BOLT ANALYSIS - WEEK 16

One punt.. That's it. After that punt on the first series, the only time the Charger offense gave the ball back to the Titans was on a kneel down at the end of the game. Merry Christmas ANALYSIS followers....this team was just an absolute machine yesterday. The offense was just crazy...every player got the ball and they all did something with it. You know the names...the entire offense got involved, and it was wonderful to watch. First round bye secured....a nice couple of weeks to fine tune lies ahead. From 2-3 to 12-3 with the next game academic. 


Briefly, I must acknowledge several components of the offense. I could go on and on about Jackson, Rivers, Gates, Sproles, Tolbert, etc. but that is too obvious. I would like to talk about two things today: balance..and the line. The different looks and play calls we saw yesterday were fantastic. The runs set up the passes and the passes set up the runs. Sometimes, it all works, and this was one of those days. Even after penalties (calling back a 52 yd touchdown comes to mind) they just came back and hit first downs with no sweat. Third down conversions effortlessly. Balance baby. It is a great thing to have. The other thing that must be mentioned is the return to the lineup of Nick Hardwick. After week 1 against the Raiders he was carted off. They never put him on Injured Reserve because they thought this was possible. For him to return to Center after all these weeks off after a serious injury, and for the line to not miss a beat, is amazing, They switched guys around late in the game...same result. Great blocking. What has happened with this line....rookies...guys out of position...guys stepping up,,,is just sweet. 


On defense, we really did not need to bend but not break. Each time they moved the ball a little bit, we either stopped them or Vince Young gave us the ball on a turnover. Killing momentum. Chris Johnson is a great Back. So smooth and fast... but he cannot beat you if he is down by 4 touchdowns..and I am not aftraid of Vince Young. The guys looked well coached, in position, and in control. Even on some of those long runs, they really had it covered...it was just the intense speed of Johnson that got him clear. This team is just playing with huge confidence. And when the offense holds the ball like that (uh..40 minutes to 20 minutes) it just don't matter folks. 


So, now what do we do? There is always that fine line between resting guys, keeping sharp, keeping momentum, not going soft, etc, etc. There are always those who will say..."well, it would be nice to get a loss into these guys to make sure they are focused and know their limits". Although I  understand this, you cannot dial up losses or wind these guys up like a toy. If they are playing at a high level, you just hope you can reset, refocus, and bring it again. I am not afraid of the bye week...nor am I afraid of the meaningless game against Washington next week. I think this team is as focused and confident as it has ever been. They have faced teams desperate for a win in their own house: Dallas and Tennessee. And they have faced emotional teams going for broke: Cincy. They beat them all. I said after the Browns win, "If these guys can turn it on and off depending on who they are playing I am a very happy fan". Well, I think we are there folks. There is no need to worry about the bye, or fret about who we are playing. There will be time for that later. Now, lets get these guys as healthy as possible, realize we are playing at least one home playoff game, be happy we will only have a max of 2 playoff games before a chance at the big one. This is no different than what was said in the ANALYSIS early on when they had just beat the Chiefs to go to 3-3. You only line up against one team at a time. Just beat that team. 


A great season thus far and a great Holiday treat. Have a Happy New Year, secure in the knowledge that there will be games in January and maybe, just maybe, BEYOND.