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.