BOLT ANALYSIS: Week 16: IT ENDS WITH A WHIMPER

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

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

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

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

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

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

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