. The backs will be required to pick up the blitz and catch the ball on screens and check downs. 

Being born in Baltimore, I got my tickets months ago, so I’ll be plaza level to take in the action. I still haven’t decided what kind of tasty tailgate vittles to bring to my first trip to Qualcomm. 

There apparently will “public outreach teams” roaming the parking lot and “alcohol management teams” in the stadium looking for wrong-doers so I’ll have to be on the lookout for them. 

Barron Hilton will be the honorary captain for the coin toss to celebrate the Chargers 50th season. Hilton was the Chargers founding owner, operating the team from 1960-65. 

But this is some classy business; when the Raiders visit San Diego on Nov. 1, alcohol sales will be limited to one drink per order and for the first half only. Normally it’s two drinks per order through the 3rd-Quarter. 

Thank goodness there is no prejudice against Ravens fans. Two beers please. 

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AFC West Preview: Making Headlines for All the Wrong Reasons

Before training camp, during training camp, and through the preseason to now, the teams of the AFC West led the NFL in negative headlines.

With Merriman’s Tequila-related arrest, a broken jaw in Raider Land, and a Broncos wideout currently throwing a fit worthy of a six-year-old, I think it’s safe to say that no other NFL division even approaches the level of dysfunction achieved by the AFC West.

While some of the sideshow was expected given the total overhaul of the rest of the division, this is not a good thing for the Chargers. Outside of Antonio Cromartie’s tweet decrying the culinary offerings at training camp, it had been a quiet, productive preseason. 

Now this. Another Chargers player arrested this offseason—a list that also includes Jamal Williams and Vincent Jackson. So much for rising above the sheer buffoonery that has kept the spotlight on the division for the wrong reasons. 

Now that the regular season is upon us, it will be interesting to see which of the myriad of events makes the biggest difference. Here’s a look at what each AFC West team did on and off the field this preseason and what it might mean as the season is poised to open this Thursday night. 

 

San Diego Chargers—Fast start can quiet distractions

The dog and pony show that is Merriman’s citizens arrest by everyone’s favorite bisexual reality show tramp, Tila Tequila, takes the cake. Through the preseason injury free and focused, the Chargers really didn’t need this.

It’s safe to say crimetime31’s Aug. 4 tweet is long forgotten now. 

But as it stands, the San Diego community is really rallying around Merriman. In a case of “he-said-she-said” such as this, the battle of public perception is key. So far, the story has been framed as Merriman trying to keep a drunken publicity strumpet from driving drunk. I don’t think he’s got much to worry about.

What’s more important to the Chargers is getting off to a good start to the season, something that hasn’t happened in Norv Turner’s tenure. If that happens, all will be forgotten. If not, there are going to be a lot of uncomfortable questions during the Week 5 bye. 

After the final, and second blacked out, preseason game it was time for the Bolts to issues pink slips to get to the 53-man roster. The final cut had a few surprises, which included guard Kynan Forney and defensive lineman Ian Scott.

The departure of Forney and Scott makes the offensive and defensive lines dependent on some younger players, Vaughn Martin and Ogemdi Nwagbuo on defense and Louis Vasquez and Brandyn Dombrowski on offense, which is a gamble if you ask me. 

The lack of depth at corner is made up for by keeping versatile safeties like Steve Gregory and Paul Oliver. However, the situation at strong safety isn’t solved. Clinton Hart and Kevin Ellison both had their moments but neither stepped up and took hold of the starting spot.

If defensive coordinator Ron Rivera wants to open up the defense he’s going to have to trust his strong safety to keep big plays from happening. Right now, I don’t know that he can.

The trade for defensive lineman Travis Jackson will help with the loss of Ryon Bingham and Jacques Cesaire’s lingering injury issues. How the defense handles the run will be directly tied to how well the defensive line comes together.

In the preseason, the only thing close to as good as the Bolts’ passing game was the run defense at 91 yards per game. Beyond that, there were few areas where the Chargers excelled.

The pass rush was woeful. Four sacks in four games? Not nearly good enough. The offensive line gave up 12 sacks, which is basically half as many sacks as Rivers took last season in 16 games. 

The lack of turnovers was disturbing as well. Hopefully, it was a result of Rivera going with a vanilla game plan. You don’t go very far with a turnover ratio of 0. 

It’s all about the opening quarter of the season for San Diego. Three AFC playoff teams and a trip to Heinz Field will determine a great deal regarding postseason seeding. After that it’s onto the rest of the AFC West foes and smoother sailing. 

 

Oakland Raiders—The NFL is going to miss Al Davis’ antics someday 

When Raiders assistant coach Randy Hanson went to the hospital on Aug. 5, another chapter was added to the ever more bizarre history of the Oakland Raiders. Al Davis hasn’t seen a lot of good headlines recently so it wasn’t too big of a surprise

The Jeff Garcia cut leaves the entire fate of the offense in Jamarcus Russell’s hand. I thought the Raiders would have had a fighting chance with the veteran Garcia leading them. I figured he’d get a shot once Russell inevitably imploded.

Nope, Russell can’t take the competition, so Garcia is gone. Should have seen it coming given we’re talking about the Raiders. 

Despite the disarray, this is a talented collection of players. The trading of 2011’s first-round pick for aging Patriots defender Richard Seymour adds to that talent, but he hasn’t exactly beat a trail out to Oaktown. Who knows when he will.  

Really, who’s leading this mob? New Orleans’ decimation of them, 45-7, this preseason encapsulated what a mess this is. 

The Raiders host the Chargers in the second half of Monday Night Football’s opening night, literally the last game of a long weekend. There will be significant pressure, given all the hype and headlines, for San Diego to do well. All the Silver and Black have to do is not look like a Pop Warner team. 

 

Denver Broncos—New look, same results 

Now, we all know the Jay Cutler, forced trade to the Chicago Bears began the offseason headlines. And when Cutler came back to Denver it was a different atmosphere than most preseason games. Too bad Kyle Orton may now have issues with the shredding the index finger on his throwing hand took. 

Before that, Orton seemed to be getting settled into his caretaker role: hand it off, nothing downfield, and don’t turn it over. 

Then there’s Brandon Marshall acting like a clown and getting suspended by his own team to facilitate a trade out of town. I guess that means a lot more balls for Eddie Royal. 

With Josh McDaniels dressing like Bill Belichick and putting the same slogans on walls, it’s clear he will not relent in putting his stamp on this team. If the Broncos defense can manage not to be terrible, a repeat of last season’s 8-8 record is a possibility. 

 

Kansas City Chiefs—Injuries and upheaval 

When your $63 million quarterback goes down and the offensive coordinator is abruptly fired, people smell a story. In this case, the story is that the Chiefs are a bad team. But better than the 2-14 team of last season? The remains to be seen. 

New head coach Todd Haley has had a rough go of it so far. On top of the knee injury to Matt Cassell and Chan Gailey getting the boot, the offensive line is a mess and the defense hasn’t made any noticeable improvement. 

Saying the Chiefs are a work in progress is more than an understatement. You have to feel for Larry Johnson.

Opening in Baltimore will not be kind, and no matter who’s at quarterback, they’re going to be running for their life. The rest of the schedule doesn’t get much easier, making for a long year.

And this goes for the entire AFC West. Having to play the AFC North and the AFC East is going to put a hurt on the entire division. Only the Chargers have a chance at beating anywhere near the majority of those teams. Even then, it won’t be easy given the travel and elements involved. 

 

Odd bits and more

I finally found the time to watch The History of the San Diego Chargers. It’s a must for any diehard Chargers fan. The archival footage is great. It’s premiering tonight in Mission Valley.

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San Diego Roster News and Notes: Chargers Release Just One

Tuesday was the day all NFL teams had to get their active roster to 75 players making for a busy day around the NFL. Not so much in San Diego.

As the season approaches, with just over a week until the opener, teams must now make some difficult decisions about players’ futures. As the Chargers are stacked most everywhere there were precious few open spots so undrafted free agent linebacker Anthony Felder was the lone soul let go.

Gotta be lonely to be the only guy on the team to be cut. At least the three other undrafted free agents cut on Monday got to do so as a group.

 

The other roster moves made by the Bolts Tuesday were basic housekeeping. Rookie corner Brandon Hughes was placed in Injured Reserve after he suffered a “significant” knee injury Sunday, making the depth at corner a little iffy. Shame to have made an example of Cletis Gordon now eh?

Another rookie, wide receiver Demetrius Byrd on the Physically Unable to Perform list ending his season, which was expected as he continues to recover from a car accident.

This good news for a number of bubble players vying for active roster spots. Have to get to opening day 53 man roster by 3pm this Saturday. This leaves 22 cuts to made after Friday night’s (blacked out) visit from the San Francisco 49ers.

A bunch of the cuts will be mere formalities, such as the back-up punter or spare center, but a number of the decisions will be quite difficult. This will be particularly evident at the running back position.

After LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles it gets a little interesting. Tailbacks Michael Bennett has proven he still has something left, rookie Gartrell Johnson has shown good burst while fullbacks Jacob Hester and Mike Tolbert round out the group.

I know that jettisoning a third-round pick after only a couple years isn’t popular but that’s what might have to happen in Hester’s case. Not fast enough to be a tailback and not big enough to be an effective lead blocker, Hester might be on the outside looking in.

Tolbert is in no way as well-rounded a football player as Hester, but does he need to be? This offense doesn’t need a fullback to do anything more than blow up ‘backers in the hole and catch the odd check-down pass.

 

General Manager A.J. Smith may have done it again. With Jacque Cesaire temporarily sidelined with a calf, Ryon Bingham gone torn triceps, and the youngsters not being quite ready Smith made a trade Monday that could be a boon for the defensive line.

Travis Johnson, a 1st round pick by the Houston Texans in 2005, is a big boy at 6’3″, 311 lbs. He may have intensity and lingering injury issues but so what, he started 14 games last season and is experienced in a 3-4 front.

It’s worth a sixth round pick (fourth round, if incentives are met), especially with Darren McFadden, The Ravens, Ronnie Brown and The Steelers in the opening quarter of the season.

Blacked out again? I know it’ll be a joke to watch but this is a sign of bigger things. A sign of the times to be sure. I guess I got spoiled in D.C. with the Redskins and Ravens, who don’t have this problem.

It’s been since 2004 since the Chargers were blacked out in the regular season and it sure looks like it’s a trend that will continue. I’ve got my Week 2 tickets and the Week 4 showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers is on the road warranting live coverage. Now, how to watch the Dolphins game Week 3?

A supposed 7,000 tickets, or 10 percent of Qualcomm’s capacity, remain to be sold. At least the 10:30 p.m. replay is on the same night unless you live over 75 miles away in either Las Vegas, Santa Barbara, Bakersfield, the Imperial Valley, Hawai’i or Yuma, Ariz. where the game is being shown live.

It’s interesting that the only other NFL teams facing regular season blackouts at this point are the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders. The three teams with horrifically outdated stadiums not selling out, go figure.

Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers’ Passing Game Sharp in Loss to Atlanta Falcons

It was deja-vu all over again, as they say. The San Diego Chargers found themselves in a similar position: defending a fourth-and-goal up by more than a field goal in the closing seconds of the game. 

So when the Falcons scored the game winning touchdown on a five yard pass with nine seconds to play, you couldn’t help but think about how Week One ended last season.

Losing in the final seconds to the Carolina Panthers on opening day got the Chargers’ season off to a heartbreaking start. Just the kind of start they’re hoping to avoid this year. 

The 27-24, loss to the Falcons Saturday night underscored how crucial every play is, even if it’s just the preseason. The second half collapse overshadowed an otherwise stellar performance that saw the Chargers take a 21-13, lead into the half.  

The offense was without Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson but didn’t miss a beat while the defense held it’s own despite not creating any turnovers or getting any, and I mean any, pressure on Atlanta passers. 

Having to be relatively pleased, Coach Turner pull most of the starters by halftime giving some other players a gook look. And with no injuries of note, the game has to be seen as a success. 

Having Dan Fouts in the booth for first of five nationally televised Chargers games was a nice touch. He had some sweet Chargers trivia  questions that Gumbel, whichever one it was, had no clue on. 

Here’s how I saw the Chargers grading out by position tonight: 

Quarterbacks: A

Another ridiculous performance showcasing the riches the Bolts have at the position. In the first half the Chargers were seven-for-eight on third down conversions and I’m not talking third and short situations. 

These were third and 13, third and 24, third and 17 conversions on the same drive. Too many get out of jail free cards if you ask me. There are only so many times you can pull the rabbit out of the hat. Let’s just hope they don’t think it’s always going to be this easy.

That said, There aren’t a lot of down and distances this offense can’t convert, they’re that good. Rivers and Billy Volek both averaged over 11 yards per attempt, a huge number, in another example of the down the field mentality. The two QBs also spread the ball around, connecting with nine different receivers in the first half. 

Receivers: A

Was there a catch they didn’t make? Vincent Jackson’s 32-yard, one-handed, pirouette-catch down the left sideline was masterful. He’s going to have a big year. 

Malcom Floyd had a very strong game catching everything thrown his way. Got slammed, but that’s going to happen the way he plays. 

Buster Davis also made some nice catches in what is looking like the deepest receiving corps the Chargers have had in years. 

Running Backs: B+

A very productive night for this group, who combined for 118 yards rushing on 30 carries, a touchdown and no fumbles. It was also screen pass madness out there with backs catching 11 balls for 149 yards and a touchdown.

Have the Falcons ever seen a screen pass? It didn’t look like it. 

Darren Sproles makes people miss like few others running it or catching it. I do worry about him getting overworked, but there’s no doubt he’s the best change of pace back in the NFL. 

Michael Bennett is underrated big time. Still has the speed too, taking a screen pass 48 yards to the house. It was clear in last season’s playoffs that Bennett was valuable, but I don’t think a whole lot of people saw him being this good.

Rookie Gartrell Johnson ran hard, hitting the hole with conviction. He took some shots and delivered some as well. Caught the ball well and broke off a 48 yard run late. If Johnson looks this good next week it could be interesting at the back-up running back position.

And it may be Jacob Hester who is the odd man out. He looked slow and tentative running the ball against Atlanta’s second team. He wasn’t exactly blowing people up at fullback either. 

Offensive Line: C+

After the sack-fest debacle last the line’s pass protection improved greatly. The only sack which came off a corner blitz which the Chargers had trouble with throughout the night.

Anyone think the Ravens, Dolphins, or Steelers might call a corner blitz? This unit better be ready for it all once the season starts. They are going to see some crazy defenses coming at them from all angles. 

The holes opened in the running game were gaping compared to first two games. Backs were able to get to second level of the defense due to good point of attack blocks.

Third-round pick Luis Vasquez, who struggled mightily last week, looked much improved. Had a nice block on Sproles’ TD run and really got out in front of the screen plays well. If Kynan Forney’s neck sprain doesn’t improve he may be losing the starting right guard spot. 

Alas there were just too many penalties called on everyone along the line. Of the eight penalties for 70 yards, almost all were on linemen. While it seldom made a difference, due to the offense’s ability to rip off big play after big play, it was plain sloppy.

Defensive Line: C

Ok, they get a mulligan. Luis Castillo was the only regular to start the game with Ryon Bingham, Jacques Cesaire, Vaughn Martin, and Jamal Williams not playing. Young players like Andre Coleman and Ngembi Owagbuo filled in respectably but were not a force in the run or pass game. 

Linebackers: B-

No pass rush from Shawne Merriman or Shaun Phillips. None. This is becoming a trend that could be a problem. No pressure, no mistakes, and thus, no turnovers. This defense is at its best when the linebackers are forcing offenses into things it doesn’t want to do. That’s not happening.

San Diego may have to get a lot more creative with blitzes and stunts or be prepared to win some shootouts. Matt Ryan, with the threat of Michael Turner toyed with the defense at times. And when the blitz was on, it was disguised poorly and picked up easily. 

The timing will come, hopefully, and when it does this unit has a chance to be something special.

First-round pick Larry English finally saw his first action and looked fast, nearly getting to the quarterback a couple times. English was the only Charger able to repeatedly bring pressure. He rushed from two and three point stances showing off his versatility. I’m looking forward to seeing more. 

Kevin Burnett had six tackles and exhibited more splendid physical play. It’s over for the starting spot. Tim Dobbins will be a very good back up that will make some plays but Burnett is on another level.

Secondary: B-

The battle at strong safety continues. Clinton Hart got the start and played adequately. Steve Gregory is back from a stomach virus and made a nice tackle on Michael Turner but dropped a sure interception on a night when the Chargers forced no turnovers. Not good.

USC rookie safety Kevin Ellison didn’t stand out as much as last game and looked a little lost in the second half when the Falcons were throwing at will. 

Quentin Jammer is looking as good as I’ve seen him. None of the big pass interference calls that have plagued him. Now if he can just hold onto those interceptions.

Antonio Cromartie didn’t have much to do but didn’t make any mistakes. Antoine Cason tackled pretty well and I was impressed with rookie Brandon Hughes’ physicality.

Special Teams: B

With Cletis Gordon being released last week for badly missing a special teams tackle the message was sent loud and clear: This is no joke here people.

It worked, the Bolts coverage teams were focused and didn’t give up a return longer than 27 yards.

He’ll do in a pinch I suppose, but Buster Davis is not much of a return man. 

The mercurial Nate Kaeding had a miss from 49 and a make from 37. I’m not sure how confident I’d be in his kicking with the game on the line. 

Charly Martin, mania? Sorry folks, he muffed his only chance at a kick return. Maybe next time. 

Odd Bits and More

The Falcons covered the spread of 2.5 in the nick of time. Is preseason NFL gambling as rampant as during the regular season?

The Chargers’ 50th Anniversary season DVD: History of the San Diego Chargers isn’t supposed to be premier until Sept. 9. but I’ve already got it so look for a review this week.

Does anyone know if next weekend’s final preseason game at Qualcomm is going to be blacked out? If so, it’s going to have a lot of people worried about Week Two when the Ravens come to San Diego. It’s going to be must see.

It’s currently 3:40 in the morning and no delivery places, that I know of, open in San Diego. Where’s all the late night eats in this town?

People Are Talking: Chargers-Seahawks Preseason Opener Coverage

There were a lot of storylines for the Chargers’ opening preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks this past Saturday: Shawne Merriman’s return from knee surgery, LaDainian Tomlinson’s first preseason action in years and if that wasn’t enough the game was blacked out. 

All this hullabaloo, which is all it is for the most part, got the Chargers some coverage nationally and gave the local media lots to talk about.

I wasn’t able to watch the blackout replay late Saturday night because I was camping in the San Bernadino Mts. at the South Fork campground on Hwy 38. Really great place to camp and fish. Cold at night too.

So I had to read all about it to find out what actually happened in the 20-14 loss. From what I could tell, looking over the box score and reading the recaps, is that the Chargers know they must get off to a fast start and be ready for some serious early season tests.

One also gets the sense that this is a more confident team with nothing to prove in the preseason. The ho-hum first-team offense is a good example. Keep it close to the vest, get your reps, stay healthy and shut it down. 

They may be the only members of last seasons AFC final four not to win their preseason opener but I don’t think it’s weighing on their minds much. This Chargers team plans on being ready when it matters. 

Here’s a look at what some of the Chargers coverage around the nation: 

Peter King of SI.com attended the game and had some kind words for the Chargers in his much loved Monday Morning Quarterback column. His rant about the service at San Diego’s downtown Westin is priceless.

“Gut feeling: I believe in the defense, which is totally sold on coordinator Ron Rivera’s schemes and the teaching of the Rivera staff. If Philip Rivers gets protected well, and the Tomlinson/Darren Sproles/Jacob Hester (the big back that hurts you when he hits you) combo platter stays mostly healthy, no team will come within four games of the Chargers in the AFC West.” 

Kevin Acee’s write-up in the Union Tribune was even more optimistic. That’s to be expected from the local guy, but he’s still a bit wary of getting carried away.

“At this point, with most starters out shortly after the second quarter began, there is one thing paramount for the Chargers: A team that stumbled out to a .500 record in 2008, with many of it’s key players injured from the start of the season and then throughout, is healthy this August. Still.”

ESPN had Bill Williamson blog about the game and he took notice of two players who should be big parts of the Chargers this year:

“Injury prone 2007 top pick, receiver Buster Davis, had a nice game. He had three catches for 64 yards. Davis in very talented. If he can stay healthy, he will give San Diego a big boost.

Free-agent pickup Kevin Burnett showed he may be a spark plug. The inside linebacker had a team high six tackles.”

Bernie Wilson of the Associated Press wrote about LT’s return and how the back feels the work is good for him to get in rhythm early on. 

“Tomlinson, the NFL’s MVP in 2006, hurt his right big toe in last year’s opener. He injured his groin in the regular-season finale, was limited in a wild-card playoff win against Indianapolis and didn’t play in a divisional-round loss to eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh. It was the first time he missed a game due to injury.”

*Other notes: It looks like the depth at defensive end will now be tested with Ryon Bingham going down this week with torn triceps. Good thing Jacques Cesaire is back at practice. Vaughn Martin will now be getting even more snaps at end. 

*Chargers fans will be able to watch their team live this Saturday night when the Bolts visit the Arizona Cardinals. I expect a little more out of the first team offense this time out. Rookies Larry English and Louis Vasquez are expected to get their first game action as well. 

*Looks like Kevin Burnett is doing some good things. Reports are that with Stephen Cooper back at practice Burnett is getting reps at Cooper’s “Mo” inside linebacker spot. It’s got to be for familiarity purposes for packages Burnett is in and Cooper isn’t, but it’s nice to see the new guy coming along so nicely.

Chargers Run Out of Hot Dogs, But Team Leaves Plenty To Feast on at Practice

I hadn’t been to Qualcomm Stadium since moving to San Diego, so when I saw the Chargers were having their last open practice Wednesday night I had to go and check out the Bolts for myself. Turns out over 10,000 other Charger fans had the same idea.

Free parking, admission and open field level seating were nice aspects but let’s be clear: the $1 Charger Dogs were the star this evening. Limit six per transaction, which many people were taking them up on. This made for a difficult situation at the condiment stand but goodwill won out.   

 

The news of the day, Shaun Phillips‘ assault case being dismissed and confirmation of the blackout of the pre-season game against Seattle this Saturday, didn’t seem to resonate much amongst the Charger faithful I encountered. 

The Seahawks game will be replayed Saturday night and Phillips did receive a nice cheer when he came out of the locker room a few minutes late so all appears to be well in Chargerland.

 

After checking out where I will be sitting Week 2 against the Ravens, I ambled down to the first few rows on the 40 yard-line for a seat. Practice got underway around 7 p.m. as I dug into my first dog with Kid Rock’s Sweet Home Alabama playing over the loud speaker. Nice night for some football. 

The regular exercises of shagging punts and general milling around gave way to some special teams work. Antonio Cromartie was catching kickoffs one-handed and dancing to the jams enough to botch one catch. Smiles all around.

From there it was on to positional group work-outs. I was near the linebackers so I watched Shawne Merriman, Phillips and Co. go through their drills as fans called out “Lights, Lights!” and “Where are your pads, English?”

Second-year player, and former San Diego State Aztec, Antwan Applewhite had his name called a number of times throughout the practice. First-round draft choice Larry English (hamstring) attended but didn’t practice while Stephen Cooper (ankle) was out. 

The pace was relaxed would be an understatement. Malcom Floyd looked fast because, I think, everyone else was making sure not to hurt someone. Players were more concerned with not making mistakes instead of trying to go too fast. 

Then an air-horn would sound and all the players would head to a different station for their next drills.

The linebacker on running back blocking drill drew the most oohs and ahhs as they’d crash into each other, clearly audible from the other end of the stadium. I would not want to be the rookie back who has to take on any of these linebackers.

With the positional drills finished by 7:45, it was time for some 7-on-7 drills which consisted of a mix of running and short passing plays. LaDainian Tomlinson showed good burst and the offensive line was commanding. Veteran Michael Bennett and rookie Gartrell Johnson also got a few carries.

After only a few reps the starters were done, with a 12 yard completion from Philip Rivers to Antonio Gates over the middle being the highlight. They also ran a screen to LT out of a two tight-end set that shifted Gates outside. Looked good. Billy Volek and Charlie Whitehurst took over the offense from there.

With the second and third strings in, I got a chance to get a good look at defensive rookies Vaughn Martin and Kevin Ellison.

Martin, at defensive end, showed both why he’s a force and that he’s got a ways to go on consecutive plays. The first he stood up L.J. Shelton with sheer power and made the play on rookie back Johnson at the line. On the next play, he misread where it was going and was flat on his stomach as the play went away from him. 

Strong safety Ellison, on the last play of the drill, had a clear interception but had it wrestled away by undrafted rookie free-agent Rodgeriqus Smith. Ellison should have had the pick and knew it. Not the way he wanted to end that drill. 

Air horn. Field goal practice anyone? Hooray, it’s like intermission. So I got more hot dogs. Nate Kaeding was 5-of-5 from 38 and 42 yards. Clockwork, baby.

What? More special teams practice? Hell yeah! The first team kickoff coverage unit got burned before redeeming themselves while the starting return team looked good right off the bat. Craig Davis, Cletis Gordon and Cromartie all took turns as the return man. Darren Sproles, who was busy becoming a father, wasn’t in attendance. 

At this point, mass booing begins in the stands behind me. Everyone’s looking around, players included, to see what the ruckus was. It’s a guy in a Denver Broncos jersey getting lambasted with boos. But the Broncos are terrible so it soon blows over…until someone is spotted walking around in a Tom Brady jersey. Uh oh.

This guy got it bad. I mean brutal. People were throwing things at him on top of the relentless booing. It also couldn’t have helped that his buddy, in Chargers garb, was pushing him around. Finally a security guard told him to take off the Brady jersey which he did promptly. At that, a triumphant cheer came out of the crowd.

Air horn. It was time for the 11-on-11 drill. Finally, a big play or two, right? Not exactly.

The first teamers didn’t do much more than some off-tackle runs and swing passes before being relived. Floyd went up for one ball over the middle but it was too high for even him. 

\With Louis Vasquez (foot) still out, Kynan Forney worked at right guard with the starting offense. Rookie fourth-round draft choice Tyronne Green played some at guard. The former Auburn Tiger was initially thought to be brought in to backup the center position, but one can never have enough versatility on the O-line. 

The lack of offensive fireworks was also due in part to a good looking first string defense. Ryon Bingham started in place of a still injured Jacques Cesaire (calf) at right end while Ian Scott took Jamal Williams‘ (rest) spot at nose guard.

Tim Dobbins and Kevin Burnett started at inside linebacker with Philips and Merriman outside. Ferocious once again.

The strong safety spot saw a rotation of Clinton Hart, Steve Gregory and Ellison. But with so few passes down the field there was little to see out of that group.

Same for a deep group of talented corners. The trio of Quentin Jammer, Antoine Cason and Cromartie are going to have themselves some fun this year. 

Another air horn, more special teams practice with not exactly first string players. Enough, it was time to get one more hot dog and head back to the beach for the night.

What? No more hot dogs? One concession stand was empty. A ten minute wait at another. A third had a ridiculous line. I guess three was going to have to be enough.

Having enough hot dogs was about the only thing that the Chargers didn’t seem to be prepared for tonight. And that bodes well for the future. 

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