BOLT ANALYSIS -- WOULD YOU LIKE FRIES WITH THAT?

EDITORS NOTE: This week’s version of the BOLT ANALYSIS was nearly cancelled due to apathy. The game was blacked out and the ANALYSIS was busy at Disneyland for much of the day. However, it has gotten to the point where the ANALYSIS reads much like a Danielle Steel novel(?)...it pretty much writes itself. Given that, this abbreviated version comes your way.  As Ms. Steele must say to herself over and over again, “Well, as long as they keep readin’ it...I’ll keep writin’ it”.

The Bolts yesterday did not deviate from the script. Like a good soap opera actor, or a cook at Jack in the Box, they keep churning out the same consistent fare at every opportunity. I have written it before but the games are all blending together now. Yesterday’s loss to the BengalsRavensBroncos looked a lot like previous losses to the BuccaneersBrownsSaints. You really cannot tell them apart. It starts with a bit of good defense, some stout tackling, add in some inept rushing, some good ground-gaining passing for flavor, and some turnovers for spice. What you have at that point as you put it into the over is a tenuous 4^th quarter lead.  But, as all cooks at Jack in the Box know, it’s the added ingredients at the end that will kill you. And, we are forced to endure the late addition of the bonecrushing sacks, fumbles, mistakes, and interceptions that are the Hallmark of this team. And thus, you have the finished product. It is not fat free.

Another 4^th quarter lead...blown. Another home game loss...this one without a single offensive touchdown. Another game with zero running game (Mathews 9 carries for 26 yards). Another game with a defense that can play ¾ of a game, but can never do the right thing when it counts. Another game with a stunning display of ineptitude at the end by our Quarterback and leader. Another game where injuries mount and show glaring weakness.

We are there folks! We have reached that point of the season where we cannot, not with any mathematical possibility, have a winning record. The best we can do (until next week at Pittsburgh) is 8-8. I think Norv is done. Even if we do finish 8-8, I think this should be enough to start over with a new coach. Next week, we leave San Diego, where we have featured two consecutive blacked out losses, and we go to Pittsburgh. We have not beaten Pittsburgh since the 1994 AFC Championship Game it seems (pause for moment of blissful reflection). We cannot stop here, Followers, we must keep losing! It is the only way to get rid of AJ Smith and attempt to be born again. Tough Love. Don’t forget it. Even when those bits of caring seep back in. Be Strong. Drink the Kool Aid. It is not easy to do, but we must.

Since I have nothing to talk about re: the BOLTS. How about a brief discussion of two other Sports topics that may be of interest?

1) The LA Galaxy won the MLS Cup again on Saturday for the second consecutive year. We were in attendance for the second straight year, and brother Jonas and kids got a taste of it as well. A fun game and a deserved win (if poorly officiated). This was David Beckham’s last game with the Galaxy. I was skeptical when he joined the team 6 years ago. The media hoopla was so absolute, it was shocking to me. And, he hardly played early on. The first two years were dismal, then he went on loan to Milan. It was not until his 4^th year that he really consistently played for the team. And, in typical Beckham fashion, he goes out with back to back Championships.  In the final analysis, I think that the hoopla was justified. The numbers don’t lie....attendance skyrocketed wherever he played, merchandise is through the roof, the League has signed lucrative TV deals with the major networks and overseas networks. Interest around the world increased. Perhaps most importantly however, the MLS has made decisions that have helped that are unrelated to the name recognition of one player. They have pushed for soccer-only stadiums. They have moved into soccer hotbeds such as Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, and created fun rivalries. The MLS has a long way to go....but with the help of Becks....it is a solid and legitimate League and here to stay.

2) The Oregon Ducks. My Boys in Green are the only team in the Country to play in 4 consecutive BCS games. The Ducks averaged 49 points a game this year....yet inexplicably fell down at home against Stanford and scored only 14 in a 3 point overtime loss. This slip cost them a shot at the National Championship game for the second time in three years. Just writing that sentence would have been laughable a few years ago, much less in 1994 when I was going to school there. What a program they have become! I would have loved to have seen them take on Notre Dame in the Championship this year. Instead, they get an exciting matchup against Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl. They will likely lose their mad scientist coach Chip Kelly at the end of the year, but these last four years, with a 44-7 record, a Rose Bowl Win, a National Championship loss in the last few seconds....it has been quite a run.

BOLT ANALYSIS: PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

It is far beyond the physical now. The Bolts 2012 season has reached the metaphysical...or at very least...the paranormal. Paranormal is a general term (coined ca. 1915–1920^[1][2]) that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation"^[3] or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure.^[  The ability to fail exhibited by the Chargers is amazing and, in the end, can only be described as paranormal. We have often said, here on the sage pages of the ANALYSIS, that we defy any fan of another team to demonstrate more painful and brutalizing methods of losing than our Bolts. That challenge still stands. Yesterday, we saw one that defied logic to an extent only seen since.....well....a few weeks ago against the Broncos.  That 35-unaswered-point comeback by Denver a few weeks ago was Epic. Yesterday’s loss, however, was equally crazy.  While the 35 point give-up to Denver may have been painful, it was over a period of an entire half of football. This one yesterday was one play. One play that, in itself, describes the mystic level our loser-ness has reached.

But first we must set the table. Yesterday’s game was blacked out here in the Southern California region. How many of you cared? How many of you even saw the game? Because we get Direct TV’s Sunday Ticket, we have the Red Zone Channel. And because the Red Zone Channel does not care about blackouts, and because there were only three afternoon games, we got to see the majority of the game. Lucky Us.

For three and a half quarters yesterday, the Chargers played a good game. Their defense held the Ravens to next to nothing with a mix of sure tackling, good pass defense (amazing!) and a decent pass rush that resulted in a handful of sacks. Our depleted offense (more on that later) even drove the ball well a couple of times, with Rivers hitting Denario Alexander for a few good ones, and Malcom Floyd grabbing a TD pass. A 10-0 lead at the half was a good result. Rivers played smart. No turnovers, threw the ball away when he needed to, took sacks when he had no choice. The other shoe did not drop until much later, with the Bolts holding on to a 13-3 4^th quarter lead. Now, before we go any further, the Ravens are fancied as a pretty good team. Even with some major injuries on defense, they have a good record, have beaten some good teams, and seem to play to their strengths. For whatever reason, the Bolts always play the Ravens hard. Last year the Ravens came to Qualcomm red-hot and the Bumbling Bolts killed them...winning easily. It seemed that this year might be the same. It was 13-3 and the Ravens were not moving the ball. But, we are in the land of the other shoe dropping so you knew it would. A long drive and a touchdown made it 13-10 but we fought on, bringing the game and its defining moment just after the two-minute warning.

A penalty, a sack and fumble, and generally very good defense had put the Ravens in a 4^th down and 29 to go from their own 35 yard line.  Just had to stop them from getting 29 yards. They could get 10-15-20 or even 25 and it would have been OK. Just not 29. Well, you know what happened by now. A little flip screen to Ray Rice and you thought, OK, he will get some yards but our linebackers will be back there at about the 20 yard mark waiting for him. Uh, no. Our players were BEHIND the first down marker, except for the ones who “pass rushed” and were out of the play. Ray Rice gained 30 yards on the play. You really cannot draw this stuff up. Even though the ANALYSIS felt the spot was terrible, you cannot script it. The look on Norval’s face said it all. And, being Charger fans, you knew what was next. A drive for a game-tying field goal. Check. Offensive ineptitude in Overtime. Check. Giving up a game winning drive. Check.

I’m not going to talk about player performance, because none of you care anymore. All I have seen in my inbox from any of you lately is a tumbleweed blowing by and a silent, cold wind. I’m also not going to talk about what they can do differently next week. Because I understand that they have a number of new injuries and these are to key players like Donald Butler, Eric Weddle, and others. We have already lost Jared Gaither to season-ending Injured Reserve. Good riddance. I am not sure if they put him on IR because he really can’t play anymore this year, or because they are sick of dealing with him. Regardless, he is a bust and was a terrible decision. With Gaither and fellow starter Tyronne Green out, we had a hideous offensive line and we will have this same line for the rest of the year. Uh Oh. We are going to see a bunch of fill-ins from here on out.

I know now that we are all just focused on losing. Losing now for a better chance of winning later. That is our hope as fans now, although it is a dangerous hope. We are 4-7. I said early in the season it would take a losing record to get rid of Norv. I still think that and I think it is going to take more than just losses to get rid of AJ. We are embarrassing and are being treated as such in the media. I really do believe it will take losses of this caliber to truly blow things up. A tight OT loss to the Ravens gives the Spanos family too much fuel to say “the guys are still playing hard”. A give-up on 4^th and 29 puts it in a different realm. We need to stay in that realm folks...the paranormal realm. It is painful to watch, but as we have discussed, it is tough love, and it is needed.

BOLT ANALYSIS: AJ 2013-GET OUT THE VOTE!

It is official. The Bolts are broken. As if any of you did not already know that, the pathetic display at Denver yesterday was the exclamation point. Don’t let the final score of 30-23 fool you. This was a beatdown, plain and simple. We have no working parts right now on offense, and it is safe to say now that nearly every decision made by our General Manager in the offseason (and the past several seasons) was wrong. The ANALYSIS always waits for a reliable sample of information before drawing conclusions. Ten games into the season, I think we know what we have. We have won 4 games, and those have come against Kansas City (2), Oakland, and Tennessee. That earns the Chargers the worst strength of schedule mark in the League. We have lost 6 games, including two to in-conference rivals The Mannings. The last several losses have been so woeful that the ANALYSIS has actually struggled with new content on a weekly basis (hard to believe!). I try, followers, I try to find a nugget of hope in these games. I try to find something interesting to say. It is not easy. But, the ANALYSIS must soldier on, at least until the end of this season. We all have our mission, and I will deliver, unlike our sad franchise.

I can begin with something bright-ish to talk about. The Defense started the game well....tackling nicely, controlling Manning. When Gilchrist deflected a pass into Weddle’s arms and we went up 7-0...you had to feel kinda’ good, right? It was against the run of play, for sure, but you had to feel OK. They continued to play hard throughout the first quarter, but, slowly, inexorably, the Mannings began to move. A touchdown to tie the score. An interception by Rivers. Another score. And another. And, after halftime, another.  Before you really knew it (and I was outside in the hot tub and playing a little soccer in the back yard for part of it) the game was 24-7. Yet, it really was not just the fact that we were down that far. It was the fact that we had the following on offense: 9 punts, 1 interception, and 1 fumble in 11 possessions. That, folks, is about as bad as I have EVER seen our offense. Every piece is inoperable.  Rivers looks hideous, the offensive line is abysmal, Mathews cannot get a seam anywhere, the receivers cannot get open. Nothing. Nada.

A nice play by Shawn Phillips for a safety gave us a little life, and a TD made it look respectable. But another Rivers interception and another Rivers fumble kept us out of it. The late-game heroics of Denario Alexander notwithstanding (and he really has been great), it was amazing that the final differential was only a TD. We were blown up folks.

So, we now must begin the campaign in earnest to fire AJ Smith and start over. I think even with a, say, 6-10 finish, it is not a sure thing that we fire EITHER Norv or AJ. I give it a 50/50 chance. Now, I hear your squeals of outrage. But, think about it, the Chargers are owned by the Spanos Family. Key positions within the organization are held by Spanos Spawn. Positions such as Director of Scouting and other managerial spots. The Bizarre Love Triangle of Dean Spanos/Norv Turner/AJ Smith will be difficult to break up. It is always difficult to dump a lover, much less two. The ANALYSIS has always struggled with that himself. But, just for kicks, let’s (briefly) look at the horses AJ has hitched himself to:

Jared Gaither – Given huge contract despite history of injuries and inconsistency. Uh....missed 6 of 10 games and played spotty in the others. This was a huge risk, because AJ enlisted no depth at the position, and it has backfired.

Robert Meacham – Given big contract to be the Team’s #1 Receiver. Probably the worst pick up of all. A joke of a player who clearly flourished in the Saints spread offense but is dismal in Turner’s offense.

Jarrett Johnson – Given big contract to be starter as outside linebacker. Solid player. That’s it.

Eddie Royal – Given big contract to be #1 slot receiver and punt returner. Been invisible and cannot seem to get open. Not part of the offense.

Malcom Floyd – Given big contract extension for being a nice guy and a decent player. Never has shown consistency as a #1 option. He is a good #2 or 3, at best.

Ryan Mathews – Mortgaged entire draft three years ago to move up and grab Ryan. In his third year, he is healthy now yet has scored only 1 touchdown rushing and is average at best. Won’t call him a bust yet, but we are getting there.

Larry English – Former #1 draft pick who is just not a good player. Utterly overmatched as a professional athlete.

Philip Rivers – Yep, I have to say it. AJ’s career with the Chargers will be defined by Philip Rivers. He jettisoned Brees to keep him and he has given him the massive contract. Philip has responded by regressing tremendously. However, he is our QB through the 2015 season at this point. He clearly does not trust his protection, does not trust his receivers, and does not trust Mathews. The schemes that Norv has created no longer have the confidence of the team leaders and that is not good. There were entire seasons where Philip took the team on his back and won games. It is a shame they did not have their current (decent) defense during those years. They may have done well. All we can hope for is a new regime and a new system that energizes Philip and brings back some confidence. Otherwise, we are in for many more painful games.

Now, let’s review the obvious players he has cast away for reasons known only to him.

Darren Sproles – Let me see if I have the math correct:  Pay Darren $7 million a year as franchise tag player for two years then balk at a $14 million contract for 4 years guaranteed? Yep, makes sense to me. Without this security blanket, Philip Rivers has been lost.

Vincent Jackson – Despite holdout and some bad behavior, bottom line is that he is an elite receiver who is clutch and doing good work in Tampa. Sometimes you need to swallow your ego and sign a guy. This was that guy. Again, made Philip a MUCH better quarterback.

So, OK, even if Spanos gets it right and starts over, we are in bed with all of these guys for a long time unless new Management decides we can cut bait and move on (recommended).

Thus ends my campaign to fire AJ. If you agree, please vote. We need to take at least one red state to make this happen. I’m not sure if any of my readers live in a red state but you know who you are. This is a sad chapter folks, and I fear things will get sadder before they improve. But, in traditional ANALYSIS fashion, I will end on a positive note. This week is Thanksgiving, and the Bolts do not play on Thursday. This will give you all time to give thanks for what you have, and not have your digestion and family time spoiled by the Chargers. Have a nice Holiday!

BOLT ANALYSIS: THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME

This is getting easy to write. Too easy.

I have always viewed the ANALYSIS much like a pelagic shark...it must move forward at all times or it dies. Right now, I feel a sense of déjà vu each time the ANALYSIS takes shape. Like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, the same thing keeps happening over and over again. I can take a previous ANALYSIS, penned months or even years ago, dust it off, and place it in front of you. It goes a little something like this:

Chargers start fast, make some nice plays, score some points. Quarterback is hot. Defense seems solid enough. Bonehead play sets Chargers back. Team cannot react, cannot stop the bleeding. Coaching flies out the window, team continues to try but continues to make bad plays. Team begins falling apart and makes fatal Bonehead play. Last ditch effort falls woefully short. Team loses.

That is pretty much it (of course it would be written in far more elegant prose).  And that pretty much sums up what happened last Sunday against the Buccaneers. Again, people, I did not root for a Charger loss. I cannot do it. But, when the game ended, I have to tell you that I was not upset. Embarrassed, yes. A little down in the dumps, sure. But not upset. Like Churchill in the war room, followers, we must concede the battle to win the war. We are now 4-5 and I have never heard Charger nation call for Norv’s head so clearly and widely. There is finality to it now; it seems that everyone knows that each loss puts us closer to a new head coach. Will this be the answer?  In the short term, I doubt it, we have many problems. And, quite frankly, replacing the coach alone will not help me rest easier. AJ must go too. More on that in a moment, let’s (briefly) talk about the game.

The Chargers started nicely with a 80 yard TD pass to new pick up Denario Alexander. Please tell me how a guy off the street, with little or no practice, can become our best receiver in a matter of days. When we just spent big money on Robert Meacham (4 year contract), Eddie Royal (3 years), and Malcom Floyd (3 years)?  It is amazing to me. But there it is, and we were up 7. Following a long and sustained Tampa Bay drive featuring their nifty running back Doug Martin and old friend Vincent Jackson, the score was tied. But we kept hurling the ball downfield, with Rivers finding Gates, Floyd, and Alexander on more nice passes. Tampa Bay has the worst passing defense in the League, and one of the best rushing defenses. We kept trying with Ryan Mathews, but it was tough sledding for him. The passing game was almost too easy, with the Bolts nailing a bunch of third down conversions and Philip hitting Gates on a nice TD.

The boys were playing well, and the defense was tightened up, when, there it came....the first bonehead play. Special teams have been a bright spot this year for the Bolts, but when Corey Lynch made a grievous error and left his man to hit a guy far on the outside, he opened up about the easiest punt block in the last decade. Scifres got mugged, and it was a Tampa Bay TD. Just like that. But, the Bolts went back to hurling the ball, and put together a fantastic drive to end the half. A late TD to Floyd and we had the lead going into the half. Rivers was on fire. Bonehead Play #1 did not kill us.

But Bonehead Play #2 did. After a long Tampa Drive put them up 24-21, we were driving again and were around their 20-25 yard line. On third down, Rivers rolled right (never a good thing) and was trotting toward the sideline, when he threw probably the worst pass I have ever seen. I know, I know. Hyperbole. But, really, I defy you to show me a worse pass attempt. He was two feet from the sideline, he could have stepped over, thrown the ball away, or fell down. Any of those would have led to about a 38-40 yard field goal attempt to tie what was a close game. Instead, he dinked one right into the stomach of the surprised rookie corner who started running the other way. It looked like a play in the back yard where you throw one to your kid on accident to make them feel good about their “interception”.  Nobody really knew what to say about it. The commentators...or the ESPN analysts hours later. When Philip said, “I just released it earlier than I wanted too”...he lost me. That is one where the answer to the question is, “I have no idea what I did but I cost my team the game”.  There is no other answer.

When Philip threw another interception late in the game (when the Chargers still had a chance mind you) one could only conclude that the team had once again rolled over and died. This now makes three losses where the Chargers had a lead in the second half. No finish in these guys. And, the sad thing is, they controlled super rookie Doug Martin, and they controlled Vincent Jackson. Neither of those guys did much. But when you give the other team  Pick 6, a blocked punt for a TD, and another pick to set up a field goal...you are spotting them a 17-0 lead. Not gonna win that way. Philip provided highlight reel stuff early, but two of the worst throws ever in the second half. He has the worst QB rating in the 4^th quarter of any QB in the League. That is why we are losing. Our best player is just not playing well.

So, what now? Well, on to Denver...where the red hot Mannings lie in wait. Speaking purely mathematically, a win here by Denver pretty much ends the “race” in the AFC West. That would give Denver a three game lead on us and a sweep in hand for tiebreaker purposes. But, this really does not matter...because we have now lost to the Browns and the Buccaneers and we are circling the drain.

So, on to AJ. Apparently AJ stood outside the tunnel as the Chargers filed off the field after the game. He was looking into the eyes of all the players as they left, not saying anything. What is this about? Some strange “test” of loyalty? Is he judging them....seeing who is sad and who is not sad enough? Is he checking on their demeanor? Is he making sure they have not taken their shirts off? What the hell? This is yet another reason why this silent, brooding, jerk just has to go. The problem is that what will be needed at the end of the year is a bloodletting. The play we have seen from guys like Gaither (who did not play and has missed 5 of 9 games), Meacham, and many others cannot be tolerated, yet my fear is that AJ’s ego will not allow him to cut a guy he just signed to a 4 year contract. That is why both a new coach AND a new Manager are needed. Because we need someone with the guts to change the system...and the culture. It won’t happen with just a coach.

As you remember, my theme for this season of the ANALYSIS was hope and positivity. Uh.......that is not easy......so I will hope for better days in the future. Days with a new attitude, days where the team is fun to watch again, days where the team might lack talent, but plays with heart. We are a broken television, followers, and when was the last time you took a TV in for repairs. Gotta buy a new one.

BOLT ANALYSIS: A TREE IN THE WOODS

Do you remember last Thursday night? What happened? You had dinner...you spent time watching your Tivo’d shows? You hung out with the kids? Did you read a book?

Last Thursday night, a tree fell in the woods somewhere near San Diego.  Nobody heard it...but it actually happened. The Chargers won a game against a moribund group called the Chiefs. It counts in the standings, but it does not count for much in any other way. However, because the ANALYSIS never sleeps, the ANALYSIS was aware of this victory and, as last week’s post foretold, there are mixed feelings.

This version of the ANALYSIS should have been sent on Friday. However, the tardy release is the result of three key factors:

1) The Breeders’ Cup happened here in Sunny Arcadia this past Friday and Saturday. This requires much attention and concentration. Gotta have priorities.

2) The Chiefs don’t count. Beating the Chiefs at home is nothing to be thrilled about.

3) We are all tired, followers, tired of a team that whipsaws our emotions and creates such frustration.

So, that is why this is late. And really...what is there to say? The Chargers played well last week. Rivers was 18-20 and threw a couple of touchdowns. Our defense opened up on the Chiefs with a couple of runbacks to blow the game open. We moved the ball, we stopped the opponent. It was an easy win. Still, even with a nice win...come the questions. How is it that at the end of the half, after a half of domination, does Rivers throw an interception in the endzone from the 1 yard line?. This lack of discipline and decision-making is beyond worrisome. The fact that the guy was 18 for 19 the rest of his passes gets muddied by that choice. Did it matter...no, not in this game. But it is emblematic of what has happened to us in recent years.  Also, how about the fact that both of our utterly ineffective “big name” free agent acquisitions:  receivers Robert Meacham and Eddie Royal, are out with injuries. Did you notice? Did you notice that kickoff returner Richard Goodman is also out? That is why Eric Weddle is returning punts (badly) and that is why we combed through the waiver wire to pick up Denario Alexander and Seyi Ajirotutu..both who made plays in the game. Oh and yeah, speaking of trees falling in the woods, were you even aware that Nate Kaeding was cut and released unceremoniously. Our “kicker forever” cast into the wilderness.

Things are weird in Charger-land folks. The starry-eyed optimists among us (do you exist?) will say we are 4-4 and right in the thick of things in the mediocre AFC. From a math standpoint, this is correct. But, our wins have come at the expense of the Raiders, Chiefs (twice), and the Titans. These three teams are, uh, not good. This coming Sunday we travel to Tampa Bay to take on the Bucs and Vincent Jackson. More worrisome than Jackson, however, is their rookie running back Doug Martin who is putting up unbelievable numbers. The fact that he is my fantasy team standout will make rooting very interesting in that game. Is Tampa Bay a good team? I don’t know. They seem to be hot and cold, trying to figure themselves out. The fact is, though, that they have won two in a row and are playing at home. They will be a test for our underachievers.

Look, followers, I have no insights today. I think last week’s win was a vision of what we don’t want to have happen. We don’t want to beat up on bad teams, lose to good ones, and finish 8-8. Because if we do that, Norv and AJ will stay. The same pattern will stay, and the same formula will be trotted out there week after week. We spoke of a scorched-earth policy last week. Beating the Chiefs easily is not scorched-earth. However, unlike the current political wranglings, we must stay on point and we must not move away from our long term goal. Which is:  Change you can Believe In.

That being said, the ANALYSIS cannot actively root for its team to lose. It is just not in me. Only here, in the sober, austere pages of the ANALYSIS, can the truth burn. If we beat the Bucs next week, we will need to begin caring again folks. And, until all hope is gone, I will continue to care.

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”.