BOLT ANALYSIS: ACCEPTANCE

“Irrelevance”

1. The quality or state of being irrelevant.

2. Something irrelevant.

I’m not sure how many of you actually watched the disgusting fare that the Chargers and Browns served up on Sunday. I hope not many of you. But, for those who did, you saw the discernible shift of a football club from somewhat bad to complete irrelevance. The 7-6 loss to the 1-6 Cleveland Browns, was, I think, the end of the Norval Eugene Turner era and....maybe.....the beginning of the end of the Philip Rivers era. The loss to the (bad) Saints was tough, the epic meltdown against the (good) Broncos was bone crushing, but the loss yesterday to the Browns cemented the fact that we are Bad. Period. Point Blank.

The ANALYSIS strives to uncover the truth, and tries not to hide behind the massive cliché machine that is the Charger Management. There is but one truth here, and the ANALYSIS holds this truth to be self-evident:  Cast away any remaining belief that we are still a competitive team with a chance to win playoff games. Not now, not soon. Now is the time, followers, to join hands and hope for complete destruction. It is never easy to root your team to a loss, but we must show tough love. We must take a long term view. A 6-10 finish or worse gets Norval fired. Maybe 4-12 would even get AJ fired. We need a scorched earth policy. I do not want this team to limp to a 8-8 finish. The model is broken, the parts do not work.

You are probably thinking that the ANALYSIS has devolved into one of those shrill, jackass bloggers who pollute the airwaves with rubbish and bad spelling and punctuation. NO! (and I never use exclamation points). No...We strive for the truth around here. And all you need to know is 7-6.

Yes, it was raining yesterday in Cleveland. And it was cold and looked miserable. They were tough playing conditions for sure. Both defenses played well all game...making the opponent work hard for every first down. But, the tone was set early when the Chargers could not convert a 4^th down and 1 and then gave up the only touchdown of the game early. When Mathews fumbled again, you just knew it was going to be a long, long afternoon. That 7-0 Browns lead seemed to last forever, despite the fact that the Bolts defense was quite stellar, giving Philip and the offense multiple chances to score points. But, Gates drooped a 3^rd down conversion pass, Philip airmailed a couple of additional throws, and Robert Meachem showed you why he is the single worst free agent acquisition of the season by dropping a big gainer (at least) and likely touchdown right at the end of the half. 7-3 at halftime.

The Bolts were slightly less bad in the second half but could not score. Bad play calling and terrible execution by Rivers and receivers left just a battered Mathews and screen passes to Ronnie Brown as our only options on offense. The Bolts put together a couple of drives that looked promising after they had drawn within one point of the Browns, but they all ended the same way...Rivers looking clueless and nervous in the pocket and receivers not getting open on third downs. When the last desperate pass went skittering over the wet turf, there was not even a feeling of disgust....it was....simply.....acceptance.  Acceptance that this team is now going to be labeled as one of the bad teams in the League. Acceptance..which is the last stage of grief.

Now, the ANALYSIS must give props where they are due. After that first weak TD allowed, the defense played great...not allowing many conversions...no big plays...sure tackling. Butler and Weddle again stood out. Corey Luiget looked good. But the offense? Oh, the woeful offense. Philip looks awful and our receiving corps is miserable. I really hate to say it, but I don’t think the Rivers we hoped for is there...and he never will be. After last year’s body of work and this partial season, there is no other conclusion than to say that he does not have it. He seems to have lost his edge mentally...yelling at teammates, bad body language, no leadership. In addition, Mathews simply cannot get out of his own head and Norv keeps taking him out when things matter (the last drive, the 4^th and 1 play, etc.). This is the guy we let Sproles go for? And you won’t use him. Once again, he seems to be terribly mis-managed.

So, folks, it is a sorry affair. Later in the night you saw the Broncos demolish Golden Drew and the Saints and stamp themselves as the best team in the AFC West and one of the top teams in the conference. There is no question who the best team in our division is. I looked at this string of games in last week’s missive: Cleveland, KC, Tampa..and thought that looked like 3 wins. Guess I was wrong.

People...as we move deeper into irrelevance, let me just say this again. I know it hurts, but you must hope for the worst. Scorched earth, baby. It’s the only way.

BOLT ANALYSIS: AN ALMIGHTY THUD

At 8:14 PM last night, I took my dog for a walk. This was precisely one minute after Rivers threw the second of what would be 4 interceptions on this night. It was precisely one minute after the ANALYSIS (and I’m not proud of it) gave up on the Chargers. Certainly gave up for the game, despite the fact we still led, and possibly gave up for the season. Last night was the most embarrassing loss I can recall. We have been roundly spanked before, of course, but leading 24-0 at home on Monday Night Football...and losing...it has never been done before.  And that is a fact....in the history of the NFL, no team has come back from a 24-0 deficit and won by double digits. Only twice in the history of Monday Night Football has a team come back from a 24-0 deficit and won at all...and never at on the Road.  It was a game that could have eliminated some ghosts, a game to put us on the NFL Map again, a game to take complete control of our season and Division going into a bye week.  Instead, it became a horror show that defines the sad state that the Chargers have become.

The differences between the first and second half was truly stunning. The game began with a couple of three and outs and then Denver decided to begin showering us with gifts.  A fumbled punt...3 points.  A fumbled kick-off....7 points.  A receiver open by 25 yards stumbles on a gopher hole or something and falls down on his way to the end zone. Seconds later, Quentin Jammer goes the other way for 80 yards (is he the slowest cornerback in the League or what?)..another 7 points. We were up 17-0 and Manning had barely touched the ball.  Add in a nice stop or two on Defense and a beautiful drive to finish the first half, ending in an awesome Gates TD, and we were up 24-0. Manning took a knee to end the half, the crowd was nuts, things were great. Complete control.

Don’t you wish you could have a recording of what was said in that locker room at halftime?  You had to know Manning and the Broncos would come out swinging. What is it that the coaches and player-captains are NOT saying? How could this team come out and play the single worst half of football in the Norv-Rivers era? I wish I knew. We had six possessions in the second half, they led to 5 turnovers and 1 punt. After Manning led his boys to a nice TD drive on their first possession...we answered. We answered with a 6 minute drive that had moved into field goal range. It was a great drive, good mix of runs and passes.  A score there (even a field goal) and we take back momentum and keep a nice big lead. Instead, Rivers stands like an oak tree in the pocket and has the ball knocked out of his hand. No Charger can recover it, and the Broncos go the other way for a TD. The ANALYSIS (who sometimes struggles with pessimism) turns to the family and says, “This game is over, we will lose”. Mind you, we have a 24-14 lead at this point. But, the ANALYSIS just knows. A three and out, another Manning TD drive, another interception...and then, my walk with my dog in the dark.

There it was again, followers, the point of adversity. In the Saints game, it occurred when a defensive TD for us turned into a penalty and a long drive for them. In the Broncos game, when the defensive TD woke up Denver, we still could answer. We still could slap them right back. The good teams do. Instead, much like last week....it was roll over and die time. Again.

Who do we blame, folks? I just wish there were only one thing.  The blame rests, once again, in every corner. There is zero leadership and inspiration on this team. From the GM to the Coach to the QB to the Defense.  We have no on-field or off- field leadership. Did Peyton Manning play wonderfully well last night. Not really...he played well, but not world-beating. But he led. He was a leader and he made plays. He brought his team out in the second half down 24-0 and kept them going. Another ghost from Charger past rubbing our face in our own filth. How about our QB?  Rivers had his worst game as a pro. Four interceptions and 2 fumbles, 2 returned for Touchdowns. Bad throws, bad reads. Look folks, I’m going to say it here. We are so inextricably hitched to this guy it is scary...and he has lost a step. He simply cannot throw the deep ball anymore and he simply cannot move. Go back and watch those three interceptions....all three of them were underthrown to guys who were in back of the defense. All three. I am not saying all three should have been completed, but they should not have been intercepted. Terrible throws. The two fumbles were a result of utter lack of awareness and immobility. Now, the line did not play well late in the game, but Rivers has no clue were anyone is. He is falling down before he is touched or waiting too long to be nailed. It is embarrassing. He was featured this week in articles in Sports Illustrated and Sporting News. The court of public opinion is trying to put him back up there with the “elite”. He, and his 6 kids, and his religion, and his “aw shucks” attitude. Look, I have been in Philip’s camp for years, and I really like the guy, but facts are facts. And he is bad right now. Very, very bad.

What is worse however is that I can say nothing positive about our team. Even though Gates looked great in the first half and Butler and Weddle were good for a while, these are 60 minute games. What can we hang our hat on people? Nothing. Let’s review the top 5 “ANALYSIS keys to the season”.

1. It is all about Rivers

2. Where is Mathews?

3. Jared Gaither’s back?

4. Getting off the field on third downs (pass rush)

5. Getting off the field on third downs (secondary)

How have we done through 6 games? Uh...you answer that one for me.

So, in an attempt to inject some hope into the situation (it was a theme for this year you know) I will say the following. We have a bye this week (thank God). We are 3-3 and tied for our Division lead. We then play Cleveland, Kansas City, and Tampa Bay before taking on Manning again. Can we get on a roll? Who the hell knows? But maybe. Maybe we can.

Now that the glimmer (fools gold?) of hope has been discussed, let’s be pragmatic. It is too early to call for the Fire Norv and AJ Movement (FNAAJM). Still too early. Let’s wait until after the next game against Denver...and see where we stand. OK? Everyone cool with that? My guess is that after that game, if you drive by the ANALYSIS’ household, you will see a lawn sign stating: “Yes on the FNAAJM”.

BOLT ANALYSIS: WE ARE NOT THAT TEAM

Wouldn’t it be nice if we were THAT team? You know, the one that spoils the party. The one that you don’t look forward to playing. The one that brutalizes you from kickoff to kneel down. The one that makes plays when the chips are down. It is a foregone conclusion, unfortunately, with our Bolts, that they are not THAT team. They will play down to expectations. They will allow themselves to drop to the level of their competition. It is a cliché (but isn’t most of the sports world), but this is a team without a dagger. Just when they are poised for the kill shot, they stand their opponent back up, dust them off, and send them on their way. A frustrating story, followers, but a story we have read many, many times before.

Last night’s primetime showdown against the Saints had all the makings of a Charger loss. Golden-boy Brees going for the consecutive games with a TD record...the Saints trying to win their first of the year at home, the Brees and Sproles against their former team angle. Even though the Saints were 0-4, they were favored at home and most everyone was picking them to prevail. This should outrage the Chargers, and it should outrage you as fans. But, gee, whatever, we don’t really expect to win, do we?  By the way we played...no, we do not.

This is a game we should have won. Period. I really don’t care much about how good Brees is, and his bevy of talented receivers.....that team is not very good overall. They have no running game, their defense is terrible, and they don’t tackle very well. The Chargers moved the ball well in the first half with a balanced attack and some big plays. Finally, Meacham found his way out of the witness protection program and made a couple nice TD catches. Finally, Mathews was given the ball and showed us (once again) that he has the potential to be very, very good. Finally, our defense seemed to be getting to Brees a bit, flustering him, getting him out of stride. Even though the halftime lead was only 17-14, you had to feel optimistic looking ahead.  When Jammer intercepted Brees early in the 3^rd and Mathews went flying into the end zone a few plays later, it seemed that we had unsheathed the dagger and were ready to plunge it in.  We got that chance later in the period, when rookie Melvin Ingram flew at Brees and forced another bad throw, this one right to Denorrio Williams, who returned it to the end zone...31-14 Bolts...dagger plunged into the throat of Drew and the Saints. But no. In typical Charger fashion, Ingram lowered his head and hit with his helmet. Drawing a 15 yard penalty and giving the Saints a spark. Five plays later it was 24-21. Momentum gone. Dagger broken. Such a frustrating way that the game turned. If Ingram had simply used his hands to push Drew...lifted his head 4 inches...or hit 2 inches lower....most likely it would have been game over.

But I don’t want to talk about that. That is too easy a cop out. What is exceptional not a bad-luck call or play but how a team steps up when something bad happens. The good teams shake off Ingram’s mistake, and come flying again. They make a new good play. This team? Well, this team rolls over and dies.  After that point, the wheels came off. The defense had no push, the linebackers starting get rolled by their running backs, the secondary started tackling like Lily’s gymnastics class. The offense went away from what was working (Mathews) and started taking unnecessary shots downfield. Norv started coaching scared, the players started playing scared. The referees started calling phantom penalties. The same, old, tired song folks. It is nothing new.

Even with all the pratfalls, and a horrible interception by Rivers, they were still only down a touchdown with more than 2 minutes to go. But, suddenly the Saints terrible pass rush started looking like the 1986 Bears...demolishing Rivers and hurrying him on every play. Add in some awful calls on the Chargers (Gates’ pass interference call was an utter joke) and there you have it...another bad comeback attempt. We used to be a good two minute offense. Now, I have zero belief that we will win when the chips are down. That pessimism aside, let’s look at three primary reasons for the loss:

1. Decision making in the red-zone. We had a first and goal at the 3 yard line. Mathews was rolling. Yet Norv calls two pass plays. Both of them could have been caught...but the point is...you are steamrolling them...why go away from it? This was a sure TD that ended up 3 points. Also, Philip took two miserable sacks with his team in good field goal range. Both of them were instances where he had time and his extreme lack of mobility led him to not even be able to throw the ball away. Don’t think this is a small deal. This ended up in a punt and a long field goal try which missed. So, three trips into the scoring area...and a total of only 3 points. Cannot do that. I blame Philip and I blame Norv.

2. Third downs. There it is again. We cannot get teams off the field. When their excellent tight end Graham went down, we had a huge chance. Lance Moore was already not playing. That left Marques Colston as their one true playmaker. Well, Colston so completely took apart Jammer, Cason, and Gilchrist...it was a joke. He caught 3 TDs...and made them all look silly. What happened to the pass rush in the second half? More importantly, how bad is our secondary? (Hint: really bad).

3. Offensive Line. Look, we racked up a ton of yards...lots of first downs...and converted some nice plays. But our line got gassed and was awful in the second half. Gaither was excellent early but visibly tired late and got hurt right at the end. Cris Collingsworth called him out on that last play, saying he could not move, and the ANALYSIS was yelling at the television screen...warning of pending doom. Sure enough, a sack ended the game as Gaither moved as fast as a sack of pea gravel to make a block. How is it that the coaching staff does not see this? How is it that Gaither does not call himself out? They had a stoppage. Come on man, you are not helping your team. They had two cracks at the end zone there at least. Guess what? You think this might end up in a little time off for the big man? I hope not, but.......

Look, we can nitpick all we like. And we can blame the refs if we like. But the truth is this team has no killer instinct. It has not had one in years. This game was there for the taking. We were the 3-1 team, they were 0-4 for a reason. Yet we played like we are lucky to be there.

OK, OK. I’m back from the brink. In the scheme of things, this loss is not that big of a deal. We are still up a game in the West. It is a loss to a NFC team, which does not hurt as much come the tiebreakers and whatnot at the end of the year. We have one more game before our bye week..and it is a whopper. We go home to face the Denver Mannings next week on Monday Night Football. The Denver game is probably three times as important as our stinging loss last night. We win that game, and we have control of the West at 3-0 in the Division and 4-0 in the AFC. But, as you know followers, those are excuses and that is Norvspeak. You get 16 games, guys.  You need to bring it. Just once, I would like to be the team that reaches out, grabs Golden Drew by the throat, and squeezes, watching the life (and the ghost of Johnny Unitas) ebb out of his body.   Sorry for the graphics, but it is almost Halloween. Don’t you wish we could be THAT team? Someday?

BOLT ANALYSIS: ARE THEY WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE?

I am confused, followers, by how this season is unfolding.  A useful way to view the NFL’s 16 game season is by quarters.  Yesterday’s sloppy affair marks the end of the first quarter of 2012 and I must say I really do not have a strong read on our Boyz yet.  I would love to look at our 3-1 record, complete with two road wins over divisional opponents, and be filled with promise and optimism. At the same time, it would also be easy to look at the silver platter KC handed us yesterday and focus too much on what we did NOT do in that game.  As usual, the ANALYSIS dwells amongst the grey areas...trying to sniff out the truth in a wild mashup of conflicting messages.

Arrowhead Stadium is a hard place to play. It’s loud, raucous, and filled with red-jerseyed maniacs. The Chiefs made sure yesterday, however, to issue a gag order to their fans by handing the ball to the white team over and over again. I have never heard that place so quiet. Every time the home team did something positive, they gave it right back. The Chiefs were coming off a win against New Orleans on the road and looked like they might be poised to overcome a bad 0-2 start and pull even with the Bolts. The first drive from San Diego quashed some of that however...with the Chargers moving effectively down the field to score on a nice inside route to Eddie Royal. That drive was stellar...Gates drawing flags and looking dangerous...Jackie Battle booming down the middle...and a bunch of guys getting involved. An interception on the ensuing Chiefs drive led to a field goal (more on this later) and another Chiefs fumble put us squarely in control. The crowd was dead, the Chiefs were pressing, and Norv was smiling his secret smile. Just like that, you looked up and the score was 20-0. That is when things took a turn that had the ANALYSIS squirming despite the lead.

Look, guys, let’s be real. This game should have been utterly out of control by half time. The Chiefs gave us the ball 5 times (!!) in the half. The Chargers were in position to blow the game open after another Chiefs turnover. In the red zone, a field goal or a TD at this point would be crushed the life out of the Chiefs. But Philip threw an awful pass that was intercepted and a few big plays later the score was 20-6 instead of something else.  There is a lot about that play that upset me:  1) it was a bad decision, 2) a bad throw, 3) minimum pressure, 4) Meacham was the intended receiver, 5) once again, the Chargers could not fire the silver bullet through the head of an opponent. Philip was bailed out by the fact that the next drive was a Donald Butler interception return for a TD. But, the writing is there for all to see. Philip just does not look great. For every great read and perfect throw (and he had a couple of lasers yesterday) Rivers mixes in some headscratchers.  How about the 3^rd and 1 forced throw into the endzone that should have been picked off (also to Meacham)? How about the completely poor intentional grounding play with minimum pressure.  Look, I know I am quibbling here...but one needs to embrace the fact that these are mistakes that will lose games when the games are close. I have always been a fan of Philip’s, and I am figuring that his brain freezes are the result of a bad running game and an incomplete O-line...but a pattern is a pattern and we need to hope it stops. Perhaps as alarming is the utter lack of continuity between Meacham and Rivers. Meacham was supposed to be our #1. He cannot get open, cannot get separation, and has caught exactly 6 balls in 4 games with no touchdowns. Philip has thrown two interceptions when trying to force it to him. This is a problem.

OK, OK. I’m off the ledge. We won 37-20 for gosh sakes...lighten up! There were a lot of good things in this game.  First and foremost, our defense looks faster, meaner, and better positioned. Jammal Charles is a great back..very fast...and he scored a few times. But, this really was a function of the fact that he made crazy runs than any problem on the part of our defense. Our defensive line led by V. Martin, Luiget, and Kendall Reyes looks physical and active. Donald Butler is the best player on the team right now, and our linebackers are hitting hard and in the right place. Weddle and Bigby seem to have chemistry back in the safety zone. Overall very impressive, and you have to believe that these young guys have some additional strides to take.  My only beef with the D:  Antoine Cason. What the hell, man? This is a contract year for Cason...he was a first round pick who is coming to the end of his rookie contract.  This is the time when he needs to make an impression. Weddle did it, earning huge $$ by having a great contract year. Philip did it, Gates did it, Gaither did it, Jammer did it years ago. This is his chance to get paid as they say. Well, he is not going to get his dough with a few more games like this. Despite an interception and a few passes defensed, Cason played really, really soft yesterday. Dwayne Bowe is a good receiver...but he worked over Cason time and again. The TD pass at the end with a huge lead was unforgiveable. Just a meltdown. I have tried to be in this guy’s corner..but that was painful. There I go...bitching again! Really...that is the last time....

What a surprise to see Gaither back in at left tackle after a few days of practice. The phantom back injury is gone? Wow. This is just a weird situation. Plain and simple. But, I am not going to waste time wondering what is up with this. He is back in there, and despite some sloppy play when he got tired, he looked pretty darn good. Welcome back...I hope you decide to stay Jared.

And, how about Mathews? Relegated to backing up Jackie Battle after his fumble last week, Ryan got better as the game went on. Despite how hard Battle, Brinkley, and Ronnie Brown have played...the team is just flat better with Ryan back there. He is a weapon. Norv will work him in. I just hope he can hold on to the ball and keep his bones from breaking. You hold your breath every time he gets the ball. Improvement may be a week away. I hope so.

So, one quarter of the season in the books. That was fast. Just think, it we can duplicate that quarter in each of the coming quarters...we will be 12-4. Sweet. But, much like the stock market, you just cannot count on that. Facts are facts, we are 2-0 in the division with both wins on the road. That is great. We travel to New Orleans next week to face the 0-4 Saints. Crazy. Drew and Sproley are going to be gunning for us. Can we really keep the Saints winless? I hope so. I think we are beginning to be a full team. Gaither and Mathews back in the fold helps a lot. Keeping guys healthy will be paramount. Much like last year, we are off the grid, as the media focus on the Texans and the Falcons and what is wrong with the Lions and the Saints and what is right (or wrong) with the referees. Fine with me, keep it quiet boyz, let’s keep it going.