BOLT ANALYSIS: Week 16: IT ENDS WITH A WHIMPER

I thought this was going to be a tough post to write. I really did. I figured I was going to be lamenting how all of a sudden the Chiefs look like World Beaters..and despite the Chargers big finish, they were not gonna catch them. Well, the Bolts made it easy on us. Think of how you Charger fans have felt at the end of each of the past four seasons. Think of how those playoff losses have smarted. Each one cruel and unusual in its own way. Now, think of this year. Ousted from the Playoffs by one of the worst teams in the League in stunning and horrific fashion. This one is much easier to stomach folks….and this column in much easier to write…because this team is not worthy of making you feel bad.  

There is nothing specific to blame. No specific turnover. No specific special teams play. No specific dropped pass. We did all of these things with equal terrible-ness. We let a 3-11 club absolutely manhandle us in a game that mattered. The Bengals were without their starting receivers…not to worry, they had a guy named Caldwell and another guy named Simpson back there. The laughable front 7 of the Bengals completely took apart our line. Again, this game mattered. Despite the Chiefs blowout of the Titans, a win by the Chargers kept us at least with an ounce of hope for the last weekend. And that is what this team came up with? Well, there is not much more you need to know. This team is not fit to be called “good”. There are serious problems from top to bottom. Again, that is why this post is not difficult .We are bad. Our stint as a so called “elite” team has ended. Now, we are “rebuilding” like everyone else who has not made the playoffs. You need look no further than, with 6 minutes left, trailing only by 7 points, with a third and long, we were milling around waiting for a play and the Bengals stepped to the line, snapped the ball, and tossed a 50 yard TD to one of their no names. If there was ever a play and a reaction that summed up this sad season, that was it. We get a stop there and we have a real chance to win. Instead, we were not even ready for a play. Watching Norv mouth the words “what happened?” to nobody in particular and watching Ron Rivera look at his playcard in stunned silence after that play was perfect. Did Ron think he could will that play away by not looking at the field? Pathetic. Anyone considering hiring Rivera as a head coach should watch that tape. Then again, please take him.

In years past, the ANALYSIS would be laboring over what fine tuning needed to be made. Maybe upgrade this position or that…maybe Draft for this type of player or that. At this point in time, after a beatdown loss to the Bengals, the ANALYSIS can simply say that this team is just in shambles. Take your pick:  Is it AJ’s stances on VJ and McNeil that did it, was it the injury to Gates, was it the lack of receivers, the lack of a consistent running game, inability to stop anyone on 3^rd down, horrible special teams. No, I don’t think it was any of those things. They all have a hand in losses, but the number one reason for this team’s fall is the overall culture. It starts with the Spanos family, goes through AJ, and ends with Norv and his staff. There are far less talented teams in the playoffs. But they play hard, without the mental lapses. Yes Charger fans. I blame the culture. San Diego teams are cursed, we all know that. Look at the Padres..giving up Adrian Gonzalez for a bunch of crap. Same thing. There is not a commitment to winning. I feel the same about the Chargers. No accountability, no heart, no spirit. It starts from the Spanos’ and comes on down. Don’t expect that a 9-7 or even an 8-8 finish will lead to any change. AJ will say the same stuff, Norv will have the same bewildered look, Rivera will still stare at the field like he has never seen grass before. It is a sad state folks.

Has our “window closed”? I don’t really buy into that. I mean, look at how teams like the Steelers and Patriots reinvent themselves and come back as good as before. We can rebound, but there needs to be change. We do not have leadership both on the field and off, we do not have toughness on the field. There is no accountability. Without change at the top, I don’t think it is going to happen. We will continue to be a mediocre team..maybe sometimes a little better than that. But the goal we all seek is farther away today than it has been at any point in the past 5 years. That is really a shame.

Perhaps the most difficult thing is that I have no idea what we have on this team anymore. Rivers is a big positive, as is Gates, maybe the Tolbert/Mathews thing works out. Beyond that though, can any of you honestly say there is a single position on this team that is sacred and untouchable? I don’t think so. Perhaps the addition of just a few key players will make a difference, but it seems bigger than that to me.

So, our AFC West dominance comes to an end. The best streak in the history of the San Diego Chargers (as I documented at great length last year) is over. What do we have to show for it? Some good memories, some great games, and a lot of unfulfilled potential. Lets start over folks. From the top.

Can this post end with anything positive you ask? Just this…the ANALYSIS will not stop. It will soldier on, win or lose, it will continue. And that means that Charger football will go on. There is always another day…another game…another season

BOLT ANALYSIS: WEEK 15 SUPPLEMENT -- NO APPENDIX, NO PROBLEM PART 2

The season took yet another distressing turn yesterday. The hoped-for fade of the Chiefs did not materialize. The desired slide of the Jets did not occur. And the potential mis-step of the Ravens was righted. All the teams we needed to blink…did not. That is what good teams do. They win games. They pull them out even when they are not expected to or even when they are not playing well. The Chiefs came in off of a 31-0 defeat where they had less than 75 total yards. Their QB was 11 days removed from surgery on his appendix. Yet, they played hard and controlled the Rams from beginning to end….in St. Louis. This does not bode well. A Rams win all but cemented them as a playoff team…yet, they lost. That is what bad teams do.




The Jets and the Ravens were the teams we could potentially catch for a wildcard, but the Jets righted the ship and played a massive game against the Steelers and the Ravens outlasted the Saints. Both teams will not lose out….that is pretty much assured. Even if they do, we would most likely lose the tiebreaker due to the “strength of schedule” tiebreaker it would come down to. So, cannot consider a Jets or a Ravens collapse real at all.



What are we left with?…..Just that the Chiefs lose. That is about it. They have two at home against teams that are almost certainly not going to be playoff eligible. They are 6-0 at home. They are balanced and playing well with their starting QB back. It does not look good. Even if the Chargers win out…which they should….they are facing long odds that the Chiefs will lose one of these. But….that is why they play the games….



The ANALYSIS will stop the lamenting and hand-wringing now. Hope springs eternal. Teams can lose at any time. I must say if the Chiefs finish 11-5 and go 8-0 at home….they deserve it. Absolutely. We need to take care of our own games, and just hope. Go Tennessee! Pride is always the most important thing to play for, isn’t it?

BOLT ANALYSIS: WEEK 15 -- THE STAGE IS SET

Well, hope this special Friday edition of the ANALYSIS finds you well. The Bolts in the Powder Blues certainly made for a fun Thursday night game. Both teams playing last night needed to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. It was like Mad Max in Thunderdome...two men enter...one man leaves.  Well, the Chargers left, with their second demolition in a row of an inferior team. This post could really be a carbon copy of the last one. Offense balanced and effective...defense ferocious and tough....and the game out of hand by halftime.

First, the offense. The long throw to VJ on the first drive set the tone. We wanted it more and VJ just overpowered that guy. Man, it is good to have that guy back. More on him later. Philip was awesome...he got protection all night...and despite the absence of Gates and Floyd and the terribly ineffective Legedu, he hit nearly all his throws. The running game was bottled up most of the night..but enough good runs by Mathews, Tolbert, and Sproles to keep it real. Great clutch catches by Randy McMichael and Kelley Washington as well as Sproles. Just a good ol' fashioned butt kicking.

Defensively...again...pretty awesome. Obviously the game turned on the weird series of events with the penalty on the FG...the TD that wasn't...and then the huge play by Siler on 4th and 6 inches. Just awesome. This guy is money on those tight plays. What a deflating situation for the 49ers...who had actually been winning the field position battle at that point. But, that was it. We crushed their heart on that play. 3 points on the board..then 7 points...then nothing. Wow. After that, the D just pinned back their ears and came flying at the QB. The 49ers could do nothing until garbage time at the end. Once again the D kept an opponent to under 200 yards! That is amazing. Garay is becoming big time...what a find. Even Castillo was noticeable. They got production from all over the place. Rock solid.

Must mention that we did have some luck. Which all good teams do and this team has not had much of this year. A TD on a Special Teams runback called back via a penalty. A couple of other plays called back. Challenges overturned. Brutal for SF. If I must come up with a criticism of the Chargers, it is the strange problems we always have with clock management. Two delay of game penalties...two timeouts used in bad situations. What the hell is up with this? We always have problems that I don't see other teams having with this. Other than that, a nearly perfect game.

On to VJ. Well, anyone who watched last night knows that this guy is elite. Huge matchup edge with anyone in the League. What a shame that his arrogance and off-field mistakes put him in doubt. And what a shame that AJ is so stony about everything. Who knows? Is the relationship reparable? Doubt it. But this guy could be the best in the League. What you don't see in the boxscore is how he blocks, how he takes two guys out with him every time he runs a route, how he changes the defense and opens up the middle of the field for other players. The guy is a menace, enjoy him while it lasts.

What is next? The stage is set. We are not in control of our fate. We need KC to drop one and we need to win the last two. We would also need the Jets to lose at least 2 and then win a tiebreaker (not likely). As the ANALYSIS reported a month ago...we must look to the West. We need KC to lose baby. Go Rams. I always loved the Rams. It is maddening to think that this team....outscoring its foes 65-7 the last two games, cannot control anything. However, it is our own fault and we just need to keep playing hard. Read a report today that Gates may be out until the playoffs if they make it. Wow. That is rough. But with games scheduled with the Bengals and Broncos..we have no excuses.  None. Gotta get some help now....just a little help.

BOLT ANALYSIS: WEEK 14 - NO APPENDIX NO PROBLEM

Mid-week…the news broke that hot KC quarterback Matt Cassell had undergone surgery to remove his appendix. Nothing could have been better news for Defensive Coach Ron Rivera. Even though oddsmakers had made the Bolts 7 point favorites with Cassell, he had 19 TDs to 4 interceptions and had been managing an efficient KC team to several big wins in a row. Having Brodie Croyle as the target (0-9 as a starter) simplified Rivera’s job big time. The Bolts defense came out firing and played their best game..in….well….ever. Now, I don’t attribute all of that to Croyle. I think it is quite possible that Tom Brady could have been back there and not much would have gone right for the Chiefs.


Yesterday’s beatdown and shutout was just as maddening as it was enjoyable. How a team gets manhandled one week and then demolishes a better team the following week makes us fans pull our hair out. Every phase of the Charger game plan worked perfectly yesterday. We covered on Special Teams, We held the ball for 40 minutes! We gave up 5 first downs….we allowed ZERO third down conversions….we got 4 sacks…..we defended a ton of passes….it was a pretty thing to watch. And the Chiefs, backup QB or not,  this is not a complete team yet. They are winning games because they try hard, have some good role players, and are very efficient with the football. When you take away their efficiency, it gets ugly. And that is why it is maddening….because we can be this good. Hell, even if we were half this good we would have beat up the Raiders last week. We are back to psychology….why does this team hit the kill switch in some games? We only play like this when our backs are truly up against the wall. And, with 3 games left…they will be for the rest of the season.

Injury news yesterday was a mixed bag…sit Antonio Gates and Legedu….start VJ and Ryan Mathews and Floyd. Gates has been our catalyst….but how nice was it to see #83 out there. Petulant bastard or not…the guy can play. Even though he only had a couple of catches…they were all for first downs and they came on big plays. He even had a bomb taken away from him on a bogus chop block penalty. It sure is good to see him out there with all the injuries. And Floyd played big too….a couple of great TD grabs and some big plays. He is not 100% but he tries hard. The star of the show however was the running game….it did not seem to matter who carried the ball. Floyd, Mathews, and Sproles were all solid and excellent after contact. Pushing the pile forward and getting extra yards. Man, if we can run the ball like that consistently…we will be tough. The running game just sets up Philip so well…he is deadly when the defense cannot tee-off on the pass. And, despite two terrible turnovers by Philip…the fumble was inexcusable…..he had another great game.

Special teams was rock solid. One runback went to the 40 maybe but, if you remember, this team torched us in the season opener on Special Teams. Siler is a monster out there, Gregory just about killed some guy, and a couple others made great plays.

But, the story of the day was of course, the defense. We went through the stats above. I would say the most dominant Charger defense I have ever seen in a game. A total team effort….and the secondary and safeties were never out of position. Just one of those games that makes you realize what focus and intensity can mean. A dumbed-down game plan by the Chiefs helped hugely….but you cannot take away the team play.

All over the field, you could see the difference from last week’s horrible performance. Guys finishing blocks….pummeling guys…high fives….running downhill. Loved Tolbert beating guys up…and how about the nice TD run by Mathews after being hit twice? That run hopefully will get this kid’s confidence going. He sure looks good when he is running strong. All this good play must lead you back to the inevitable question….why the hell does it take a desperate situation for these guys to play like this? Why can they not get up for a game that is not mathematically a must win? We may never know. Coaching? Collective team apathy? I don’t know. Get one of those miserable mistake-filled games back early in the year and we control everything in the AFC West. But…reality is reality…we cannot blink again and we need help.

Looking ahead, we play on Thursday night. So, a short week against a team also desperate to win their below average division. The 49ers killed Seattle yesterday…riding 5 turnovers to victory. Sound familiar? We need to keep the intensity up. But look at our schedule….5-8 San Fran, then 2-11 Cincy, then 3-10 Denver. There are no excuses to not win out. Can you believe that we will be favored in 15 of 16 games this year…many of those by double digits? Yet we are 7-6. Talk about tearing your hair out. But, the ANALYSIS must keep it real. We need help. We need the St. Louis Rams to beat the Chiefs next Sunday…or for the Titans to do it the week after…or for the Raiders to do it in the finale. The Raiders already helped us…dropping their 7th game of the season to the Jags…one week after tearing our heart out. We have received help before…and we need it again. We cannot remove the appendix of every QB we face….but we should be able to be motivated to win. Simply win Boyz…your back is against the wall…that is what you do in this situation.

BOLT ANALYSIS: WEEK 13 - THE BEGINNING OF THE END

I begin this week with a quote, taken from the final comment in last week’s blog of course: “So, we now enter the part of the schedule we have been looking forward to. Three at home. A chance to keep a run going. A chance to take control. It is all in your heads boyz. Stay hungry.”


Those who witnessed yesterday’s debacle see very clearly what happened. All of the optimism that our 4 game winning streak had brought…Gone. The mythical 18-0 December streak? Gone. The domination over the AFC West, and particularly the Raiders, Gone. Our Boyz did the exact thing they could not do….they did not stay hungry and they were not prepared. There was only one team on the field that came to play…and it was not us. The Powder Blue Unis did not help….the first of three home games did not help….it was plain and simple. The Raiders came into our house, in what was essentially a playoff game, and beat the crap out of us.

Now, followers, we spoke last week of psychology. Of how difficult it is to get a team playing on the same page. Yesterday was yet another perfect example of the painful lack of focus that our team has. We had a chance to take control. A win against conference-foe Oakland would have turned all the tiebreakers in our favor. With that, a win next week against the Chiefs would have put is completely in control of the AFC West. Now, although there is still hope, we need help. And it may be very difficult to get it. With the horrible start we had, there was no margin for error. And we blinked and gave it up.

The game began with exactly what we have avoided during our win streak. Two turnovers. A miserable fumble by Sproles after a nice three and out by our D. Touchdown #1. A miserable pass by Philip…for my money the worst pass he has thrown this year…and Touchdown #2. Spotting any team a 14-0 lead is tough. We have done it enough to know. And let me pause for a moment and just stay that Darren Sproles may be the biggest bust of the year in the NFL if you factor in the dollar amounts. He has been beyond bad. Philip was off…his worst game of the year. The offensive line was horrendous. Every man got beat by his opponent. This is a line that has been excellent the past few games. Dielman, Clary, Hardwick, Green, they all got dismantled yesterday. Especially Dielman. For our “best lineman”, he was on roller skates all game long. Pushed back. Philip sacked 4 times, hurried more than 10, knocked down 8 or 9. Brutal. Most of this was because we had zero running game. Tolbert could not get out of the backfield…our receivers could not get open….and we had no time. Don’t let the 4th quarter “comeback” fool you. We had a ton of chances in this game with decent field position. Could not score or move the ball. Raider penalties were all that saved us on several drives.

The defense. Well, just flat outplayed. They had 251 YARDS RUSHING. That is a beatdown folks. A Beatdown. We were blocked out on every play. Oliver, Weddle, and our secondary was knocked back 5 yards every time they tried to make a tackle. That is when they even made contact. These guys are not physical enough. Period. We were beat up. Our D line got pushed around. Perhaps most embarrassing…we got tricked badly on two fakes. One for a TD…and one for a 40 yard pass that ended the game. We were so completely lost on those two plays I felt embarrassed for the guys. Looked like a high school team out there.

But…maybe the most discouraging thing at all. There was no fire. No urgency. And we were seriously, seriously out-coached. The trickery is one thing. But we had two 12 men on the field penalties in a row…and still could not stop them. Their defense stoned us all day long. We could not adjust. We were 13 point favorites and we never figured it out. Now, there is absolute truth to our injury problems. Gates is maybe 50%, Floyd is not right, Legedu looked awful and left with another injury, VJ still nursing his “calf injury”, Sproles got a concussion, Mathews never left the bench. Tolbert has a bad hand. And on and on. These are legit. But what is not legit is that we just blew an opportunity to move forward and take control. We were not ready. We were not prepared for the snap. The Raiders punched us in the face and we just covered up…not prepared to fight back. Norv and Ron Rivera had no game plan…no adjustments…and no answers.

So, where are we now? Well, we still have a chance. Beat KC next week and then hope both KC and Oakland lose one more while we sweep our last three. Is it doable? Of course. Is it likely…well, probably not at this point. But, we will not count the Boyz out until the Math says we need to. Regardless of what it says however, do we deserve to be in the playoffs? No we do not. We have squandered too many games to deserve anything. But, that is not the litmus test for getting in. It is Math. And Math springs eternal.

EDITORS NOTE: GO DUCKS! National Championship Game! Quite an amazing story. For a team that never scares the top 25 in recruiting, a major testament to playing with motivation, playing as a team, and having a game plan. Hmmm…..sounds good to me. Ducks have 4+ weeks to prepare to stop SEC Superfreak and cheater Cam Newton. Should be a fun game.

BOLT ANALYSIS: WEEK 12 --MESSAGE SENT

Psychology and sports: A fascinating topic that the ANALYSIS gets into from time to time. Perhaps the most interesting part of the game of football to me: how do you overcome the doubts in your head and your own limitations and be the best you can be? That is a question that each individual athlete must ask themselves…but it a question that is so much more difficult when you are looking at a team. That is the purpose of coaching…some would say…how a coach can graft personalities into a winning formula. Certainly, the Bolts are a team that has struggled with team psychology. As the ANALYSIS reported after the loss that dropped them to 2-5…the only team that can outplay the Chargers is the Chargers. Last night’s wonderful primtetime beatdown was a perfect indicator of sports psychology. We are in Manning’s head…we believe it and he believes it. It was there for all the nation to see. Last week, we spoke of making a statement in this game. Uh….message sent.



There was a vibe about this game that started after last Monday night’s victory. A positive air hung around Charger Park. Vincent Jackson would be back, Gates might be back, Floyd and Naanee might be back. More importantly, there was that air of confidence that only winning can bring. It felt like regardless of who suited up, this very well could be the statement game we were looking for. Beating the woeful Broncos at home is one thing…beating the Colts in their place (where they were 4-0) is another entirely. As is usual, it did not start well. The first drive was easy as can be for the Colts….effortlessly shredding us down field for an opening score. We held serve, by putting together a good drive that ended in a field goal. The second series was what would set the tone…a great play by Burnett…some pressure on Manning….a Pick Six the other way. And the seed was planted in Manning’s head again….the doubt…the history….psychology. The rest of the half was pretty much all Bolts….another pick, some good drives, but, unfortunately, no finish in the red zone. It is a good thing Kaeding has his injury sorted out…going 5-5 in this game was massive. Again, the psychology of ending drives with points is huge. Even if they are not touchdowns.


The offense was nicely balanced in this one. Running effectively with the wonderful Mike Tolbert…and getting short passes to click. It was apparent (and verified after the game) that the Colts were playing a deep cover game that was designed to take away the big plays and keep the ball underneath. It worked for awhile…we were 0-4 on third down at one point. But our tackles and running backs did a nice job of protecting Philip from the whirling dervish tandem of Freeney and Mathis, and we kept drives moving and kept Manning off the field. Very few penalties, no turnovers. That is massive. What a huge difference that makes. Is this really the same team that lost to the Seahawks and the Chiefs and the Raiders? Sure did not look like it. Great blocking all game long. The second half saw us get more comfortable and stretch the field. All-World Gates made a few great catches, and we got a few big plays from receivers and backs. With the exception of the bizarre play calling at the goal line (what the heck was up with us throwing on 3rd down from the one inch line?) it was a great effort. Once again, Tolbert carried the load….what a gamer this guy is. And Philip….well, how does 19 for 23 sound? He missed 4 passes all game…two were dropped by Legedu and the other two ironically came on end zone passes.


Now, we move to the defense. It makes me nuts when I look at the statistics that show we lead the League in Sacks and are #1 statistically in Defense…then I look at our record. Don’t look now, but our defense is putting together its best season in years. Last night was the best effort yet. Constant pressure…although just one sack…rattled Manning throughout. Four interceptions! Even though Weddle’s Pick Six was probably a penalty, Peyton still looked terrible. Now, I get it, he does not have most of his weapons. Unlike the Bolts, who have Tolbert, their running game was atrocious all night. Good coverage…the linebacking duo of Cooper and Burnett was beyond good….and great push up front. Just an awesome game from our defense. Cooper believes that he knows what Manning is going to do on any given play. Who is going to disagree with him now? Also, an eye-opening performance from third or fourth cornerback Dante Hughes…picked up last year for depth. Hard hits, great recovery speed…I am liking this kid.

Finally..followers rejoice…our Special Teams played their best game of the year by FAR. Great kick coverage….good runbacks…we won the field position battle all game long. A complete game again…two in a row. Turner gave the “game ball” to the entire kick coverage unit. Norv may not single anyone out…but I will…Tyrone Carter…yet another mid season pick up…is a beast out there.


So, the Chargers have arrived. That is what you will hear if you tune in to sports media this week. Lots of props. Lets hope the Boyz don’t listen. As big as this game was…and is…the Chargers must not lose focus. They play three straight at home. The first two are against the Raiders and Chiefs. Because of our bad start, and our losses to these two teams early…these are truly must-wins. We need to beef up our conference record..because, as previously reported, a wild card does not appear to be an option. We need to beat the Raiders and Chiefs to get ahead in the tiebreaker battles. The talking heads will begin to write the Chargers in to the AFC West title already. Don’t believe it. The Chiefs are for real…they are solid…and they have an easy schedule and the jump on us. That being said, the Chargers will be favored in all five of their remaining games. Gotta deliver boys. Gotta deliver.

Injuries…who knows. Have not seen anything dramatic yet. Who has regressed, who will be back. Gates? He makes us tick. Floyd and Legedu…we need you. Because….Vincent Jackson played all of two minutes before taking himself out with a “calf injury”. Hmmm…forgive the conspiracy theory but bear with me for a moment. Is there any way that VJ is pulling this as a protest based on AJ’s treatment of him? By all accounts, he was in great physical shape…was blowing up practices, and has fresh legs. We needed him last night. No pass was thrown his way, he was never shown making a block, yet he pulls himself out with an injury? I think anything is possible folks. Would this guy spite his teammates like this? I don’t know…but ego goes a long way and he has been handed his walking papers by AJ. I hope I am wrong. More importantly, however, I hope we have some targets back and healthy next week…especially Gates.


So, we now enter the part of the schedule we have been looking forward to. Three at home. A chance to keep a run going. A chance to take control. It is all in your heads boyz. Stay hungry.

BOLT ANALYSIS-WEEK 11: A MONDAY NIGHT LOVE AFFAIR

“Chargers play a Complete Game”. What? That is one of those rare headlines that we don’t see too often. Akin to “Rare New Mammal Found in Vietnam Rainforest” or “Sarah Palin Makes Sense”…you need to read it a few times before you get it. Last night’s primetime beatdown of Denver was something all of us needed…affirmation that this team can play a complete game and re-affirmation that we can be a good team.
In the days (and hours) leading up to the game, it became clear once again that injuries were going to be a big factor. Gates, Mathews, and Legedu all still inactive after two full weeks off. Wow. Then, come to find out Kris Wilson was hurt too and we pulled a new Tight End off the street (Kory Sperry) and a new wide receiver off the practice squad (Kelley Washington). All of this information led to one big conclusion….our defense needs to play well. The Broncos had just hung an easy 49 points on the Chiefs and came in as confident as a 3-6 team can be. The first drive had me slamming my head against the wall. Have you ever seen an easier drive? Every play good for big yards…no tackles…no spirit…no heart. Is this what two weeks off gets you? But, a funny thing happened after that drive. The Chargers D played their best game of the season. They pressured the QB, threw a ton of looks at the Broncos O line, forced penalties, picked off a pass, played great coverage football. For three quarters the Denver offense (keep in mind Orton is second only to Rivers in yards) was completely stifled. Shaun Phillips was a wrecking crew. Just all over the field. Cooper, Cason, and Burnett made memorable plays. Denver had no answers. The tandem of Antwan Barnes and Larry English at outside ‘backer made some inroads. They played great as a unit.
And then we get to the offense. The gushing and outpouring of love from the ESPN crew bordered on inappropriate. I think Gruden passed out the ecstasy tablets before the game. By the fourth quarter, the camera was just trained on Philip’s face and they just did not stop praising him. It was well-deserved, and it is funny how the public opinion is modeled. He has never been able to live down that yelling match he had in primetime with Jay Cutler a few years ago. Somehow he was labeled as the “brat” and the “punk” in that exchange. I think last night the corner was turned for Philip. Even though Charger fans have long known the guy was special…last night’s love affair solidified that he has finally made that fickle list of “Elite QBs”. They are talking MVP…they are talking “Great”. He has made the hallowed halls. If you are like me (and I think like Philip) you don’t care. The only thing that buys you lasting respect is winning games. Look at Mike Vick. He has been anointed as a reborn hero, just because he has won a few games. Winning removes even the mantle of shame from someone who has tortured and murdered dogs for fun. It is a funny sports society isn’t it?
Anyway, the offense was great too. Despite the injuries, they played as if they were fully stacked. Loved that the first pass was to Kory Sperry. Just like saying…does not matter who has the uniform on…we are better than you. Philip finishes with 4 TD passes to 4 different guys. Sproles has his best game of the season, Floyd looked rusty and slow but he made some good catches, the offensive line held up great all night, and the play selection was outstanding and varied. Massive props must go to Mike Tolbert. How valuable has this guy been? Amazing. With the spotty and injury and turnover filled season of Mathews, Tolbert has been a rock. Power, speed, punishing guys who try and tackle him. He was a joy to watch and is of huge value to the team. And Crayton? What the hell? Two splendid catch and runs including the big TD. How about the stiff arm punch on the first one? Beautiful. The only flaw is that he did not protect himself going into the end zone and hurt his wrist. I read he will be out at least 2 weeks. That is huge because he is looking more and more dangerous as he gets comfortable with the offense.
But to make it a complete game, you must have Special Teams and our Special Teams played a good game last night. Was it great?…well, we gave up one long runback and missed a field goal. But the Scifres to Tolbert fake punt was a thing of beauty. We made good hits on coverage and looked in control. Keep playing that way and we will be OK.
So, what is next? Another primetime showdown. Next Sunday night at Indianapolis we can make another statement. What we said last night was that we are going to be a factor in the AFC West and we are not dead yet. What we can say next week if we can get past the Colts is that we are going to be a factor in the AFC…period. That is a big difference. It is a short week and we will still be without some guys. Who knows on Gates and Mathews, Legedu has been out for 4 weeks with a “hamstring strain”? Floyd reinjured himself (not sure how bad),  Crayton is now out. McMichael and Wilson are both hobbling at Tight End. One good thing is that Vincent Jackson will be active. Remember him? Who knows how much he will be worked into the offense….but it will be good to have 83 back on the field.  Despite all the injuries and new uniform numbers, the Chargers have a confidence right now. Sure it is only a 3 game winning streak this team is 5-5 right now. But they are a game out of first place and are looking at 3 at home in a row after this one.
They will be facing one pissed off Manning next week after his late interception cost the Colts the game against the Patriots. This will be a tough one…but the Chargers will be playing with two things next week: 1) confidence, and 2) the knowledge that they can play a complete game.
That is a big deal.
Happy Thanksgiving.

BOLT ANALYSIS: WEEK 10-BYE WEEK SPECIAL EDITION, A LOOK TO THE WEST

Well followers, a welcome break from the rigors…or rigor mortis?....of the Chargers’ schedule. The BYE week came this year at a critical time. Critical for three reasons: 1) With so many injured players, it is a time of rest and recuperation, 2) a time to reflect on what has been thus far, and 3) a time to take a deep breath and look to the second half of the season.. I will keep it brief this week, we all need a break.



First, the injuries. It has been crazy. Once again, the Chargers have used more players than anyone else in the League to this point of the season. Already more than last year and we have played 9 games. The Texans game was on par only with Week 2 of last year when we had tons of starters in street clothes. Early reports are that everyone who has been out with an injury should be ready for next Monday night. The only exception is, of course, Vincent Jackson, who will be serving the final game of his silly “sentence” as handed down by AJ. But, with Gates, Floyd, Dielman, and Naanee back..the offense should be feeling pretty good about itself. On defense, having guys like English, Siler, and Gregory back should keep the D fresh at the very least. You never want to overreact to guys coming off of injury…they may be rusty…they may be less than 100%....but the bottom line is that it will help from a confidence perspective, and that is big for this team.


Second, reflection. Well, we do not need to relive each bitter and agonizing loss. The creativity with which the Boyz have lost is amazing. Let’s just say that the Chargers have not been significantly outplayed in a single game this season. In fact, I would say we have only played one game where we have been outplayed at all (St. Louis Rams game). I know, I know, you are rolling your eyes saying “Here we go again, ANALYSIS, here we go with the ‘best 4-5 team in Football’ nonsense”. And, you are right. There is no such thing….you either win or you don’t. Close does not count. Look at Zenyatta. That being said, I think the fact of the matter is that if our Special Teams just play mediocre. Not good, just average…we win the Chiefs game, the Raiders game, and the Seahawks game. If our players don’t purposefully put the ball on the ground and walk away—twice—again the Patriots, we win that game too. So, I know it does not matter now…but it just needs to be said.


We must also reflect on the incredible passing season Philip Rivers has had. MVP-style numbers using a bevy of receivers, many of which had never played with him before this year. Will it be wasted? Maybe. But at the very least you should see some crazy numbers by the end of the season from this guy. Win or lose, he will keep it fun.


Overachievers – we have had a few, though not too many. Mike Tolbert goes on this list, of course Gates does, and Rivers. I think Kevin Burnett must be mentioned here as well. Underachievers – well, we have had a bunch of those. Merriman (gone), Buster Davis (gone), Darren Sproles (a $7 million mistake), Larry English (hurt, yes, but nothing was going on before the injury), all of our Special Teamers, Kaeding. More pointedly, we have had a lot of “incompletes”. I think Ryan Mathews is one of these….Antoine Cason and Eric Weddle qualify here too. These are solid starters who have had flashes, but you just want a little more. Perhaps what we can conclude from all of this is that the Chargers have yet to play consistently at a high level. You sense it could come…but we have not seen it yet.


Finally, a look ahead. Last week and, now the BYE week, have been very useful to the Boyz. First the Raiders obliged…by beating the Chiefs in OT. Then, yesterday, the Broncos put a whippin’ on the Chiefs too. These two losses are huge. The Chiefs, despite their shortcomings, had gotten away from us. And they were looking at a very favorable schedule. These two losses bring them back to the pack. And now, with the BYE in the rear view mirror….the Chargers at 4-5 are only one game out of the AFC West leadership (Raiders and Chiefs at 5-4). Now, this does not mean anything yet. But, the script is clear. The Chargers have 4 of the next 5 at home. This includes Monday Night Football next week and a Sunday night game against the Colts the following week. This also includes home games against ALL THREE of the Division rivals. You could not ask for a better chance to claw back in. And, they will need it. Because we will not get a wildcard. You read it here first. There are four teams way ahead of us: the Jets, the Patriots, the Ravens, and the Steelers. It would be a surprise if those 4 teams do not make the playoffs. That being said, the road for us is in the West. Do our damage in the West, beat our conference foes, and we will have a chance to be there at the end. In this strange season in the NFL, who are the teams to beat?


The Patriots?—We held them to less than 200 yards and they lost to the Browns.


The Steelers?—Got destroyed last night by the Patriots.


The Jets?—Should have lost the last two (Lions! And Browns!)


The Ravens?—Beatdown by Atlanta.


No clue. All these teams are good…but great? I don’t think so. We can’t get ahead of ourselves..we have a losing record for Pete’s sake…but we have a chance. And that is all we can ask for. GO WEST, young men. Go West.

BOLT ANALYSIS: WEEK 9 - EMBRACE THE GLIMMER, AND THE TUTU

All week last week I struggled a bit in pondering the Chargers upcoming game against the Texans. Having seen the Texans inability to stop a depleted Colts team the week before, I really liked the matchup. The “worst pass defense in the League” sounded good too. Yet, any optimism I had was tempered by the news that once again the Bolts would be without all of their wideouts and, quite possibly, have a hobbled Gates limping through his routes. Yet, I still felt pretty good about the game for some reason. Then, the day of the game came the news that not only would Gates be out but Dielman would also join the long list of hurt players in street clothes. The optimism wanted yet some more. The “glimmer of hope” discussed in past versions of the ANALYSIS reduced to a flicker. Yet, upon the kickoff, it was still there, that glimmer.



The glimmer remained even following the Chargers 5th blocked punt of the season. This one, a morbid play that butchered poor Mike Scifres and led to a quick touchdown. I bet Mike Scifres never thought he would lead the team in tackles 9 games through the season. But, the team looked good with the ball. A nice balance of running and passing plays. Guys you never heard of making it count. The glimmer remained because this team, for whatever strange and twisted reason, only plays well when things look the worst. I hate it as a fan, but they start to build momentum just when you have almost written them off. Philip Rivers threw four TDs yesterday, three of them as pretty as any QB in the League could ever throw. They were to guys named Seyi Ajirotutu and Randy McMichael. Our line held up, gave him time, and man…when he has time….it is fun to watch. The ball was caught by 8 different guys and Seyi is going to have us forgetting Buster Davis in another week. His production and use will taper off once Floyd, V Jackson, and Naanee come back…but it sure is nice to see we have someone on the bench that looks good like he does. Buster did less in 4 years in terms of making a physical impression. Even against the “worst pass defense in the League” this was an impressive passing game.


The running game looked good too at times, with Mathews making some good plays. But then he fell into the same trap we have seen at least three times now. Start strong, running with confidence, fumbles the ball trying to do too much (he was wrapped by three guys), lose confidence, run poorly, get hurt. He has played like, well, a rookie. Flashes of brilliance wrapped around a bunch of inconsistency. You get the feeling he will be a good player, but the team looks a bit steadier with Bowling Ball Tolbert back there. They did enough in the running game, making some 3rd and 1s and 3rd and 2s and kept the ball rolling and the clock ticking. Nice work. Even Hester made some tough and key runs for first downs.


Now, on to the defense, a spotty, frustrating game. For 3 quarters, there was a guy on the field named Arian Foster that the Chargers made look like Jim Brown. Every time he touched the ball he made a first down it seemed. Screens, straight runs, outside, inside, he punished us. Missed tackles by just about all of our linebackers and safeties and some pummeling (how about Jammer getting driven back 3 yards into the end zone) made our defense look soft and befuddled as ever. The only thing the kid did wrong was that bizarre pass catch he made where he did not “finish the play” and let the ball hit the turf. What a lucky break for the Bolts. Holding them to a field goal there was key, as was the next field goal. We were down by 9 when we could have down by 16. Big difference. Although once again our pass rush was non-existent (this is a serious, serious problem) the two short yardage stops in the second half were massive. Great play by Shawn Phillips on one, ill conceived QB sneak on the other. I thought Norv was the only coach willing to make calls like that that don’t work. Turns out Gary Kubiak studies at the School of Norv on this stuff. Bad ideas in both cases. Take the Points. They did not…we got the ball…and Philip found the no-names to pull out a win. Also, inexplicably, why did they go away from Foster? The guy was killing us. We could not stop him…and in the fourth quarter he was nowhere to be found. They even took him out in goal line situation. Whatever, I will take it.


So, not a great game by any stretch…but a huge confidence builder. We had half our offense out and still won, we finally won on the road, and now we are going into our bye week with a chance to get healthy. We are 4 and 5. We have four of our next five at home. If we are going to make a run…now is the time. The hated Raiders came through for us by beating the Chiefs and, even though the Raiders have the advantage on us within the Division, there are no excuses now…we have the Raiders, Chiefs, and Broncos all at home in the next series of games. The glimmer of hope is there. The breaks went our way for once (think the “dropped” TD and the off the knee interception). Players are coming back. Rest up boys, you are going to need it.




EDITOR’S NOTE: Last week’s Editors Note mentioned the Oregon Ducks (still number 1!!) and asked you to tune into the Breeders Cup because you might see something very special. Well, if you tuned in…you did. In defeat, Zenyatta’s performance was truly magical. Hopelessly behind coming into the stretch, she got clear and came flying down the lane in front of 72,000 screaming people, only to miss by a head to a very good horse in Blame who had received a charmed and perfect trip. That is horseracing, and really, all of Sports, there so rarely are true fairy-tale endings. Any of 5 or 6 little things could have made the difference between true immortality and a 20-20 record: What if she had not shied away from the dirt kickback in the first 15 seconds of the race and fallen 20 lengths off the pace, what if she did not need to wait briefly for a retreating horse to swing out and make her run, what if she had not weaved a bit in mid stretch when the crowd went nuts, what if she had had one more jump? And on…and on….it was true drama and a horse that has made such a difference to the Sport will now go away from it. The winner has already been retired, and Mega-Owner Clairborne farms is already planning for his stud fee. That is the problem with horse racing…the fans never get to know their horses like they have with Zenyatta. Do you think the 72,000 people who were there and bet Zenyatta to even money were there to see Blame? But, for those who have been able to see her in person over the past three years, you know these kind of athletes don’t come around very often. It was special, not as special as it could have been, but 6 inches does not change the impact she has had.

BOLT ANALYSIS: WEEK 8 -- BLACKOUTS AND RED FACES

Based on the complete lack of response I received after last week’s “glimmer of hope” theme, I take it that you all just did not agree. Well, the ANALYSIS is never one to point out its past successes (does quoting yourself count?) but there is still a glimmer after a Week 8 win over the Titans that proved the only thing the Chargers need is a blacked out home game (3-0 on blackouts, 0-5 without). The other theme that seems to be coming together is the “motivation and inspiration” theme, which on Sunday by all accounts came from the most unlikely of sources…our head coach. Yes, the headlines are reporting that Norval gave his “best halftime speech ever” and motivated this beleaguered team to new heights. I prefer to believe Mike Tolbert’s quote however, “You could tell he was passionate, his face was red”. Well, whatever happened in the locker room at halftime worked, because the Chargers stepped up and won a game yesterday. Not pretty for sure…but a win against a good team is a win and as we have seen in the past, confidence is important. Let’s review.


The first half began the way so many of our games have…with a terrible first drive and another inconceivably bad Special Teams play. Another blocked punt for a safety…these are things that do not happen for years to teams…we have had three blocked punts for scores already this season. But, the Chargers turned it around and put together a good drive and took the lead, Gates coming up huge. The feeling of disgust crept up again through the remainder of the half…the Titans scoring twice to take a 19-7 lead. However, the Chargers and Gates answered again….with another one-handed thing of beauty…to get close to the end zone and rookie Mathews ran it in. So, it was at least close at the half. I will leave to your imagination the things that Norval said in that locker room. Was it something about “being your best?”, was it “I love you guys?” was it “spread your wings and fly?”. Whatever it was, the Bolts came out in the second half and gosh-darnit…played well. A nice mix of running and passing…a bunch of huge 3rd down conversions. Gates being Gates. Two more Rivers TD passes…finally one to Sproles! And then a crucial hold by the defense at the end of the game.

Now, don’t get me wrong, this is not a post about praise. There were still the boneheaded plays that are this team’s calling card. The illegal formation penalties, the fail to fair catch by Sproles to drive us to the 1 foot line, the fumbled snap by Scifres on an extra point (Say What!?) to keep us from having a two score lead and icing the game. Just amazing. We tried to lose this game…we really did. But, in the end we got that elusive last stop and won it. Is it the play that saved a season? I won’t be that dramatic…but it may prove pretty important.

The headlines are talking about how the loss of receiver Kenny Britt and QB Vince Young during the game decimated the Titans chances. True. That hurt…but surprisingly little was said about the Chargers playing Crayton, Ajirotutu, Banks, and Goodman at receiver. Not one of these players was on the opening day roster. I guess I would call that a fair fight. Every single one of our expected receivers was hurt and we still made plays. I would have put 5 guys on Gates. Yet, he still was the difference. The running game had fits and starts…but did enough.

On defense, not a good game. ZERO pressure. ZERO. Back to our old tricks on our defensive pressure. What happened to Phillips? He was playing great earlier. The injuries to English and Tucker and no Merriman make us very light in this area. Vince Young had three days to make most of his throws. Add to that an unconscionable 71 yard TD play to a backup receiver. Who was at fault…Cason or Weddle? Not sure…but it looked like Weddle’s man in the zone they play. Absolutely inexcusable. My favorite post game quotes were from Q Jammer who basically said the defense was horrible. That is good, show some passion. Kick some butt. Somebody needs to. Lost in the bad passing defense was a remarkable rush defense. Chris Johnson is one of if not the best running back in the League. Except for one crazy play where he reversed field and scored on us…we held him totally in check. Couple of great open field tackles and wrap ups. Kevin Burnett looked especially good as did Paul Oliver. That was a great performance to hold him to next to nothing. I really believe our inside linebackers, D line, and secondary are much better than last year. I really do. I just think our incredible lack of outside pass rushing is killing us. I don’t think the answer is on our roster either, we are going to need so start some creative blitz packages because we cannot let QBs stand around like that. But, all that being said, we did enough. And folks, why did we win this game? We only turned the ball over once….a meaningless interception at the end of the half.

So…we are halfway through the 2010 season. We are 3-5. That is not good, especially since the Raiders suddenly seem reborn and the Chiefs have a schedule that is very favorable. We will need a dramatic second half to compete. We have both the Raiders and Chiefs at home…but it will take a lot more than that. We have one more game before our bye week. On the road against Houston. We are 0-5 on the road…having lost to teams that are all worse than Houston. It is a big game. To go into our bye week with another win would be big. That glimmer of hope I spoke of may get brighter. To lose going in…well, it will take more than a red-faced Norv to bail us out at that point.

EDITOR’S NOTE: I do not miss an opportunity to talk about other crucial sports news in the ANALYSIS. I have two quick items. First, the Oregon Ducks are consensus #1 in all of the ranking systems..human or computer. Go Ducks! Loved that beatdown of USC on Saturday. The days in graduate school where you could walk across the river, buy a $15 ticket to the football game as it was starting and watch the Ducks are over. This is a real program now. Fun stuff.

And Saturday is the Breeders Cup Classic. I have waxed poetic about Zenyatta for two years now and she comes to the BC Classic with a chance to finish 20 wins from 20 starts. We could see something very special on Saturday. Tune in…it does not matter if you even like Horse Racing or not. As fans of Sport, there just are not many opportunities to see a real Champion.

BOLT ANALYSIS: WEEK 7 -- A GLIMMER FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE DRAIN

Just like last week…it is another dreary, rainy morning in Southern Cal. The ANALYSIS did something yesterday that it has not done in years….it took a Sunday off. That is right followers, the ANALYSIS went to Disneyland! Now, that is usually something reserved for winners of the Super Bowl but, being a realist, the ANALYSIS took the show on the road and let me say to those of you interested…go on a Sunday morning. Before 9:15 the ANALYSIS and its crew had already visited Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, the Jungle Cruise, and Thunder Mountain. Rock on! Periodic checking of the I-Phone revealed the evil truth about Sunday’s tilt. And, in tuning in once safely home from the happiest place on earth, due diligence was performed and the game was viewed (and analyzed) in its entirety. The findings may surprise you followers. But where I ranted and raved two weeks ago, and called out the elimination of coaches last week, I see something different this week. I see slight (slight) glimmers of hope.



I don’t blame you if you don’t read on. “Hope” you ask. What the hell? Has the ANALYSIS completely melted down? Too much Mickey and Goofy? What I saw in yesterday’s loss was that it is not that the Chargers are that terrible. It is that they are suffering through one of the most unlucky, perfect storm series of self-induced failures we have ever seen around these parts. I have been lamenting for weeks that we have blown our start against easy teams….blown games we should have won easily….and wondered allowed what would happen when we faced a “real” team like the Patriots. Well folks, the answer is…nothing different! Why would that give me hope? Because if the Patriots are one of the better teams in the League….that our unreal 2-5 start has nothing to do with talent. If Tom Brady and his cartoonish hair and dopey stare is leading a good team…than there is nothing that separates us from the good ones. To wit: the Patriots had 36 yards passing in the first half…they could not run the ball…and they had more penalty yards than passing yards. Our defense played well, and our special teams held up. Yet, as is usual, we were losing 13-3.


The four turnovers yesterday can only be described as surreal. Watching them after the fact…both Tara and I came to the same adjective…”sad”. It was just sad. Watching a rookie right off the practice squad make his first NFL catch only to set the ball on the turf and applaud himself? Watching our third string Tight End fumble away the ball on our own 20 yard line after a first down on a soft and easy tackle? Watching our fullback tip a lateral and then walk away as some New England fattie grabs the ball and trundles the other way? Watching Rivers heave a pass down the sideline in unnecessary desperation to a covered receiver? Four drives…all of them good…all of them moving the ball…all of them ending in turnovers. The team was trying hard…they were making plays…these are all guys who should not even be touching the ball by the way. We were doing all this without are top two receivers….and really without Gates who was just there as a decoy all game.


Going into halftime after that type of display must be surreal. How can this happen again? The players must be asking themselves…the coaches must be asking themselves. Nobody knows. The second half saw the Pats pad their lead all the way to 23-6. Really only one good drive by the Pats and that was midway through the 3rd quarter. Then, as they always seem to…the Bolts woke up. Rivers started hitting his makeshift receivers. A touchdown…a wonderful onside kick…another touchdown. What the hell? Can we win this game? Following another woeful kickoff (how does this happen?) the defense pulled out the best play of the game on the 4th and 1 stuff. So, here is the scene….First and 10, ball at midfield, 1:45 on the clock, and all three timeouts. First play is a first down, second play is a first down…oh wait, Crayton dropped the ball. Probably the 4th dropped first down pass of the day. Everyone will point to the two unreal fumbles, but this may have been the play of the game. The next pass is wild, the next one falls 2 yards short of a first down. OK…asking a backup kicker to kick a 45 yard field goal in his first game is rough. But we went from 1st and 10..to 4th down so quickly it almost boggles the mind. Then, another unthinkable act by Louis Vasquez. A false start on a game tying field goal attempt? Now a 50 yard attempt…it hits the upright and we are now 2-5.


5 losses. Two more than last year already. Each loss, our offense had the ball in its hands last with a chance to win or tie. Let’s review:


Chiefs loss. Everyone remembers the Special Teams gaffes. What about 8 shots at the endzone to tie the game? 8! All of them missed.


Seahawks loss. Everyone remembers the Special Teams gaffes. What about 4 shots at the endzone to tie the game. All of them missed.


Raiders loss. Everyone remembers the Special Teams gaffes. What about a 9 point 4th quarter lead and a first down in field goal range down by 1.


Rams loss. Everyone remembers the 7 sacks and 17-0 deficit. What about a first down in field goal range with the ball late and plenty of time down only 3.


Patriots loss. Everyone will remember the two bizarre fumbles. But the ball was ours going in… a dropped pass…a false start…little things.


So, back to the topic. Why does the ANALYSIS have hope? Because it does not matter who our opponent is. Good or bad. It is not talent. We just held the Pats to 179 TOTAL YARDS. They are supposed to be a good team. We moved the ball on the Pats repeatedly without our top 3 receivers, using two practice squad rookies. It is not talent that has caused these losses. We have used 61 players so far this year due to injuries and cuts. 61! That is one more than last year, where we lamented “all the injuries”. There was a good entry in the San Diego Union-Tribune last week between Nick Canepa and Tim Sullivan (both have covered the Chargers for decades). Sullivan blames coaching….and the “inspiration and motivation” discussion we had in the last blog. Canepa blames stupid players doing stupid things. After yesterday, that has some truth to it too. This season is sailing away folks, it may not be fixable. But, in the long term, stupid is fixable, and inspiration and motivation is fixable. And that is why I have hope. We lead the League in turnovers and stupid plays. Eliminate a few in each game and we are 7-0. That is not just some fan talking…that is a fact. This is the most surreal season I can remember. And that is why there must still be hope. I am not afraid of other teams anymore. I am just afraid of us. We are our own opponent. Hard to watch…yes…fixable….yes. May not be this year…but it is fixable.


So, with that, see you at Disneyland.

BOLT ANALYSIS: WEEK 6 -- CIRCLING THE DRAIN

Inspiration and motivation. That is today’s topic on this dreary, rainy Monday morning in Southern Cal. Yesterday’s performance began the slow, inexorable walk down the seven stages of grief. We have already been through anger and denial…I think the next, and last, stop now is acceptance. We stink. We are not a good team right now. We can talk about injuries, we can talk about loss of veteran players, we can talk about guys playing new positions…but all that is not worth talking about. We are just bad right now and, to me, it starts at the top. Last week I ranted about “something dramatic needing to happen”. Fire someone…change things up...do something. Well, the Chargers did cut one Special Teams player.. CJ “Strike Three” Spillman is looking for a new job now. But that is it. Real dramatic, right? Special Teams Coach Crosby still has a job and so to…does Norv Turner. As the ANALYSIS used to say often….it is the players that make the plays…not the coaches. Well, I believe that mantra is dead. There is something more elusive that this group of Chargers cannot manufacture on their own…inspiration and motivation….and we have none of it.



Yesterday’s opponent is the perfect case study of what inspiration and motivation can do. The St. Louis Rams…2-14 last year, came into this game off of a 44-6 LOSS TO THE DETROIT LIONS! In that game, they lost their best wide receiver and offensive leader Mark Clayton. They came into the game with only one “name” player on either side of the ball, Running Back Steven Jackson. They were playing the Leagues “#1 Offense” in the Chargers. But a funny thing happened on the field. This team, with a rookie quarterback and young no name players all over the place, came out and played hard. They played inspired, they played motivated. They came out with a Game Plan (if you don’t know what that is…I don’t blame you…the Chargers don’t either). Their Coach put together a system of blitzes and unique rushing packages that put pressure on our QB. Our line acted like they had never seen anyone rush before. They put together a smart, efficient, but safe offensive package that moved the ball in the first half and completely befuddled our sad-sack players. And they did not make mistakes. That, followers, is coaching. That is providing inspiration, that is providing motivation. And they won the game.


On the other side of the Ball, all of our coaching staff stands with the same stunned look the entire game. Norv Turner, Ron Rivera, Steve Crosby. The team came out needing to win, and was so woefully unprepared that they went four straight punts to start the game. They were so poorly prepared, they had to call a timeout in the first series. They were so poorly prepared, they gave up 3 or 4 sacks in the first quarter. A team takes on the persona of its coaches, and this team is as spiritless and boring as its coaching staff. In each of our previous three losses, you could point a finger at special teams and turnovers as the culprit. But, for those watching closely, the 4th quarter of the Raider game saw a different problem arise. That soft, clueless, leaderless defense raised its ugly head. When the Raiders, led by the fantastic Jason Campbell, drove for two 4th quarter scores to win the game (After we had taken a 9 point lead) that dreaded feeling began to creep in again. We cannot blame this on Special Teams only….this is systemic now. And, to be beaten down and outplayed by the Rams. Well, this season is on the brink of getting out of control. There were no adjustments made…there was no answer….we gave up seven sacks. And many other hurries and dropped passes. Now, sure, we were down many of our targets. Legadu was out, Floyd hurt a hamstring, and the wonderful security blanket Antonio Gates left with a potentially serious foot injury. That is bad. Very bad…and yes it had an impact on the game. But, the Rams rebounded without their best receiver. Why can’t we?


Now, I am going to get dramatic for a moment so bear with me. These issues appear to go beyond coaching to me. I think it starts at the top with AJ Smith and the Spanos family. The “culture” of the Chargers is becoming a laughingstock. AJ’s rough stance with player’s contracts takes on a hollow and silly tone when you see the team play like this. The “my way or the highway” approach will look pretty awful if we finish 5-11. I think we need to start thinking about this team in a new vein. It is really a new beginning. The players that made the Chargers of the last 5-6 years are mostly gone. With the purging of Merriman, the inevitable departure of VJ, and the often chronicled exodus of LT, Cro, Jamal, and many others…..this is a new team. Starting from scratch after this season with a new GM and a new head coach? How about it? Why not? Bring in some youth and exuberance…bring in some spirit and some fire. You have made your bed with all new players…let’s lie in it. Wipe the slate clean on this period in Charger history and move on. We have a core of good players…just not a great team….maybe the right coach and GM get us there? Let’s ponder for a moment what would happen if we do finish 5-11. Would we need to fire Norv? Would we need to let AJ go? Would something happen? Or would the Spanos family simply say “don’t be silly”…and keep on keeping on. Hmmmmm…..


OK..OK….those of you long term readers must have thought some different blogger is ghost writing today’s ANALYSIS. Much like Norv, the ANALYSIS attempts to maintain an even keel. Now for the “reality” part of the post. The Chargers are 2-4. The AFC West is dismal. The Broncos and Raiders are 2-4 each….with the Raiders who just scored 35 points against us…managing only 9 against the previously winless 49ers. The Chiefs lead the division at 3-2. Sadly, one can certainly envision another 8-8 winner of the AFC West. Why can’t that be us? Answer…of course it can. We can still win the west. I bet you most people who you asked would still say that we will win the West. But, to do that, we need inspiration. Where is that going to come from? I see no leadership anywhere on the field. I think Philip is trying…but he is pressing and his offensive line is not helping. To win some games, we will need motivation. Where is that going to come from? The same defense that needed one stop on a 3rd and 6 and gave up 10 on a straight ahead running play to lose the game? I think not. I don’t see it. This season feels different to me.


Next week we have the Patriots at home. They are good. Then we have Tennessee. They are good. Then we have Houston. They are good too. We have blown the best early season schedule in the last 5 years by losing to bad teams. At this point however, it does not matter who the opponent is. Without some inspiration…our season is over. Optimists among us will say…”hey, we are 2-0 at home and our next two are at home”. Well, all I can say is black ‘em out ‘cuz this thing could get ugly.

BOLT ANALYSIS: WEEK 5 -- TRUTH AND NO CONSEQUENCES

Can we get road games blacked out too? I have made a formal request to the NFL to make this so. Last week I gushed about how the three big problems we were having…special teams, turnovers, and penalties…had been addressed for the most part. Well, not to give any of us fans any sort of break, the Chargers devolved yet again into a pathetic excuse for a football team yesterday. Losing to the Raiders (the Raiders!) with yet another unbelievable meltdown. It is time to start readying the guillotine folks…someone has to lose a job over this. Something dramatic needs to happen. The ANALYSIS tries to walk the middle ground and provide fair and unbiased views…but this has become viral. Something must be excised. Sorry followers…but this one is going to be a bit “ranty”. I abhor sports radio for this very reason…but…here we go.



I have never been on the “Fire Norv” bandwagon. I have always yelled the line “players making plays” is what wins ball games. I am starting to doubt this. The fact that the Special Teams coach (Steve Crosby) still has a job after these first 5 games is a joke. Miami’s Special teams coach was fired one day after his team gave a number of Special teams plays to New England. Norv’s response to a question about sending a message by getting rid of Crosby: “Don’t be silly”. A sad and weak nod towards status quo. Two blocked punts, another return touchdown saved by our punter after hideous special teams coverage. When was the last time you saw two blocked punts in a professional football game…both near the end zone, both leading to points. We spotted this team a 12-0 head start without them even making a first down. It is unacceptable. These first 5 games have been the absolute worst I have ever seen…much worse than Miami, where they made the change. There need to be consequences. Emotionless Norv is not working….emotionless Rivera is not working. These two blocked punts were from the same exact position on the line. Is anyone paying attention? The players are saying it…”we have the right guys, we need to step up”. When? Against a good team? I cannot blame all of the players, so today I will blame preparation, focus, and a lack of consequences. To wit:


• First and 10 at the 23 yard line, well within range for a winning field goal attempt. Outside run to Tolbert. Holding…ball pushed back out of range.


• The Raiders only play on defense all day…the all-out blitz….is run three straight times on this last drive. Not a play in the playbook that can counter this? Hard to believe.


• Rivers’ complete lack of awareness of the defensive line leads to two fumbles, both within scoring range (one returned for the winning TD of course). Unacceptable.


• Red zone fumble by Tolbert on the one yard line going in. Unacceptable.


• Defense gives up two long TD drives in the 4th quarter to the Raiders….sporting a backup RB, backup QB, and two rookie wideouts. Unacceptable.


• On both fumbles, Chargers players can be seen standing near the ball watching (Dombrowksi on #1, and McMichael on #2) while Raiders players are rolling all over the place trying to grab the ball. What is this? Are they waiting for someone else to make a play.


• Darren Sproles is an unbelievable $7 million joke this year. What happened to the slashing, highlight reel guy who was sparkling every time he touched the ball? His kickoff and punt returns have been abysmal; he is tentative and worthless running the ball. You cannot pay a guy $7 million a year (and not pay McNeil and company at all) for an occasional screen pass. Unacceptable.


This is just a sampling. Of course there are more. The bottom line is that we are 2-3 for the 4TH STRAIGHT YEAR! In each of the previous three, we have rebounded and made the playoffs. But to what end? I’m focused on coaching now. There is such a thing as motivation and getting guys to overachieve. We are perennial underachievers, and I am sick of it. We are so tired of saying “I cannot believe we lost”, “I cannot believe we turned the ball over”, “I cannot believe we gave that up”. Well, time to believe. We have lost three games to bad teams. All games where statistically we have more than dominated. Wasted yesterday was 431 yards by Rivers…213 yards by Floyd…more great stuff from Gates…and three quarters of good football by the defense.


Where do we go from here? Well, St. Louis. Another game most would have circled as a win to begin the season. Now, I have no clue what to expect. It is time to stop taking things as a given. Time to stop thinking we can beat certain teams. Time to stop thinking that Rivers is going to pull things out. Despite incredible numbers this year, he has failed with the ball in his hands in three games now. There is no other way to put it…he has failed. Red zone failures to tie or win in three games now. That is not elite. That is not even mediocre. The whole team is pressing, but lets stop talking about Rivers in glowing terms, 431 yards and more than 450 against Seattle….what does it get us? 0-2. Meaningless.


So, where are the consequences? When will they begin? All of the quotes and spin from the head coach say they “have the right guys”, they will “work this thing out”. As we have seen the last three seasons….there is no need to panic. We have heard this mantra for each year Norv has been here. And he is signed through 2013 so get used to it. The Chiefs lead our division in sham-like fashion and the other two teams are 2-3 just like us. There just do not seem to be any dominant teams out there in the AFC. Even so, we should be 5-0. Period. That is not just a fan talking….any moron who has sat through these games would agree. Yet, we find ourselves needing to dig out again. I, for one, am sick of it. See…told you it was going to be “ranty”.

BOLT ANALYSIS: WEEK 4 - IT ALL COMES TOGETHER (FOR A WEEK)

Total domination. Yesterday showed us all (at least those who found a way to avoid the Blackout) how good this team can look. Even on an 8” screen at ATDHE.NET, this team looked good. We all know that teams coached by 100-loss Norv tend to start slow. I would say that “slow” is an understatement to describe our losses to the Chiefs and Seahawks thus far. But, the three things that haunted us against those teams were addressed yesterday….and look at the results: a 41-10 beatdown that really was not even that close. Ah, the sweet and maddening sound of “what if?” What if the Chargers played this well (or even half of this well) in their previous two losses? What if? Well..they would be 4-0 and everyone would be talking about them. But, we must focus on the reality. The reality is that we are 2-2 and, by all accounts, starting the season fresh again.



So, those three things that cost us previous games: 1) Special Teams, 2) turnovers, 3) penalties. All were addressed in fine fashion yesterday (for the most part). The Bolts signed two guys off the practice squad to play Special Teams (Quinton Teal and Kion Wilson) and put 3 or 4 starters back on the Special Team roster as well. Guys like Tolbert, Siler, Weddle, Jammer, etc. all got time. And, it is only one game but the results were fantastic. I think some of their backups…guys they thought they liked a lot (Spillman, rookie Stuckey, etc.) are going to find themselves with an uphill battle for playing time now. Turnovers: Well, despite Darren Sproles miserable fumble that was returned for a score…the team held on to the ball and made plays. Finally, the team eliminated penalties and mental errors for the most part. Easy to do when you are cruising and up 4 touchdowns…? Sure. But a fact is a fact. Hopefully, this type of growth can continue.


Now to the defense. Wow. See what playing with a lead does for these guys? 9 sacks!? Are you kidding me? Phillips has 4 by himself. Burnett, Tucker, Garay, it goes on. Just demolished that team. This is without our supposed best outside rushers in Merriman and English…who are both out. When they were not getting to the QB…they were making great plays downfield…Cason, Jammer, Gregory. Again, just a really fine performance…giving up less than 150 yards! The defense has played 4 winning games now. I have been very impressed with our linebacking crew…despite the injuries, guys are stepping up. Burnett has been a monster this year…and with Cooper back and Siler playing well…our inside guys have been good. They have needed to be because Merriman is a shell of his former self and English (now hurt) has been poor. Lucky that Phillips is playing crazy-good..including an interception return for a score. What a game by him. I understand Jyles Tucker got hurt yesterday…hopefully not too bad or that would be 3 outside linebackers out. Ouch. Cannot afford that.


The offense. This was Norval’s wet dream. Running the ball at will with four different backs getting in on the action. A calm, efficient, Phillip Rivers. A big lead…time killing drives. A scenario not only a Norv but any coach would love. Loved to see Mathews return with great results, including his first TD. Nice work Ryan. And Tolbert…gotta love the guy. Tough, demonstrative, and will play any role given to him. Great guy to have on the team. The line played well and Gates, well, he is Superman. The guy is just playing inspired, brilliant football. Not much else you can say but just tip your cap and relish the sight of #85 running free down the middle into the endzone. Great to watch.


OK, enough with all the superlatives. The ANALYSIS is easy when everything works. Do not lose sight of the fact that this was a bad opponent. So, what is next? We go on the road for two winnable travelling games against the Raiders and Rams. We need to go on a run now. Enough is enough. Put erratic and mistake prone September behind us. No more Jekyll and Hyde BS. Go out and play this way, continue to build confidence, and beat the teams we are supposed to beat. Remember…our first 6 games are against teams we will be favored against…at least three by more than a TD. You must win these games. Period. Keep it rolling Boyz.


I must close with some musings on an amazing sports weekend. The Oregon Ducks crush Stanford and are ranked #3 in the Country. Is there a more entertaining team in college football? I think not. Zenyatta wins her 19th in a row! The Chargers Win! But….with triumph there must always come tragedy…at least for San Diego fans. The Padres fought until the bitter end…losing a tough one in San Francisco and, in the process, losing out on the wildcard and the division title. This following two games where they made the sports world watch as a potential three team playoff loomed. The good part of this is that this team seriously overachieved. The third lowest payroll in baseball with the other two teams, Seattle and Pittsburgh, both with well over 100 losses. The bad part: Our playoff push did not end yesterday. It ended with a four game set at home to the Cubs. We had a chance to stay on top and dropped 3 of 4 to that team, including two pathetic 1-0 losses. Our playoff push ended with a 13-24 finish after being 6 ½ games up in the West on August 25. Fans can be proud of a tough, overachieving team who did their best. But those who have been here for decades have seen this before. San Diego teams are just notorious for the heartbreak. Providing hope and then crashing. I would love to say that we have a great young nucleus of a team…with a great young pitching staff. We will build on this and become a contender. I would like to say that. But, we have seen it before. The dismantling…the “budget considerations”, the “payroll choices”. Hope it does not happen. But, history is history.


Finally, I have closed a number of posts in the past year praising Zenyatta. The now 19-19 superhorse who has won two Breeders Cup races in a row. Well, in another magical and heart-pounding finish she now heads to Kentucky for the Breeders Cup Classic with her perfect record intact. I have said it all before so I will not repeat. But tune in on November 6 for the Breeders Cup because true Champions in any sport just do not come around very often. This is your last chance to see one.

BOLT ANALYSIS: WEEK 3 - ANOTHER WAY TO LOSE

There is so much wrong with the way the Chargers lost yesterday that the ANALYSIS considered simply sending out it’s WEEK 3 post with one word: “disgusting”. But, that is not what this column is about and we must soldier on…through another erratic and infuriating September. What is it about this team? Playing at a very high level in some areas….unbelievably poorly in others. Why is it that it takes this team until late in every 4th quarter to warm up? Why is it that this team cannot start putting plays together until it is behind? And, once we have finally turned the corner and are on the verge of putting it all together…our best players make the most boneheaded plays imaginable. There are no answers to these questions, folks, we just need to move on to the next one.



The scheduling gods were kind to the Chargers this year. Even though 4 of our first 6 games are on the road….the first 6 are all against teams we will be favored against. In the NFL, that is a big deal. We have played three inferior teams to date and we are now 1-2…a big time botch-job. This should be the time of the season we are ticking off wins. Losing to the Chiefs in game one was tough…this one was just nuts. The Seahawks are in serious rebuilding mode. They are starting the fearsome Justin Forsett….Golden Tate….and , yeah you get the picture. Nobody. Yet the first half of the game yesterday ended with a score of 10-0. Zero points, three turnovers. And, really, it should have been 28-0. The Seahawks had a guy fumble out of the back of the endzone and they screwed up on a first and goal at the ten and let time run out on them. We were lucky to be in the game. What is going on here? Three fumbles and no pass protection for starters.


And then the second half began with a bang. The kickoff..and suddenly it was 17-0. The Special Teams so non-existent on the runback you were left wondering if they were practicing during a TV timeout. CJ Spillman’s wide open whiff of Leon Washington so comical it looked like he was pretending to slide into home instead of make a tackle. That woke up Rivers…and the rest of the team. From that point, the second half was utter and complete domination by the Boyz. The Hawks had 26 yards in the second half on offense…and 200 yards in TD kickoff returns. Incredible. Rivers and company moved the ball at will the entire second half, we got a safety, we played lockdown defense. All the pieces were there for a great comeback. And we did come back…despite the omnipresent penalties and mistakes, Phillip threw 2 TD passes to get one to count and threw 2 conversions to get one to count. Total drama. Bottom line through is that we had 100% momentum and a 20-20 tie. The Hawks were gassed…our defense was dominant.


Until we kicked off again. The second kickoff return for a TD was beyond bad. Yet still…we had two amazing drives to tie the game again. Cruising to first and goal at the 10 TWICE…and ending up with two 4th and longs after bad mistakes. Remember the Chiefs game…four shots to tie from the 3 yard line and nothing. This was worse…seemed like we had 10 shots to tie in this one and could not do it. Even threw a touchdown that got called back because of a false start.


OK…OK. We must break the game down into components. Let’s start with the good.

Rivers threw for 455 yards. All the receivers got into it. Spreading the ball around. Rivers is killing me this year. So, so good at times and then so completely bad on a throw or two. After a slow start, Tolbert looked good. This team can move the ball. Dombrowski came back to earth…giving up 2 sacks and the O line had some struggles (new guy Green playing for the injured Vazquez was victimized) but we came back late…giving Phillip time. Just like at KC….look at the stats and this is a beatdown. 27 first downs to 13….36 minutes to 23 in time of possession. Blah blah blah. Also in the “good” category, the defense was great in the second half. Just total domination…and we did it without three of our starting linebackers! Cooper and English were out and Merriman (The Fraud) played only a few plays before hurting himself yet again. Gotta give props to Siler and Burnett (again); these guys are really playing great. Throw in another strong game by the D Line and Weddle and company and our defense played their third winning game in a row.


So, let’s see. Offense did its job? Check. Defense did its job? Check. That brings us to Special Teams. I won’t dwell much here because it is obvious. Our coaching staff and AJ have made a serious error in thinking that the players we have on Special Teams are adequate. This has been the worst series of games by a Special Teams unit I can remember since being a fan. Three kicks have been returned for TDs and, as you remember, our punter Scifres and a slipping Leon Washington are the only things that have saved 3 more touchdowns. Every kick is an adventure…from Kaedings weak leg, to missed tackles, to just completely blown coverages. Beyond the Touchdowns…each of the opponents’ drives starts in great position. The problem with Special Teams is that you can’t bench everyone. If a RB fumbles…you can replace him….if an OT misses some key blocks…you can replace him. You cannot sub out the entire Special Team unit….you have what you have. Suffice to say…it has cost us two games against bad teams. That should be enough to cost somebody their job.


One more thing….mistakes. This team is the bad news bears of the NFL right now. Five more turnovers and 11 PENALTIES. Including at least 5 that I counted in key situations in the red zone. Two false starts, too many men on the field, and at least 2 delay of game calls. This is unacceptable. It has to start with coaching. Norv and company are failing. Rivers is great…maybe really really great. But can he do math? When that big clock in front of his face says 10—9—8----7---6…., that means he needs to have the ball snapped. What is going on? Have you ever seen worse clock management at the pro level? Complete lack of awareness in how much time we have? This is bad enough in a loud stadium to occur early in a game at the team’s own 35 yard line…but for it to happen with the game on the line is just inexcusable. Is it coaching…is it Hardwick…is it Rivers? I don’t know but it cost us again.


So, what is next. A threesome of games (two on the road) against bad teams. Arizona…then Oakland…then St. Louis. We have struggled early before…we have botched September before. There is time to eliminate mistakes and get guys healthy. But, man, these losses are rough.


A few comments on the crazy news surrounding Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeil. No clue why McNeil signs now but I am glad that he did. I hope this means they are working on a long term deal. But, if they were, why did it come to this? Why not earlier? He now has a three game penalty to sit out and he is playing for $400 thousand instead of $3.2 million. Make sense to anyone? Not me. And Vincent. Despite an offer of a 2nd round pick and another pick….AJ Smith sticks to his request for a 2nd and 3rd round draft pick and does not deal VJ. Forcing a situation where the best case scenario seems that he will sit the season and we will get next to nothing for him. Make sense to anyone? Not me. Is this AJ flexing his muscles? Proving a point? Don’t tread on me? Seems like some very unnecessary posturing that only adds distraction to a struggling team.


Finally….next weekend may prove to be one of if not the biggest sports weekend of the year. The Padres are locked into a three way battle for the playoffs…every game a crazy test. The odds are against them…but they are scrappy and all signs point to next weekend’s three games against the Giants as the decider. Also, the Pac 10 has gained serious national respect so far this year with Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, and others posting big wins over the weekend. Now, Oregon and Stanford battle for it on national television on Saturday. And finally, Zenyatta runs at Hollywood Park in her final prep for the Breeders Cup Classic and here 19th straight win from 19 starts. Wow….lots to watch, including the Chargers in what has to be considered a must-win at home against Arizona. Oh, wait! It will be blacked out again…ah San Diego…it is hot down here….people should be going to the beach anyway.


The journey continues…..