SB Nation - Malcolm Floyd

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:20 -0000

Happy Tuesday, friends. It's a short week, with another game on Thursday night, so there's no time to mope or feel sorry for ourselves. In their scheduling wisdom, the NFL took away our right to do so - and I, for one, am glad. The Giants can be beaten, with sound play, but we'll get to that eventually. For now we'll put this week to bed and move on quickly. Ready.... BEGIN!!!!

1. I am approaching one full year as a staff contributor to MHR, having joined at the beginning of December 2008. It's been quite an interesting year, and my relationship to the team has kind of changed in an unexpected way during that time.

I first discovered MHR in April 2008, right before the draft. It, and SBNation, have come a long way since then, but the basics were the same; MHR is a respectful, knowledgeable community which discussed all things about their team. I was inspired to join such a community, and I started posting some FanPosts (which were still called Diaries only a year and a half ago).

Unlike a lot of staff members, I wasn't asked to fill a specific role, so I had to figure out what mine would be. I had always done some around the league stuff, but I wanted to find a delivery formula that would work well on a Broncos site. I debuted ST&NO on January 12, 2009, with the following opening:

As we enter the re-loading season, I felt like I needed to establish a fun new recurring feature. HT has MHR University, and Broncobear has the always excellent Tales from the Sunny Side. Styg is heading up some great draft coverage, which has a fun name, which you'll be hearing about very soon. Nick has some statistical analysis pieces which will be coming, and Zappa will continue to be Zappa, intermittently unleashing jolts of Broncos fan brilliance. And the Guru, when we form like Voltron, the Guru is the head.

So where does that leave me? Well, I was thinking a couple days ago, as I listened to Enter The Wu-Tang and shoveled a foot of snow, that two things I can consistently provide are shallow thoughts, and nearsighted observations. Since this is a Broncos blog, I'll focus on our team, but I'll also include some league-wide thoughts, for keeping-up-with- the-Jones purposes. Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. What else could be needed on top of that? Maybe just some more cowbell.... Did anybody bring a cowbell?

Well, ST&NO has grown, and I have too. As I was sitting on my couch Sunday, watching the debacle against the Chargers, I realized that I wasn't yelling and cursing as much as normal. I didn't get that excited, and I have to say, upon some reflection, that I have been less excitable about the Broncos this season than ever. For the first 6 games, I had a hard time finding new ways to express my pleasure with the situation, and for the last 4, I have had trouble doing the opposite thing.

All I can figure is that my role in writing for this site has subtly and gradually forced me to become more of an objective analyst, and less of a passionate fan. I think the change largely has to do with my relationship with and attitude toward reporters.

I like to beat up on NFL reporters, because I think that most of them only have a surface-level knowledge of what is going on in a football game. The Broncos have a couple of good reporters, in Lindsay Jones and Jeff Legwold, and I never take any shots at them. I actually have tended toward staying away from taking deserved shots at the Denver-area Woody Paige bloviator class, because I don't want to spend the site's goodwill with the Denver media; it's John's to spend, not mine, after all. (Woody going after Kyle at BroncoTalk made me briefly lift my moratorium in the comments section of Horse Tracks the other day.)

Here's a summary of my general attitude toward football reporting. I think there is relatively little value in the reporting of news, at the national level. When Lindsay Jones reports on what happened at the facility every day, there is value in that. When Chris Mortensen hears 10 minutes before Jay Glazer that Chris Simms will start, who cares? Everybody was going to find out soon enough anyway, so what's the difference who had it first?

The real value, to me, is in the analysis, which is why I devote my time and effort to being a good analyst. While I am not a journalist, I do admire the journalistic principle of objectivity, and I think that in reconciling my criticism of national NFL reporters with my long-held policy of non-hypocrisy, I have become more objective. If I am going to beat them up for not knowing the technical aspects of the game as well as me, I can't be less objective than them. Something like that.

I remember last spring sitting in a bar with some co-workers for a happy hour, and seeing Woody's face come on Around The Horn. I told this girl I work with, Trudy, that I competed with him in the marketplace of ideas, and that I kicked his butt, on the merits. Well, I really don't think of Woody as my competition anymore, for a lot of obvious reasons. (Like, for example, he can't compete with me.) Due to the established nature of my content, I feel like I am competing with national guys, like Peter King and Gregg Easterbrook, even if this platform is Broncos-specific.

So, the point of this is that I was struggling with what to say in a general way about Sunday's game, when I don't have the deep feelings that most of you do, and that I would have had a year ago. I feel like I imagine Tom Jackson to feel; I'm very disappointed at the result for my affiliated team, but at the end of the day, I have the rest of the football landscape to worry about, too, and I have to get on with the business of being an objective analyst. I am still coming to grips with this change, and I am not really sure what the ancillary implications are for me. This may be one of these existential crises like we're seeing with Team Edward or Team Jacob. (I have a lot of 20-something women among my Facebook friends, so, trust me, I know.) See here for a funny breakdown of that Twilight sitch-ee-ation.

(Big up my man Justin Dazet for finding that. Justin writes a blog that gets into gaming and other stuff, and a San Diego area column on Geek Culture. Check him out if you're into that sort of thing.)

Momentarily, I will get back to the business of breaking down the game details, like I always do, but I thought I should at least explain why there was no impassioned, emotional screed today about the Broncos.

2. Information From My Eyes - Chargers at Broncos

a. First things first. I am going to tell you why Kyle Orton didn't start the game. He couldn't take snaps from under center and drop back effectively. It's that simple. The injury that he has prevented it. If you can only play in the shotgun, your running game is severely limited, from the perspective of the direction you can run. Josh McDaniels said this without really getting detailed, but this is what he meant.

Orton took a few snaps under center, but he really labored with his footwork, and it hindered the timing of the running game, and the Broncos could only really run to the A and B gaps. When the QB is playing slow, it makes the whole offense play slow, unfortunately.

b. The Broncos came out running the ball like they meant business. They could do that with Chris Simms under center, but Simms obviously never held his end of the bargain as a passer. When Orton came into the game, it wasn't conducive to running the ball, and neither was Orton's ability to retreat from center.

c. Knowshon Moreno scored a Touchdown, and ~~Ron~~ Nuclear Winter's crew blew the call. When I saw who the referee was, right after kickoff, I tweeted;

I am sure Moreno's play was a TD by virtue of relative positioning. To wit, Russ Hochstein's knee was across the goal line, and if his knee caused the fumble, which it clearly did, then the ball had to be across the goal line. That play was an absolute killer, because with a TD at the end of the half, the Broncos are right back in the game at 13-7. The energy of the game had momentarily shifted to the Broncos, and just like that, it was gone.

d. I was very disappointed with the defensive scheme, as I have been the last several weeks. The Broncos have really changed from an aggressive defense to one which is reading and reacting, and I don't like it at all. In the game at San Diego, the Broncos had great success pressuring the A gaps, and I saw very little effort to do that Sunday. They also got Elvis Dumervil in favorable matchups against the terrible Jeromey Clary, and again, there was none of that. Clary was even injured, and they didn't seem like they wanted to go after him. The Broncos need to get back to what made them tough on defense.

e. A little noticed good thing about Sunday was kickoff and punt coverage. The Broncos never let Darren Sproles hurt them in the return game, and both Josh Barrett and David Bruton made outstanding plays in downfield coverage.

f. The Chargers defensive backs got away with playing through the bodies of Denver receivers several times. The Broncos were a lot sloppier than San Diego, but not to the point where the penalty disparity should have been as wide as it was. It seems to me that teams which have "physical" labels like San Diego, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore get away with mugging a lot of WRs, and not just with crappy officiating crews like Nuclear Winter. It's like how you might call a foul playing an indoor basketball game at the Y, but you wouldn't call the same thing playing streetball.

g. Speaking of penalties, I want to know what the unsportsmanlike conduct was against Marcus Thomas and Ronald Fields on those two kicking plays. It seemed to me that they just hit the long snapper, though it was hard to tell from the TV angles on the recorded Short Cut. Those seemed like Nuclear Winter ticky-tack calls.

h. Andre' Goodman had a hard time dealing with the size of Malcolm Floyd on Sunday. Chris Chambers has done very well in Kansas City, but Floyd is a much tougher matchup for a guy like Goodman.

i. I put a great deal of the Broncos' recent offensive struggles on the absence of Ryan Harris. They haven't been able to protect nearly as well as they did in the first six games. That's not exactly meant to be an indictment of Tyler Polumbus, who is fine as a backup OT and special teams player. It's just recognizing the fact that Harris is one of the best RTs in the game. The timing of the offensive struggles aren't coincidental. It looks like Harris is still hurt, but let's hope he can play on the other side of the Giants game.

j. Again, the gap discipline took a vacation in the second half of the football game. Peter King thinks the defense of the first six games was a mirage, which is dramatically oversimplifying the case. They have still been quick and active for big stretches during the losing streak. It's just been less common to see them sustain it for 60 minutes lately. D.J. Williams (again) and Andra Davis both had pretty bad days in the gap discipline department.

k. I was fine with the onsides kick call, even if it didn't work. It was a good situation for it, because the Broncos were going to lose anyway without a big play.

3. Information From My Eyes - Other Games

a. Again, Thursday seems like it was a long time ago. I was very impressed with the play of Ricky Williams in the absence of Ronnie Brown. I haven't liked the play of Williams so much, maybe ever. The Dolphins didn't do much of their Wild Cute Marine Mammal stuff, but they ran very well from traditional formations, against a Carolina defense which is usually stout against the run. The direct snap stuff is good because of Brown, who has a rare instinctiveness for the options it provides. The Dolphins were smart to go back to the handoff game with Williams.

b. I still don't like Chad Henne's tattoo, but he had a very steady game. He's improving as a player every week, and I give the Dolphins a lot of credit for taking it slow with him, and developing him in an intelligent way. Tony Sparano doesn't receive a lot of acclaim, but I have been very impressed with the coaching job his staff has done for two years now.

c. The Dolphins have started ST&NO Favorite Sean Smith at RCB all season, and are now starting Vontae Davis at LCB. They have done a great job, and they really more than held their own against Muhsin Muhammad and Steve Smith last Thursday. Both guys are very talented, but again, it's a testament to the coaching they are getting from Todd Bowles, the Dolphins Assistant Head Coach and Secondary coach. I fully expect Bowles to get a head coaching job this offseason, even though nobody in the reporter-o-sphere is talking about him.

d. I criticized Joey Porter's play last week, but the benching seems to have motivated him. He was dominant, with two sacks and two other tackles for losses. It helped that Jordan Gross was hurt, but Porter looked much better than I have seen him this season, regardless of the matchup.

e. I watched a great deal of the Green Bay-San Francisco game, and I came away thinking that Aaron Rodgers has it better than Alex Smith from a protection standpoint, which isn't saying much at all, obviously. San Francisco has a pretty good LT in Joe Staley, but he's been hurt for a few weeks now. Smith couldn't do anything at all for most of the game Sunday, because he was getting hit the second he got to the top of his drops.

In the second half, with the score getting lopsided, the Niners smartened up and just put Smith in the shotgun, where he is most comfortable. He responded with 3 TD passes and made the game look like it was closer than it was. I continue to think that Smith is more than good enough to win with, if he gets protection. When you evaluate what he does in a vacuum, he's doing the right things way more often than not.

f. I have heard a lot of criticism of Aaron Rodgers lately, but he continues to look like a top-notch passer to me. He is gaining 8.2 yards per pass attempt, with 19 TDs and 5 INTs this season. He has also run for more yards than any QB in the NFL, and 3 TDs. I also tend to think you have to evaluate Rodgers in a vacuum, and other than holding the ball a little too long sometimes, he doesn't do much wrong. The last couple weeks, he's been getting the ball out quicker, too.

g. The loss of Al Harris is really going to hurt the Packers badly. It severely limits their ability to use Charles Woodson in the wide variety of roles that they liked to use him in. Woodson has often covered TEs and is a great blitzer. He's played as well as any defensive player in the NFL this season, and now the Packers may need to use him more on the outside.

I actually think the loss of Aaron Kampman is pretty negligible for them, despite his big name. He hasn't adjusted well to playing OLB, and his tallness has hurt him. By coming from a standup position, Kampman hasn't gotten the leverage he used to play with. He needs to move on to a 4-3 team where he can play on the strongside again. He's about the best in the NFL at that, after Mario Williams.

h. I can't believe the Jaguars are 6-4, but they are. When they win, they have been getting good play from David Garrard and Mike Sims-Walker, which they did on Sunday against Buffalo. Garrard is an interesting guy, because he seems young, but he isn't. He's actually 31, and he's probably reached the prime of his career. He's good enough to take a team to the playoffs, obviously, but do you build around him? I kind of feel the same way about Garrard as I did about Jake Plummer at the end of 2005, though I think Garrard is a little better player than Plummer was.

i. A guy who has been an outstanding player for a few years, without getting any credit, is Kyle Williams for the Bills. He was dominant on Sunday. Williams is kind of a short, stout DT, who does a great job getting penetration from a 3-technique position. He's never been a big sack guy, but his ability to shoot gaps has disrupted a lot of running games.

j. It's funny how many ST&NO favorites become really good players in the NFL. Percy Harvin hasn't gotten a lot of credit, because the media is busy loving on Brett Favre, but he's become a good NFL receiver quickly. A lot of Mel Kiper's said Harvin didn't run a lot of routes at Florida, but he was always open when he did. It was clear to me that he'd be able to separate with quickness as he learned NFL technique. His technique is improving quickly, and he's a handful. Along with Sidney Rice and Bernard Berrian, he's part of a really dangerous receiving corps. I can't think of a lot of groups I'd take over them, actually.

k. Joseph Addai has never been a favorite of mine, but he's playing better than ever lately. I still think that Donald Brown is going to be the better player, but Addai seems to have found some confidence and toughness that I never perceived in him.

l. The AFC has had a lot of outstanding safety play this season, but if I had to pick two starters for the Pro Bowl, they'd be Melvin Bullitt and Bernard Pollard. Bullitt got some notice for stopping the 4th and 2 last week, but he has been terrific in replacing Bob Sanders. Tampa 2-teams need a quick safety who can get from a cover-2 shell to the box very quickly, and Bullitt has done it as well as Sanders ever did.

Pollard was cut by Kansas City, and I just didn't get it. Maybe Scott Pioli was paying him back for last season's hit on Tom Brady? Pollard has been spectacular at times for the Texans, and has really been the star on the back end that they've never had. (No, Dunta Robinson is not a star; he's only paid like one.)

Brian Dawkins, Ed Reed, Jairus Byrd, Antoine Bethea, Kerry Rhodes, Brandon Meriweather, and Reggie Nelson would be battling it out for the last Pro Bowl spot, but I am sure about the top 2, as of today.

m. Laurence Maroney is doing a decent job of re-establishing his reputation as a solid RB. He has had the knock of not being particularly tough, kind of like Addai, but Maroney has been picking up a lot of tough yards lately. Take away the goal-line fumble against he Colts, and he's been really good.

n. Mark Sanchez looked confused almost the whole game on Sunday, against a New England team that knows how to confuse a QB. Sanchez is a classic example of what happens when teams get some film on you and know what you're going to do. I don't think it's time to bench him, like the average Peter King is calling for, but it would definitely behoove the Jets to figure out what Sanchez is comfortable doing, and sticking to only that stuff.

o. I can tell you right now, the Lions had a fantastic draft in 2009. Matthew Stafford, Brandon Pettigrew, and Louis Delmas all look like future Pro Bowlers. MHR favorite Sammie Lee Hill has been a solid starter at DT, and DeAndre Levy has been solid starting at WLB, since Ernie Sims as lost for the season, too. The guy I might like best, actually, is sixth-rounder Aaron Brown, a RB from TCU. He caught a TD pass on Sunday, but where he looked really dangerous was on kickoff returns. He's very explosive looking. I think Derrick Williams will eventually be a useful player too, and that makes 7 hits in one draft class. It's exactly the kind of performance that their opponents from Sunday (the Browns) need.

p. Speaking of he Browns, I have some thoughts. It sucks to lose like that, on an untimed down, but if I was a Browns fan, I would feel a lot better than I did a week ago. Brady Quinn had his best day as a pro, with 4 TD passes, and a 5th one dropped. Sure, he wasn't pressured a lot, when Detroit didn't blitz, but he looked like he was in command, and the offensive game plan looked like Brian Daboll trusted Quinn, finally. Mohamed Massaquoi and Chansi Stuckey did a very nice job making plays down the field.

I mentioned that the Browns need a good draft; they have 11 picks as of right now, and they need to hit on the majority of them. If I were their new football czar, I wouldn't draft a QB in the first round. I would give Quinn a full year with better talent (and coaching), and see what I have. My target would be Russell Okung, an OT from Oklahoma State, who I'd play on the right side. The Browns' current right side is flat-out awful. I'd be bringing in 2 good RBs, since they have zero right now. They need a Correll Buckhalter-type of free agent, and a second-round pick like a Jonathan Dwyer from Georgia Tech. One of their 3rd-round picks would go for a TE who can catch, like Ed Dickson from Oregon. With 2 new RBs, a TE, and a RT, all of a sudden, you have a solid group of players on offense.

Offense has to be the priority, because their 5 TDs on Sunday matched their previous total in 9 games. They aren't really that far away from being league-average, and I only used 3 of 11 picks in this hypothetical situation. The Browns could be 8-8 or 9-7 next season, if they make the most of their offseason opportunities. I can see it now; Todd Bowles wins coach of the year for them, after going from 2-14 to 9-7.

q. The Texans just continue to lose heartbreakers. Matt Schaub made plays, again, and gave his team a chance to win, again. And then Kris Brown blew it, again. I feel really bad for guys like Schaub, Andre Johnson and Mario Williams, who bring it every week. I'd hate to see these circumstances cost Gary Kubiak his job, but they just might.

r. I was going to talk about how everybody needs to slow down on the Vince Young hype train, but he justified the hype Monday night. Repeatedly, he picked up 3rd downs with his legs, and his throwing was pretty good too. He particularly threw a pretty ball that Nate Washington didn't come down with. He looked like he did at the University of Texas. You heard it here first; the Titans are going to beat San Diego by 2 TDs in a few weeks.

s. Trent Dilfer is a really terrible analyst, and I don't get the Steve Levy and Matt Winer combination with him. Usually, there's one anchor type to serve up softballs to the analyst. It's a weird setup. Back to Dilfer, I think the guy is just about always wrong.

t. Right after I typed that, ESPN went back to the Stuart Scott-Matt Millen-Steve Young set, and they proceeded to blame Matt Schaub for Kris Brown's missed field goal. Epic FAIL. All the guy could do was what he did. He moved his team down the field in 45 seconds, and set them up with a shot at a makeable kick. How in the world does that fall on the QB that they lost the game? That is just too idiotic for words

4. As promised, here is the rationale for why the Broncos can win on Thursday night. The Giants are extremely susceptible to getting beaten down the field, since they lost their starting Free Safety, Kenny Phillips. They are getting Aaron Ross back into the swing of things at CB, but he hadn't played all season, prior to this past Sunday.

With their shakiness on the back end, the Giants have blitzed a bit less than in past years, particularly in the A gaps. Tyler Polumbus will need some help on Justin Tuck, when they're matched up, but I expect the Broncos to be able to protect Kyle Orton reasonably well.

The Giants, meanwhile, aren't getting much from their running game lately. I also believe that their WRs don't pose a huge threat against Champ Bailey and Andre' Goodman. David Diehl will almost certainly struggle against Elvis Dumervil, because he's a natural LG playing LT. I feel pretty good about the defensive matchup, really.

This game is no lock, obviously, but it's one which the Broncos can win if they execute, stop taking bad penalties, and take care of the football. John Bena had it exactly right Sunday night. The Broncos can't beat good teams if they make mistakes, and the Giants are a good team. A victory is very plausible, though, if they do what they need to do.

5. I have cited several reasons lately for cutting ST&NO a little short, and I have another one. I got a bit sidetracked from writing, because of some big news in my family, which led to some calling, texting, and emailing, but not much writing.

On Monday night, my brother Chris911's wife Ana gave birth to their first child, Elizabeth Danielle Bartlett, at 7:36 Pacific Time, in Los Angeles, CA. Elizabeth weighed 5 pounds, 12.5 ounces, and was 17 1/4 inches long. Mother and baby are doing well. It occurred to me that I was in a good position to write the first birth announcement. Please join me in congratulating Chris and Ana on the birth of the newest little Broncos fan.

Since I am decidedly not in the having kids business, I took some time to live vicariously through them, and try to feel their excitement. Now, I am going to get back to living vicariously though myself, though. Y'all know how I do...

6. I am hitting the road for Connecticut on Tuesday, right after this story posts, to go eat some turkey, take a hellified tryptophan nap, and find a bar with NFL Network. My main reason for going, though, is to play in the 38th Annual Erb-Orsini Bowl in my hometown of Norwich, CT. I am only 32, so it predates me, but I have played in a number of them over the years. I said I would try to go back east for it last year, but it was snowing all across Pennsylvania, and I decided at the last minute to stay in Cleveland. I wasn't feeling 600 miles of driving in snow. This year, I wanted to show up and play, and the weather is cooperative. I have too much work to do to take the time, but I am going to work on Wednesday from a Tim Horton's restaurant.

The Erb-Orsini Bowl is a touch game, but it's been pretty physical and competitive in the past. The picture below is from the 2004 game. I am on the left. On the right is my brother John. He laid out for a pass early in the game, and was shaken up. His shoulder hurt, and he said that he didn't want to catch any more passes, and that he'd just stay in and pass-block, so he did just that. Thirty-six hours later, after not saying anything more about the topic, he decided to go to the hospital. Turned out, he had broken his shoulder. It's kind of the Bartlett way to suffer in silence, really, which is owed to being half Irish.

The keeper of the flame is the guy in the midde, my long-time friend Tony Orsini. Tony, as it happens, is a huge Giants fan. He's such a huge fan, actually, that he and his dad spent thousands of dollars to go to Arizona and get tickets for Super Bowl XLII against the mighty Patriots. Against that 16-0 team, i would have never spent that kind of coin, but he did, and he was rewarded. (To me, when I heard about it, it sounded like that time in 7th grade when I bet Pete Lacombe 5 bucks that Denver would beat San Francisco, straight-up, in Super Bowl XXIV, even though my allowance was $2 per week at that time. That was an all-time dumb call.)

On Thursday morning, I am hoping for a good Erb-Orsini Bowl, where I make some big plays, and on Thursday night, for our Broncos to beat Tony's Giants. Do any of y'all have good Turkey Bowls to play in? Let's hear some tangential Thanksgiving football stories. You might as well get with me on this meandering, because you never know where we might end up when the carousel stops.

7. Retired for John Elway.

8. The Buffalo coaching search is interesting. We know they've reached out to Mike Shanahan, and word materialized Monday night/Tuesday morning that Bill Cowher was contacted, and that he declined to be considered. Ralph Wilson is 91, and he wants to win now. Unfortunately for Buffalo, he is relatively cash-poor, and the team probably doesn't stay in his family when he dies, due to estate taxation. If it leaves his family, it almost certainly leaves Buffalo, which is a rapidly declining city.

If I were a coach looking for work, I would consider Buffalo unattractive for those reasons, as well as for the fact that they don't have a QB or any real quality on the O-Line. They have 2 good RBs, the fantastic Lee Evans, some good CBs and a good young safety in Jairus Byrd and pass rusher in Aaron Maybin. Paul Posluszny is solid, and Kyle Williams is very good, as I mentioned. The cupboard is not totally empty talent-wise, but it's a serious personnel challenge in a boring, economically depressed cold-weather town. The only thing they have on Cleveland, in terms of attracting free agents, is marginally better-looking uniforms. I expect that the Bills end up hiring a first time Head Coach, after being spurned by Shanahan and others.

That's all I have for this week, friends. I am off to get on the road for the East Coast. I won't see any comments until 10 or 11 hours from now, but I will check them out when I get where I am going, and will answer the ones that need answering. Have a great week, a great holiday, and a great Football Thursday. Go Broncos!

Broncos Thoughts and Musings - A look back at Chargers Week

Emmett Smith — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:00:30 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

about 1 month ago: Denver Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno, center, goes over the top of San Diego Chargers linebackers Tim Dobbins (51) and Stephen Cooper (54) while gaining two yards for a first down in the third quarter of the NFL football game Monday, Oct. 19, 2009 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

Browse more photos »

Having taken a 'bye' week of my own, I thought that I'd put together a few musings for the general group. Before getting into the meat of this week's offering, though, I'd like to take a minute to mention a phenomena that has been showing its ugly face around Broncos Country. I'm talking about the problems of our fans having a 'Shanahangover': the sinking belief that the issues of the past years, in which the Broncos look good enough to fool us and lull us into a state of complacency before succumbing to a massive blowout (often to an inferior team) and shattering our dreams, could resurface in 2009. It's a dangerous disease, but fatal only to those who believe that this year's team has something in common with the teams of the past - notably, the past three seasons. Time will tell, but I don't see this happening any longer.

I've read this from a few of the members and in other blogs and sites: "The Broncos have fooled us before." It's true, too, but that was before a new sheriff, deputy, posse, marksman and scouts came into the picture. No matter what you've seen in the past, this team has little or nothing to do with the Ghosts of Seasons Past. The improvement in the coaching, performance of players, attitude and execution is light years beyond what we as fans are used to. Whether it's our team or another, living in the past is an exercise in misunderstanding the present. This is not last year's Broncos. It's a whole new experience.

As an example, Arrowhead Stadium is likely to be a tough place to win; but it's not because the Broncos haven't played well there in the past. They often didn't, but that's not a matter for this year's team. It's a windswept, loud, raucous place to play. It's hard to hear signals if the place is full and I don't take any game lightly, particularly a division rival. While I do think that the Chiefs are in early stages of an upswing, I'm not at all concerned that they're better than Denver or that they will beat us, even in their own house. Our veterans aren't going to take games off and they're not going to let the younger players take anyone lightly. If the Broncos play anywhere near their skill level, they're just too good for most teams. We've got a lot of great contests coming up, but one thing that doesn't concern me at all is the possibility that we will revert to the habits of seasons past. It's not going to happen, so put it out of your mind.

Charging into the Future

Before the Monday Night Football game that extended the Broncos' record to 6-0, Chargers TE Antonio Gates said, "One thing that gives us a chance is that we're still in the hunt in the AFC West. We never said it had to be pretty, and it wasn't pretty last year." After the game, it was a lot uglier. If Gates believes that the Chargers are still in the hunt, he needs to define his terms pretty quickly.

"It's tough to always be in this situation," Gates said afterward. "We didn't plan on being here. We didn't plan on being 8-8 last year either. But here we are. We have to keep working, or it could snowball and turn into a losing streak."

"We didn't plan on getting here." If there are words perfectly suited for failure, I think those should be high on the list. "We didn't plan on being here." Yes, that about covers it.

Bear in mind that they also didn't plan well enough to avoid it. They didn't run the extra sprints that the Broncos endured to get in better shape than their opponents. They didn't make the personnel moves that the Broncos did, realizing that no matter how good you were supposed to be, an 8-8 record will rarely get you into the postseason. They didn't identify the weaknesses that they had, nor the ones that could arise with age, injury and contract status. They didn't do enough to prepare themselves for the fact that Shawne Merriman was very unlikely to have a great year this year. Few will, after the kind of surgery that he had. In short - they didn't plan to succeed, either.

I'm sympathetic to their injury issues among linemen. That's tough and often unpredictable. But even there - is it a shock that Jamal Williams (who's had more surgeries than an aging Hollywood ingenue) would start to break down? Nick Hardwick has had a lot of injuries, plenty of surgeries (and I thought that Scott Mruczkowski did a very good job until Mike Nolan outfoxed him). Igor Olshansky was going to be gone. I wrote last spring about the issues that the Chargers were going to be experiencing, and I'm no expert. So, what happened?

Three things, I'd argue, and all are common: arrogance, lassitude and reversion to the mean. Arrogance in this case includes believing that you can start out poorly season after season and still make up the ground - the continuing decline of their schedule argues against that. But the arrogance also includes the behavior of individuals, including fighting within the team that is seen in public. Then there's lassitude, as in admitting, as A.J. Smith did last February, that the Chargers' woes were in great part on him but not doing more about it. And reversion to the mean: this is a team that has been heading for mediocrity (and how obvious can that be, after going 8-8?) for some time. It needed major help, and it got a few band-aids.

I loved the Kevin Burnett pickup, and it's just bad fortune that he's hurt. I liked the Larry English draft pick, and he's getting there. I also liked the Louis Vasquez draft pick, and he's developing quickly. I can't even fathom the Kynan Forney (who's since been released) or Travis Johnson pickups, though. The Bolts tended to stand pat with a suspect secondary, didn't develop their depth and accepted on faith that bad performances were anomalies instead of facts. It bought them a game in which a stellar performance by Philip Rivers wasn't enough, in which Nolan and McDaniels out-coached Ron Rivera and Norv Turner and in which the best the Chargers could bring wasn't close to enough.

There will, as Merriman pointed out, be a rematch. I look forward to it, and I'm sure the Broncos do. Stating before the game that 'the Broncos can't stop me' wasn't Rivers' smartest move. Claiming that they will get revenge after the game wasn't Merriman's, but I do appreciate the help those things gave Denver. If the Broncos needed any aid in getting up for the home half of this series, which I greatly doubt, they won't after that night's statements.

Arrogance...some things don't change.

Losing the Locker Room

That same arrogance has infected the locker room and the very attitude of the Chargers. You could see in a single moment why the Chargers have problems with their team very clearly during the first quarter of the Monday night game. The Chargers bogged down at the goal line - LaDainian Tomlinson was stopped short of the goal line twice. They took him out on the third play and put in Darren Sproles, trying to take advantage of a seam that Turner had seen. Tomlinson paced the sidelines, obviously complaining bitterly about not being in. The Broncos stopped Sproles and the Bolts short again, and they settled for kicking the FG.

It got me to thinking. Last year at this time, the Chargers were starting slow, appeared unmotivated and perhaps even ill-prepared. Tomlinson was also complaining - about the play calling, the offensive line, and not getting enough carries. Now, imagine that he was in orange and blue. How likely is it that a Bronco would do that - two years running? If you consider that Turner's team has gone from 14-2 before he arrived, to slow starts three years running, you start to see why that might be true. Players fight with management in the media. The GM insults his team, as A.J. Smith did by calling their play 'soft'. Nowhere is there a sign that adults are in charge. Merriman has a public feud with Smith, dating back a couple of seasons. Smith doesn't like his side jobs, feeling that it takes away from the team. LDT fights with Turner, expresses his feelings and tussles with Smith this past offseason, very publicly. Smith gets quickly pulled into it. No one wins.

This past week, it was wide receiver Chris Chambers. A non-factor for quite a while now, he was complaining to the press that his snaps are being taken by Malcolm Floyd. I don't know what he expected - he's not gaining separation, he's not getting open and he hasn't shown a ton of skill at fighting for the ball. But he's still touting himself as if it were three seasons ago and he was doing good things. It's the kind of thing that you're not seeing from the Broncos, the kind of thing that tells you when a franchise is in disarray.

I can't even express my gratitude for the fact that Josh McDaniels has very good management skills. He won't carry arguments into the media, rarely gets flustered and keeps things behind closed doors. I've fired people for the kinds of destructive behavior that I've seen from the Chargers over the past two years. Those who claim that this is football and that it's really okay to have things this way should consider how the Broncos do handle things -- and how their team acts and plays. As in, as a unit. As a real team, one that's going good places. It matters. Once in a while, a dysfunctional team has a good year. Most of the time, though, they flame out, and the talent levels don't matter enough to get them where they want to go. That's happening in San Diego, and while it's good for the Broncos, it's an obvious sign of the Bolts organization needing a makeover.

Asked before the MNF debacle, LDT was asked what he saw in the Charger's locker room. "It's a quiet confidence. You look in each man's eyes in that locker room, you can tell there is something extra."

Did they also see that you'd be pacing the sidelines, yelling and pouting, LDT? Perhaps not. That's one reason that the Chargers are 3 games back. Even worse for the Bolts and better for the Broncos, LDT hasn't been alone.

Beating Kansas City has given the Bolts a brief respite, but that's hardly a road back into the land of the competitive. While I do think that the Denver game as been a wakeup call of Shakespearean proportions for San Diego, their problems run too deep to permit them to make the late season run this year profitable. The game in Denver will be a grudge match. Given the state of the raiders and Chiefs, that's a good thing. It may keep thing much more interesting.

Some Other Stats that Matter (With apologies to Lebowski)

What did the Broncos do right so far this year? It's a long list, but try these perspectives on the rushing game:

Stuffs per carry - Correll Buckhalter, 4th, at 0.043 Knowshon Moreno at 9th, with 0.061
Stuffed: Best in league - It only happened on 8 plays. Despite the issues that can improve in short yardage, the problem isn't with negative plays.
YPC: Buck, 1st, 6.7 Broncos 11th, 4.3
Yards: Broncos 7th, 798
Big play rushes: tied for 9th, 20
100-yard rushers against: 0
100 yards rushing by opposing teams: 0
Passes dropped, over 6 games: 5. Four of those came in the first two weeks. It's all about doing your job and doing it right.

Let's also look at the percentage of rushing versus passing plays. Going back to the offseason, Doug (nycbroncosfan) and I published the "Divining Josh McDaniels" series. We said at the time that McD had been viewed at being more of a passing kind of guy than he really deserved. It was true when McD was in NE and it is true in Denver. We're in 8th, with 47.7% rushing and therefore 52.3% passing - a very even, balanced attack. Over the last 4 years, McDaniels had averaged 43.1% rushing plays. That seems low, but it's not if you look at how the team was structured. In 2008 that number was 46.8% rushing and that was similar to 2006 as well. On the other years, the passing game was working too well to minimize it. Josh McD believes in maximizing all of your skill sets and using the ones that the defense lets you win with, whether it's the pass or the run. As you would expect, he's attempting to make sure hat both are viable options. It's that simple. By getting Moreno, Buckhalter, Orton, the O-line and the receiving corps, he can go either way with complete confidence. That makes it very hard to stop the Broncos' offense.

You might also look at how the aging, decrepit defensive secondary is doing. Teams have been challenging Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins and getting their hats handed to them. Take a look at these stats: Bailey is tied for 2nd in the league with 8 passes defensed; Dawkins is tied for 11th with 6.

The Broncos have two players in the top 11 in the NFL in passes defensed -- and both players are over 30. That's a stat that not a lot of casual fans follow, but it tells you a lot about a team. It tells you that the Broncos have age, wisdom and maturity in the defensive secondary. Experienced players know how to communicate and that skill is constantly undervalued. It also tells you that those who believe that Champ Bailey, Andre' Goodman, Brian Dawkins and Renaldo Hill are 'losing a step' need to find their argument. Dawkins and Bailey are among the league leaders and are getting some payback on the 'lost a step' crowd. Andre' Goodman and Renaldo Hill are playing the best ball of their careers. The young guys, Alphonso Smith and Jack Williams, are also paying well and Darcel McBath has already shown why we drafted him on defense as well as by leading the team on special-teams tackles.

I'll be back later today with more Thoughts and Musings...

Relax Ravens' Fans: Chargers' Receivers Are Unique

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

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

2 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)

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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!

West Coast Defense: Gus Bradley and Dan Quinn Tap into Seattle's Talent and Versatility

John Morgan — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:22:10 -0000

The first preseason moment that inspired the rush of discovery was Darryl Tapp dropping into cover from the end-backer position. He showed this look against San Diego in week one, and the play design and execution was superb. The power is in the details.

3-7-SD 34 (13:33) (Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass incomplete short middle to 80-M.Floyd (51-L.Tatupu).

Seattle has overloaded the offensive left. It has three viable pass rushers and two viable pass defenders within the left offensive "A" to "C" gaps. Tapp is standing and Josh Wilson is not over his receiver, but angled slightly in like he might edge rush. Tapp and Wilson's versatility disguise the play. Tapp starts by pressuring the edge, but then moves inside between Cory Redding and Brandon Mebane.

Joining Redding and Mebane on the line is Patrick Kerney. Kerney is playing left defensive end. Mebane and Redding want to create sufficient pressure to isolate Kerney on Jeromey Clary. Unlike John Marshall-designed three-man rushes that included such double-team busting luminaries as Craig Terrill and Lawrence Jackson, Redding and Mebane are fast off the snap and excellent bull rushers.

In the second level, Seattle has Ken Lucas and Kelly Jennings protecting the left and right flats respectively. Lucas is up, threatening press. Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill are clumped over the right slot receiver and the running back at Philip Rivers' right hip. Deon Grant and Brian Russell are in deep cover.

At the snap, Tapp drops into cover. He is alone covering the shallow middle. Tatupu drops into deep middle cover. Wilson and Hill cover the left and right, just inside the flats and near the first down marker.

Mebane rushes the center. Redding bullies the blindside edge and Kerney gets his matchup. He turns the corner but is pushed into the turf by Clary. After Kerney is neutralized, Rivers should have ample time to read and find an open man, but the pre-snap look, progress around the edge by Kerney, and pressure from the middle and blindside spook Rivers into passing. He never sees Kerney is planted.

(Note: The pattern represents a separation between the area near the line of scrimmage and the secondary.)

The play finds a hole in the zone. It's open, but closing. Malcolm Floyd receives between Tatupu and Grant, and the two snap shut like a steel trap. Floyd is bounced and the ball bounced from his hands.

Essential details: Seattle starts in a pre-snap formation that can effectively blitz or drop into cover.

The right players rush the passer.

Tapp's agility and awareness is used to defend the underneath route.

Grant and Tatupu show good zone awareness and smash Floyd for an incomplete.

The First Wrinkle of the Seahawks West Coast Defense

John Morgan — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 20:53:59 -0000

More photos » by Chris Park - AP

What this picture lacks in aesthetics, it makes up in intensity. Keep designing beautiful plays like this and fans will ignore the occasional "Playoffs?!" face.

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Bold statements demand bold action.

San Diego sets 2 WR (left), 2 WR (right), RB, shotgun.

Seattle starts in a 4-2 nickel.

Seattle's front four is Patrick Kerney, Brandon Mebane, Cory Redding and Darryl Tapp defensive left to right. Mebane is opposite the one gap. Redding is in a three or four technique. Tapp is wide. Before the snap, Tapp stands up, moves between Mebane and Redding and Redding slides over Marcus McNeill. Tapp is standing at the snap. Seattle rushes three. Tapp drops into a hook zone almost directly over center. It's a confusing look. Seattle has zones across the field and especially concentrated around the first down marker. The front three, the most personnel appropriate three man rush possible, gets moderate pressure. Mebane attacks the middle and Kerney and Redding extend the tackles. The extended tackles plus the feigned blitz by Tapp creates an illusion of pressure.

Philip Rivers is a heck of a quarterback. He finds a crack in the zone and zips it to Malcolm Floyd. But it's only a crack. Lofa Tatupu closes from the offensive left, begins to wrap and simultaneously Deon Grant darts from his cover shell. They pinch Floyd and force the incompletion. Good play design all around: Right personnel to rush, creative use of talent (Tapp), concentration of zones around the marker and putting the right players, Tatupu and Grant, in the right place to force the incompletion.

Notes From Chargers Practice (8-5-09)

Steve (Grey Suit) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 06:22:14 -0000

Its August and we all know what that means...It's time for football!

The Chargers held their first practice of 2009 that was open to the general public last night at the Q. Here are some notes I took away from the festivities:

1. LT looked healthy and took part in all of the individual workout drills as well as almost all the reps with the first team.

2. Tim Dobbins, Jacques Cesaire and Clinton Hart took the majority of their reps with the first team D.

3. Kevin Ellison was working mostly with the second team D but did get a rep or two in with the first team.

4. Kynan Forney was working as the RG on the first team O.

5. Sproles looked amazing, it just seemed like he was a step ahead of everyone the whole night.

6. The line for $1 hot dogs was crazy long!

7. John will be happy to know that Chuck Whitehurst is still rocking an awesome beard!

Nate Kaeding was the first Charger to hit the field, he came out about 45 minutes (about 6:15) before practice started to warm up.

The team took the feild just before 7:00.

The kick return team was the first group to work out. Sproles, Cromartie and Gordon all took turns returning kicks. Cooper, Hart and Cesar were the only other starters that I saw working out with the return team.

After working on Kick Return the team stretched and then broke into individual position groups. I know its hard to make out in the picture but David Binn is handing the ball off to LT in a Oklahoma drill.

The team next went into one on one competitive drills where the DB’s matched up against the receivers and the O-line and RBs matched up against the DL and LBs.

Osgood making a catch with Cromartie covering.

Floyd making a sideline grab

Sproles taking it up the middle.

The last part I stayed for is team 7 on 7 drills. Here is a quick movie of Rivers throwing.

All and all being able to see the bolts practice at Qualcomm was a great experience. I really think the Chargers should hold a practice or two at the Q every year even after practices at the Murphy Canyon facility are open to the public once again. There is so much room at the Q (compared to Murphy Canyon or UCSD) and you can see the practice from any angle that you chose instead of from the few set of bleachers that are typically set up at their other facilities. If you missed this practice there is still an opportunity to see the bolts practice again at the Q on August 12.

Philip Rivers Throwing Heat

Brian (DaBolts) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:00:12 -0000

Philip Rivers came into the 2008 season with a solid record and was looking to make the leap to the top tier of quarterbacks. Objective observers would have to admit he achieved that goal; and did it with a style and demeanor that reflected well, both on himself as well as the team. What happened to key the change? Two facets of his game were dramatically improved. One was his ability to hit the deep patterns. Last year he often struggled to hit Vincent Jackson when he had separation deep. Jackson would often have to hold up allowing defenders to tackle him or make a play on the ball. In at least one case he just couldn't come back enough far enough for the ball.

The second skill he dramatically improved was his ability to hit the outside patterns. Rivers was solid in the middle of the field but outside the numbers his rating was a disaster. Certainly some of that is going to be his receivers in 2007 at the beginning of the year were not as good. Even so his qb ratings to the outside were extremely low. Some of this is simply throwing the ball away to the sidelines, but not all. His QB rating wide left in 2007 was a mere 61.3 and wide right was 69.5. More telling his completion rate was 45 and 49% respectively.

So what changed in the 2008 season? To some extent for both the deep and outside pattern his arm is stronger now. With his knee rehabbing over the off season he dramatically strengthened his throwing arm. Kevin Acee of the UT noted the extra zip in preseason and you could absolutely see it in his game. Vincent Jackson often ended up laying himself out to grab a deep ball thrown a bit too far. Throwing to the sides of the field, the ball also has to travel farther, and if it isn't going to be picked off, it needs to have something on it.

What were the results? In 2008 Rivers' QB rating to the outside parts of the field went from 61 & 69 to 113 and 78, enormous improvements. His completion rates to the outside improved by about 7%. His touchdown production improved from 8 TDS to the sides in 2007 to 15 in 2008. Now there is no doubt that picking up Chris Chambers and the emergence of Vincent Jackson are part of that equation, but you couldn't watch the 2008 season without being impressed by the quantum leap in Rivers throwing arm. In 07 the Kissing Suzy Kolber guys were talking about his floaters, in 2008 they started referencing overfloaters, I'm awaiting the laserfloaters for '09. You can see the result in Yards/Attempt to which jumped from 6.9 to 8.4. The folks over at NFL Stats also came up with the concept of "Air Yards" by simply deducting all the YAC and then dividing that by attempts. On this scale Rivers came in as the number three quarterback averaging 4.5 air yards per attempt.

In terms of plays more than 40 yards you can see a big uptick too. In 2008 Rivers had 12 passes that went for more than 40 yards, in 2007 he had only 4. That's a tripling of his stretch passes, and he did that while improving accuracy from 60% to 65% completion ratings overall. Again, there is always a risk of giving all the credit to Rivers; these balls don't catch themselves. No doubt Jackson came on strong and, when healthy, Chambers was good. Floyd also picked up his game; sometimes it seemed there weren't enough balls to go around. It's also well to remember that Chambers went out with ankle problems and Gates played with a problem toe all year.

That said, if Rivers is floating them with too little distance, the best receivers in the world can't help. You can also argue that with the defense having a down year in 2008; Rivers had to throw deeper more often. There is truth to that, but that certainly wouldn't make him more accurate, in fact you would expect defenses to be able to key on the pass and make more PD's and interceptions. So what's the prediction for 2009? I've read where some experts are expecting a more run-heavy offense, but with Norv at the reins and an improved defense; I expect more deep plays next year.

San Diego Chargers: Age By Position Group

John (obviousman) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:37:27 -0000

via cache.daylife.com I bet Buster Davis is younger than you think.

View full size photo »

We've been over the discussion a million times now. Which positions should be upgraded and which shouldn't. The consensus seems to be that SS, RT and ILB are the positions that need new starters, but what about the positions as a whole?

AJ Smith does an excellent job of bringing in young players to serve as backups and eventually take over the starter's role.....so has the team remained young? We're going break down the age of the San Diego Chargers roster by position group, then compare it to some of the other contenders in the NFL.

QB: Philip Rivers (27), Billy Volek (33), Charlie Whitehurst (26)

Median Age: 28.6 years

This is right where you'd like it to be. The Chargers are in a perfect situation with a young franchise QB, a veteran backup who can come in at any time and play well, and a young third stringer who works as a project and a backup plan in case of some sort of career-ending injury to Rivers. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are roughly the same age as Volek.

RB: LaDainian Tomlinson (30), Darren Sproles (26), Gartrell Johnson (23), Jacob Hester (24)

Median Age: 25.7 years

Not bad at all. You'd obviously prefer to have Tomlinson be 26 and Sproles be 30, but since we've had Tomlinson for eight seasons we really can't complain. Unless I'm wrong I don't think any of these guys came out of college early. Some other RBs around the league: L Johnson (29), A Peterson (24), M Turner (27), C Portis (27), T Jones (30), W Parker (28). Although Tomlinson may be considered "up there" in age and miles for a running back, this group is quite young.

WR/TE: Vincent Jackson (26), Chris Chambers (30), Malcom Floyd (27), Craig Davis (23), Legedu Naanee (25), Antonio Gates (29), Brandon Manumaleuna (29)

Median Age: 27 years

Davis' age is a bit shocking, isn't it? Although he's about to start his third season he's the same age as the current crop of rookies. That definitely makes me feel a little better about his lackluster development thusfar, and I'm sure it loosens the leash from the team as well. Considering Jackson and Floyd didn't flash anything until they were 24 or 25, Davis still has a chance to be a break out player. Some top WRs: A Johnson (27), L Fitzgerald (25), S Smith (30), B Marshall (25), A Bryant (28), R Wayne (30), T Owens (35), H Ward (33), D Mason (35). The Chargers are right where they should be with this group. Chambers, after being the only receiving option for years in Miami, may have more mileage on him than your average 30 year old wideout.

OL: Marcus McNeil (25), Kris Dielman (28), Nick Hardwick (27), Louis Vasquez (22), Kynan Forney (30), Scott Mruczkowski (27), Jeromey Clary (25), L.J. Shelton (33)

Median Age: 27.1 years

Now that's great to see. If Vasquez beats out Forney, nobody on the starting offensive line will be older than 28. That's the way to build an offensive line, so that the players can spend a few years playing with each other and growing together. The most shocking thing on that list for me is McNeil. With all of the health problems he had last season, I completely forgot how young he was. It seems like he's been at LT forever already. It's also hard for me to remember when it wasn't McNeil/Dielman/Hardwick suring up the left side of that line. Around the NFL ages: Flozell Adams (34), Khalif Barnes (27), Jammal Brown (28), Levi Brown (25), Marc Colombo (30), Chad Clifton (32), Willie Colon (26), Leonard Davis (30), Ryan Diem (29), Alan Faneca (32), Robert Gallery (28).

DL: Jacques Cesaire (28), Luis Castillo (25), Vaughn Martin (22), Ryon Bingham (28), Jamal Williams (33)

Median Age: 27.2

It's funny how each one of these position groups is generally a bunch of young guys and one or two veterans. Can you imagine Williams, 33 and with bad knees, trying to keep up with the likes of Castillo and Martin? Good thing he can push a house off it's foundation. Other NFL stars: Shaun Rogers (30), Vince Wilfork (27), Shaun Ellis (31), Haloti Ngata (25), Albert Haynesworth (28), Richard Seymour (29), Julius Peppers (29). What's shocking to me about this is how obvious a players "prime" years are becoming. There are the superstars that come flying out of the gate and making a huge splash at 24 or 25, but generally it appears 26-29 years of age is when a player is reaching his full potential. I thought it'd be different dependant upon the position group, but it doesn't appear so. Although I guess you could argue that the two QB comparables I mentioned had their best year around the time they turned 30.

LB: Stephen Cooper (30), Tim Dobbins (26), Antwan Applewhite (23), Kevin Burnett (26), Larry English (23), Brandon Siler (23), Shawne Merriman (25), Shaun Phillips (28), Jyles Tucker (25)

Median Age: 25.4

Good God, that's an interesting list. Did anyone realize Siler and Applewhite were 23? It's like they're rookies. And I can't believe Merriman is only 25. 25!! He's a three-time Pro Bowler and he missed all of last season. Maybe I'm too used to the players like Dobbins and Cooper, that work their way up the ladder, but that seems ridiculous. The difference in age between Phillips and Merriman, or Phillips and English for that matter, is shocking to me. Let's assume Burnett wins the starting job at ILB. Our linebacking corps in 2009 would be 25, 26, 30, 28. That's awesome. AJ Smith really does not get enough credit for how he builds a roster. Seriously, how many 30+ players have we run into thus far? Six? How many are starters? Three? This team is build for the long-haul. Let's look at other LBs: D'Qwell Jackson (25), Patrick Willis (24), James Farrior (34), Jerod Mayo (23), Eric Barton (31), Karlos Dansby (27), Ray Lewis (34), Bradie James (28), James Harrison (31).

CB/S: Antoine Cason (22), Antonio Cromartie (25), Quentin Jammer (30), Steve Gregory (26), Paul Oliver (25), Clinton Hart (31), Eric Weddle (24), Kevin Ellison (22)

Median Age: 25.6

The second youngest group behind the LBs, just narrowly beating out the RBs. That is a young group. Even if Jammer gets hurt or falls off, Cason is there to take his place. If Hart can't perform this preseason, he'll lose his job to Ellison or Oliver. There are plenty of teams that will take a whole bunch of 30 year olds in important roles on their roster, but it's because they don't do nearly as good a job of drafting and signing undrafted free agents as AJ Smith. He develops the talent so that losing a player like Marlon McCree, Donnie Edwards, Clinton Hart or God-forbid Shawne Merriman, doesn't destroy the team. In fact, the team never misses a beat. I know everyone likes AJ and how he's turned around the team, but when you really look at the roster you have to question whether he ever deserves any criticism at all. The man operates at a level different from most other NFL GMs.

Other corners and safeties: Gibril WIlson (27), Antoine Winfield (31), Charles Tillman (28), Ed Reed (30), Nick Collins (25), Michael Griffin (24), Troy Polamalu (28), Charles Woodson (32), Cortland Finnegan (25).

Philip Rivers Interview With ESPN Radio

John (obviousman) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:23:59 -0000

Philip Rivers does an interview with ESPN Radio

Philip's a big Favre fan and has been since childhood. He says he understands how hard it is for Favre to leave the game because they're both fierce competitors. When asked if he thinks he'll have a hard time letting go like Favre, Rivers said he thinks he will. "It's hard to put the game down. All you can do is try."
Philip admits that without sitting behind Brees for two seasons he wouldn't have succeeded as a starter as quickly as he has and the transition from college to the NFL would not have been as smooth. "Coming out of college I thought I was ready to play, but after those two seasons I was way better off than if I came in as a rookie."
The difference between college and the NFL: "I remember in OTAs during my rookie season I didn't throw a couple passes because I thought the guy was covered, and Coach Cameron would stop everything and come over and say 'That guy's wide open.' He looked covered to me....The windows you have to fit balls in are a lot more precise at this level."
Rivers likes his receivers: "It's great any time you have big receivers to throw it to. I'm fortunately enough to have a handful of them in Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson, Malcom Floyd and Chris Chambers. Those guys are long and they can go get the ball."
I can find out who is interviewing Rivers here, but he's a tool. During the entire interview he must've mentioned Mark Sanchez about 10 different times. The entire interview was all about Sanchez and Rivers just rolled with it, relating his own experiences. That shows you what a good guy Rivers is, but also how little respect he still gets as one of the league's best young talents.
What can we expect from LaDainian Tomlinson? "I know it's cliche, but he's looking as good as he's looked in the past 3-4 offseasons. He's cutting quick and he looks really good. In terms of nagging injuries, for running backs he's had some of the worst ones you can have....He's as hungry and eager and as in-shape as I've seen from him in the last 3-4 years. I don't see any reason why he can't be up there battling for the rushing title again this season."
Health? "We're really healthy this offseason where as in the past we haven't been. We've got Hardwick and Gates....Merriman and LT....we all feel very healthy, very excited about hopefully getting off to a fast start."
As usual, Rivers showed himself to be a class act and a great interview even though the interviewer seemed to barely know who he was. Rivers talked about being behind Brees after the guy asked about Sanchez starting right away. Rivers talked about his receivers after the guy talked about the possibility of Plaxico Burress going to the Jets (to help Sanchez). The only Chargers-related talk from the guy centered around LT. What a shame.

Chargers By The (Jersey) Numbers: #13

John (obviousman) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:00:23 -0000

After an exciting, memory-inducing #12....we're back to a poor selection for #13 before ramping things up tomorrow. Six quarterbacks, one wide receiver and none of them with the Chargers longer than three seasons. Yippee. At least it'll be fun to be reminded of obscure players that we forget about, right? RIGHT? Maybe not, but then again....this may lead to a surprise winner! Let's get to the nominees and the shocking results...

The Nobodies:

Brian Brennan - Brennan was an OK wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns through the second half of the 80s and into the early 90s. After eight seasons with them, Brennan split his last season between San Diego (6 games) and Cincinnatti (9 games). In his 6 games with the Chargers he caught 3 passes, none for a touchdown.
Don Horn - Don was a first round pick in the 1967 NFL Draft, an All American out of San Diego State University picked by the Green Bay Packers. Unfortunately, his NFL career was less impressive than his college careeer because he only threw for only 3,369 yards and 20 touchdowns in 8 seasons. Horn played the final season of his career as a backup quarterback with the Chargers, but never got into any games.
Wayne Clark - Clark played three seasons as the backup QB for the Chargers in the early 70s. He backed up John Hadl and later Dan Fouts. He started 4 games for San Diego, leading the team to a 1-3 record in those games and completing about 44% of his passes. His career QB rating is 24.5.
Gale Gilbert - As a backup QB in the NFL, a starter in college and a Little League baseball player, Gale Gilbert has been a part of an incredible number of big sports moments, but never really factored into any of them.. Check out this resume:

Gilbert is the only player in NFL history to be a member of five straight Super Bowl teams. Gilbert was a member of the Bills who played in four straight Super Bowls (XXV through XXVIII) and of the Chargers who played in Super Bowl XXIX. Gilbert was on the losing team in all five Super Bowl games.
In the famous game featuring "The Play" between the University of California Golden Bears and the Stanford University Cardinals, Gale Gilbert was a sophomore and the starting quarterback for the University of California.
As a youth, Gilbert played catcher for Red Bluff Little League in the 1974 Little League World Series and lost in the final game to Taiwan 12-1.

Gilbert was with the Chargers for two seasons in the mid-90s, starting 2 games and going 0-2 in them. Although he completed 60% of his passes as a Charger, he threw 5 interceptions against 3 TDs and had a QB rating of only 67.7.

Moses Moreno - I've often talked about going to preseason games and falling in love with Moreno's game. I swore he was destined for big things. He was not. In two seasons with the team he started 2 games, going 0-2 in those games. He completed just over 50% of his passes, but threw no TDs against 2 Ints. His QB rating as a Charger was 54.8. Bonus trivia: Moses was the brother of San Diego linebacker Zeke Moreno.
Steve Tensi - Tensi was drafted in both the NFL and AFL drafts in 1965, choosing to sign with the Chargers as a backup QB to John Hadl. In two seasons with the Chargers, Tensi started 2 games and lead the team to 2 losses. Although he threw 5 TDs against 1 Int, he completed only 40% of his passes. His QB rating as a Charger was 92.2, which was not enough to subplant Hadl. After his second season Tensi signed on to be the starter for the Denver Broncos, going 10-21-1 in 32 starts as their signal caller.
Mark Vlasic - Vlasic spent 3 seasons with the Chargers after being drafted by them in the 4th round of the 1987 NFL Draft. He started 3 games as a Bolt, going 2-1 in those games. He threw 2 TDs against 5 Ints and compiled a QB rating of 46.6. Despite a pedestrian career, Vlasic may have the most extensive Wikipedia entry of any QB not headed for the Hall of Fame.

So that's it. That's all of them. A bunch of backup QBs that didn't perform well enough to earn the starter's spot. I guess I have to pick one to represent #13. I really don't want to. Wait a minute, I have an idea....

You recognize that guy, don't you? Tall, lanky receiver with good hands. Of course you recognize him! You just don't recognize the number. The winner, and the player chosen to represent Chargers jersey #13.......

Malcom Floyd, WR. Do you remember when Chargers fans fell in love with Malcom? I do. Marty decided to give his starters a rest in a meaningless week 17 game against the Chiefs in 2004. That's when three things stood out. 1) Philip Rivers, the kid we had drafted to replace Brees, was really good and maybe as good as Drew. 2) Ryan Krause is a beast that cannot be defeated. 3) Malcom Floyd has great hands and body control. If he fills out a bit he'll be dangerous. Well, two of those things actually came true. And in that game, Malcom Floyd caught 3 passes (including a TD) while wearing the #13! Krause struggled to stay healthy, and for some reason Floyd was sent back to the practice squad the following year, but eventually Floyd put on some more muscle and was given an opportunity to shine (switching to #80 in the process).

In 35 games with the Chargers, Floyd has caught 52 passes and 8 TDs. He averages 15.8 yards per reception. He has never fumbled. The strangest thing about Floyd is how nobody else saw his potential. He was a four-year starter at Wyoming, and in his senior season he caught 63 balls for 834 yards and 6 TDs. Yet, Malcom was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine and was signed by the Chargers as an undrafted free agent. Another example of how good the San Diego Chargers scouting staff is.

Floyd has personality to go along with his game, and unlike a lot of professional football players he values his intelligence. Floyd has received a grade of honors in Triple I (I don't know what it is either, but it measure intelligence). Following his outstanding performance in Triple I, Malcom delivered again with another honors in Hematology/Oncology. On exiting the Alumni auditorium, Mr. Floyd famously announced, "If it were not for the great variability among individuals, medicine might as well be a science and not an art." Malcom is publicly a big fan of Chinese cuisine. When asked about the link between enterotoxins and fried rice, he exlaimed "B.cereus, fried rice?"

For those quotes alone, he wins. Add in his performance as a freakishly-gifted wide receiver, who will probably be one of the Chargers starting receivers in 2009 or 2010, and he's locked it up. He deserves this one because he's got no chance at #80. So your winner, Malcom Floyd!