SB Nation - Michael Bennett

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).

Bolts & Dolts: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers

John (obviousman) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:11:13 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

25 days ago: San Diego Chargers Antonio Gates, right, and Kansas City Chiefs Chris Chambers, left, talk after an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009, in San Diego. The Chargers won 43-14. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

Browse more photos »

As the Dolphins game proved earlier this season, any time the Chargers defense can start getting turnovers the game becomes very easy for San Diego. The offense typically turns those turnovers into seven points, and the fear of doing it again plays right into Ron Rivera's hands.

True, the first matchup against the Chiefs was a more dominating one for the Chargers. At least in this game the Chiefs offense showed some spirit (in the form of Jamaal Charles and Chris Chambers). What's different in this victory against other recent ones is that instead of a full team effort of greatness, the Chargers really won on the back of some big individual performances. That should make this week's Bolts & Dolts a little more interesting.

Bolts

Offense

Philip Rivers - 21/28, 317 yds, 2 TD. This six game winstreak for the Chargers has had a few games mixed in where Philip didn't have to win the game himself, and it's allowed him to be smarter and more efficient. Because of that, his QB rating for the season has been getting better each week. After yesterday's game, he has the 5th best QB rating in the NFL. Just below Peyton Manning and just above Tom Brady.

Antonio Gates - 7 catches, 118 yds, 2 TD. Remember a few weeks ago when Antonio was dropping big passes and everyone was talking about how he needed to work on his hands? His 7 catches, including a one-handed one for the first TD of the game, came off of 7 throws his way. An absolutely perfect, dominant game by Antonio Gates. (Random Sidenote: I was thinking this week. Antonio Gates was a Center at Kent State and everyone makes it seem like he was crazy for pursuing football instead of basketball. He's 6'4"! He's shorter than Michael Jordon (6'6") and significantly short than LeBron James. With his height, he'd have to become a shooting guard or somehow figure out how to become Charles Barkley. Football was the right move then and it is certainly the right move now for any short basketball player.)

Malcom Floyd - 3 catches, 85 yds. These numbers would be even better if he had not dropped that easy pass at around the Chiefs 10, and also if he had landed in the end zone instead of on the one yard line. Vincent Jackson was blanketed all game, and Floyd stepped up to become "the man" on third downs and down the field.

Offensive Line. Zero sacks allowed and it wasn't even close. That's the way to win football games. The running game wasn't as good as it was against Denver, but it was good enough to pick up key first downs. Also, Jacob Hester didn't help matters by falling forward every time he got the ball.

Defense

Brandon Siler - 9 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 fumble recovery. It's funny how many moving parts this defense has. If the opposing offense is one that loves to throw the ball (like the Broncos), Kevin Burnett and Paul Oliver will see a ton of time. If it's one that prefers to run the ball (like the Raiders), Brandon Siler and Kevin Ellison will get more time. Those are just two examples of switches in starters/personnel that happen based on the team the Chargers are going up against. I like that.

Anyways, Siler is proving himself to be a beast against the run (as expected) and good enough in coverage to be on the field in non-goal line situations. This game, in which the Chiefs were trying to ride Jamaal Charles to victory, showed that Siler is probably the best ILB on the team at blowing up a run play.

Quentin Jammer - 5 tackles, 1 pass defended, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble. I'm glad to see the hit he took in the Broncos game hasn't slowed Jammer down. He played his typical good coverage, got the interception when it was there for the taking and forced a fumble with his exceptional tackling. While there may be better coverage CBs around the league, I doubt there is another CB as complete as Quentin.

Paul Oliver/Larry English - 7 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 defensive TD. I said it earlier this year, when I began to worry about English's lack of production. Teams that have good seasons and are strong in the playoffs are ones that get contributions from their role players. Oliver and English are good players, but at the moment they're playing only according to their specific roles. Oliver filled in for the injured Eric Weddle without much drop-off (that's a huge compliment) and English was pestering Matt Cassel all game, before and after he beat him to the fumbled snap.

Special Teams

Nate Kaeding - 2/2 FGs (longest: 55 yds), 5/5 XPs. Simply put, the best FG kicker in the NFL when you're within 50 yards of the goal post. Not resting on his laurels, Kaeding has definitely improved this season at kickoffs and long FGs.

Dolts

Offense

Jacob Hester - 3 carries, 3 rush yds, 1 catch, 3 rec yds. Everybody who was complaining about Darren Sproles getting all of the fourth quarter carries, listen up. Those carries should've been Jacob Hester's. Is he the starting FB? Not really. Is he the best Special Teams player on the team? Nope, 2nd or 3rd best. Mike Tolbert couldn't have taken every carry, because that would be risking injury to a player just as important as LT or Rivers. His 4 carries for 19 yards was fine. It was Hester, and his 1 YPC, that forced Norv Turner to try running the ball with Darren Sproles instead.

You could argue that, heading into a potential blowout, Michael Bennett should've been active for this role. You're probably right, but I imagine the coaching staff had some faith in Hester getting it done since he did it last week.

Also, I should note that Hester was almost a Special Teams Bolt this week, as he usually is.

Darren Sproles - 9 carries, 17 rush yds, 5 catches, 66 rec yds. This is a Dolt for his return bobbling/fumbling again. In B&D, players get rewarded for improving and fixing their flaws. This is a flaw that is not getting any better. If anything, it's getting worse. Also, the Chargers need to give up running Sproles. It's no use. Pretend he's Terrell Fletcher, use him only on 3rd downs and only as a blocker/receiver. 9 carries for 17 yards is ridiculous, when you think of the type of runner he is.

Defense

There are no defensive Dolts this week.

Almost Bolts

Mike Tolbert - I know eventually I'm going to have to start expecting it, but every time Tolbert catches a few balls for some yards and runs the ball better than anyone else on the team I'm surprised. What a tremendous player, and an incredible find for AJ Smith.

LaDainian Tomlinson - This is not for stats. This isn't for the fumble, the two touchdowns or the 3 YPC. This is because LT is looking better than he did earlier in the season, and is taking what the defense gives him. This is the "smart runner" that I talked about earlier this season. LT running smart, plus plenty of rest (only 14 touches!) should equal a more successful playoff experience for him.

Time of Possession - Usually, when a team struggles to run the ball and wins because of turnovers, they lose the time of possession battle. The Chargers won the TOP battle by more than 10 minutes! This offense is capable of doing whatever they want right now. Need a big play? There it is. Need a long drive to rest the defense? Sure thing.

James Holt - Welcome to the league, kid.

Shaun Phillips - That guy sure knows how to fill up a stat-sheet. He's been really good against the run. Unfortunately, you can see the dip in his pass-rush whenever Shawne Merriman is out of the game.

Almost Dolts

Vincent Jackson - I don't think it took this long for teams to gameplan for stopping VJ, but apparently somebody somewhere came up with one that works. He's been held without a TD for 3 straight games, and hasn't been over 100 receiving yards for 4 straight games. In yesterday's game there was at least one jump ball he lost that he probably would've gotten earlier this season. He has to figure out what the defense is doing and adjust.

Game Preview: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers

John (obviousman) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:34:20 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

2 months ago: San Diego Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson (83) celebrates with wide receiver Malcom Floyd (80) after Jackson caught a long pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Browse more photos »

For the second week in a row, I'm going to predict an easy victory for the Chargers. I understand that the Raiders almost beat them in Week 1, but there's something different about the Raiders team now. More specifically, something different about Raider fans. They've given up on their team and given up on the season. My weekly FanPost at the opposing team's SBNation community has yielded only a handful of questions, most of them asking me how badly the Chargers will beat the Raiders. It's a sad state of affairs.

Week 1 was awful. The Raiders were the tougher team that day and took advantage when members of our offensive line went out with injuries. Their fans, who thought they were seeing a good Raiders team for the first time in nearly a decade, were disruptive by being extremely loud. In Week 8, things are different. Not only is this a road game for the Raiders, but their fans have no faith in this team. Also, the Oakland's respectable defense has been prone to give up if the opposing team has a lead because they have no faith in JaMarcus Russell. I think the only way the Raiders stay competitve in this game is with a good game out of Bruce Gradkowski (who has missed the last two days of practice due to illness).

When the Raiders Have the Ball

The offensive numbers for Oakland are not good. Dead last in offensive yards per game, second-to-last in offensive points per game. The passing game, led by the incredibly inaccurate and indecisive JaMarcus Russell, ranks 32nd out of 32 teams and the running game is only slightly better (26th).

The 20 points they scored against the Bolts in Oakland is their highest offensive output of the season, and that included a free 4th Quarter TD for Louis Murphy. Since Week 1 the Raiders have scored 13, 3, 6, 7, 13 and 0. With the big mistakes seemingly behind them, and playing their best defense all season, the Chargers shouldn't have much of a problem keeping Oakland in that range for another week.

The Chargers defense, after nearly shutting out the Chiefs in Kansas City, now ranks 18th in yards allowed and 21st in points allowed. The pass defense, and specifically the secondary, has been a strength (ranked 11th). The run defense has improved incrementally since the bye week, and has moved out of the league's cellar up to 28th. Unless JaMarcus Russell somehow puts it all together this week, the Chargers should be able to create turnovers and focus on stopping the Raiders run at the same time.

Advantage: Chargers. There's not many teams in the league right now that wouldn't have the advantage over the Chargers defense, at least statistically. Luckily for Ron Rivera and his crew, last week and this week's opponents are just not talented enough to exploit the holes in the Bolts' D. Similar to the Chiefs game, look for lots of blitzes from the secondary in this matchup.

When the Chargers Have the Ball

By all accounts, the Raiders should have a great defense. Their defensive line has been beating up people all year, and the young talent they have at linebacker is only exceeded by the young talent they have in the secondary. However, just like an offense needs balance to succeed, a team needs balance between the offense and defense to succeed.

Remember in the 1-15 season for the Chargers, how that team seemed to have a great defense until the fourth quarter of every game? That was because they constantly lost the time of possession battle and the defensive players couldn't win the games on their own. This is what the Raiders are currently dealing with.

Oakland is ranked 28th in yards allowed per game, and 25th in points allowed per game. However, the stat that should always be alongside those two is this one: The Raiders rank 30th in scrimmage plays run against them. Unlike the other teams ranked poorly in this category, it doesn't have to do with the Raiders defense's inability to get off the field. It has to do with their offense putting them right back out there after only a few minutes of rest over and over again.

Not surprisingly, Oakland's 2009 defense ranks 30th in the league at stopping the run and 12th in the league at stopping the pass. The Chargers experienced that first-hand in Oakland when LaDainian Tomlinson went down and the offense had a hard time putting drives together through the air. This game should be redemption.

The Chargers 31st ranked rushing game needs to take some heat off of the passing game and keep Richard Seymour off of Philip Rivers. Tomlinson, Darren Sproles, Michael Bennett, Jacob Hester and Mike Tolbert should all get some carries and instill some confidence in the offensive line. The 4th ranked passing game in the league will be there to win the game in case the rush doesn't work.

Advantage: Chargers. Any time you have the 8th ranked offense in points per game going up against the worst offense in football, you have a great chance at victory. The fact that the Chargers have been improving only nails this point home even more. What's most important in this matchup is what will be missing in comparison to the Week 1 game. Oakland's fans will not disrupt San Diego's offensive line, and ther will be no hope for Oakland once they fall behind.

Former Chiefs Bennett, Boone and Wilson Headed Back to Arrowhead This Weekend

Chris Thorman — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:30:17 -0000

More photos » by Don Wright - AP

2 months ago: San Diego Chargers defensive end Alfonso Boone (70) sacks Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) during the second quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Don Wright)

Browse more photos »

Here is your weekly "connection" post courtesy of the mothership.

I remember seeing Darren Sproles play back in high school in Kansas City, when he was averaging something ridiculous like 260 yards a game rushing.

Chiefs G Mike Goff spent five seasons with the Chargers (2004-08).
Chargers RB Michael Bennett (2006-07), DE Alfonso Boone (2007-08) and TE Kris Wilson (2004-07) all played with Kansas City.
Former Chiefs assistant coaches on the Chargers staff include: Jeff Hurd (’98-06) and Hall of Fame WR Charlie Joiner (2001-07).
Former Chiefs CB Chris Dishman (’99) is SD’s asst. secondary coach.
Chargers Director of Player personnel Jimmy Raye III worked for KC in ’95 and is the son of former Chiefs assistant coach Jimmy Raye.
Chargers TE/FB Brandon Manumaleuna is the son of Frank Manumaleuna, who played LB for Kansas City (’79-81).
Chiefs Manager of FB Operations Chris Caminiti coached at the University of San Diego (’96).
Chargers RB Darren Sproles prepped at Olathe North HS in Olathe, KS and played at Kansas State.
Chargers sp. teams coach Steve Crosby was born in Great Bend, KS and was a RB at Fort Hays State.
Chargers T Jeromey Carey played at Kansas State.
Kansas City video asst. Josh Schmidt worked at the University of San Diego.

Make sure you ask John from Bolts from the Blue a question or two. He was kind enough to come by and post a FanPost asking for questions. His line on Mike Goff sums up the signing of the guard for me: "Also, I tried to tell you guys Mike Goff was terrible......"

Build an Offense of Former Chiefs

Chris Thorman — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:28:23 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sakuma - AP

6 months ago: San Francisco 49ers quarterback Damon Huard (14) during 49ers NFL football mini-camp at 49ers headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif., Friday, June 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Browse more photos »

Last night, we talked about building a defense of former Kansas City Chiefs. That was tough.

This morning let's talk offense.

The guidelines are the same - pick players that are either active or at least potentially active NFL players. Check out Pro Football Reference's Chiefs page. Click on the year and then Starters & Roster to view full rosters for each year.

After the jump, I've got my former Chiefs that I'd could see filling a backup or even starting role on this team. Cut and paste the list into a comment and add your own.

Remember, this is part conversation starter and part walk down memory lane. Have fun with it.

WR: Samie Parker

LT: Kevin Sampson

LG: Ryan Lilja

C: Casey Wiegmann

RG: John Welbourn

RT: Jordan Black

TE: Tony Gonzalez

WR: Joe Horn baby!

QB: Damon Huard

FB: Tony Richardson

RB: Michael Bennett

What former Chiefs come to mind for you?

Matching up with the Chargers

Emmett Smith — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:30:15 -0000

More photos » by Chris Schneider - AP

Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels salutes the crowd after the Broncos defeated the New England Patriots 20-17 in overtime in an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009, in Denver. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)

Browse more photos »

Living in San Diego now (up north, in Carlsbad), I've had a classic opportunity to follow and spy on the Chargers. Milling around the town, lounging on the beach, watching the newspapers and the tube analysis, as well as breaking down the games, I had a year-long chance to get a little insight into the team. I wanted to share with you some of the things that I've seen over that time. The Bolts are a walking contradiction, just as they are every year, of late. They're starting slow, they have seemed unmotivated and they're been fighting injuries. They are going to be playing for their season, though. It's a great Monday night matchup, and I'm going to enjoy it.

So saying, here's to 5-0, 6-0, and another Monday Night slugfest!

Denver vs. San Diego

This is probably one of the best opportunities that Denver will have this year. They can take this one on the road and put SD in a deep, deep hole - IF they can control the tempo of this game. I've been living in SD for 15 months now, and spying on the Chargers organization the entire time. I have a lot of respect for them. Taking them lightly will get you beaten, but Denver won't do that. In that fact, can lie the road to victory.

Let's take it one area at a time. I'm going to start where every game starts - with the Trench Warfare (dedicated to firstfan):

Denver O-line vs. the Chargers D-line.

This is one battle that I think Denver can win hands down. Again - I'm not suggesting that it will be easy, just that it's very winnable. Ryan Clady is the best in the game. Ryan Harris is healthier, Casey Wiegmann is doing fine and while I'm not excited about Russ Hochstein, I do think that he's up to the job. I also think that Chris Kuper is better than any fans (even Denver fans) give him credit for. Like most fans, I'm worried about Ben Hamilton, but I do think that he's up to this one if he plays. Perhaps he will do better at center, perhaps he's fading a bit. That's why grooming Seth Olsen makes so much sense.

On the Bolts' side of the ball, it's a different story. Jamal Williams is injured; he's also pushing 35, is gone for the year, and (in my mind) probably won't be back next season. He's most likely done, and SD didn't find anyone to get prepared and polished for this moment. Bad planning, A.J. Smith (Chargers GM). Igor Olshansky was uneven in his play and a problem in the locker room last year, so they don't miss him. However, Ryon Bingham was supposed to replace him and he's on injured reserve. Jacques Cesaire, backing up Bingham, has some injury problems of his own. A local rookie made good in Ogemdi Nwagbuo is trying to handle NT.

Luis Castillo has been uneven but can't be overlooked. Monster Vaughn Martin from Canada isn't ready for the NFL game, but he's probably the Chargers' future at NT, at least as the roster is currently set. The Chargers found a warm body in Alfonso Boone, formerly of the Chiefs. If a Chiefs castoff is your option at DL, you're in seriously deep kimchi (Note - Seoul Food, on 6th Avenue, is/was a very fine restaurant for those who like Korean cuisine). Travis Johnson, a recent Chargers acquisition from the Houston Texans, has had issues with motivation and injury; but he will now be back for Monday's game, as will all players except Center Nick Hardwick. The current plan is for Johnson to take some of the reps at NT which he played for 14 games in 2008 for Houston, although that was in a 4-3 line.

Backing up the front line on the Chargers side are the linebackers. Shawne Merriman is still trying to recover from his knee surgery. He won't be fully back until next season (and he may be working for another team by then), but he will be on the field. The rest of the Chargers LBs are good, but not stars; they brought in Kevin Burnett from Dallas, and he's played well. 1st-round draft pick Larry English will be a very good-to-great one, but not this year. Shaun Phillips, Antwan Applewhite, Stephen Cooper, Tim Dobbins, and Brandon Siler fill out the squad. Jyles Tucker spent some time injured last year, but he showed enough for the Chargers to know that he has serious potential. Even so, they aren't a bad squad, but they seem disorganized and unmotivated. The Broncos have a chance here to paste one on them.

Denver's offensive playmakers vs. Chargers secondary:

The first fact that Denver has to face is that one of the trade-offs to Kyle Orton's incredible home record is that he hasn't been as effective on the road prior to this season. That may not be a concern, since everything this year is different, but it's something to watch for. Orton's numbers are good and becoming much more so.

In fact, Orton has a better QB rating right now than Philip Rivers. He's got a much better TD/INT ratio (Orton - 7/1, Rivers - 6/3 in 1 fewer game). Orton also has an INT percentage of 0.6%; Rivers is 12th in the league at 2.0% - not bad, but not as good. Overall, Rivers is a top-5 QB -- in theory. But right now, his playmakers aren't producing like Orton's and that's affecting his numbers.

The Denver running game is better than the Chargers' front 7. Knowshon Moreno is coming into his own, and he's going to be very good indeed. LaDainian Tomlinson has been out, injured. He should be back, but even so - he's been playing like he's getting older and isn't the same. I love Darren Sproles, but he's not an all-game answer.

The Denver WRs could have a stellar day. The secondary of SD is being coached by Steve Wilks, formerly of Chicago a friend of Ron Rivera's who came over to help Ron out. The Bolts are playing in the secondary like they're being coached by Pee Wee Herman.

I speak periodically with Bolts From The Blue Contributing Editor Brian; he got his start on MHR and he's a well-informed, interesting guy who is open about sharing his knowledge. This is what he had to say about the Chargers' secondary following their loss to the Steelers...

I think it's also time to pull Cromartie for Cason; he is just a train wreck out there. And why Rivera stuck with deep zones when they were eating us alive underneath, I have no clue. I still have a lot of belief in the linebackers, but time will tell. We have almost no sacks; from AJ's perspective he is losing a ton of talent this year and these guys look to be mailing it in sometimes. I guess that is the heart of it; they perform exceptionally in spots and weakly in others, it is strange considering how many could be making a play for a starting job.

I don't have a lot to add. He's pretty much nailed it. Eric Weddle was laid out by the Steelers, Clinton Hart was doing so-so but the Chargers released him Wednesday in a surprise move in order to add DT Ian Scott. Antonio Cromartie looks terrible. Steve Gregory is playing alright, but this isn't a group that inspires confidence. At this point, they claim that they're still not sure who will start in Hart's place, but 6th round pick Kevin Ellison is one option. When you consider that they aren't stopping the run effectively and that the line isn't bringing pressure to stop the pass, this could be a long day for the Chargers defense.

Chargers offense against the Denver defense:

Philip Rivers is always dangerous; in fact, he's the only reason that SD is in the race at all. The Chargers O-line has been porous and despite his relative mobility, Rivers has been sacked 10 times in 4 games. His QB rating is down to 90.2 after a year's rating of 105.5 last year. It's mostly because of the O-line, and I'll get to that in a moment.

But there is a strength that I haven't discussed for the Chargers. Before the season I was talking to Brian, of Bolts from the Blue; he noted that Rivers had a lot of skills and strengths, but that he just hadn't mastered the long ball yet. His deep passes were a weakness that other teams could exploit. That's not at all so anymore. Rivers has completed 16 passes of 20 yards or longer, with 4 surpassing 40 yards; both place him among the NFL's leaders despite having been on bye last week.

Look for Rivers to throw mostly out of the shotgun. After going from the shotgun on 16 of his 39 drops (41%) at Oakland Week 1, Rivers was in the shotgun 29 times in 47 drops (62%) against the Ravens and 27 times in 35 drops (77%) against the Dolphins. Rivers needs the extra time since his line has been so weak. The Broncos secondary has been strong thus far; this could be their toughest challenge yet.

Trench Warfare:

LT Marcus McNeill had two surgeries during the offseason. LG Kris Dielman went to his second Pro Bowl last season - he's very good. They did lose C Nick Hardwick until at least November, and he's been replaced by Scott Mruczkowski. They cut Mike Goff at right guard (who then went on to infect Kansas City) and replaced him by drafting Louis Vasquez, who has fought injuries as a rookie but should play Monday. Jerome Clary is uneven at right tackle, and Elvis Dumervil may snack on him as the game wears on. In fact, I do not believe that the Chargers can stand up to our DL over the course of a full game. That is probably our ace in the hole. Like All QBs, Rivers can get frustrated if he's harassed.

Expect the Chargers to feature their TEs and use more max protection Monday. Antonio Gates is still strong and effective, and the Chargers have two young talents in Brandon Manumaleuna and Kris Wilson who are perfect for their roles. Both are good blockers, can run routes, go in motion, and confound opposing defensive coordinators. I see the tight ends as one of the Chargers' biggest strengths.

On the other side of the ball is a Denver group that doesn't have a single well-known household name, but they play like unbridled fury. Ronald Fields and Marcus Thomas are splitting time at NT, and both look good. The starting ends have been surprising players - Ryan McBean (formerly of the Steelers practice squad) and Kenny Peterson, and they are rotated with Vonnie Holliday. Le Kevin Smith isn't back from his knee injury fully, but he is a solid backup. The front seven is rounded out with a big group of linebackers. Elvis 'Doom' Dumervil and Mario Haggan are backed by Darrell Reid and Robert Ayers. At ILB, D.J. Williams and Andra Davis are leading the team in tackles. This isn't an even contest - the Broncos have the advantage across the board. I expect them to notch a few sacks on Rivers. If they can harass him into mistakes, this could turn ugly for the Bolts.

Rushing to Victory

I believe that the Chargers are in trouble here. Tomlinson has already been injured. He's dangerous if he's healthy this Monday, as is predicted, but he's not the player he once was. Like the team overall, I don't recommend underestimating LDT, but he can be stopped, especially behind that line. The Chargers have a potent weapon in Darren Sproles on kickoffs and in relief of LDT. Michael Bennett is also an option. They Chargers surprised me by cutting Gartrell Johnson, who only had one good game in preseason but was a 4th round pick: I believe that admits indicates sloppy drafting.They can hurt Denver here, but the O-line has to step up for that to happen.

On the other hand, Knowshon Moreno is coming into his own and is running behind a very good Denver O-line, which is bad news for the rest of the league. My only concerns with Knowshon were that he might be a little light for the league - he's put in the time in the weight room to counteract that and will continue to get tougher, and that I honestly didn't know if he was the kind of player that Bobby Turner wanted. I wasn't convinced that he wasn't, just interested to see what Denver thought. Could he pick up and play within the system? The answer to both questions is a resounding "Yes". Correll Buckhalter may be back, which would make the game easier. I'm disappointed in Peyton Hillis so far, and LaMont Jordan is a good back for running out the clock and a very good receiver, but his minutes will be limited. The Broncos are near the top of the league in rushing with 139 yards per game and have a nice average of 4.6 YPA. They will be hard to stop and the Chargers haven't been great at stopping the run.

Slow Starts:

What is it with the slow starts in San Diego? Ever since Norv Turner came to town, the trend has been to stink up the beginning of the year and to firm up later. With the Broncos coming into the game undefeated, that just won't cut it in the AFC West. The Bolts need to wake up NOW if they are to have any chance at all in the division, much less in the playoffs.

I did a little checking, and it seems that historically the Chargers have had recurring issues in this regard. In fact, they are the only team since 1970 to make the playoffs after a 0-4 start, having managed that in 1992 (Final regular season record, 11-5 that year). At 2-2, they aren't in that kind of trouble, but unless they pull themselves together, they soon will be.

That's the big potential trap here - the Chargers have had two weeks to game-plan, which puts them almost even with an 8-day Josh McDaniels plan. They are at home, they are coming off a bye week, and they are fighting for the season. A loss at this point could end their Super Bowl aspirations for the year. They may be a very tough team on Monday night; but they are still, without question, vulnerable. Unless they can really put a lot of points on the board early, the Denver defense will probably shut them down in the second half.

A last point on SD:

I've been hearing from some intelligent Chargers fans that there "wasn't anyone out there who could have an impact at NT (and a few other positions)". I've had to bite my tongue before casually asking if they'd looked at Ron Fields lately. The fact is, there were good players at many of the positions that SD now needs sitting out there this past offseason. You can get a good look at most of them on the Broncos roster next Monday night. Blame this one firmly on A.J. Smith, who was too smart for his own good this time.

With all of these factors in mind, this has the makings of another great game. SD will be highly motivated - they're at home, the numbers favor them becuase they're coming off a bye at home and they know that their season may well rest on this game. That and their offense (other than the line) are concerns.

The Broncos, on the other hand, will be prepared.They will be well aware of the dangers. They will be recipients of the McDaniels/Nolan game plans. We have the same offense that has scored when ever it had to and which is looking to break the habit of starting slowly. They can - they know each other better each week. SD isn't, frankly, as good as New England. Could we drop emotionally. Honestly, not on Monday Night Football. I see that as a small benefit - our guys are given a chance to prove, on national and international TV, who they are.

They will. Broncos over the Bolts, 27-24. Rivers has a good night, Doom gets a couple of sacks and Orton continues to do his job and do it well. How's that for playing it safe?

Go Broncos!

Bolts & Dolts: Miami Dolphins at San Diego Chargers

John (obviousman) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:38:22 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

2 months ago: San Diego Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson, front, hauls in a pass over Miami Dolphins safety Yeremiah Bell, right, and cornerback Will Allen, left, in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

Browse more photos »

So my father, who sounded as sick as I was last week, called me up towards the end of Miami Dolphins' first drive to let me know that the sky was falling. Again an opposing team was showing how easy it was to run on the San Diego Chargers' defense. Again it looked as though the Chargers were not getting much of a pass-rush.

I said the same thing to him that I roughly outlined in my game preview, that once the Chargers started to score the Dolphins would be forced to abandon the run and the game would be easily won. I didn't know that the Chargers wouldn't score a touchdown until late in the third quarter, but I believed that eventually Miami would not be able to keep up with the Bolts' offense.

The Chargers deserved to win yesterday's game. In making up my Bolts & Dolts list, I found plenty of Bolts and not a lot of Dolts. I think the team played about as well as it could have considering their current health situation. However, even if Pittsburgh is without Troy Polamalu next week, there are a few players and coaching strategies that need to be improved if the Chargers want to beat a stronger opponent.

More details on all of the above after the jump.

Bolts

Offense

Philip Rivers - 18/33, 303 passing yards, 5 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD. The rushing touchdown I saw live. Right before the play happened I said out loud "The defense is not respecting the run at all. Philip should just run it in." Next week, when the Chargers are inside the Steelers 10 yard line, the defense will at least have to keep somebody in the area to watch for a run by either a RB or Rivers. It will clear a little bit of space in the coverage. It will help things. That was not just a momentary success and six points, that was a big play that should help future red zone conversions.

By the way, does anybody throw a better deep ball than Philip? His passes to Malcom Floyd and Vincent Jackson were right on the money every time but one (he overthrew VJ because of pressure). What was once considered a weakness is now one of Rivers' greatest strengths. If the offensive line can keep him from getting killed the rest of the season, he'll be in the MVP running.

Vincent Jackson - 5 catches, 120 yards. This game made me flip-flop on VJ. Did I think he was great? Absolutely, but I thought of the potential 2010 free agents for the Chargers he was one of the expendable ones. No way. Not a chance. The entire offense, which used to revolve around Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson, now revolves around Vincent Jackson. Unless he's being double-covered and going up against at least one All-Pro Cornerback, you can pencil him in for a dominating game. The Dolphins shied away from putting the rookie Sean Smith on him, so instead he made Will Allen look foolish and slow all game. I think VJ has progressed to the point where he's every bit as good as Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson, Greg Jennings and other top WRs around the league. His football smarts have caught up with his freakish physical tools and he cannot be stopped.

Antonio Gates - 5 catches, 64 yards. Do those numbers blow me away? Not at all. Was it a dominating performance like VJ's was? Nope. However, the one thing that bothered me about Antonio's 2008 season was that Rivers lost his favorite third down target. Well, that has not been the case this season. Third and long, third and short, whatever the yardage is the ball is probably going to Gates and he's probably going to get the first down. Even when he caught the ball a yard and a half shy of the first down marker, he somehow knew where the first down was and dragged three Dolphins players the two yards to get it. That's what he's best at and that's what the Chargers need from him.

Malcom Floyd - 2 catches, 65 yards. After seeing both Floyd catches from last night, my wife turned to me and said "Why don't they throw to him more? He's great!" This will be a theme revisited later, by the way. My answer to her was that Malcom has a difficult time staying healthy. Just as I said that, the cameras show Floyd being checked on by the trainers on the sidelines. Oh boy. Malcom has the talent to be every bit as dangerous as Jackson, he just has to stay healthy. Although no injuries were reported after the game, I'll be keeping an eye on the practice participation reports this week for his name. I think he is somebody who was sorely missed in the playoff game last season and I would much rather go into Pittsburgh with lots of mismatches outside the numbers.

Legedu Naanee - 4 catches, 40 yards. He certainly learned from his mistake. Every time he got his sticky hands on the ball he would take off upfield. No more dancing around and possibly losing the game for him. I liked the screen passes to him too, as I think he may be the quickest receiver on the team and he has top-end speed if he finds some space as well. This was another one of those games that the coaches will look at and will say to themselves "Let's continue to get him the ball more often" because it's always a positive play.

Jeromey Clary - For all of the crap Clary took as the weak-link of the offensive line last season and into the offseason, the man deserves an apology. He has been the Chargers best offensive lineman so far this season and seems to win the battle against whatever pass-rusher he's facing about 90% of the time. His technique is vastly improved over 2008 (when I thought he was serviceable) and he holds his blocks longer than anyone else on the line. If you watch the pressure on Rivers these last few weeks, it almost always comes from up the middle or from whomever Marcus McNeill was trying to block. Outside of one missed assignment that turned into a sack on Rivers against the Raiders, I cannot remember Clary making a mistake or causing a sack.

Defense

Kevin Burnett - 13 tackles, 1 sack, 2 QB hits. Kevin returned to being the monster we all saw in the preseason. A theory I had, and had mentioned once or twice, was that once the season started the defensive playbook was vastly expanded and Burnett was forced to play catch-up again. His monster game against Miami, where he seemingly made every tackle, lends credence to that theory. According to the box score, Burnett was the only Chargers player to touch a Dolphins QB behind the line of scrimmage. He led the team with 13 tackles, and the next closest guy was Stephen Cooper with 8. He also played a fair amount of man coverage on Anthony Fasano, Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, as where as zone coverage where he was quick to make the tackle. Kevin Burnett could not have had a better game.

Larry English - 2 tackles, 1 pass defended. I have one gripe about Larry English and it's that he goes outside on his pass-rush too much. I guess it's fine, because he's usually fast enough to get around the blocker, but with no pressure from the defensive line the QB can get away from him by simply stepping up in the pocket. I know the kid is young and inexperienced, but by time the playoffs roll around I'd like to see him trying the occasional spin move, swim move or bull-rush so that the offensive tackle doesn't know what to expect every play.

As for this game, Larry made three big plays that stand out to me. One was the play in which Chad Pennington left the game with a shoulder injury. The announcers missed it, but it looked to me that Chad hurt his shoulder because English grabbed Chad's arm while he was throwing. Even if that didn't happen, Chad had to get rid of the ball quickly because Larry got there to force pressure very quickly. The second play was Larry's defended pass, which was brilliant (he saw the screen and stopped to swat it down instead of trying for the sack) and saved a huge play (the RB had blockers and nobody in front of him). The third play was a non-play. A dead ball that the referees didn't whistle dead until after Chad Henne started making his reads in the pocket. Larry got there, grabbed Henne and then stopped himself from completing the sack. If he made the rookie mistake of throwing Henne to the ground, it would've been a 15 yard penalty and an automatic first down for the Dolphins.

Luis Castillo - 4 tackles (2 tackles for loss). With Jamal Williams out of the lineup, Luis is seeing a lot more double-teams than he's used to. Still, he may be playing the best football of his life to start the 2009 season. He wins every one-on-one matchup, is playing the run like he's a Nose Tackle and is generally using his speed and agility to get where he wants to be and screw up the play for the opposition. During obvious passing downs (like 3rd & long), I would sometimes see the Dolphins block him with two guys and have a RB standing by watching him in case he got by the offensive linemen. They knew that if the Chargers were not coming with the blitz, Castillo was the main guy to worry about. It's great to have such a dynamic player on the line still, and things will get better for the defensive line as Ogemdi Nwagbuo continues to improve and Jacques Cesaire gets healthier and in game shape.

Defensive Secondary - 9 passes caught by WRs for 67 yards. The strength of the Chargers is in the passing game on both sides of the ball. The Bolts' WRs are fantastic and the CBs are just as good. Antonio Cromartie may not have an interception this season, but that's because defenses are starting to throw away from him the same way they did with Quentin Jammer. Analysis time! Let's look at how often opposing QBs have been avoiding throwing to their WRs and how successful they've been when they've tried to:

In 3 games, Chargers opponents have targeted.....

Wide Receivers 38 times. They have completed 21 of the passes to WRs (55%). 25 of the passes to wide receivers have been thrown at a player defended by Cromartie or Jammer. They have completed 10 of those passes (40%).
Running Backs 27 times. They have completed 21 of the passes to RBs (77%).
Tight Ends 12 times. They have completed 8 of the passes to RBs (66%).

Do you see now why opposing offenses might try throwing to the RBs, TEs or slot receivers more when they play against the Chargers? After 3 weeks of games, statistics say that you only have a 40% chance of completing a pass to one of your top 2 receivers against San Diego. If you don't count the Louis Murphy 4th quarter TD, where Cromartie and Clinton Hart were standing around pointing at each other, Antonio and Quentin have yet to give up a receiving touchdown this season.

Dolts

Offense

Darren Sproles - 18 carries, 41 rush yards, 2 catches, 14 rec yards, 6 kick/punt returns, 76 returns yards. I know some people won't be happy about this. "It's not his fault, it's the offensive line's fault." I get that, and I agree with you. However, I cannot go another week pretending that Darren Sproles is a suitable #1 running back. I gave him the benefit of the doubt going into Baltimore because his only other time starting was against Pittsburgh in the playoffs. Darren's abysmal 2.4 Yards Per Carry is starting to wear on me though. While I appreciate the weapon he is and wouldn't want to see anybody else returning kicks for the Chargers, I'm left wondering where the initial "Michael Bennett Plan" went. You remember it. It was when the coaching staff told us that if anything happened to LT, Bennett would take over as the starter and Sproles' role would remain unchanged. It hasn't exactly played out that way.

By comparison, and it's a legitimate one because they're running behind the same mangled offensive line, Michael Bennett is averaging 3.1 Yards Per Carry. Does that make him an All-Pro? Heck no, but it makes him an improvement over Sproles. I wouldn't want the offense calling run plays every time Bennett comes on the field, because then it becomes obvious, but I would like to see him used more when the offense is trying to run time off the clock or get short-yardage. There's really no downside to it. Bennett has proven to have soft hands, went nuts with screen passes in the preseason and is a bigger, stronger runner with great speed. Why not keep Sproles fresh and useful?

It'll never happen but if I was Norv....Darren would get taken off of punt returns. I'm sorry, but when the ball is bouncing 10 feet in the air and there are 5 defenders within a foot of it...LEAVE IT ALONE. Who care if it's going to bounce back to the 10 yard line. Don't jump on it at the 15 and risk fumbling it with no teammates in sight to bail you out. Also, has nobody ever explained the term "fair catch" to Darren? I think they may want to before he gets killed or loses and game by trying a field a punt on the 7 that he has no business fielding.

I didn't think I'd be saying this, because I love the philosophy of throwing all of the time, but I really cannot wait until LT comes back.

Chris Chambers - 0 catches, thrown to 3 times. I'm left unimpressed by Chris Chambers this season. I don't know if he's just so beaten up that he cannot be effective anymore, but for the amount of money he's getting paid he should be able to contribute something. He's so bad that while I was taking notes during the game I started writing down when he was not on the field, which thankfully was quite often. Just about every time the Chargers spread out with 3 or 4 WRs, and specifically on their drive at the end of the first half, Chambers was sitting on the bench. Even when he had the ball thrown to him, it was the same thing we've seen already against Baltimore and Oakland. Instead of making a play for the ball, Chambers seems to try to get a flag thrown for defensive pass interference. Right now, although he's paid like a top 10 WR in the league, Chambers is the 4th best WR on the Chargers.

Offensive Line - 2 sacks allowed (4 tackles for loss allowed), 2.5 team YPC. I was tempted to do an individual Dolt for everyone except Clary, but decided against it. They all deserve it though.

I can't hate on the -ski brothers too much because they're backups, and Brandyn Dombrowksi is playing backup on a completely different position. However, there are certain plays where they look lost. The Kendall Langford sack happened because he threw Dombrowski to the side like he was nothing. The hit on Rivers that looked like it might knock him out of the game happened because Dombrowski was beaten and Scott Mruczkowski lost his assignment and was left blocking air while a blitzer ran free. I was really hoping Vasquez would be back for this game because I think it'd be a big help, but no such luck. Hopefully he's back for Pittsburgh.

Marcus McNeill does not deserve the big contract he's probably going to get. His feet are slow and his balance isn't great. I'd love to say that Joey Porter bull-rushed past him to get to Rivers on his sack, but in reality he just hit McNeill in a way that made Marcus lose his balance and fall backwards. He is not looking like a Pro Bowl Left Tackle these days, and the fact that Norv Turner told the announcing crew that he's been disappointed in McNeill this season speaks volumes. To put it simply, there's constant pressure being put on Philip Rivers by whoever McNeill is trying to stop.

Kris Dielman......I feel like I should wait before I say anything. He's lost a lot of his consistency. He has a good play followed by a bad play, and visa versa, a lot. He also may have lost a step because his blocks to open holes for the RBs always seem late. I don't know what it is with him, but I don't see what I used to see from him. He's not holding blocks, he's not pushing people around. I'll wait until I really say whether or not he's having a bad season, because he's getting a lot of the brunt of Nick Hardwick not being there. The penalty to forearming the defender's helmet was a sign that Dielman is frustrated though, so at least he knows there's an issue.

Defense

There were no defensive Dolts this week. Everyone played at either a level expected of them or higher.

Relax Ravens' Fans: Chargers' Receivers Are Unique

Bruce Raffel — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:51:33 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

3 months ago: Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis celebrates his tackle on fourth down that secured the Ravens' 31-26 victory over the San Diego Chargers in a NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

Browse more photos »

After yesterday's thrilling 31-26 victory by the Baltimore Ravens over the San Diego Chargers, so many Ravens fans were lamenting the way that Chargers QB Philip Rivers threw all over the field to his receivers time and time again for huge gains. San Diego basically accepted that they weren't going to run the ball against us so they abandoned the run game and took to the air in a big way, with Rivers throwing for a personal best and probably a Ravens worst 436 yards.

However, don't fall prey to reading way too much into that performance by the Ravens pass defense.

(More on 'Relax Ravens' Fans...' after the 'Jump')

The San Diego Chargers boast a very talented lineup on the offensive side of the ball. Injured running back LaDainian Tomlinson sat this one out but I doubt the outcome would have been any different if he had played, as his replacement, Darren Sproles had a monster game with 124 receiving yards and 128 return yards, including that 81 yards catch and run past a sleeping Ravens defense early in the first quarter (Ed Reed, what were you doing with that angle on the play!?).

Sproles and Michael Bennett got almost nothing on the ground, as the Ravens rush defense held their opponents' leading rusher to 20 yards for the second straight game, extending their streak of not allowing a 100 yard rusher to 37 straight games. However, give San Diego credit for realizing this at an early point of the game and going to those long passes which they completed with success. At the same time, we Ravens fans want to thank Chargers coach Norv Turner for momentarily forgetting about their poor success running the ball and placing the entire game's outcome on a Sproles run up the middle that All-World Ray Lewis blew up in the backfield for the game deciding play.

Now to put most of the Ravens fans at ease for the remainder of the season, here's why you can rest easier. The Chargers group of receivers are the most unique bunch in the NFL, boasting four guys 6'4" in height or taller. Between the 6'4" TE Antonio Gates, who is way too big for a safety to cover and way too fast for a linebacker, and 6'5" Vincent Jackson and Malcolm Floyd, the Ravens were sorely outmatched in the size and muscle departments. How many times did it seem like we had their receivers covered, only to see them go up and come down with the ball? It was amazing that they didn't attempt a fade pass on the last few plays of the game ending drive into our Red Zone!

There is no other team in the league with that set of receivers, built like the Chargers guys. The combination of size and speed make them an extremely difficult matchup, one the Ravens will not see the rest of the season. Of course, if we meet again in the post season, hopefully it will be in Baltimore and the home field advantage in January will give us the big advantage. At the same time, San Diego had won 20 of their past 24 home games before yesterday, and we had to go and spoil that nice run!

So don't fret too much, Ravens' fans, as we held the Chargers to 0-5 for scoring TD's in our Red Zone. The 'bend-but-don't-break' mentality worked when our backs were to the wall. Ray Lewis proved why he is the smartest and the best linebacker to ever play the game and shut up the doubters who say he is old and slow. The Baltimore Ravens are 2-0, in first place in the AFC North and head home to M&T Bank Stadium next Sunday to face the hated and now 0-2 Cleveland Browns. Things are looking pretty good from where we stand. So relax, Ravens' fans and enjoy the win!

Bolts & Dolts: Baltimore Ravens at San Diego Chargers

John (obviousman) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:47:47 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

3 months ago: San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers walks off the field after the Chargers turned the ball over on downs during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009, in San Diego. The Ravens won 31-26. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

Browse more photos »

Calm down, everybody. If there is such a thing, this was a good loss.

I see a lot of Chargers fans are piling on Norv Turner and saying that the Sproles draw play on 4th & 2 was a horrible play call. You're right and you're wrong. That same play led to an easy game-winning TD last week against the Raiders. Also, as the announcers were quick to point out, the Ravens were so focused on defending the pass that they had been putting 8 guys back in coverage and rushing only 3. The play should've worked. It should've caught the Ravens off guard and been a quick gain of 5 up the middle. However, Ray Lewis sniffed the play out and made the tackle in the backfield. The guy is a future Hall of Famer for a reason, and that was it.

Your complete list of Bolts & Dolts is after the jump.

Bolts

Offense

Norv Turner - 47 passes, 21 rushes. 474 yards of offense. I'm not an all or nothing kind of guy. If I see progress, I'm generally happy. All I ask is that things are moving in the right direction. This was progress. The Chargers spread the Baltimore defense out, setting up the run with the pass. They took advantage of the height mismatch they had with Malcom Floyd, Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates. They threw screen passes to neutralize the blitz. The Chargers generally moved the ball down the field at will the entire game, until they got into the red zone. Considering how good Baltimore's defense is, and considering the Chargers were playing without three starters, I believe this to be progress.

Philip Rivers - 25/45, 436 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 4 rushes, 10 rushing yards. Let's not kid ourselves. It wasn't Philip's best game. While the offensive line did a good job of not letting many people through unblocked, the difference in the pressure he faced and the pressure Joe Flacco faced was stunning. Philip ran the ball 4 times just to get away from the rush, was sacked twice and threw the ball away at least a handful of other times to avoid a negative play. With his groin and hand cramping up and bothering him, he still drove the team down the field and nearly to a winning touchdown. He wins these games more often than he loses them, but you cannot expect him to win them all. Even with the lack of performance in the red zone, 26 points against one of the league's best defense is impressive.

Darren Sproles - 10 carries, 26 yards, 7 catches, 124 receiving yards, 1 rec TD, 128 ret yards. Was he dynamic as a runner? Eh, maybe. He had one carry for 13 yards, which means if you took that away he'd have 9 carries for 13 yards. That's not great, but you have to factor in that Baltimore prides itself on having great run defense, having not allowed a 100+ yard rusher since the dawn of time. Was Sproles dynamic as a receiver and a kick returner? Of course he was. 278 total yards in any game is impressive, but Darren makes it look relatively simple. Having a weapon like him on the field is a game-changer, as it forces the defense to put one of their best players on him and opens the field for everybody else. Even if the Chargers had to use him and Michael Bennett full-time, I'd be unconcerned about the offensive production going down.

Vincent Jackson - 6 catches, 141 yards, 1 TD. Every time you though to yourself "There's no way they're not going to be triple-covering VJ right here", he seemed to make a big catch. He used his speed to get past the CBs and his muscle to get the best position on the ball. His hands, which were really my only concern for him coming into this season, were not a problem. He caught 6 of the 7 balls thrown to him. This was a statement game for Jackson, the type that makes everyone in the NFL notice him and say "That's a number one WR."

Antonio Gates - 5 catches, 78 yards. Antonio looks like the 2007 or 2006 version of himself again. His speed and agility is back 100%. On the quick slant against a Safety or LB, he cannot be stopped. When he can get position on a ball that's thrown high, he's coming down with it. He was double-covered every time the Chargers got near the end zone (and Rivers still threw at him once), so he couldn't help much with those issues, but he was a major weapon all day and is back to being the best TE in football.

Nate Kaeding - 4/4 FGs, 2/2 PATs. Nate has looked excellent in both Chargers games this season. Not only would the Bolts not have had a chance at the end of the game without him nailing every one of his FGs, but his kickoffs into the endzone were certainly helpful for the defense.

Defense

Quentin Jammer - 6 tackles, 1 defended pass. Q did his "shutdown corner" thing all game. Derrick Mason ended the game with 3 catches for 31 yards and that's it. Joe Flacco had a hard time finding open receivers most of the day, and part of that is because Mason was blanketed by Jammer on every play.

Antoine Cason - 2 tackles, 1 defended pass, 1 INT. Just barely made it. I may actually be giving him more credit because of the initial mistake that led to an easy Kelly Washington TD. As I stated before, I like progress and I also like players that play better after they make a mistake. Certain guys, with Rivers and Drew Brees included, play better when they're trying to turn a bad game into a good one. Cason's interception was a huge momentum-shifter in the game.

Eric Weddle - 10 tackles, 1 tackle for loss. Just like Jammer, Weddle went mostly unmentioned throughout the game even though he led the team in tackles. He did a fantastic job in coverage, maintaining over-the top coverage for most of the game. Flacco had 2 pass plays for more than 20 yards, one was a screen pass and the other was Cason's busted coverage on Washington. Flacco kept from throwing deep because Weddle was there every time. Eric also was all over the field, making tackles on outside runs on the opposite side of the field from where he started.

Pass Rush - 1 sack, 4 QB hits. I can't have every defensive Bolt be a secondary guy. Although the pass rush only got 1 sack (Luis Castillo), their pressure kept the Ravens from being able to develop their routes deep downfield. Shawne Merriman, in particular, looked better than he did against Oakland and finished the game with 2 hits on Flacco. A heavy dose of exotic blitzing schemes from Ron Rivera was a good sight to see, and against lesser teams they should be more effective.

Dolts

Offense

Chris Chambers - 2 catches, 30 yards. Chambers was thrown to 10 times in yesterday's game and only came away with the ball twice. Nobody else has a percentage that even comes close to that. Sure, the coverage on him was pretty good, but even when the ball was hitting him in the hands he seemed to have a hard time bringing it in. Chris seemed like the missing piece of the puzzle for the offense yesterday, that would've taken it from "very good" to "great". I need to see more from him if he wants to be the #2 receiver on a team this deep.

Legedu Naanee - 1 catch, 8 yards, 1 rush, -5 rushing yards. Chambers is helped by a poor performance on Legedu's part that showed off exactly why he is not ready to be a starter. His lack of awareness on his fourth quarter catch may be part of the reason the Chargers lost the game. If he gets the first down, the Bolts maybe never see fourth down. Instead, he danced around 2 yards away from the marker trying to make 3 defenders miss and ended up getting tackled from behind. Legedu, trust me when I tell you that dancing around in the middle of a defense never works. It may seem like a good idea at the time, but all you're doing is giving somebody time to come up behind you and jar the ball loose with a big hit that you never saw coming.

Jacob Hester - 2 runs, 3 yards. Part of the argument I made for the Chargers to run a spread-out, pass-happy offense was that it fit Hester better. He'd be blocking safeties and corners instead of LBs. He'd have more space to be a better runner and a better receiver. Yesterday he brought nothing to the table as a runner (Hester's philosophy: grab ball, fall forward) and didn't catch a pass. In the second half I saw Mike Tolbert in there at FB for at least one running play, and I don't know that Jacob was injured. Could Tolbert be getting a chance to win the job back? I know that would make a lot of Hester-haters happy.

Defense

Defensive Line - I know, I know. Vaughn Martin and Ogemdi Nwagbuo split duties at NT and they're both quite young. Jacques Cesaire has been out for over a month and even missed part of this game with a bloody chin. I'm not going to really criticize because I thought they played well considering the circumstances, but I couldn't leave them off of the Dolts list because they were a big reason that the Chargers lost the game. Willis McGahee terrorized the defensive line to the tune of 79 yards on 15 carries (5.3 YPC) and 2 easy-looking rushing TDs. Don't think the Dolphins and Steelers haven't seen the porous rush defense by the Chargers each of the last two weeks. They're building their gameplan around it.

Referees. I will freely admit that a team with new offensive and defensive lines, that haven't been playing together all through training camp, typically have problems with penalties. However, this was a little ridiculous. The Chargers were flagged three times as much as the Ravens (12-to-4) for nearly three times as much yards (85-to-32). Let's not even go into the play where the referees jumped in the middle of the line, didn't stop the playclock, and forced a false start on Baltimore. It seemed like the first time these umps had ever worked an NFL game.

They did call a mostly-fair game in terms of penalties. The Chargers just made more mistakes. There were a handful of delay of games called on Rivers (one of which was the official's fault and a killer in the fourth quarter), a couple of false starts, and other plays that couldn't go un-called (Dobbins' unnecessary roughness, Burnett's PI). Luckily, none of the really bad calls (running into the kicker, Hester's non-existent chop block) really killed the Chargers. Rivers still threw a TD after Hester's chop-block and the defense still force a punt 3 plays later after English's foul on the punter. The non-call on Rivers' second INT was kindof BS, but almost understandable because the refs had made it known that they were generally "letting them play" in the 4th quarter.

The biggest killer, and one that probably burns Norv Turner the most, was the delay of game call at the end of the 2nd quarter. According to Norv, and I believe he's right, the official made a motion that signifies that the playclock has been reset to 40 seconds. Yet, 11 seconds later, the playclock hit zero and the Chargers are moving back from the goal-line to Baltimore's 5 yard line. What started off as a relatively easy TD (QB sneak probably would've done it) was turned into a Nate Kaeding field goal instead. This was just part of the ref's buffoonery (not just towards the Chargers, but towards both teams) from yesterday's game.

Ravens @ Chargers: Prediction and Gametime 'Open Thread'

Bruce Raffel — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:27:32 -0000

More photos » by Gail Burton - AP

3 months ago: In this Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009, photo, Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice carries the ball during an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Baltimore. Rice led the Ravens in rushing with 108 yards. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

Browse more photos »

Keep it here on Baltimore Beatdown all throughout this afternoon's week 2 game of the 2009 NFL season between two 1-0 teams, the Baltimore Ravens and San Diego Chargers. Both teams are coming off of wins that were closer than either team expected, yet were still able to pull out victories when the pressure was on them.

Check back with us here at The Beatdown to see our comments and post your thoughts as well as you watch the game unfold. While Baltimore is a three point underdog, many people are still expecting a Ravens victory, as we look to be going into this game stronger and healthier than the Chargers. Besides, when a visiting team is just a three point 'dog, that pretty much means the game is dead even, with the FG advantage to the home team. I'm probably not the only one who hopes it doesn't come down to the kicking game, but that would be a great confidence booster for Ravens placekicker Steven Hauschka, who appeared to be shaky last week in going one for two in his attempts.

How do I see this game going?

(More on 'Predictions ..." after the 'Jump')

The Chargers will be limited or without a bunch of key components to their team. Foremost will be the loss of running back LaDainian Tomlinson, but his backups, Darren Sproles and Michael Bennett plan on making that loss insignificant. Either way, I don't see the Chargers running game getting untracked against this Ravens defense, although the short swing passes and screens to Sproles could give us fits if we don't blow them up early before he gets into space. San Diego also has injuries on the offensive line, which doesn't bode well for them against the Ravens' front seven.

Defensive lineman Jamal Charles has not only been ruled out for the game, but was placed on Injured Reserve yesterday, ending his 2009 season. Combined with a less than 100% Shawne Merriman, the San Diego defense has shown a tendency to give passers time to pick apart their secondary, as evidenced by the success that Oakland Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell had last week in their near upset. The Chargers defensvie backs are solid cover men, but give any QB in this league enough time and he'll find the open receiver. Joe Flacco has found that Todd Heap does indeed get open and can catch the ball when thrown to him and he has enjoyed decent success against San Diego, as I have the signed photo hanging in my Ravens-themed basement of him diving across the goal line in the last minute thrilling victory over the Chargers here in Baltimore back in 2006. Combined with the deep threat of Mark Clayton and the best possession receiver in the league in Derrick Mason, expect the Ravens passing attack to continue their aggressive playcalling and test the Chargers secondary early and often.

Don't forget our running game which racked up almost 200 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs and plan on getting a lot of work today as well. The Ravens have their own answer to the Chargers' speedy Sproles in the form of small but game breaking Ray Rice, who went over 100 yards last week and is also a threat out of the backfield. Both Willis McGahee (2 TD's last week) and LeRon McClain figure to get the rock a bunch of times this afternoon to test the trenches of San Diego.

Defensively, expect to get a heavy dose of Chargers QB Philip Rivers, throwing to a bevy of receivers, most dangerlous the combination of WR Vincent Jackson and TE Antonio Gates. Both guys are tall and present difficult matchups for our pass defense. Both are too fast for the bigger guys to match up against and too strong for the speed guys to cover one-on-one. Therefore, the key will be help from the safeties in back of them and more importantly, pressure from the guys up front. Pass pressure on Rivers will cause him to release the ball before his receivers break from their patterns and limit the long completions and big plays. Frustrate Rivers with stunts and blitzes, put him on the ground early and he will get angry and start yapping like he is prone to. Force him to adjust his drops and timing and he can throw interceptions or put the ball on the ground for the Ravens to jump on and create the short field that this defense has been able to do for the offense.

The good news is that this offense is fully capable of moving the ball on their own and we shall see that this was not a specific case of being able to move it against a weak defense in Kansas City. In terms that will certainly raise the ire of the Chargers faithful who visit The Beatdown to read this, I firmly believe that San Diego is highly overrated, playing in arguably the worst division in the NFL and still barely made the post season last year. The Baltimore Ravens are on a mission to make not only the playoffs but have every intention of advancing further than they did last season. While any away game in the NFL is a tough one and this may be one for most of the game, I see the Ravens physically pounding the Chargers on both sides of the balll and forcing turnovers that they use to put enough points on the board to frustrate the opponent into giving the ball up in key situations.

Although I don't expect this to be a shootout, the Ravens will score on the Chargers defense enough to win the game and the defense will ensure that the points hold up to leave San Diego at 2-0 and firmly announce to the league that they are among the NFL's elite.

Ravens 24-16