I found myself guilty of watching two or three games at the same time yesterday. I’m not talking about our “NFL Sunday Ticket” which turns our San Gabriel residential area into a wondrous sports book every Sunday. And Tara got it for free! I’m talking about the two or three games I watched while I was watching the dreadful game we were subjected to. Not only did I watch the Chargers survive with a win against the sad sack Chiefs…I also saw our team struggling against the Raiders, the Bills, the Jets, etc. That is my problem, followers, I must follow my own advice and focus on the team lined up in front of me. It is hard, however, not to get caught up in thinking “If we are life and death to beat this poor team…what is to become of us when we play a real team”. I know…I need to stop watching games that have not been played yet. But, I gots to keep it real, and that is what I’m feeling.
Now, lets talk about the game we played yesterday. The Chiefs came in as defending AFC West Champions but everyone knew they were in utter disarray. Having lost their best defensive back, best running back, and best tight end in the first couple of weeks. They had also been destroyed in their first two games…giving up about 90 points and scoring 10. So, should be a Bolts blowout right? Vegas thought so…making the Boyz 14 point favorites. Well, the first half was straight outta last year, with the Chargers utterly dominant yet unable to score. The half was punctuated by two awful Rivers interceptions, sandwiched around a lot of ball control, some good drives and some very nice Ryan Mathews runs. Another very good game from the kid…nice work Ryan. Yet, 10-0 at the half felt like a loss (remember the Jets playoff game a few years ago). We had 211 yards, they had 34. We had 14 first downs, they had 0. Despite the awful play, they had missed a field goal and stumbled their way to nothin’. Yet, I sat there seething…pacing…mumbling to myself, knowing this was not going to get much better.
And, it didn’t. A three and out to start the second half, a special teams hiccup to give them great field position, and the Chiefs began to warm up…with Cassell finding their only good player Dwayne Bowe for a long pass and then a touchdown. Really? After all that dominance…we were up by 3? Yep. A good follow-up drive got us back up by 10…with Rivers looking comfortable for a few minutes and Mathews again getting to the zone. But….it was short lived as the Chiefs embarked on a 10 minute drive that seemed to never end. Kept going by ridiculous penalties against Cason and LaBoy for taps on helmets…Seriously, what is the League coming to? Those were simply contact with a helmet…they did not impact the play…they were not malicious. I am all for the League protecting players…but man, those were some itchy trigger fingers. After all that, the Chiefs had to settle for a field goal. We copied that after another long drive stalled…keeping the lead at 10. Cheers to Nick Novak…two for two on field goals, one from 41 yards. Good for him. We need him to stay confident.
Yet, the Chiefs would drive again….finding the end zone at the end of another long drive….their receivers finding holes in our soft zone. Anyone who thought (as I did) that we had found our long time starter in Antoine Cason, needs to take a step back. This guy has had two awful games…out of position, getting beat on crossing routes, not understanding the zone. I’m worried, because I thought he really looked good. When Jammer went out with his hamstring, it was clear we backed off the man to man and they started finding seams. We need an answer to this….it cannot continue. The lowly Chiefs had made it 20-17 and, after some nice plays, we found ourselves with a 4th and 1 and once again all of you were treated to the absurdity of our coaching staff. Despite everyone in the universe knowing it was going to be a QB keeper up the middle (did you look at their defense?!)..not only did Philip make a half assed attempt to back into the entire Chiefs team…but he snapped the ball with 22 seconds left on the clock! 22! Now, realize, the Chiefs had burned all 3 of their timeouts…because they are a bad team. The clock was ticking mercilessly. We had no reason to do that. Not only did we not convert, we gave them 22 seconds we did not need to. May sound like a minor issue, but once again we are not a smart team. Clock management is huge…that is on the QB and coach. Bad.
First play after the stop was a big gainer. KC had all the momentum in the world and plenty of time to tie or even win this game. Despite being only 12-15 yards from field goal range, Cassell threw a bizarre little pass right into Weddle’s gut and the game was over. Don’t pretend that was a great play…he got trapped on a blitz and found himself in no-mans land. However, he was smart enough to notice it was a screen and put himself in position to block the outside. The pass was just bad enough to end it. What it was was a game-ending play, and that is good enough I guess.
OK. So, that was the bad stuff on the field. Now, for the good stuff. We are 2-1. We won the game. We have the same record as New England, the Jets, the Steelers, the Raiders, etc. We are OK. You only play 16…just beat whomever is in front of you right? We did that. We have another game at home next week. Against a 0-3 team in Miami. This should be a positive, but…part of me is scared, followers, that the players we have come to rely on just don’t look too good. Rivers had a horrible game, looking confused and frustrated the whole time. I mentioned Cason already. I am sick and tired of waiting for Larry English to do something…he is non-existent out there. Gates, Sanders, and Luiget did not play due to injuries after only two games…and Jammer, Garay, Cesaire, and others went down with new injuries. What is going on? Worst of all…we just seem panicky…not playing with confidence.
All right, that is enough, lets focus on the next game. No fear. The ANALYSIS does not believe in fear. We are 2-0 at home. We are 1-0 in the Division. It’s early…lets tell ourselves that. It’s early and, for the second time this year, we won a game we probably would have lost last year. But please keep practicing Boyz….’cuz you need it.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
BOLT ANALYSIS: WEEK 2 -- WE'RE STILL NOT THERE
We shall begin today’s ANALYSIS with some statistics.
First Downs: SD 29, NE 28
Total Yards: SD 470, NE 504
Rushing Yards: 98-94
Time of Possession: SD 31:00, NE 29:00
Third down conversions: SD 10-12, NE 7-11
Now, let’s look at key personnel:
Philip Rivers – Tom Brady
Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd – Deion Branch and Wes Welker
Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert – Danny Woodhead and BenJarvus Green Ellis
Antonio Gates – Rob Gronkowski
For years, the Chargers have been trying to figure out how to beat the New England Patriots. Without looking at the game itself, if you look at the statistics listed above and the people making plays listed above, you could not say that the Patriots are a better team or played a better game. So, what separates us? Why is it that we always need to find solace in moral victories or “if we had just been able to do this or that”? The ANALYSIS is tired, followers, tired of looking for reasons and finding excuses Clearly, the statistic I left out above is the big one..SD 4 turnovers, NE none. That is it.. that is the difference. By why do these turnovers take place? Why are we consistently on that side of the equation? The game yesterday can be read two different ways, and this morning’s missive will give you two options on how to find the answers. But first, let’s go through it.
Every Charger drive yesterday got to Patriot territory, including the first one. Derailed by two poorly run routes, the Chargers were forced to punt however. A good one…all the way to the 6 yard line. The ensuing Patriot drive is why Brady and Belichick are the best in the business. Every play worked, the defense was chasing ghosts, confused and gassed after a few plays. Patriots up early. But the Chargers came back, scoring a nice TD on a Mathews run after a good drive. And by the way, Mathews had his best game as a pro yesterday. Looking fast and strong in both the running and passing game. After Tolbert’s performance…we may see a lot more of him. The second Pats drive was stalled, ending in a field goal and setting up the next Charger drive. All the way to the 1 yard line. If Rivers could move faster than an Oak tree (or maybe a Redwood) he would have walked it in. But, as it stood we had a 4th and 1 at the 1. Do we kick a FG and tie the game or do we go for it? I don’t think there is a Charger fan out there who thinks we should have kicked. Give it to the big man and hit ‘em in the mouth. Take momentum back..send a message. Except……Mike Tolbert forgot the reason he is on the team is because he is strong and low to the ground. He elected to try and go outside and stutter step…bad move. Stopped at the goal line. Once again, the curse appears….From a possible 14-10 lead and momentum to, what else? a 99 yard TD drive led by Brady. The game slips from grasp a little bit more. The Ghost of Games Past rears its ugly head. Another long drive stopped by a surreal interception by “Biggest Loser” finalist Vince Wilfork. Now, Philip says he would make that throw every time he had it. After seeing it again, I tend to agree. A freaky play. The curse continues..Belichick’s face rising above Gillette stadium like a fog. Then, another Charger-thing happens. Antoine Cason and the defense figure the game must be at half-time already, playing 10 yards behind the unstoppable (really?) Deion Branch. Two easy catches….field goal..20-7 at the half. I am sorry folks. Good teams do not let that happen. 17-7 was bad enough…but that was because of good Patriot plays and bad luck. That last field goal was 100% on Antoine and a coaching staff that simply got outcoached. Inexcusable.
Second half starts well however, with our defense finally able to stop the Pats twice in a row. This, sandwiched around long, time-killing drives by the Bolts. However, another great drive ends in another interception on a forced throw to Gates where he was nowhere near open. They get it together on the next one, a long drive ending in V Jackson’s first Touchdown. Then, the Patriots opt to go for it on 4th and 4 at midfield. In my opinion, an arrogant and ill-conceived move that backfires…giving the Boyz the ball…only down 20-14 and with the momentum. Can it be that the curse will be lifted? Will we actually take a lead in this game? A promising drive leads to yet another miscue….this time Tolbert again thinks he must be Barry Sanders…dancing around when he could have barreled forward for a couple of yards at least. Fumble…momentum gone. Mike….I know you are tough, I know you have heart, but please don’t be stupid. Twice…his inability to simply drive his bowling ball body forward cost us huge momentum swings and, ultimately, the game.
Well, you all saw what happened from there. Brady cutting through us like butter for two more scores. Us cutting through them for another score. But, in the end, Pats win by daylight. So, let’s go back to the original question. Why is this still happening?
Option 1: WE WERE UNLUCKY, WE ARE JUST AS GOOD AS THEY ARE, WE’LL GET ‘EM NEXT TIME
This is the optimist’s view. We matched them, offensively, play for play. Vincent Jackson was a beast out there. Even after Floyd went down..he was unstoppable. Starting the think we need to sign this guy at whatever cost. Our running game was solid. Our offensive line was very good all day long. Our defense, despite get beat up on most drives, stopped them a few times in the second half. We had every chance in this game. It just came down to turnovers and mistakes. I mean, heck, we had the ball 4 times inside their 35 yard line and we scored 0 points. Three turnovers and one on downs. Just give us one of those back and we are right there. This game will just set us up for big games to come…it will keep us hungry and grounded…it will improve us.
Option 2: THEY ARE BETTER PREPARED, BETTER COACHED, HAVE MORE HEART, AND THEY BELIEVE. WE WILL NEVER BE BETTER THAN THEM
Evil Bill got us again. His team is calm, relaxed and changes their game plan effortlessly. I have never seen a team shut down Gates like they did. Talk about COMPLETELY out of the game. The one pass to him was an interception. This is a game where Antonio has to start thinking about doing something different. They did not make a turnover. They had the confidence to run all sorts of passing plays with no fear of a sack. What other team could make Antoine Cason look like a fool out there for the entire game? He was the worst player on the field…so out of position on most of Branch’s catches you had to wonder what they were telling him. It was almost sad. And what other team can take two young Tight Ends and just blow up our safeties like they were school kids? Eric Weddle ($40 million worth) was so outplayed and beat up in this game…is management having buyer’s remorse? They should be. The scary thing about Weddle is that he is smart and in the right position most of the time. He just consistently gets out-muscled and cannot make tackles when he needs to. Gronkowski is good…and he is going to be a star…but he bitch slapped Weddle and Cason so completely…they need to look in the mirror too.
So, followers, which is it? Is it Option 1…where we once again can say we can play with these guys? Those of you who choose Option 1 will look ahead to our next two home games, against 0-2 KC and 0-2 Miami and think….let’s get well against these reeling squads.
Or, are you more of an Option 2 person? Turning off the TV at the end of the game saying….yes, we will win our share of games this year…but what does it matter….when the chips are down and we really need to make a step forward….we never can. Whether it is the Patriots, the Jets, the Steelers….whoever. We just don’t have “IT”.
Choose your option, folks, and perhaps the truth lies somewhere in the middle. It usually does. All the guys can do…and to their credit they are doing it….is apologize for the miscues, lace up the boots…and go to it this Sunday. There are 16 games…you don’t need to win ‘em all..but wouldn’t it be nice if we were THAT team. The one that came through in a big game. Just once?
First Downs: SD 29, NE 28
Total Yards: SD 470, NE 504
Rushing Yards: 98-94
Time of Possession: SD 31:00, NE 29:00
Third down conversions: SD 10-12, NE 7-11
Now, let’s look at key personnel:
Philip Rivers – Tom Brady
Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd – Deion Branch and Wes Welker
Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert – Danny Woodhead and BenJarvus Green Ellis
Antonio Gates – Rob Gronkowski
For years, the Chargers have been trying to figure out how to beat the New England Patriots. Without looking at the game itself, if you look at the statistics listed above and the people making plays listed above, you could not say that the Patriots are a better team or played a better game. So, what separates us? Why is it that we always need to find solace in moral victories or “if we had just been able to do this or that”? The ANALYSIS is tired, followers, tired of looking for reasons and finding excuses Clearly, the statistic I left out above is the big one..SD 4 turnovers, NE none. That is it.. that is the difference. By why do these turnovers take place? Why are we consistently on that side of the equation? The game yesterday can be read two different ways, and this morning’s missive will give you two options on how to find the answers. But first, let’s go through it.
Every Charger drive yesterday got to Patriot territory, including the first one. Derailed by two poorly run routes, the Chargers were forced to punt however. A good one…all the way to the 6 yard line. The ensuing Patriot drive is why Brady and Belichick are the best in the business. Every play worked, the defense was chasing ghosts, confused and gassed after a few plays. Patriots up early. But the Chargers came back, scoring a nice TD on a Mathews run after a good drive. And by the way, Mathews had his best game as a pro yesterday. Looking fast and strong in both the running and passing game. After Tolbert’s performance…we may see a lot more of him. The second Pats drive was stalled, ending in a field goal and setting up the next Charger drive. All the way to the 1 yard line. If Rivers could move faster than an Oak tree (or maybe a Redwood) he would have walked it in. But, as it stood we had a 4th and 1 at the 1. Do we kick a FG and tie the game or do we go for it? I don’t think there is a Charger fan out there who thinks we should have kicked. Give it to the big man and hit ‘em in the mouth. Take momentum back..send a message. Except……Mike Tolbert forgot the reason he is on the team is because he is strong and low to the ground. He elected to try and go outside and stutter step…bad move. Stopped at the goal line. Once again, the curse appears….From a possible 14-10 lead and momentum to, what else? a 99 yard TD drive led by Brady. The game slips from grasp a little bit more. The Ghost of Games Past rears its ugly head. Another long drive stopped by a surreal interception by “Biggest Loser” finalist Vince Wilfork. Now, Philip says he would make that throw every time he had it. After seeing it again, I tend to agree. A freaky play. The curse continues..Belichick’s face rising above Gillette stadium like a fog. Then, another Charger-thing happens. Antoine Cason and the defense figure the game must be at half-time already, playing 10 yards behind the unstoppable (really?) Deion Branch. Two easy catches….field goal..20-7 at the half. I am sorry folks. Good teams do not let that happen. 17-7 was bad enough…but that was because of good Patriot plays and bad luck. That last field goal was 100% on Antoine and a coaching staff that simply got outcoached. Inexcusable.
Second half starts well however, with our defense finally able to stop the Pats twice in a row. This, sandwiched around long, time-killing drives by the Bolts. However, another great drive ends in another interception on a forced throw to Gates where he was nowhere near open. They get it together on the next one, a long drive ending in V Jackson’s first Touchdown. Then, the Patriots opt to go for it on 4th and 4 at midfield. In my opinion, an arrogant and ill-conceived move that backfires…giving the Boyz the ball…only down 20-14 and with the momentum. Can it be that the curse will be lifted? Will we actually take a lead in this game? A promising drive leads to yet another miscue….this time Tolbert again thinks he must be Barry Sanders…dancing around when he could have barreled forward for a couple of yards at least. Fumble…momentum gone. Mike….I know you are tough, I know you have heart, but please don’t be stupid. Twice…his inability to simply drive his bowling ball body forward cost us huge momentum swings and, ultimately, the game.
Well, you all saw what happened from there. Brady cutting through us like butter for two more scores. Us cutting through them for another score. But, in the end, Pats win by daylight. So, let’s go back to the original question. Why is this still happening?
Option 1: WE WERE UNLUCKY, WE ARE JUST AS GOOD AS THEY ARE, WE’LL GET ‘EM NEXT TIME
This is the optimist’s view. We matched them, offensively, play for play. Vincent Jackson was a beast out there. Even after Floyd went down..he was unstoppable. Starting the think we need to sign this guy at whatever cost. Our running game was solid. Our offensive line was very good all day long. Our defense, despite get beat up on most drives, stopped them a few times in the second half. We had every chance in this game. It just came down to turnovers and mistakes. I mean, heck, we had the ball 4 times inside their 35 yard line and we scored 0 points. Three turnovers and one on downs. Just give us one of those back and we are right there. This game will just set us up for big games to come…it will keep us hungry and grounded…it will improve us.
Option 2: THEY ARE BETTER PREPARED, BETTER COACHED, HAVE MORE HEART, AND THEY BELIEVE. WE WILL NEVER BE BETTER THAN THEM
Evil Bill got us again. His team is calm, relaxed and changes their game plan effortlessly. I have never seen a team shut down Gates like they did. Talk about COMPLETELY out of the game. The one pass to him was an interception. This is a game where Antonio has to start thinking about doing something different. They did not make a turnover. They had the confidence to run all sorts of passing plays with no fear of a sack. What other team could make Antoine Cason look like a fool out there for the entire game? He was the worst player on the field…so out of position on most of Branch’s catches you had to wonder what they were telling him. It was almost sad. And what other team can take two young Tight Ends and just blow up our safeties like they were school kids? Eric Weddle ($40 million worth) was so outplayed and beat up in this game…is management having buyer’s remorse? They should be. The scary thing about Weddle is that he is smart and in the right position most of the time. He just consistently gets out-muscled and cannot make tackles when he needs to. Gronkowski is good…and he is going to be a star…but he bitch slapped Weddle and Cason so completely…they need to look in the mirror too.
So, followers, which is it? Is it Option 1…where we once again can say we can play with these guys? Those of you who choose Option 1 will look ahead to our next two home games, against 0-2 KC and 0-2 Miami and think….let’s get well against these reeling squads.
Or, are you more of an Option 2 person? Turning off the TV at the end of the game saying….yes, we will win our share of games this year…but what does it matter….when the chips are down and we really need to make a step forward….we never can. Whether it is the Patriots, the Jets, the Steelers….whoever. We just don’t have “IT”.
Choose your option, folks, and perhaps the truth lies somewhere in the middle. It usually does. All the guys can do…and to their credit they are doing it….is apologize for the miscues, lace up the boots…and go to it this Sunday. There are 16 games…you don’t need to win ‘em all..but wouldn’t it be nice if we were THAT team. The one that came through in a big game. Just once?
Monday, September 12, 2011
BOLT ANALYSIS -- WEEK 1: AN OPENING WIN, BUT OUCH!
Well, the candle is lit. The 2011-2012 season kicked off over the past weekend and man is it nice to have the NFL back. Crazy stuff around the NFL..like the Manningless-Colts getting demolished, and the mighty Steelers getting destroyed. Also, as Darin pointed out, the USC-Utah points debacle has Vegas reeling. Nothing like Football!! But, let’s focus on the Bolts. An off-season of fine tuning, nursing injuries, and assembling what we all hope are the right chess pieces to make a real run at the Big Prize. Expectation and anticipation were high…until the kickoff.
In what has to be the most surreal moment in recent memory (I think I have said that before) the opening kickoff was returned 103 yards for a touchdown by Percy Harvin. An offseason that was SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED to rebuild special teams with new players, more speed, an Ace new Special Teams coach, and a new attitude fizzled with the first kickoff of the season. Bolts fans, you really cannot script this. I could not have written this up if I had 100 tries. Absolutely ridiculous. And, in what could be the most significant thing that happened yesterday, we may have lost Nate Kaeding for the season. Nobody hit him….he did not make a tackle…just got twisted and left the game with an injured knee. One play, guys, and we had laid the biggest egg you could imagine.
Then, the rest of the first half began to come into focus. Wait a minute, was that Norv calling runs up the middle followed by a third and long incompletion…again and again…? How refreshing. A new playbook…oh wait…that is the same start they have had for the past 4 years. A frustrating half that saw trips into the red zone thwarted by an interception and a bizarre 4th and 20 play where they could have let Scifres try a long one. Now, I get it, don’t put too much pressure on your punter-turned-kicker. But, 4th and 20? Defensively, we were doing OK...although we let 90-year old D McNabb free on some big runs and Adrian Peterson got loose for a couple of big ones. Nice foot tackle Weddle. Was that $40 million weighing you down? Bottom line was that despite dominating the stats….what else is new?...we were down 17-7 at halftime and everyone was tightening the belt for another round of excuses. It was a carbon copy of early last year….dominating the stats…but not scoring points.
Then the second half started. A fantastic, tough, drive with a nice mix of runs and passes culminating in Mike Tolbert back to back bowling ball rolls through the Vikings defense. The Vikes were sending blitzers on literally every play. The Chargers answer to this was to forget about downfield plays and focus on short hitters to Gates and to the backs. Frustrating perhaps…but we had 5 or more long, sustained drives with lots of great third down conversions. It was tough to see V Jackson and Floyd pretty much taken out of the mix, but nice to see we have options and we adapted to some pretty aggressive defensive game planning. Rivers got comfortable in the second half (despite one horribly ill-advised throw in the red zone intercepted by the amazing Jared Allen). The offensive line played solid throughout..still need help on the run blocking but Phillip had 43 passing attempts and only two sacks despite facing blitzes all day long.
Once the Boyz were within 3 points the defense really took over. Completely dominating the entire 2nd half. Completely. They were helped out by an amazingly conservative game plan from the Vikings. Once the Chargers had figured out Peterson…the Vikes had nothing else to offer. They attempted 15 passes the whole game! And nothing downfield. Completing only 7 for 39 yards. 39! Seriously? This had nothing to do with our secondary. It was a crazy-boring game plan, total reliance on their running back, and the fact they never had the ball ‘cuz our offense was clicking. A Mike Scifres field goal (yeah, Mike!) tied the game, setting the stage for what…another late meltdown? Another special teams mistake? Nope, none of the above. Rivers led another great drive with the play of the game to Tolbert on a scramble and throw. The only thing scrambled about Rivers is his eggs. The guy is a statue…yet he got clear and made a pretty little touch pass to Tolbert for the winner. And, then, the Defense, once again locking down McNabb and company with a late sack. Shawn Phillips was superb all game…despite missing most of the preseason. Takeo Spikes was organized and solid in the middle of our linebacking crew. Rookie Corey Luiget was rock solid and Antonio Garay held up in the middle. A great, great effort by the D. And, oh yeah, thanks to Minnesota for THREE OFFSIDES PENALTIES on the final drive in addition to the vanilla offense. Are you kidding me? Don’t think I have seen that before.
So, is it all positive? No, absolutely not. Kaeding may be lost for the year. Luis Castillo may be lost for the year with a broken bone in his leg. This is tough because they made a decision to sign only 6 defensive linemen this year (so they could focus on speed, linebackers and special teams—oh the irony). We need to sign someone quick to both try and kick field goals and to defend. Maybe Ogembi Nguwabo (sp?) He was a late cut by the team and knows the defense. Man, isn’t it just the Charger way? Win the opener but lose two key starters? One step forward…two steps sideways…one step back. Whatever. To lose Castillo is tough, but he is replaceable. To lose Nate is really tough. When you have a great kicker, you can play for that winning field goal. When you are unsure about your kicking game, it causes all sorts of play calling issue and forcing of yards. Bummer. We shall see if they are both truly lost for the year. It would seem so.
But, gotta focus on the guys on the field. Wonderful to have Gates back, Rivers looks solid if a bit rusty, the defense looks improved. S. Phillips and spot player Antwan Barnes look disruptive. The Patriots are up next on the “Game of the Week”. We have not seen them yet but I will go out on a limb and say they will be….uh….good. So, tough week ahead. Bottom line is it is good to have football back and we are 1-0. Last year’s team would have lost that game so, to conclude, I am happy to report, we are not last year’s team.
In what has to be the most surreal moment in recent memory (I think I have said that before) the opening kickoff was returned 103 yards for a touchdown by Percy Harvin. An offseason that was SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED to rebuild special teams with new players, more speed, an Ace new Special Teams coach, and a new attitude fizzled with the first kickoff of the season. Bolts fans, you really cannot script this. I could not have written this up if I had 100 tries. Absolutely ridiculous. And, in what could be the most significant thing that happened yesterday, we may have lost Nate Kaeding for the season. Nobody hit him….he did not make a tackle…just got twisted and left the game with an injured knee. One play, guys, and we had laid the biggest egg you could imagine.
Then, the rest of the first half began to come into focus. Wait a minute, was that Norv calling runs up the middle followed by a third and long incompletion…again and again…? How refreshing. A new playbook…oh wait…that is the same start they have had for the past 4 years. A frustrating half that saw trips into the red zone thwarted by an interception and a bizarre 4th and 20 play where they could have let Scifres try a long one. Now, I get it, don’t put too much pressure on your punter-turned-kicker. But, 4th and 20? Defensively, we were doing OK...although we let 90-year old D McNabb free on some big runs and Adrian Peterson got loose for a couple of big ones. Nice foot tackle Weddle. Was that $40 million weighing you down? Bottom line was that despite dominating the stats….what else is new?...we were down 17-7 at halftime and everyone was tightening the belt for another round of excuses. It was a carbon copy of early last year….dominating the stats…but not scoring points.
Then the second half started. A fantastic, tough, drive with a nice mix of runs and passes culminating in Mike Tolbert back to back bowling ball rolls through the Vikings defense. The Vikes were sending blitzers on literally every play. The Chargers answer to this was to forget about downfield plays and focus on short hitters to Gates and to the backs. Frustrating perhaps…but we had 5 or more long, sustained drives with lots of great third down conversions. It was tough to see V Jackson and Floyd pretty much taken out of the mix, but nice to see we have options and we adapted to some pretty aggressive defensive game planning. Rivers got comfortable in the second half (despite one horribly ill-advised throw in the red zone intercepted by the amazing Jared Allen). The offensive line played solid throughout..still need help on the run blocking but Phillip had 43 passing attempts and only two sacks despite facing blitzes all day long.
Once the Boyz were within 3 points the defense really took over. Completely dominating the entire 2nd half. Completely. They were helped out by an amazingly conservative game plan from the Vikings. Once the Chargers had figured out Peterson…the Vikes had nothing else to offer. They attempted 15 passes the whole game! And nothing downfield. Completing only 7 for 39 yards. 39! Seriously? This had nothing to do with our secondary. It was a crazy-boring game plan, total reliance on their running back, and the fact they never had the ball ‘cuz our offense was clicking. A Mike Scifres field goal (yeah, Mike!) tied the game, setting the stage for what…another late meltdown? Another special teams mistake? Nope, none of the above. Rivers led another great drive with the play of the game to Tolbert on a scramble and throw. The only thing scrambled about Rivers is his eggs. The guy is a statue…yet he got clear and made a pretty little touch pass to Tolbert for the winner. And, then, the Defense, once again locking down McNabb and company with a late sack. Shawn Phillips was superb all game…despite missing most of the preseason. Takeo Spikes was organized and solid in the middle of our linebacking crew. Rookie Corey Luiget was rock solid and Antonio Garay held up in the middle. A great, great effort by the D. And, oh yeah, thanks to Minnesota for THREE OFFSIDES PENALTIES on the final drive in addition to the vanilla offense. Are you kidding me? Don’t think I have seen that before.
So, is it all positive? No, absolutely not. Kaeding may be lost for the year. Luis Castillo may be lost for the year with a broken bone in his leg. This is tough because they made a decision to sign only 6 defensive linemen this year (so they could focus on speed, linebackers and special teams—oh the irony). We need to sign someone quick to both try and kick field goals and to defend. Maybe Ogembi Nguwabo (sp?) He was a late cut by the team and knows the defense. Man, isn’t it just the Charger way? Win the opener but lose two key starters? One step forward…two steps sideways…one step back. Whatever. To lose Castillo is tough, but he is replaceable. To lose Nate is really tough. When you have a great kicker, you can play for that winning field goal. When you are unsure about your kicking game, it causes all sorts of play calling issue and forcing of yards. Bummer. We shall see if they are both truly lost for the year. It would seem so.
But, gotta focus on the guys on the field. Wonderful to have Gates back, Rivers looks solid if a bit rusty, the defense looks improved. S. Phillips and spot player Antwan Barnes look disruptive. The Patriots are up next on the “Game of the Week”. We have not seen them yet but I will go out on a limb and say they will be….uh….good. So, tough week ahead. Bottom line is it is good to have football back and we are 1-0. Last year’s team would have lost that game so, to conclude, I am happy to report, we are not last year’s team.
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