BOLT ANALYSIS -WEEK 12

Well, they lifted the blackout in San Diego at the 11^th hour and actually put the game on TV. A good thing for the fans..not so sure for the network. A couple of plays after halftime, this game was 35-7 and it was pretty much not worth watching from that point on. Back in Week 7..a struggling Charger team played the Chiefs in their house and crushed them 37-7. Here is what I said after that event: You can only line up against one team at a time. And we lined up against the perfect tonic for our ills..the Chiefs.

I must echo that here in Week 12. As we discussed back then…we need to stop worrying about playing our “best” or playing “good” teams. We just need to line up and beat the team in front of us. I see a focus on our team that we have not had recently…and I think they would have played even better had the Chiefs not self-destructed like a poorly made pipe bomb. This game was tied at one point…with the Chiefs driving easily with the ball. If Jamaal Charles does not fumble at the end of a long carry (nice play Jammer) who knows how that changes the tenor of the game? This time, we jumped on it…and kept jumping on it…turning 4 Chiefs turnovers into 28 points. The Chiefs did everything wrong…interceptions, fumbles, a safety, a snap over the head, a pass off a helmet, bad penalties, and bad throws. Despite our best attempts to make Chambers look like Jerry Rice and make Jamaal Charles look like vintage LT…we just kept taking advantage and making plays. It is tough to keep up focus when you are that far ahead…but we managed…even while putting in many of our backups. Let’s start with the good stuff:

It is beginning to sound a bit stale…but Phillip Rivers is completely in control of this offense. He was crazy accurate again…21 for 28…317 yards…2 touchdowns…0 interceptions. A couple of long bombs to Jackson broken up by nice plays, or he would have had 400 yards and another TD. He is just awesome right now…and the line is giving him time. He was hurried once yesterday that I remember…right in the beginning of the game. Other than that..our line is making it work. Hats off to new guy Dombrowski, subbing for Jeromy Clary. A false start penalty or two…but a great debut by a rookie from San Diego State who never expected to even play this year. We have had a lot of guys like this come through for us.

And…of course, there is Gates. When he plays the Chiefs…he is just in his own stratosphere. So wide open most of the day you just wondered what the heck was going on? Two great TD catches. And, if the game was not so out of hand, who knows what kind of numbers he and Phillip would have put up. You could almost see the frustration in Phillip’s face toward the end “Just let me throw the damn ball!” But, being up 43-14 is a good problem to have. Finally, the Defense, despite liberal subbing in and out and makeshift formations, they were very good. Jammer seemed everywhere….Larry English was energetic…Phillips blew up some plays. Brandon Siler continues to emerge as a very solid middle linebacker. The most impressive part was that 3 MORE DEFENSIVE STARTERS got hurt and left the game…and we still never looked in danger. This team is getting more and more confident…and backup guys are getting more and more exposure. That will only help later.

And now for the bad: Well, it’s not really THAT bad…but it is troubling. Let’s see…Weddle sprains his ACL, Burnett has a concussion, and Merriman’s tendinitis in his foot is “too painful to continue”. Nice that it was a blowout….or these would have been massive injuries. Every team has injuries…especially this time of the season…but don’t you think ours are getting a little ridiculous? We just keep losing guys. For my money, Weddle is playing the best football of his short career so him missing a few games is rough. Merriman, after coming on pretty well a few games ago, has been reduced to a decoy and largely ineffectual player again. Expect all of these guys to sit against Cleveland for many obvious reasons. Finally, it is not really THAT bad…but LT’s fumble and overall rushing inadequacy is troubling. He so clearly is mentally checked out when he leaves the field these days; he was not ready for that play and fumbled into the end zone. This is a guy who fumbled once in TWO YEARS while he was carrying the ball more than anyone else in the League. Clearly, this liberal subbing him in and out for a play here and a play there looks to be our immediate rushing future. He wants it…but I don’t like it…he seems to never get any momentum going. Again, tough to tell given the nature of this game….but still awkward.

OK…perhaps the best thing is our next opponent. Cleveland is probably the worst team in the League at 1-10. They have nearly no weapons and this will be a cold-weather game..so look for a Classic “Norv Management” game. The two games after this are at Dallas and home against the Bengals. Good teams. Look for Norv to sit all these injured guys and hope the Bolts can win on the road against the hapless Browns with a conservative, back-up laden lineup. We are saving up for the stretch drive, people. If Norv’s master plan comes true, we will be the healthiest we have been when the playoffs hit. Hmmm…..that might get interesting. Just keep focused on the team in front of you.

BONUS COVERAGE: Don’t forget to watch the battle for Oregon and the Rose Bowl this Thursday night. Go Ducks!

BOLT ANALYSIS -WEEK 11

A blowout…a beatdown….a laugher. These words have rarely applied to this Charger team this year, especially in a game against a “good” team. The Chargers went into a game hyped up because of its division-control implications…and absolutely demolished their rivals 32-3. This is just another example of why sports, and the NFL in particular, remain the only “must see TV” on TV. The turnarounds and plot lines are just fantastic.

Lets rewind for a moment to the WEEK 6-BOLT ANALYSIS. This was after the Broncos beat us up on National TV at home. Here is what I said at the time:

First, we must give credit where it is due. The turnaround in Denver has been remarkable. We hung nearly 100 points on this team last year in two games. They lost their QB, their coach of many years, and a number of other players. Despite this turnover, and the fact they were picked by everyone to stink up the joint...at 6-0 now they are exactly what you want your team to be...tough, relentless, physical, and opportunistic. They don't ask their guys to do too much. They just do it hard and fast and well. I admire them for it.

What a difference a few weeks makes. You cannot draw this stuff up. Denver had a bye after that game…and has not won since. Four straight losses…some of them by big margins, with a team that does not in any way embody any of the adjectives I used. Yesterday, I am sure all ANALYSIS followers stood up at some point and yelled at the TV: “They are who we thought they were!”. A fraud.

Let’s start with the coaching; pulling Simms out after 4 passing attempts was horrible. True, they were trailing 13-0, but that sends the message to the team that you cannot win without a hobbling and uncomfortable Orton. Even if that is true (and if it is based on Simms’ deer-in-the-headlights approach it is) it smacks of panic. The play of the game however, was right after Orton came in…he completes three great passes to the 4 yard line, the Bolts treating him like the second coming of Joe Montana. Then, the fumble by Moreno into the end zone. The already whisper-quiet Denver fans just got popped like a balloon—a score there would have reversed that. No energy and very little emotion the rest of the way. Add to that bad luck play the following: numerous penalties, a terrible decision to kick an on-side kick, a terrible decision to go for it on 4^th and 5, and a total of 3 turnovers…and you have a disaster on your hands. But…the most telling thing to me: the Broncos gave up. On both sides of the ball they looked completely defeated. Even in our worst moments, I can safely say the Chargers have never given up like that. It was pathetic. If that was my team…it would have been tirade time. Awful.

Let’s talk about our team. Offensively, Norv was thrilled. Calling 43 rushes for 203 yards! Wow. You could just see that Phillip wanted to throw the ball, and with a coach like Evil Bill, we probably would have hung 45 points on them. But, Norval is a game manager of course, and he was happy tacking on field goals, dominating the clock to the tune of 38 minutes to 22, and letting Hester and Tolbert mop up with big run after big run. LT, probably spurred on by thoughts of baby LaNorval, ran hard. Did not have a ton of openings, but it is great to see him pumped and trying so hard. It is winning folks…it does that to you.

Defensively, the same red flags exist. I think I am done thinking that we are going to have that all out improvement. We are who we think we are. The bottom line is that we gave up 3 points…why would the ANALYSIS be critical? Well, because we still employ the bend-don’t-break style and it is frustrating at times. Our vanilla 4-rush defense cannot get pressure. But…it must be said that it is working. Our coverage is excellent downfield…Jammer and Cromartie are taking guys out, and slot guy Steve Gregory has been a revelation since switching from safety. I still live in fear of what Manning or Brady would do to this defense, but if it means wins now…who knows or cares? Our offense can score…if this defensive style can turn long drives into field goals, we can win games. Period.

So…a 5 game winning streak! Who would have thought? We now have a home game against the Chiefs next week and then to the 1-9 Cleveland Browns the following week. We have a chance to really do some good here. If Norval (and the hope promised by baby LaNorval) can keep us focused, this could be a pretty impressive streak. Roll on, boyz.

BONUS COVERAGE: The great state of Oregon is where it is at in college football. Oregon vs. Oregon State for the Rose Bowl. Awesome. The Oregon game in Arizona (44-41 in 2OT for those who missed it) was epic. The Ducks never say die…they are a very tough team to put away. Oregon State is playing the most consistent and best football in the conference. This is going to be a very fun game. Tune in 12-3 for the Civil War.

BOLT ANALYSIS -WEEK 10

Last week I personally thanked Tom Coughlin for calling such conservative plays in the Charger win over the Giants. I thought about doing the same this morning for Andy Reid. Conservative play calls in the first half that led to three chip shot field goals instead of any touchdowns. That sounds like another team I know! However, in full consideration of the Charger win yesterday, to thank Reid would be to take away from a real victory…and the most balanced offensive performance we have had this year. And that is not fair. How many times have you heard clichés in football like: “They are the best 5-11 team in the game”, “They are the most suspect 8-0 team I have ever seen”, “Even at 4-8, this team is one of the best teams around”. Forget that stuff…you either win or you lose. And the Chargers are finding ways to win that are exciting, if scary at times.

Let’s start with the good stuff…and there was a lot of that. Props first to LT, who has his best game of the year by light years. Looking fast and dangerous…how pretty was that 20 yard TD run….he turned those tired one yard plunges into the line into nice 5 yard bursts. This game showed you that having a running game is crucial. The balance it provides, the time it takes off the clock, and the rhythm it gives the offensive line. Two scores and almost 100 yards for LT. Welcome back and keep it going.

And Rivers. I have been gushing about this guy for a couple of years now. He was incredibly efficient yesterday, 20-25 for 230+ yards and 2 scores with no picks. Just about perfect. Even with V Jackson having an invisible day (1 catch for 10 yards) he found new targets…Naanee, Tolbert, Floyd….and, of course, the incredible Antonio Gates who had just a massive game with third down conversions and big catches throughout. The line held up against a surprisingly vanilla Philly defense and every time we had the ball we looked good.

Which brings up an important point. The play calling. I don’t know what lit a fire into the Charger play callers but this was the most interesting, varied game plan we have had this year. We did not dial up the deep throws because we did not need them. Outside runs, different blocking schemes, using slot receivers, wildcat direct snaps. This was fun. Hats off to Norv for mixing it up. And….perhaps most importantly…hats off on that final drive. The Chargers got the ball back with 7:00 + minutes left and zero momentum and rolled for all but 30 seconds of that time. Just awesome. Letting Rivers throw…not being too conservative…picking up huge 3^rd downs. That drive was just brilliant. Leaving McNabb with no time outs and a long field that reduced the danger considerably. That is a drive that gives you confidence. You need to keep the ball in that situation and our guys iced the game.

Which brings me to the red flags. Same old stuff guys….no pass rush. 55 passing attempts! McNabb was standing back there so long on most of his passes he started growing roots. Merriman was completely invisible as was our disappointing first round draft pick Larry English. Where has this guy been all year? Answer: getting blocked 10 yards upfield and never smelling the quarterback. After a good first half, Phillips was gassed and was just going through the motions. Our inside guys did no better. Now…to be fair, Philly abandoned the run early and used 4 and 5 receiver sets all day long. This forces us to go with a 4 man front at a maximum. Clearly, our 4 man front is outmanned. We got nothin’..even with no hint of a running game from Philly. (Interesting side note: this was the second straight week the opponents’ #1 rusher has gone out with injury, Jacobs for the Giants and Westbrook with the Eagles. That is a nice break). The only time we put any pressure on was when we sent a safety or linebacker to blitz. Even 90% of those got picked up. This is a problem. I cannot fault Ron Rivera too much for playing the “bend but don’t break”, especially with a good lead…but the second half was way too close for my liking. 450 yards passing! Come on, guys…any chance to send a blitzer? I keep hoping for a big improvement in pass rush…but this was a step back.

In summary however, and back to the original point, a win is a win. This was a nice one against a good team. Our second such win in as many weeks. A 6-3 record. And, how does this sound: FIRST PLACE CHARGERS?. Well, not quite yet as we are tied with Denver (nice losing streak by the way). Going into Denver next week gives us no breather. Win, and we control things. This is what you play for. Just win, baby.

BONUS COVERAGE: In a move that will have the sports talkies getting all excited all week long, Evil Bill B of New England goes for it on 4^th and 2 from his own 28 against the Colts. Wow. Massive stones? No confidence in Defense? Dumb? Whatever the result, I just loved the look on his face when that play did not work. Loved it. Sorry Paul, but that was pretty choice.

BoLT ANALYSIS - WEEK 9

I’d like to personally thank Tom Coughlin. Finally, we found a coach that is as much of a “game manager” and is as conservative as our own sad, beleaguered Norv. Punting once on 4^th and 1 in our territory, kicking two field goals late following conservative play calling when they could have stuck the knife in finished it. This game was so similar to many Charger games over the last couple of years where we just could not finish…I found myself almost feeling sorry for the Giants. Look at the time of possession…38 minutes to 22! Jughead Manning completed almost every pass he threw. They ran through us early…and passed through us for many first down conversions. A drive of 10+ minutes that included conversions of 3^rd and 6, 3^rd and 10, 3^rd and 18, and 3rd and 5 as well as two drives of more than 7 minutes. That is a lot of time for our Defense to be on the field. But…a funny thing happened. They could not score. The “bend but don’t break” defense did just that. A missed field goal and over 100 yards in penalties did the rest along with incredibly conservative play calling. Giving Phillip a chance with 2+ minutes late was just inexcusable.

Lets be real, we should have lost. Two bad interceptions by Phillip in the 4^th quarter should have done us in. Instead of first and goal at the 4 yard line…that huge holding penalty saved our butts to push them out to the 14. Instead of using Eli…who had not missed all game, Coughlin ran the ball and relied on his defense. Bad move. The only time the Chargers make any sense offensively is when Norv has no options. The two minute drill at the end of the game is the best this team can be because nobody can match up with Jackson, Gates, Floyd, Sproles, etc. Too many weapons. Look at the rest of the day’s play calling…MORBID. Norv (or whomever is responsible) cannot adapt. The run blocking and LT are terrible right now. Anyone would be with these up the middle calls. Every time Sproles is in…it is a screen pass…every time LT is in it is up the middle. It sure seems like every defensive coordinator of other teams must watch tape and say “It cannot be this easy, can it?” All the Chargers have right now is a rocket-armed Quarterback who seems impervious to pressure and the big receivers who cannot be covered. Jackson is scary good. Just scary. Despite the one horrible stretch where Gates dropped two cream puff passes and Floyd another one….that last drive was just a thing of beauty. Why? Because Norv was taken out of the equation. You cannot outthink yourself when you have no options.

On the defensive side…to be fair, the Chargers are playing with as much as they have right now. With both of their inside linebackers out (Burnett and Dobbins) and obviously without Jamal…we did as well against the run as we could have. Pass rush was again below average. We did have some big sacks…make no mistake. But Manning was 25-33! He was standing around most of the day…our downfield coverage was great considering he had so long to wait for someone to get open. I do see some signs of life in our pass rush…maybe one of these days we will play a complete game. But the bottom line is that we did not give up big plays and that gave us a chance.

So…here we are at the halfway point of the season. Somehow we are 5-3. I think we are starting to see who we are. A team that will try to keep games close. A team that simply does not have the horses physically on the lines to dominate games. A team with good enough pass blocking to allow the big guys to make plays, a team that will struggle to run the ball all year. A team that still needs to show it can match up with an elite team. But, perhaps most importantly, I think at the midway point we can say that we have a team that is never out of a game.

BONUS COVERAGE: I truly hope that all you sports fans out there saw the Breeders’ Cup Classic. There are moments in sports that are truly so glorious that they really defy description. The performance by Zenyatta, to end her career an undefeated 14-14 against an amazing field of male horses was one of those moments. Being in the grandstand, hearing the adoration from the roaring crowd, watching her pre-race antics, and then seeing the incredible stretch run, was a very special moment for a beautiful but struggling sport.

BOLT ANALYSIS - WEEK 8

It was a game only a Norv could love. Despite winning their second in a row…and 13^th in a row against the hapless Raiders…the ANALYSIS is puzzled by this latest game. If someone handed me the box score after the game, here is what I would see:

• Only 180 yards given up by our defense? Awesome!
• 5 sacks, including two by Merriman. Wow!
• V Jackson…over 100 yards receiving. Great!
• 100 yards rushing and LT with 2 rushing touchdowns. Finally!

So, why I am left feeling a little less than impressed? The ANALYSIS must remind itself of recent postings (FOOTNOTE: See “ANALYSIS WEEK 3 “Managing the Game”, and see WEEK 7 “Take one game at a time”).

OK, now that we have reviewed the issues, let’s focus on the positives. A win equals positive feelings in the locker room, a winning record and a Denver loss means the AFC is not completely lost, a second straight solid defensive performance has to lead to enhanced confidence. The Chargers appear right now to be a bit like Viagra. Kind of embarrassing to take..but, you have to admit it works (at least that is what I’ve heard).

Starting the game with an interception by a vastly improved Cromartie, a bomb to Floyd, and a Wildcat TD with LT was just awesome. I thought..maybe Norv is taking off the gloves. Two additional wonderful TD drives (with Red Zone touchdowns) made it seem that this would be a laugher. But, as per usual, the Chargers played down to the competition. An interception by Rivers, a fumble by Sproles on a punt, an allowed punt return of 60 yards. The Bolts allowed the Raiders 4 scores on a total of 106 yards of drives. Can’t do that guys. There is no way the Raiders should have had the ball at the end of the game down only one score. Unacceptable. Norv kept calling those running plays…eating the clock….and grinding it down. I must say that the 15 play, 8 minute 4^th quarter drive was an absolute work of art. Perfect. First and goal at the 3 though…and only a field goal? We just cannot do that. A false start, a missed pass, etc. etc. That game should have been iced.

The same two bugaboos surfaced again. First bugaboo, a patchwork Offensive line that is getting manhandled. We still keep going up the middle despite the fact that our O line starts every play getting pushed back 3 yards into the backfield. Once you take away the middle of the field from us (and the unbelievably good Vincent Jackson), the plays shorten, the options narrow, and our O line weakness is exposed. The second bugaboo, is that despite 5 sacks, Jamarcus Russell was standing around on most of passing plays waiting for someone to come open. Three or 4 of those sacks were coverage sacks when he started to move out of the pocket and got caught. It is just the fact that the Raiders are so darn bad that they did not cash in on some of those plays.

Bottom line..a win. And some good things. We know what we need to work on. We now head into a crucial stretch, ya’ll. Away to the NY Giants and Jughead Manning, Home to Philly, and Away to Denver. A season defining stretch perhaps. We have 4 wins and three of are against suspect folks: Raiders(2), Chiefs. The one that was decent was against Miami, who still has a losing record. The Giants have 5 wins and 4 of those don’t really count: Raiders, Chiefs, Tampa, Washington. Their only decent win was against Dallas. So, who is the real team? The Giants have lost 3 in a row. Can we make it 4? Let’s start defining this team. The window of opportunity is there.

BONUS COVERAGE: How ‘bout my OREGON DUCKS putting the beatdown on USC. Just awesome. 35 first downs! What? A 5’9”, 160 pound freshman running for almost 200 yards on SC? Cool. Go Ducks!