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.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, October 11, 2010
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”.
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”.
Monday, October 4, 2010
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.
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.
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