SB Nation - Jesse Chatman

Game Preview: San Diego Chargers at Cleveland Browns

John (obviousman) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:45:46 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

Bombs Away! (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Hey fellas. Sorry about the lack of posts from me this week. It's been one of those weeks, probably because of the Thanksgiving holiday last week, where no matter how much work I did one day I never seemed to get caught up for the following day. Luckily, I finally feel caught up and things should be smooth from here one out.

As I mentioned a few days ago, this article at Dawgs By Nature does a good job of matching the teams up statistically. For me to do my usual game preview would mean just repeating a lot of what Ryan Kelsey wrote. Also, it's not as if somebody is going to be surprised at the Chargers being ranked better than the Browns in offense and defense.

So this week I thought we'd try something new.

Worst-Case Scenario

A trap game mixed with injuries. The closest thing I've found to a trap game during Norv Turner's tenure as Chargers head coach is the game in Buffalo last year. You know, the one where the power kept going out and so nobody really has any idea how the Chargers lost by 9. It's not something the Chargers are known for. They're known for being undefeated in December and hopefully that streak continues, but that doesn't mean they can't lose.

The Raiders game in week 1 is an example of how a loss could come. One or two big injuries along the offensive line and now Philip Rivers can't even get the ball out of his hand. An injury to one of the few healthy pass-rushers and suddenly Brady Quinn has 5 minutes to make every throw. Staying healthy is key today, not just for the future but for the victory.

I like the stories I read this week about Norv playing crowd noise at practice, changing practice times and generally shaking the players up to keep them focused. It sounded a lot like good coaching to me. Which brings me to....

How to avoid it: This is a young Browns team. Any time you're facing a team, late in the season, that's been this bad and is this young you have to close the door on them early. If it's 10-10 at the half, the Browns' belief in themselves will be through the roof and it could be a game lost.

The key to avoiding the trap is to not mess around in the first quarter. Throw deep. Throw to Antonio Gates on third down even though everybody knows it's coming. Don't force the run if it's not there. Treat the first half like it's the second half, and build a lead big enough that you can take most of your starters off of the field in the second half.

Best-Case Scenario

Does anybody else remember this game? It was the last game of the 2004 season, and it meant nothing to the Chargers (who had already clinched the division). Marty Schottenheimer treated it like a preseason game, keeping his starters in (minus Brees) just long enough to knock off any rust and get a lead. Then the kids/projects came in.

Malcom Floyd - 3 catches, 49 yards, 1 TD. In his first game being "active" in the NFL, the lanky kid wore number 13 and seemed to be the best WR on the field all day. He had an immediate connection with that day's starter, a young Philip Rivers.
Michael Turner - 15 rushers, 87 yards. Up to this point, Turner had carried the ball all of 5 times in his NFL career. At the end of the season, Jesse Chatman (65) and Drew Brees (53) each had more than double the amount of carries Turner had for the season. This game was the reason Chatman was not brought back.
Ryan Krause - 5 catches, 81 yards, 1 TD. Don't even get me started on Ryan Krause. I've never seen anybody dominate a game the way he did that day. Maybe it was because the Chiefs knew it meant nothing, but it seemed like nobody could bring this bruising TE down and his hands were as soft as any WR's. I had high hopes for Krause, but after this game he never seemed to be able to stay healthy long enough to make an impression in the NFL.
Philip Rivers - 5/8, 33 yards, 1 TD. In his first real NFL action (he had played in a previous game, in garbage time, and was not allowed to throw), Philip showed signs of what was to come. He was efficient, showed a strong and accurate arm, and led the team on a drive down the field for a TD before getting replaced by Doug Flutie.

That game changed a lot about the team. Floyd and Turner were finally taken seriously. Rivers showed that he was every bit as good as they thought he was. A game like this today would make me monumentally excited. By the end of the game, players like C.J. Spillman and Michael Bennett should be getting plenty of playing time. The stars of the team should feel as though they played a game in their backyard, and hopefully won't even be sore tomorrow morning.

So that's your best-case scenario. Big win, no injuries, and promise shown from some of the kids (Larry English and Vaughn Martin, we're watching you).

Dolphins dominate Bills: What they're saying a day later

Matty I — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:29:27 -0000

It's now been over 24 hours since the Dolphins dominated the Bills en route to their first win if 2009. There's been a lot written and said since then and I wanted to just highlight some of it. But first, incase you haven't heard, the Dolphins will bust out their orange jerseys on Monday night against the Jets. And yes, the Dolphins are undefeated (2-0) when wearing those gloriously ugly uniforms.

Now onto some talking points:

Don't go "Henne crazy" just yet
In his latest "Hyde Five" post, the Sun-Sentinel's Dave Hyde is quick to point out that we shouldn't "overdo Henne." Writes Hyde:

In his first start in 2007, on a cold November day at Philadelphia, John Beck completed nine of 22 passes for 109 yards. No touchdowns. No interceptions. No sacks. His running back was Jesse Chatman. His line was questionable. His leading receiver was rookie Ted Ginn Jr. (four catches, 52 yards, long of 22)

Considering Chad Henne had an extra year to get ready and a far superior supporting cast, his first start was similar to Beck’s: 14 of 22 for 115 yards, a touchdown and six sacks (two fumbles).

No one can get carried away with what he did in the 38-10 rout of a mystifyingly inept Buffalo team. You didn’t see anything new from this offense under Henne. Nor did you see any play that gave a glimpse of what he can be.

Hyde's feelings basically mirror mine on the situation. He goes on to write that Henne did "manage a good game" and "did everything he was asked." But let's be honest for a second - Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, and Miami's defense won Sunday's game - not Chad Henne.

But please don't take this the wrong way. I'm not bashing Henne. In fact, I'm complimenting him. The gameplan heading into Sunday's game was clear. The Dolphins were not going to ask Chad Henne to win them that game. But Henne could have lost them the game. Any young, inexperienced quarterback can lose you a game (just ask the Jets). To his credit, Henne never made the costly mistake. But now we have to see how he progresses and when the coaches begin to take the training wheels off of their young quarterback.

On a side note, like Hyde points out above, we can't forget that Chad Henne fumbled the ball twice on Sunday. If that was Trent Green, Cleo Lemon, John Beck, or Chad Pennington back there fumbling twice, many fans would be on his case. But I don't hear anyone killing Henne for his fumbles. But a 28 point win over a division rival tends to do that. Let's just hope he protects the football better in the future.

Offensive line needs to get better fast
I'm obviously not talking about the unit's ability to run block - they continue to get better and better every week. But their pass protection clearly needs work - and fast. The Jets come to town on Monday night with their "blitz all day, every day" mentality. The Dolphins, of course, are well aware:

Center Jake Grove and his fellow offensive linemen will have to be especially alert to Ryan's exotic fronts.

"They blitz almost every play it seems like; they're bringing guys from everywhere," Grove said Monday, a day after the Dolphins (1-3) dominated Buffalo 38-10.

"We're going to have to be great at identifying the fronts, seeing where the blitzers are and keeping our quarterback up, something we didn't do yesterday."

Almost lost in Sunday's rout were the six sacks by Buffalo. It was the most sacks by a Dolphins opponent since New England had seven while winning 28-7 in December 2007.

Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said Buffalo didn't do anything out of the ordinary on defense. He blamed his interior linemen for three sacks and said two were because of missed blocks, one by tight end Anthony Fasano and one by running back Ronnie Brown. Sparano said Henne held the ball too long on one sack.

"It goes to back to self-inflicted things," Sparano said, referring to the mistakes that led to an 0-3 start. "This isn't someone doing something to you; that is a one-on-one matchup that you did not win."

Unlike the Bills, the Jets will take an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to the pass rush. That strategy has been one of the keys to New York's surprising 3-1 start with Ryan in his first season as a head coach.

Entering Sunday's 24-10 loss at New Orleans, New York had sent added pressure 62.4 percent of the time, according to statistics compiled by ESPN. The NFL average through three games was 35.6 percent.

"They bring the heat," Dolphins guard Justin Smiley said. "It's going to be a great test for us."

Sparano makes it a point to talk about how these errors that resulted in surrendering six sacks to Buffalo were "self-inflicted" and were just "one-on-one matchups that you didn't win." But is that a good thing or a bad thing?

On one hand, it's good that it's not a scheme-related or recognition-related problem. On the other hand, it's just a case of the Dolphins linemen getting beat man to man - and by players who aren't as talented as the ones they'll face on Monday night.

Without a doubt, Miami's pass protection will be one of the most critical aspects to Monday's game. The Jets get after the quarterback play after play - and will welcome back their best pass rusher, Calvin Pace, now that he has served his four game suspension.

What will be interesting is how the Dolphins adjust their protections - if at all.

Wake needs more snaps
The Palm Beach Post's Brian Biggane brings up the obvious question following Cameron Wake's three-sack performance against the Bills. Writes Biggane:

With Joey Porter out of the lineup due to his ongoing hamstring problem, Wake got an opportunity for more playing time and made the most of it, amassing 21/2 sacks as the Miami defense consistently put pressure on Buffalo quarterback Trent Edwards.

You just know Porter is going to be back for the huge game against the New York Jets next Monday night, so where does that leave Wake?

Regardless, Wake seems to have earned the right to move ahead of Charlie Anderson on the depth chart. The Dolphins need to harass Mark Sanchez as much as possible; Sanchez had a fumble in his own end zone recovered for a touchdown Sunday. Even though Jason Taylor came on late and played well Sunday, Wake has the quickness (and youth) that neither Taylor nor Porter any longer possess. He needs to play.

Brian sums up the issue pretty well. In a nutshell, how do the Dolphins go about getting enough snaps for their three top pass-rushers?

I'd expect a rotation of some sort, keeping the veterans fresh and getting Wake more reps on the field. But one intriguing idea that I've been itching to see come to fruition is having all three on the field at one time in obvious passing situations.

Here's how you do it. You put Jason Taylor and Cameron Wake at the defensive end spots with their hand in the ground - Wake on the strong side and Taylor on the weak side - in a four down linemen formation. Then you let Joey Porter stand in a two-point stance on either side and you rush five guys - the four linemen and Porter. In behind you have either Channing Crowder and five defensive backs (nickel) or no linebacker and six defensive backs (dime).

It's worth a shot - in my opinion.

Quick Note
Phillip Merling's ankle injury is reportedly not as serious as originally believed. That's good news for sure.

Chargers By The (Jersey) Numbers: #24

John (obviousman) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:21:59 -0000

Sorry if I can't give every San Diego Chargers player who has ever worn #24 their due, but I'm busy and there are a ton of them. Eighteen to be exact and it's not a group that's particularly strong in terms of talent or at least career performance. The full list and nominees are after the jump.

Anthony Anderson, S
Fakhir Brown, CB
Kern Carson, RB
Jesse Chatman, RB
Cletis Gordon, CB
Aaron Hayden, RB
Luther Hayes, WR
Keith Kinderman, RB
Lester Lyles, S
Miles McPherson, S
Glyn Milburn, WR/KR
Erric Pegram, RB
Kevin Scott, RB
Ken Taylor, CB
Ron Walker, RB
Joe Washington, RB

Runner-Up

via www.beckett.com

Stanley Richard, FS. "The Sheriff" was a good player who, not unlike most of his teammates, had a career year in 1994 to help the Chargers in their run to the Super Bowl. In that season he matched or exceeded his career highs in interceptions (4), touchdowns (2) and forced fumbles (1). That season he also collected 79 tackles and returned one of his interceptions for a 99 yard touchdown (the longest interception return of his career by more than 50 yards). Following the Super Bowl run, Richard signed with the Washington Redskins and continued to be what he was. He was a healthy, consistent free safety in both San Diego and Washington. That's a tough position to stay healthy and consistent.

The Winner

via www.beckett.com

Bob Howard, CB. Howard started playing college ball at Cal Poly SLO and was good enough to transfer and earn a starting spot at SDSU, a team that happened to be coached by Don Coryell. In 1967, the Chargers took Howard in the second round of the AFL/NFL Draft. He spent his first 8 seasons with the Bolts, intercepting 21 passes and recovering 9 fumbles during that time.

Similar to Stanley Richard, Bob Howard built a reputation for consistency. He stayed on the field and he delivered good numbers. Neither player made a Pro Bowl or won an MVP award. One player doesn't stand over all of the others that have worn #24. However, I'm giving this one to Howard because he spent twice as much time in San Diego as did Richard. Also, although it shouldn't count...the fact that he played for Coryell and at SDSU helped him a bit. Unfortunately, Howard died last year at the age of 63. He left behind his wife, Barbara, and his three children.

Your winner, and somebody who proved that consistency and hard work is just as good as talent, Bob Howard.

More grim NFL news

BigBlueShoe — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:15:10 -0000

As I wrote earlier this week, the 2008 season has started off pretty rough. Now, we receive two more pieces of very grim news that will affect the quality of play of the league. One bit will even question the league's integrity in general.

The first is Bengals QB Carson Palmer's season is over, according to ESPN. The Bengals are denying it, but Palmer's elbow has kept him out for weeks. It is probably best to shut him down, but it essentially guarantees Cincy wins maybe 2 games all year. Palmer is probably the third best QB in football, with Brady and Peyton ahead of him. Now, with Palmer seemingly done for 08, the NFL is absent another star. This is far to many injuries to the NFL's star players in one season. Losing guys like Palmer and Brady for the season is going to hit the NFL in its sales. Fans in cincy were already disinterested enough as it was with a semi-healthy Palmer. Now, what is the point in going?

The second bit of news was reported by FOX 31 station in Denver, citing an unnamed source, claiming that 10-15 NFL players recently tested positive for a banned substance; a weight-loss diuretic. According to the source, three New Orleans Saints players (RB Deuce McAllister, DE Will Smith, DE Charles Grant) tested positive for Bumetanide. From an NBC report:

A “water pill,” Bumetanide decreases the amount of water retained in the body by increasing urination. It causes the kidneys to get rid of unneeded water and salt from the body into the urine.

Bumetanide can hide the use of banned substances like steroids, which is why the NFL bans Bumetanide itself. Texans longsnapper Bryan Pittman also tested positive. All this comes on the heels of Jets RB Jesse Chatman getting suspended four games for a diuretic. This means that possibly 15 players, including three very key players of the New Orleans Saints, will get suspended. There may even be Colts players on that list. We don't know at this moment.

This is bad folks. Really, really bad.

Look, I don't mean to sound like a sad sack. I love football. I love our Colts. I love blogging about this great league and this great sport. But 2008 has started off disastrously for the NFL brass. From injuries to banned substances to Pacman to bursa sacs, this is making the "Spygate" scandal the league dealt with last year look trivial in comparison. Unlike last year, the league has no marquee clubs dominating competition, like the Colts and Patriots last year. No offense to the surging 6-0 Titans, but they ain't the 07 Colts or Pats.

I really hope the second half of 2008 is more focused on great and entertaining play on the field than all this other stuff. The first half has really been nothing more than a rash of costly injuries and the stink of cheating. Hopefully, this gets turned around.

With a Weak FA Class at RB, Benson Could be Gone After 2008

Kirkendall — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 22:44:15 -0000

Benson is signed through the rest of this year, earning $520,000 in base pay; basically chump-change on the NFL scale for feature running backs. Right now, he's in the midst of a I-can-be-an-effective-contributor campaign, trying to garner interest out on the free agency market. As per Football Futures, the biggest named free agent at running back will be Brandon Jacobs -- who will be unrestricted and likely cashing in. After that, you have a collection of aging backup running backs.

If Cedric Benson performs well closing out the remaining nine games this season, then he could very well be a hot commodity at running back in a very weak free agency class at the position. With each successful game he records, his price goes up based on the weak supply and the always high demand at the spot. And do you really expect the Bengals to offer Benson a sizable contract?

Unrestricted Free Agents in 2009 at RB

Brandon Jacobs
J.J. Arrington
Correll Buckhalter
Jesse Chatman
Heath Evans
Ryan Moats
Maurice Morris
Darren Sproles
Aaron Stecker
Ricky Williams

[Footballs Future]