BOLT ANALYSIS - WEEK 14

Now that was a good win.

The Chargers continue their crazy late-season form…extending an 8-0 streak this season and an unbelievable 16-0 December streak with an impressive and convincing win against Dallas. Looking at the stats, this game was close…pretty much even in terms of yards, first downs, time of possession, and overall plays. What impressed me however, was how COMFORTABLE the Chargers looked. This is a team that is just playing very confidently right now…on both sides of the ball. I am not going to get overly gushy….but watching moronic Jerry Jones flip his pen in disgust at the end of the game just punctuated what the Chargers have and Dallas does not…..confidence and belief. As Charger fans, we are used to holding our breath at the end and hoping for some good luck. No longer.

Let’s review. The ANALYSIS has been a bit repetitive as of late. I acknowledge this and know that you all rely on razor sharp observation and witty commentary. I have consistently provided this, but the formula for these Charger wins remains remarkably consistent…so there is not a lot of variability in recent Analyses. On offense…an accurate, mistake-free passing game filled with big first down throws and downfield chunks of yardage. A running game that is doing just enough…keeping defenses honest and the clock moving. An offensive line that has become wonderful at pass blocking yet still needs a lot of work in run blocking. On defense…a secondary that has improved exponentially and a rotation on the defensive line and linebacker corps that keeps guys fresh and firing deep into the 4^th quarter. This defense is not going to scare anyone….and I mean anyone….but they keep their team in it, they never stop, and they play their best late in the game when it counts. That is a formula that can work.

The offense never had a three and out in this game. They moved the ball every time they had it. These long drives and clock killing exploits are awesome. I don’t know what Norv has been putting in his cereal but these game plans have totally changed. This is a fun, varied offense that really keeps people guessing. Everyone on this team can catch the ball..and when you see big catches by Kris Wilson, Tolbert, Naanee, and Floyd…you know the big guys like V Jackson and Gates are probably going to catch a few too. Just awesome to watch. As we have said each of the last 5 or 6 weeks…Rivers is totally in command. One bad throw in this game…his first INT in 5 games. He knew it…everyone knew it, and he came back and fired away afterward…not letting it bother him. Now that is a quarterback.

LT…while once again bottled up and ineffectual most of the game…got going late and had some awesome 4^th quarter runs. I still worry about us going deep into the playoffs without a real running game, but we are doing enough..and LT is running hard again, which is great to see. I cannot praise our makeshift O-line enough. Dallas has a great rush and we completely held it in check. Just one coverage sack all day long despite playing with two rookies on the right side of the line and a back up Center? Amazing.

The Defense. Well, that goal line stand was epic. They used to bring Brandon Siler in only on short yardage situations. You wonder why? Siler and the rest of the defense (props also to Tim Dobbins) just buried Dallas on 4 straight rushes. Awesome. And this was after Dallas had run through them for 15 plays on a massive drive. That…plus the missed field goal put the doubt back in Romo and company’s heads…and they went to halftime with lots of missed opportunities staring them in the face. All game, the defense was strong. Look, lets be real, they gave up LONG drives and lots of yards….but no big plays. That is the recipe people. That is how this Charger team will need to beat good teams. Keep the play in front of you, make tackles, and don’t give up touchdowns. The ANALYSIS identified this recipe early and it is obvious that this is the game plan. When I look at some of these plays and see jerseys with names like Siler, Oliver, Gregory, Scott, and Ellison making plays…you have to be pumped as a fan. These are guys that were supposed to have a small role (or no role at all) this year, and they are playing huge. With Merriman at half speed and no Weddle or Jamal…again, I’m repeating myself…but this is impressive.

So..10-3. Coming home to face Cincy in what could very well be the battle for the number 2 seed and a first round bye in the playoffs. If they beat Cincy, I just don’t see them dropping out of that ranking. Amazing. For all of us who thought that it would be a struggle just to make a wildcard after the successive beat downs by Pitt and Denver….I guess the motto is never give up on these guys. They keep getting better. Confidence and belief…this team keeps taking each game as it comes, staying focused and doing what they need to do. The headlines all talk about how Dallas is self-destructing…Dallas lost it…Dallas having a bad December. The ticker on ESPN even said “Rivers bails out Chargers as Bolts slip past Dallas”. Huh?…we trailed once in the game and that was 3-0. Fine with me though, other teams don’t want to play us. Let’s just keep earning respect.