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.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, November 15, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, November 8, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, November 1, 2010
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.
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.
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