BOLT ANALYSIS: NORVAL EUGENE TURNER

Hey ya’ll. I know it’s still raw, and we are all running a bit empty this week, but we already have big Charger news for 2010-2011. Norval Eugene Turner has signed a three year extension and will continue to coach this team. I know many of the Charger faithful blame Norv for the loss on Sunday. And many of the faithful have never been sold on Norv’s low-key approach to the game at all. Lots of folks are enamored with coaches who have visible passion…Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden, and newbie Rex Ryan come to mind. Hey, it is hard to argue with success. But…why do you think that guys like Cowher and Gruden have not returned to football? One reason is because they like the easier job of commentary…but another reason may be that they know that to have a successful team you need continuity and players buying into what you do. That does not happen overnight and both of them know there would be growing pains with a new team. Once you have won it all…why go back into that right away? And, for every emotional coach who is successful there are those who have other ways to win (think Evil Bill from New England and Tom Coughlin). Could there be two less likable guys? But they win.

Although Norv had low points in his first season, and his teams have started slow each of his three years…they have finished strong each time. They are 13-0 in December…they have had major winning streaks each year..they have won the AFC West each year. To steal a line from Nick Canepa..that and five cents will get you a nickel. More important is the fact that he now has player support. He has a great relationship with this team’s best player (Rivers) and this year he was able to put a ton of young guys into a starting and supporting role with great results. Yes, they had a meltdown on Sunday and he can certainly shoulder some of the blame for that. But…inferior teams in 2007 and 2008 WON playoff games under Norv. His 2007 team nearly upset undefeated New England without many starters and nearly made the Bowl. (sidenote here: Nate Kaeding kicked 4 field goals in that game in cold, snowy conditions, making Sunday’s disaster even harder to fathom).  

This offseason promises to be eventful. Decisions on the players mentioned Monday loom: LT, Sproles, Jackson, McNeil, Merriman, Jamal Williams. It will be interesting. There is no question that something is missing. Some killer instinct..some ability to drive a knife into an opponent. I don’t think it takes much…a couple of new people on both sides of the ball maybe. An infectious couple of rookies or free agents with big enthusiasm maybe (a la Merriman’s rookie year). What seems clear is that we need to move past relying on the guys that have carried this team for nearly a decade…we have taken LT’s greatness and Jamal Williams’ greatness for granted…and it no longer exists. We have assumed that Merriman would always return to excellence. No longer can we do that. Even without these three, we have the nucleus. Without these three (and we never really had them this year…did we?) we may be stronger. But…that is a topic for another post.

So…for 2010-2011…one question mark is already done away with…Norval is here to stay…so stop worrying about the coach. It is what it is. Let’s put the team together and support him. 

Also, just remember, the BOLT ANALYSIS never sleeps. There is no offseason. 

BOLT ANALYSIS: PLAYOFF EDITION, ONE AND DONE

The psyche (pronounced [ˈsaɪki]) refers to the forces in an individual that influence thought, behavior and personality. The psyche of an individual is hard to analyze, the psyche of a football team is much harder to figure out. Coaches are paid millions to try to mold it and cultivate it. And…it often is the difference between winning and losing. Why are college bowl games and playoff games so unpredictable?…because certain teams believe and certain teams do not. After yesterday’s horrible debacle to end another great season, all you can ponder is why the collective Charger psyche is so backwards and wrong.

During this year’s winning streak, the ANALYSIS repeatedly referred to the poise and confidence of this Charger team. It seemed that this poise and confidence was what set our team apart from past Charger teams. All the news out of Charger camp in the past couple of weeks was positive. They were the healthiest they had been all year. They were rested. They were ready. Each of the other three Bye teams came into their games with question marks…the Saints on a 3 game losing streak, the Colts on a 2 game, and Minnesota facing the hottest team in Dallas. All three responded…demolishing their opponents as a good favorite does. Showing the class and confidence a home team should. And they are all moving on to take their rightful place in the Final Four. What is it that kept the 13-3 Chargers from joining them?. It is all mental, followers, from the coach to the kicker to the quarterback. All mental.

Let me be the first to say it. The Jets are not that good. They had 0 first downs in the first quarter…they had been outgained 157-12 midway through the second quarter…and in the first half…they had 6 drives and 6 punts, including four 3 and outs. This should have been a laugher. Instead, it was 7-0 and I was twitching and pacing like a cat in a cage. It did not feel like a lead. The writing was on the wall…when Nate missed the first field goal…when Nate missed the second field goal…when penalties pushed us out of range…when mistakes led us to 3^rd and 15 and 3^rd and 23. It began to unravel…the poise, the confidence. Everything I thought was different…was not different at all. Halftime was like purgatory….which way would this game go.

Answer: the wrong way. The Jets returned the kickoff to the 40 and had a short field to get in field goal range. 7-3. Phillip throws an unbelievably bad interception from his own 10 and then Shawn Phillips gets one of 3 UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT penalties. Are you kidding?…pushing the ball to the 7 yard line. Don’t think this was not a big deal. For my money…even after the interception return…the Jets do not score a touchdown from the 17 yard line…but when Phillips gives them yards to the 7..it still takes them three plays and a diving catch to get it in. That is huge. The Jets led in this game they should not have even been in. From there, it was just a matter of the one big play…and sure enough…they got it. Shonn Green breaking three tackles and demolishing Eric Weddle on his way to a 53 yard TD that broke the back. Sure…we came back and made in interesting…but Kaeding missed again, an unbelievable choker Nate Kaeding, and then we missed an onside kick and could not stop them on 4^th and 1. Perfect ending to a miserable day. The guy had made 69 in a row from 40 and in and he misses two? He made a 52 yarder against Cincy that would have been good from 62 and his kick yesterday did not even get halfway into the endzone. Wow. Headcase.

I could talk forever about what went wrong, much as I did three years ago against the Patriots. But, lets simplify a bit by looking back at my three keys to success for the Chargers in this game..they were:

• Stick to the defensive recipe.
• No turnovers and minimize mistakes.
• Be ourselves on offense.

Defensive recipe. Great job by our defense. They got tired late…gave up some third down conversions. But really, they gave up one big play in this game. It was a killer..to be sure. But we gave the Jets a 7 YARD DRIVE guys…and we consistently gave them the ball back and forced our defensive to stop their good running game.

No turnovers and minimize mistakes. Well, two interceptions….one of them just awful and a killer. Three fumbles….amazingly we got them all back. A snap over the head of Philip, 10 penalties for 87 yards, including the three personal fouls above, false starts, dropped passes, pass interference calls. Horrible.

Be ourselves on offense. This was the worst. Norv Turner’s game plan was miserable. A game plan that treated the Jets like they were the 72 Dolphins. A game plan that took us out of we do best. Phillip threw for 300 yards even though we called a series of quick hitters and screens that did not work. Even though we ran the ball with LT 12 times when it was 100% clear he was going nowhere. We were not ourselves. The coaching staff got outfoxed by Rex Ryan…they bought into his witch doctor bullshit. His team came out and did what they do. We did not. We played their game and we played not to lose. Darelle Revis is a great player…but Jackson had 7 catches for 111 yards…Gates 6 for 93. Yet here we are throwing the ball to LT 3 times for zero yards! Zero! And so predictable too…Sproles comes in…we throw a screen to him (covered). Naanee comes in…we throw to him (covered). Pathetic. We are better than them, yet we used the bye week to overanalyze and change our style. Bush League, guys. 100% Bush League. Now, the Jets are a good defense. Maybe really good. No question. And coaches cannot kick field goals, right  Nate? Coaches cannot run up and kick a challenge flag, right Vincent? Coaches cannot throw the ball at the retreating back of Gates, right Phillip? Coaches cannot head butt another player or hit one when he is down, right guys?

But what coaches can do is inspire, light a fire, and adapt. LT touched the ball 15 times in this game for 24 yards. Sproles touched it 6 times for 63 yards! Who is the more dangerous player? Sorry LT, but you should have been on the sideline after halftime. Yet, Norv continues to manage the game, stubbornly giving the ball to a guy who does not have the mental fortitude anymore to make plays. If you are going to lose…go down doing what you do best. We did not do that.

The most disappointing thing to me is that we played down to expectations. This is our fourth straight AFC West championship and 5^th in 6 years. We have nothing to show for it but three home losses in the first playoff game and one good run n 2007. We are wasting our opportunity. This year, it seemed we had exorcized the demons, we had figured out the trust and confidence it takes. We had a home game against a rookie QB and rookie coach. A team with no offensive firepower. The nemesis teams of the Patriots and Steelers were out of the mix. The Colts loomed ahead…a team we match up well against. We were fresh and rested with no injuries. If we cannot win this year…I have no idea when we can. The window is closing on this group. Next year’s team will look different. LT will be gone. There is just no way they can keep him. We all love him…but this game was so brutally clear that he is done. And take a look at this list of players that they will need to think about resigning. None of these guys is under a contract now:

Vincent Jackson, Sproles, Merriman, Marcus McNeil, Malcom Floyd, Tim Dobbins, among others. Cromartie and Gates have one year left. Things will look different.

Dear followers, I do not wish this final 09-10 ANALYSIS to be all negative. I pride myself on being measured. But there is nothing positive I can take from this game. Just that it is a football game and that is all. We just have not figured out how to make it work. How do you change a team’s psyche? New coach? Tried it. New management? Doubt it. New players? I guess that is it. Luck? Maybe that is it. Don’t know.

We overcame a lot this year. A lot of injuries and some bad games. We came on strong and finished up well. We were fun to watch. A game like this just has no explanation. All we can do, followers, is lace up the shoes again, have a good offseason, have a good Draft, and try again. As I mentioned in my playoff review a few weeks ago…it has not happened in my lifetime. What is one more year?

BOLT ANALYSIS PLAYOFF EDITION: OPPONENT REVIEW

Despite my recent commentary along the lines of “It does not matter who we play..we just need to focus on our game”, I found myself thinking about matchups last week. Like most, my original take was that of the 3 teams we may get matched up against (Patriots, Bengals, and Jets) the Patriots were the most dangerous. Despite their on-again off-again season, even without the dangerous Wes Welker, it seemed that they had the best big play ability and, of course, Evil Bill on their side. After watching the Jets however, it might be a case of “be careful what you wish for”.

Yes folks, the Playoffs are upon us. And, if the first weekend is any indication, it is going to be another fascinating couple of weeks. There just is no better entertainment out there…seriously.

We will face the New York Jets; perhaps the luckiest and most unlikely playoff team on one hand…and just maybe the most dangerous on the other. Let’s review: The Jets come into the playoffs the beneficiaries of scheduling luck. In their 14^th game, the Jets lost a meek and sad game to the Atlanta Falcons by the score of 10-7…prompting their first year Coach Rex Ryan to proclaim that they were “out of the playoffs”. Well, nice job at Math Rex. Not only were they not out of the playoffs, but they were looking ahead on their schedule to games against Indianapolis and Cincinnati. Normally, these would be two tough games; instead, the Jets get a major break as both teams sit their starters and hand wins to them…allowing a 9-7 finish and a re-match against the over the top and gone Bengals. Did anyone really think the Bengals would regroup yesterday after the beatdown the week before? I think not. And here they are….coming to San Diego after the Patriots forgot kickoff time and just acted like they wanted off the field against Baltimore. A digression if you will permit me…on the Patriots. I don’t think Wes Welker’s sad injury and absence had much to do with this outcome. Julian Edelman played great in his place. In fact, Edelman seemed to be the only guy fighting out there. This team laid down. After a crazy and unlucky sequence of early events with turnovers, a huge running play, and mistakes…they just played the rest of the game at half speed. Moss was jogging around, Brady seemed in a fog. While Baltimore had their typical aggressive play…the Pats really threw in a bad one. Any more insights from Paul would be welcome. I thought the Ravens could win…but not like that.

Anyway, back to the Jets. So, we have established they are lucky. The other reasons they are an unlikely playoff winner are: Rookie QB, First Year Coach, and they have played an “easy” schedule, including the lay down games mentioned above. For all those reasons, the Chargers should be clear favorites. All right, so here is why we should be very, very wary of the Jets:  1) They are playing loose with nothing to lose, 2) They are an old school (defense and running the ball) team, and 3) they have “it”. Let me explain. This team just believes it can win. Period. Their coach does..their young QB does…and their fantastic defense does. They are loose and aggressive and they have high confidence. Purists will say that those “lay down” games are meaningless and they overinflate a team’s ego. Maybe. But remember early in the year…the Chargers were 2-3 and had big wins against bad teams Kansas City and Oakland? The ANALYSIS spoke of confidence…and what that does for a team despite the opponent. What happened after those games? Look it up…we have not lost yet.

The Jets do not care that teams laid down for them or that they were playing an emotionally spent and over-rated Bengals team in the Playoffs. Their Coach and their players believe that they have made a huge playoff run, beat an undefeated team, and are rolling. Belief is reality guys…and that makes them dangerous.

Secondly, they are an old school team. They have the highest rated defense and the highest rated running game in the League. Their secondary is great. Darrelle Revis is, for my money, the best corner in the League. Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene are a great running tandem. Their Offensive Line is awesome with three pro bowlers. This is an old fashioned team. If Mark Sanchez can simply manage the ball…they can be very, very tough. Now, stats are stats. You cannot really trust them. The Chargers have certain stats against the teams they played as the Jets do against their opponents. It is not apples to apples. It is about matchups….and Vincent Jackson against Revis will be fun.

Finally, the “It” factor. Every year there is a team that just catches fire from the wildcard ranks and goes nuts: Pittsburgh did, the Giants did, the Ravens did last year. Can the Jets be that team? Will the ball bounce right for them? Will they get the breaks, the penalties, the turnovers, the little things? For our sake I hope not.

Here is how we can avoid that…three simple things:

1)      DEFENSIVE RECIPE. We have used it all year long. Bend but don’t break on defense and keep the play in front of you. Bottle up the running backs and don’t give up big plays. Yards are meaningless…points have meaning. Let the Jets run the ball but tighten and force field goal attempts. Sanchez will scramble, he will make plays. He may just have a “career game” against the Chargers. Most do. It does not matter. Rattle him a bit…make some stops. Just don’t give up big plays.

2)      AVOID TURNOVERS. My biggest fear for this game is that the Jets’ complicated blitzing packages and great secondary will force turnovers. Norv and Phillip have really worked on avoiding turnovers and beating blitzes this year and they will need all of that on Sunday.  Bad turnovers can ruin a game quick (read: New England yesterday). This is huge.

3)      BE OURSELVES ON OFFENSE. Come into this game confident. Despite their defense…can they really match up for 60 minutes on Jackson, Gates, Floyd, Sproles, LT, etc.? Mix it up, let Philip throw the ball, don’t get conservative. If anyone still thinks that Norv cannot call a great game after this winning streak, you are crazy. Don’t be shy guys…we are at home…it is the playoffs…we are better than them…Bring it!

So, that is it. Let’s have a good week of practice and go out on Sunday and punch this team in the head. Enjoy the buildup…the talking heads will drone on all week about the items I have outlined above. Maintain the focus. 

BOLT ANALYSIS: SPECIAL PLAYOFF EDITION -A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Given this calm before the playoff storm, and the fact that I don’t want to overanalyze what will happen in the very near future, I started thinking about the past. I know this season is the 50^th anniversary of the Chargers and the American Football League (AFL). Recently, there have been “50 greatest moments in Charger history” and “50 greatest Charger Players” lists. It got me thinking about how few great playoff moments there have been. Sure, there have been great games, great plays, and great players, and plenty of great moments. But, the playoffs? Not really.

I must start with a disclaimer. The Chargers were the bomb in the old AFL. They won the AFL Championship in 1963 and made the finals a few additional times. But what have they done since the Super Bowl has been around (since 1966)? And what have they done in my lifetime (since 1970)?  As I looked into this stretch of the Chargers 50 years…uh, the last 43 of them anyway, the results are somewhat shocking and a bit sad. It also will put into perspective the last several years and how good they have been. If you have a few minutes, let’s walk down memory lane together.

PRIMER

The Chargers have never won a Super Bowl, you all know that. Since the Super Bowl began in 1966, they have been there once, you all know that. But how often have they been even close? Let’s take a look: In these 43 years the Chargers have FAILED to make the playoffs 31 times. They have made the playoffs 12 times…although once was a strike year so we won’t talk about that one.  Incredibly, these 11 appearances can be grouped neatly into three “eras”. Only three periods in our post-AFL history can we actually be considered a serious team. You will see how these three periods are sandwiched among years of futility.

1966 – 1978 THE SAD BEGINNINGS

Thirteen seasons of mediocrity or worse. That is how it began. Sure there were nice moments, but for the most part these teams never really scared the playoffs. They never made it…not in the first 13 years! A series of coaches and forgettable years, they were in a sports backwater and were not taken seriously by the big name teams of the League. I could run down lists of coaches and players from this era, but I won’t because most of my readers were in grade school. We were like the Clippers…an afterthought on the League’s schedule. Until late in this period, when Don Coryell and Dan Fouts took the League by storm…leading to….

1979 – 1982 AIR CORYELL

These are, for most Charger fans, the Glory Days. Fouts….Winslow…Joiner…Jefferson…Muncie. The offense to end all offenses. Scoring loads of points and winning a lot of fun games. Never did have a defense though, and this sad fact kept us from going all the way. In 1979…we had a great team that was the highest seeded team in the Playoffs. However, Fouts threw 5 interceptions against an outclassed Houston team and we lost in the first game. After the 1980 and 1981 seasons, we made the AFC Championship game both years..losing to that bastard Jim Plunkett and the hated Raiders after the ’80 season. The 1981 season (and subsequent 1982 playoff games) is the one we all remember. The GAME against Miami, still called by many the Greatest Game Ever. Leading 24-0…Miami coming back…the hook and ladder TD….blocked field goals…and the incredible Kellen Winslow. Then, the “Freezer Bowl”—going to Cincinnati in 50 below zero and losing our chance at the Super Bowl…Again. Three straight years with a big chance at the Bowl and nothing…..

1983 – 1991 THE ICE AGE

The Freezer Bowl proved to be the beginning of the end for Air Coryell. Without a defense, the Chargers played their way back into mediocrity or worse. Not making the playoffs for another 10 years. Once Don resigned and Dan retired the team fell into a terrible and miserable period. Take a listen to some of these illustrious names during this time:  Coaches Al Saunders and Dan Henning; how about quarterbacks like Mark Malone, Jim McMahon, Billy Joe Tolliver, and John Friez. Remember these guys? Yep, better to forget. A dark, cold  period. The highlight I think was Grad Night 1988 for Lance, Jeff, Darin, and Jason.

1992 – 1995 THE BEATHARD ERA

Bobby Beathard was hired as the GM fresh out of his success with the Redskins. There, he had developed a smash mouth style with tough runners, efficient quarterbacks, and good defense. This in no way resembled the Chargers. However, fairly quickly after he was hired, this is exactly what happened. His first notable action was to sign Junior Seau…the face of the Chargers throughout the ‘90s. He then proceeded to pick up a bunch of no name guys cast off from other teams or from obscure colleges. Names like Marion Butts, Natrone Means, Rodney Harrison, and Tony Martin should ring a bell. In the first pre-season game in 1992, starting QB John Friez blew out his knee and a nobody named Stan Humphries took over. Things looked bleak with a 0-4 start. But that team suddenly caught fire and won 10 straight..making the playoffs and winning their first playoff game since Fouts. After a down 1993 season, the Chargers put it all together in 1994 with an unforgettable playoff run that included a win over Miami by one point (missed Miami field goal with no time left) and then, of course the “Immaculate Deflection” against 15 point favorite Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship Game. Our only Super Bowl appearance….Natrone Means on the Jay Leno show…70,000 people meeting the team at the airport……John Kruckeberg high-fiving random people in the streets while jogging, claiming he was running on “Charger Power”….Jason throwing himself on the floor in front of stunned guests in Paul’s apartment in Eugene Oregon during the playoff win…it was nuts. Then, they had to play the game. Steve Young and the 49ers blew us so far out of the stadium the game was over as the 3^rd quarter began. But, even in defeat, hopes were high. We had the youngest team in the League, Beathard was a “genius”. We had the corps of players….Seau and Harrison were amazing. We were set.

Well, not really. The next year we started 4-7 and if not for a 5 game winning streak to end the year, we would have missed out on the playoffs. But, we did make it, only to be rocked in the first game by Indianapolis. And that was it…this young team of so much hope fell apart….the Beathard Era continued into what can only be called……

1996 – 2003  THE DARK AGES

After the playoff loss to Indy at the end of 1995, the wheels came off so quickly it was amazing. Popular coach Bobby “Boss” Ross was fired for disagreements with Beathard. Humphries had concussions and retired, Means got fat and was cut…Tony Martin was traded and did good work elsewhere, and ultimately, the team gave up on Junior Seau and Rodney Harrison too early. Seau was somewhat understandable because the team went to a different 3-4 defense….but Harrison was still in his prime, as evidenced by a couple of Super Bowls with New England. The game had passed Beathard by…and his “genius” was exposed as simply a guy who was not changing with the League. He continued to go to the same tired routine….trade away a first round draft pick to take an obscure player in the second round that he could have received for a fourth round pick (e.g. Bryan Still, Michael Ricks) AND bring in disgruntled stars from other teams who poisoned the field (e.g David Boston, Marcellus Wiley). But the move of all moves occurred in 1997 with the fire sale Beathard engineered to get Ryan Leaf. The move that set this team back perhaps 5 or 6 years. Clearly the biggest bust in NFL History, especially when put up against Peyton Manning. I cannot really blame Beathard for that at the time…everyone thought Leaf would be a star. I do not need to recount the horror of that period, let’s just say they were the lowest moments in Charger history. A couple of choice tidbits:  the 1-15 season, Leaf consistently beaten out at QB by Craig Whelihan, Jim Harbaugh and Doug Flutie at QB, the amazing play of Seau and Harrison despite being on the field all game every game, the miserable head coaching that included Kevin Gilbride and June Jones.

The bright spot of this horrible period was after Beathard had left. The team hired Marty Shottenheimer and new GM John Butler made the key decision in the last 20 years. He did not draft consensus number 1 pick and dog killer Michael Vick. Instead…he took a short kid from Texas Christian named Ladainian Tomlinson. Saying that he would be a great third down back and change of pace runner and receiver (in the mold of Ronnie Harmon) they had no idea he would change the face of the NFL. Also, in the second round, they picked up Drew Brees…again…little did they know. But, this combination of Shottenheimer’s steady hand…and LTs emergence led to….

2004 – 2009  THE MODERN ERA

The Chargers re-entered the playoffs in 2004 with Brees presiding over a very different team. LT was on his way to becoming a phenom and the new defense was creating mismatches. A home playoff game against the Jets at the end of the 04 season was a chance for Shotty to shake his image as a playoff choker. Unfortunately, after a frustrating game that reached overtime, Shotty turned to rookie kicker Nate Kaeding to kick a 40 yard field goal in the mud and drizzle for the win (after three runs by LT up the middle for zero yards). Nate missed, and the Jets won. Brutal. After a weak 2005 season cost Drew Brees his job, Phillip Rivers was installed as the starter in 2006. The team looked OK early..but then exploded to win 10 in a row and finish an incredible 14-2. LT was the MVP…31 touchdowns! League rushing leader….he was unstoppable. We had 10 guys voted to the Pro Bowl. We had been anointed as the “most talented team in football”. Then, on January 14, 2007…after all of the accolades, the #1 ranking, and the first round bye…we played what I would describe as the worst loss in Charger history. Losing 24-21 to the Patriots after that season, with SO many mistakes..mental and physical…was just a crusher. Nobody was free from blame, and the BOLT ANALYSIS counted at least 25 key mistakes from that game, but most will point at Marlon McCree…who intercepted a Brady pass that would have ended it and then was stripped of the ball…leading to the Pats’ win.

Marty was fired after that incredible year after both of his assistants were snapped up to be coaches elsewhere. Still…confidence was high. After all, like in 1994, we had a bright future ahead, right?. The 2007 team was hobbled by these great expectations early, but turned a 5-5 start into an 11-5 finish and won two great playoff games to make the AFC Championship Game against the undefeated Patriots. For only the third time in the Super Bowl era…we were there again…with a chance to get to the Super Bowl. And for the third time…we failed. This time it was due to the fact that we were missing LT and Gates, and Phillip played the game (somewhat famously) with no knee ligament. 21-12. So close yet so far.

The 2008 season was a bizarre affair…with the team limping to a 4-8 record. The toughness was gone…injuries played a part, as did overinflated egos and team unrest. In the end, however, the team made the playoffs again and produced one memorable playoff win against Indianapolis. But, the softness and lack of defensive leadership raised its ugly head in the next round, as Pittsburgh throttled us and went on to win the Super Bowl.

And 2009…what does it hold? A more mature team this year perhaps? I don’t think we have seen our team more focused than this. The 11 game winning streak, winning on the road against desperate teams, winning with backups, getting healthy. The signs are positive. Still, must go out and perform. This is the time.

SUMMARY

To conclude, when someone asks you…what would you consider the Charger glory days? ....the answer must be…right now. These are them people, the Halcyon Days. We are living through them. Since the Super Bowl began, and in my lifetime, this is the longest, most sustained period of Charger success ever. The Fouts era that so many hold onto? It only led to 3 years of playoff teams. The Beathard Era with our lone Super Bowl appearance? It only led to 3 years of playoff teams. This current era has led to 5 years of playoff teams..including the current year. So, as we struggle and are critical of our boys, just remember that this is as good as Charger football has ever been. We need to enjoy it. Who knows what next season will bring? Or the one beyond that? Live in the moment, because as they say in Sports…there is no tomorrow.

BOLT ANALYSIS - WEEK 17

So…37-0, 30-7, 33-7, 23-10. These are the scores of the games where playoff bound teams with nothing to really play for got beat by teams playing their starters. This time of year is a strange one for football…and a terrible time for Vegas oddsmakers…because you just have no idea who is going to lay down and who is going to play hard. Well, the ONLY team to rest all of its starters and still win was our BOYZ. Capping off this amazing season with their 11^th straight win to roll into the playoffs with about as much momentum as you can have. Yes, they have a bye…another week to rest and get guys ready….but I think the body language a win like this produces can only add to the momentum. Be proud BOLT FANS, this was a very nice way to end one of the more surprising seasons in memory.

What did Norv want out of this game? Let’s review:  1) He wanted a couple of decent series’ from his starters. Check. Phillip, Gates, and the offense put together two sustained drives that ended in scores for a 10-0 lead. 2) He wanted solid play from his starting defense. Check. The Redskins were held up the entire time the starters were in there. They left with a 13-0 lead. 3) He wanted no injuries. Check. Don’t think anyone got hurt. 4) He wanted to see tough and solid play from backups, to show the depth that is so important to win playoff games. Check. Although there were some hiccups (Cason looked ragged…rookie safety CJ Spillman missed some plays…Volek threw some rough passes) the bottom line is that the defense held the Redskins starters to 20 points and the offense produced 23 points. That is enough to win. The two bonus things Norv got (but really did not need) was a fantastic drive by the backups late for the winning TD and, simply, a win. I know the game did not matter, as evidenced by Norv mock yelling at Volek late in the game (funny moment), but don’t try and tell me that it does not mean something to the players to win a game like this. It does. And to have your backup quarterback lead a drive like that gives you high confidence.

To be fair, Washington is a bad team. They are in disarray. Their coach will be fired today. Their ridiculous owner Daniel Snyder will ruin this team again next year. They overpaid a bunch of older players and had a lot of injuries. They are bad. But, starters losing to 3^rd string players is a big deal. Look, Peyton Manning played the same amount as Rivers against Buffalo (not a good team) and they lost 30-7. The Saints looked terrible against Carolina. Cincy lost 37-0. AZ lost 33-7. We have depth guys, and that is important. We are going to get rest into some key guys like Merriman, V Jackson, and others. There are no excuses right now. We have a home game in two weeks and who cares who we play? We just need to worry about ourselves.

I must take a moment to talk about how strange this last weekend in the NFL was. SIX teams will play each other again in back to back weeks after lopsided losses. Has that ever happened? Cincy and the Jets, Green Bay and Arizona, and Dallas and Philly. The losers in each of those contests now need to turn it back on against the team that just crushed them. This will be very interesting indeed. In the AFC, the Jets and Bengals (who picked those two teams to make the playoffs?) will play in one wildcard game while the Patriots host the Ravens in the other. Obviously, the highest ranked winner will come to San Diego. No use in hoping for a certain team to play us. Must give a shout out to Paul here on the unfortunate injury to Wes Welker. A former Charger who we released for some unknown reason, Welker has really become the security blanket for the Pats. Leading the League in catches, his knee injury is a rough one for that team. Sorry about that Paul. But, look what his replacement did…Julian(?) Edelman had 10 catches for over 100 yards spelling for Welker. So, don’t feel too sorry for the Pats. I’m sure Evil Bill has something up his sleeve.

OK back to our guys. How about a game ball for Malcom Floyd..in the shadow of VJ all year..a breakout game for him. And a second game ball to Buster Davis…our former #1 draft choice who has just been outplayed by all of our other receivers. He has been on the inactive list all year. He looked good yesterday…nice catches and nice punt and kickoff returns…good for him. I could go on and on about the winning streak, the comebacks, the turnaround from a 2-3 start…but that would be repetitive. Let’s just say we have accomplished a lot thus far this year…it has been fun…but we are not done. It’s the playoffs baby, and we are in them. Lets knuckle down…have some good practices…get some guys healthy…and come out firing. Let the other teams beat each other up next week. Like we have said all year, just beat the team that lines up in front of you.

BONUS COVERAGE: In a perfect example of why you should never underestimate an opponent, the Oregon Ducks lose the Rose Bowl to Ohio State. Favored, picked by all the experts, and riding a wave of momentum, the Ducks came in hot. The Buckeyes did their homework however, playing a technically flawless game and exploiting the Ducks weaknesses (no passing game, undersized defense). It was a fun day at the BOWL, and the Ducks had lots of chances (down by 2 with 7 minutes left). But mistakes, penalties, and an inability to stop long 3^rd down conversions killed them. Let this be a lesson to the Chargers.