SB Nation - Antonio Gates

Browns Border on "Respectability" in 30-23 Loss to Chargers

Chris Pokorny — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:14:39 -0000

4 days ago: San Diego Chargers fullback Mike Tolbert (35) dives into the end zone in front of Cleveland Browns safety Abram Elam (26) on a 66-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

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SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (9-3)	WEEK 13	CLEVELAND BROWNS (1-11)
	VS.
30		23

Sure, I could lecture the defense on how pathetic it was to give up a 66-yard touchdown pass, mostly via the catch-and-run type. Or, I could complain that despite the amount of time our defenders had to adjust to the jump balls thrown by Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates always came down with them. It wouldn't be fair to complain about our defense though, as the unit is barely representative of the one that started the season. From the first week, I believe only Eric Wright, Abram Elam, and Kamerion Wimbley are healthy enough to stay at their positions.

What bordered on respectability was the play of the offense. Although we only scored seven points in the first three quarters, we had several "threatening drives," which shows progress compared to the numerous three and outs we've been accustomed to.

Let's get to the full review of the game, starting with the goat of the game...

WEEK 13 - SAN DIEGO CHARGERS VS. CLEVELAND BROWNS (COMPLETE GAME REVIEW)

GOATS OF THE GAME:

Hank Poteat: While I am not 100% positive that he was in on the plays, I thought I recall him making poor efforts on several of the Chargers' big plays, including Tolbert's 66-yard dash. I always thought of Poteat as a scrub prior to his career in Cleveland, and he's done very little to change that reputation in my mind. Coye Francies, please?

AWARDING GAME BALLS:

Jerome Harrison: Two of our better games this season -- against the Cincinnati Bengals the first time around, and now against the Chargers -- have come with Jerome Harrison at tailback. I was thrilled to see Harrison get the start over Chris Jennings, and although Harrison's YPC average doesn't appear desirable (3.5), he provides the burst to the outside on plays that can help move the chains.

Eric Mangini also praised his blocking, so he is back in the good graces of the coaching staff. I didn't pay specific attention to it, but I recall one play where I saw a blitz come and Harrison stepped up and firmly picked it up. Harrison's biggest contribution was as a receiver, which I will elaborate on below.

GENERAL THOUGHTS

Jerome Harrison found his groove against the San Diego Chargers, scoring twice in the fourth quarter.

Harrison as the Checkdown: One of Brady Quinn's problems this season is that he has been checking down to wide receivers on very short passes. As much as we try, the wide receiver screens to Mike Furrey at the line of scrimmage won't cut it. Harrison was always in position to be relatively open and the check-down receiver for Quinn, which seemed to make Quinn more comfortable when going through his progressions.
Production Proves It: Harrison came through when Quinn went to him, with 7 catches for 62 yards and 2 touchdowns. The touchdowns both came in the fourth quarter, one of them on a very nifty shuffle pass.

Some fans complained that Harrison had a few drops, but if he had caught those plays, they would've been for short gains and would've kept the clock running. Nonetheless, I'm sure he didn't try to drop them as a football savvy decision, which still means there is a slight underlying problem in catching the ball.
Tomlinson Passes Brown: Maybe I'm just a little cynical, but I couldn't stop laughing at what progressed on the television screen when LaDainian Tomlinson passed up Jim Brown on the rushing list. The play by play announcers were so "in" to it, talking about Tomlinson's and Brown's accomplishments.

Then, when Tomlinson officially passed Brown, he pointed up towards a suite and the announcers commented, "and he appears to be saluting the legendary Brown...," only to have the cameras flash to Brown drinking a bottle of water as if he could care less. Of course Brown congratulated Tomlinson following the game; just how it went down on television brought a chuckle from me.
Robo Shows His Worth: Ah, so there's Brian Robiskie. Arguably, the playing time of Robiskie will be looked back on as one of the most controversial issues of the season because there might have been legitimate points to both sides of the argument.

Robiskie was touted in the draft as "the most NFL ready receiver." But, what if that wasn't the case? What if the coaches were right, and that in reality, Robiskie needed a lot of work?

Either way, what I saw Sunday against the Chargers was a receiver who looked the most polished out of what we have, particularly because when Brady Quinn rolled out, Robiskie rolled with him and caught the ball without issue. In one instance, he even shielded a defender and then ran for yards after the catch, completing a 43-yard reception.

Robiskie, in single coverage on a deep ball in the fourth quarter, also nearly came away with a touchdown. The defender knocked the ball away just as it arrived though. In what I consider to be Robiskie's first "true chance," he delivered. An effort like this against the Steelers would be even sweeter.
Can We Please Have Some Moore? I promise ~~not~~ to overuse that tagline for as long as Evan Moore is producing as a member of the Cleveland Browns. Promoted from the practice squad, I hardly expected Moore to even see the field Sunday. Instead, he was in the game early and often, showing extremely impressive hands and solid route running ability for a tight end. It's way too early to deem him any form of a savior at the tight end position, but he can suddenly be added to the mix of "players to look forward to" the rest of the way.
Close Enough Redemption: When Phil Dawson missed a 45-yard field goal early on in the first quarter, it ended up hurting. However, we have to remember that 45 yards is still not a chip shot. Dawson came back later and redeemed himself by drilling a 49-yard field goal to give us a chance at another onside kick. Both of Dawson's onside kicks were executed very well; Tomlinson just did a good job fielding the second one and the Chargers' blockers did their jobs on that play.
Quinn's Mistakes: While shined, he did have two big blunders. There was one pass where he went for a quick slant over the middle and failed to see the linebacker coming across. The defender only deflected the pass instead of having a possible pick six. Quinn then held onto the ball too long when we were threatening to score in the first half and was stripped of the football, taking more points off the board.
An Entire Series: It was interesting the way Brian Daboll used Joshua Cribbs on offense Sunday. I've been an advocate before of using Cribbs in the Wildcat throughout the game at varying instances. Instead, during the fourth quarter, Daboll suddenly pulled out a series which used Cribbs in the Wildcat. On first down, Cribbs took off for 30 yards. On the next first down, he was stopped for a 1 yard loss.

On second down, Cribbs ran the option play and pitched it back to Chansi Stuckey who ran it for 6 yards. On third down, Cribbs took off for 2 yards, setting up a 4th-and-3. Enter Quinn again, who fired a high pass past the first down marker to Cribbs. Cribbs, in a catch I usually don't expect from him, leaped up and caught it, hanging on for the first down. Several plays later, Harrison had one of his two touchdowns.
Rubin's Hit: I believe that Darren Sproles was the victim. He caught the ball, made a few defenders miss by the sideline, and then turned right into a spearing Ahtybin Rubin, who had quite the momentum coming from the spot he did.
Too Many Big Plays: If Rob Ryan needs to focus on something the rest of the way with the players he has at his disposal, it has to involve limiting the number of big plays by the opposition through the air. The Chargers had passing plays of 56, 66, 31, and 41 yards, and some of those were catch-and-run.
Still Intrigued: On defense, the only player I really seem to be following now is Matt Roth. He had half of a sack and continues to employ a bull-rush strategy.
We Should Try That: I hope that Daboll took note of the play in which Naanee received a pitch and then quickly threw the ball (as opposed to selling the reverse across the entire field and then throwing it). Naanee hit a wide open Tomlinson, and we were lucky that one of our defenders was still in the vicinity to prevent the play from going the distance.
Still a Mixed Bag: Good footwork by Mohamed Massaquoi on his touchdown in the first quarter, but he and Quinn just don't seem to be on the same page still. Throughout the game, Quinn seemed much more in sync with Moore, Harrison, Stuckey, and Robiskie.
Good Strategy: I don't know who tried to push the Chargers player into the football on the punt, but whoever did that, props to them. Had Abram Elam's foot not barely touched the ball upon replay review, the Browns would've had a chance to tack on a field goal just before the half.
Brownies: It looked like Mike Furrey was at safety quite a bit, but also on the targeted end of some of the Chargers' big pass plays...it's a good thing that after the Bye, I've felt better about this Browns team overall...for the first time in 35 games, the Browns scored an opening drive touchdown.

Thursday, the Browns take on the hated Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers are vulnerable right now, having lost four straight. It's been awhile since a Browns coach has been able to defeat the Steelers, and Mangini has the opportunity to officially put a dagger in Pittsburgh's playoff hopes.

The VRR: Cowboys Must Charge Ahead

Aaron Novinger — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:37:27 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

The Cowboys will need their playmakers to step up when they face the red hot Chargers on Sunday.

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Even though the Cowboys dominated the Giants in many facets of last week's game, they failed to match their rivals in the number of big plays made. Although they lost, they are still atop the division and must strive to remain there.

It's Wednesday, so let's start transitioning towards some Chargers' talk!

First, how hot are the Chargers? Seven games-in-a-row hot!

The red-hot Chargers make their first visit to Dallas since 2001 this Sunday and haven't lost since a 34-23 verdict to division-rival Denver back in Week 6.

San Diego has scored 30 points or more in each of its last four victories under head coach Norv Turner, who helped the Cowboys win two Super Bowls during his three-year run as offensive coordinator from 1991-93.

Chargers QB Philip Rivers is having an MVP-type year. Yikes!

Lost in the excitement over the play of undefeated quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Drew Brees has been Rivers' sensational campaign. He has followed up 2008's phenomenal output with more eye-popping numbers (3,311 yards, 21 touchdowns).

He will now take aim on the Cowboys' 20th-ranked pass defense.

Rivers is up for the FedEx Air Player of the Week award for his 18-for-25 for 373 yards and two touchdowns performance against Cleveland.

More VRR after the jump.

The Cowboys can ill-afford to have special teams breakdowns this week.

The Chargers take special teams seriously. Kicker Nate Kaeding has been to the Pro Bowl, as has San Diego's own special teams ace Kassim Osgood. If Oakland's Shane Lechler didn't kick in the same division, Chargers punter Mike Scifres would have been to a Pro Bowl by now as well. They supply the routine plays that have allowed the Chargers to finish in the NFL's top 10 in special teams each of the last three seasons.

But (Darren) Sproles supplies the big plays, scoring four touchdowns on kick returns the last three seasons. He ran a punt (45 yards) and kickoff (89) back against Indianapolis in 2007, a kickoff back 103 yards against Denver in 2008 and another punt back 77 yards this season against Denver.

The 'Boys and Bolts have alot in common, especially in the staffing and personnel departments.

There are several connections between the two squads. The most notable is Dallas coach Wade Phillips, who was the Chargers' defensive coordinator from 2004-06 and was the architect of the Chargers' current 3-4 defense. Chargers coach Norv Turner made a name for himself as the offensive coordinator in Dallas from 1991-93, a span when the Cowboys won two Super Bowls.

On the players side, DE Igor Olshansky was drafted by the Chargers and left as an free agent in the offseason. Dallas CB Cletis Gordon was cut by the Chargers early this season. Chargers ILB Kevin Burnett played for the Cowboys from 2005-08 before coming to the Chargers in the offseason.

No new injuries have popped up yet for the 'Boys. We will keep an eye out today to see if FS Ken Hamlin returns to practice.

If you have yet to read John (obviousman)'s FanPost, it's to the right. He' has been kind enough to come over from Bolts From the Blue to answer your Chargers questions. Thanks, John!

Keith Brooking had quite the exchange with CBS 11's Steve Dennis regarding the perception surrounding Wade Phillips and the Cowboys' December record.

"He owns up to it every day in front of us," Brooking said. "Because you might not perceive it as that means nothing, means nothing to me, means nothing to the football team. I’m there every day. I’m there at every meeting, I’m there at every day during practice. You’re in the locker room for 35 minutes a day maybe, you’re on the practice field while we stretch. You’re not there every day. You don’t see what goes on at every meeting and every practice, the sacrifices that we make, the accountability that Wade Phillips holds us to every day."

"I’ll go to fight for that man until I hang my cleats up and I’m done playing football, because I have the utmost respect for him. Everything I’ve seen from my teammates and everything I’ve heard, they feel the same way, bottom line."

One game at a time, but here's a quick refresher of what Dallas may need to do to return to the postseason.

The Cowboys (8-4) need to go 3-1 over the final four to guarantee a playoff spot with an 11-5 record. They could get in at 10-6 but it's no guarantee.

They would lose a wild-card tie breaker with the Packers (8-4) and the Giants (7-4). Remember the loss to the Packers and the Giants swept the season series.

Here's an overview of the playoff picture, so far.

As we all have seen this year, Miles Austin is a beast after the catch. So is San Diego TE Antonio Gates.

According to STATS Inc., Austin ranks third among wide receivers/tight ends with 397 YAC, trailing only Wes Welker (557) and Antonio Gates (442). That's 43 percent of his 928 total receiving yards.

Ray Sherman gives all the YAC credit to his receiver.

"When he catches it, you tell him, 'Get up the field and be explosive' because he has a God-given talent," receivers coach Ray Sherman said.

"You don't coach that. "The thing that I teach is understanding coverages, understanding what people are trying to do to you, understanding how to run a particular play versus coverage. But after you catch it, protect the ball and get going. That's all him."

The league fined Flozell Adams $50,000 for pushing Justin Tuck in the back.

Hat to ImpactNate for the FanShot.

Tony Franklin, a former NFL kicker, says that Nick Folk's 42-yarder was makeable despite Mat McBriar's supposed bad hold.

"If the ball is tilted slightly backward or forward, it shouldn't make that much of a difference," Tony Franklin said Tuesday. "The only time I had kicks that looked like that is when I happened to catch the ball when it was still spinning. ... (The hold) shouldn't have affected it at all, but, hey, different strokes for different folks."

The ball, with its laces facing away from him, appeared stationary when Folk struck it. After the miss, the Giants drove for a 23-yard field goal for a 24-17 lead with 7:23 left.

Here are the ratings for the Cowboys @ Giants game - huge, as usual.

The broadcast drew an 18.9 overnight rating and 35 share. That's the highest since a 19.1/35 for a matchup between the two teams in 2006.

Wear your protective visors; don't want to get poked in the eyes! The JerryTron will go 3D this week at Cowboys Stadium.

Sunday, December 13 at the Dallas Cowboys-San Diego Chargers game, HDlogix, a company that has created a synthesized 3D technology, will convert HDTV video of the sports action into 3D. At half-time and during the game, attendees at Cowboys Stadium will see real time 3D video created from HDlogix’s new ImageIQ 3D technology.

Could this mean that spectators will be dodging blood and sweat if Jerry Jones lands the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight?

Promoters are in Dallas today to meet with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones as the momentum continues to grow for a March 13 megafight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Promoters Bob Arum and Richard Schaefer will tour new Dallas Cowboys stadium and listen to a proposal from Jones to host the fight, a person close to the promotion said.

$140 million has been spent since the opening of Cowboys Stadium.

For all you Dallas locals, ESPN Dallas is hosting its Jingle Ball 2009 event tonight. Many past and present Cowboys will be making appearances, some will be signing autographs.

Come out and join us at Cape Buffalo in Addison on Wednesday, December 9th for this celeb-packed event benefiting the Dallas All Sports Association and the Ron Springs and Everson Walls Gift For Life Foundation!

Vote for some Cowboys to make the 2010 Pro Bowl here. Let's get Sam Hurd in there!

Remember, that every Friday at 3 PM EST (2 CST), Blogging The Boys appears on ESPN Radio 1250 in San Antonio with Paul Alexander for a segment of Cowboys talk.

Bolts & Dolts: Chargers at Browns

John (obviousman) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:00:27 -0000

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

4 days ago: San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates (85) breaks the tackle of Cleveland Browns safety Abram Elam in the third quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, in Cleveland. Gates made eight catches for 167 yards in San Diego's 30-23 win. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

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Has everyone calmed down from yesterday? Is everyone willing to admit that maybe that soft zone defense we saw in the fourth quarter, and on the Browns' first drive, was done as a way to manage the game instead of dominating it? That's what I believe anyways.

For anyone who thinks the Chargers "played down" to their opponents, there's this. The Chargers scored 27 unanswered points. That's more points than Cleveland scored all game. If you take the score of the 2nd and 3rd quarters, the score is 17-0 Chargers. If you take the score of the first 3 quarters, it's 27-7.

My philosophy is this. That first drive was a test. Kindof a "Let's see if they can throw on this" and they could. Then it was scrapped and the defense started stopping the Browns on every drive, and the offense started putting up points. With a 20 point lead heading into the fourth quarter, as many backups as possible came in and the message became "Avoid Injury". Coach Rivera figured that even if he played zone, avoiding giving up big plays and allowing short passes underneath, the Browns would take so much time that they'd never be able to catch up. And he was right.

Onto Bolts and Dolts.

Bolts

Offense

Antonio Gates - 8 catches, 167 yds. Gatesy goes first, even before the QB, because that was the best game I've ever seen from him. Outside of the game where Kellen Winslow took over the world, I think that's the best game I've ever seen from a TE ever. Not only was he everywhere, catching everything and making the Browns look foolish, but he also bailed out Philip Rivers (who threw to him in double-coverage a couple of times) with some amazing catches that just shouldn't have happened.

Philip Rivers - 18/25, 373 yds, 2 TD. Finishing the game with a QB rating over 140 will get you a Bolt every time. This wasn't the easy game for him that everybody thought it would be either. Cleveland brought pressure, even sacking him once, and seemed to play very well on his star WRs. Finding the mismatches with Gates, Darren Sproles and Mike Tolbert was the work of a smart, veteran QB.

LaDainian Tomlinson - 20 carries, 64 rush yds, 1 rush TD, 1 catch, 21 rec yds. Somebody said that LT didn't even get 3 yards per carry in this game, but they're mistaken. 3.2 yards per carry as a matter of fact. Here's what I saw from LT yesterday: smart, patient running mixed with good pass-blocking. That play at the end of the first half, where he could've went upfield but instead stepped out of bounds to stop the clock and give the offense another shot at the endzone, showed no ego and was a play that a younger RB probably doesn't make.

Anyways, all of those things above make LT an "Almost Bolt". Saluting Jim Brown, after the things Brown said about LT in his preseason interview with Adrian Peterson, makes him incredibly classy and gets him a Bolt. Also, standing on the sidelines next to Norv and talking about the offense helps his standing as well.

Legedu Naanee/Mike Tolbert. In my Larry English rant earlier this week, I was saying that playoff and Super Bowl teams need to get contributions from their rookies. Well, getting contributions from their young projects is just as good.

Naanee didn't get many chances to catch the ball in Cleveland, no chances at all actually. However, when his number was called to catch the ball and then throw a spiral downfield to a wide open Tomlinson he did so and made it look very easy. A key play, because you could argue that Nate Kaeding wouldn't have hit the end-of-the-half FG without it.

Mike Tolbert's play was great. His speed, with his body size, is just so unexpected. He was the check-down receiver and got the ball because Cleveland brought a bunch of blitzers. Luckily, he also had a bunch of blockers in front of him (including Vincent Jackson, who almost killed somebody on the play). That had nothing to do with the right playcall, and everything to do with the Chargers players making plays.

Defense

Shaun Phillips - 4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 1 defended pass. The boy from Philly has been playing out of his mind lately. This game was no exception. I love that his new move, when he gets to the QB, is to grab their throwing arm while hitting them. It's caused so many fumbles, and they're all game-changers. He probably has no chance of getting there, but Shaun deserves a Pro Bowl nod this season.

Special Teams

Nate Kaeding - 3/3 FGs, 3/3 XPs. The only kicker that's having a year as good or better than Nate's this season is David Akers in Philadelphia. Those should be your Pro Bowl starters, without any question. Nate has become automatic from about 48 yards and in this season.

Dolts

Offense

There were no offensive Dolts this week.

Defense

There were no defensive Dolts this week.

Almost Bolts

Darren Sproles - Sproles played a very good game on offense, running the ball effectively and making the most of his screen passes. That would've been enough for a Bolt, but again we have the same issues as weeks past. I know Darren is a bright guy, but it seems like when the ball is in the air on kickoff or punts he becomes an idiot.

First, there was the kickoff return where he grabbed the ball and jumped out of bounds. I don't know why he felt the need to grab the ball and jump out of bounds, instead of simply letting the ball go out of bounds and taking the field at the 40, but he did. I guess you could argue he wanted to make sure the Browns didn't get to it, but it really didn't seem like any of them were near the ball to me. Just a dumb play.

Second, and stop me if this sounds familiar, another play where Sproles refuses to call fair-catch and gets absolutely hammered by Josh Cribbs the second he touches the ball. I'll give him credit, he seems to do a good job of holding onto the ball in this situation, but one of these days he's going to fumble it in a big spot or get injured that way. FAIR CATCH THE BALL. We would much rather have a safe catch than a 1 yard loss and a heart attack.

At this point, if Sproles was taken off returns for a while, I would be happy about it.

Brandon Siler - He was strong against the run and effective against the pass as well. If Stephen Cooper wasn't the captain and wasn't calling the plays, he would've lost his job to Siler by now.

Vincent Jackson - Made a big catch with guys draped all over him. Made a big block to spring Tolbert's TD. The defense is sending more and more coverage at him, and it's just making him work harder. That's a great sign.

Almost Dolts

Kevin Ellison - The leading tackler for the Chargers was also the guy who couldn't cover Evan Moore at all. Every time Brady Quinn saw that matchup, he attacked.

San Diego Chargers Defeat Cleveland Browns 30-23

John (obviousman) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:19:13 -0000

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

4 days ago: San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson (21) runs for nine yards against Cleveland Browns cornerback Eric Wright (24) in the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

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So it wasn't the game we all envisioned. Who cares? It was silly to expect the Chargers' defense to completely shut down any professional offense without 3 of it's best players. The Browns did the right thing, attacking the kids and going after the lack of depth in the secondary, and they made the game very close in the end.

This was not a trap game and this was not a game where focus was lost. Plain and simple, this was a game that showed off the weaknesses on this San Diego squad. Seven wins in a row is great, but bad health is starting to catch up to them right at the beginning of a tough stretch of games. Without Luis Castillo, the defense struggles to stop the run. Without Shawne Merriman, the defense struggles to get a pass-rush. Without Eric Weddle, there are less blitzes coming from the secondary and Steve Gregory is forced to play Safety (where he is not nearly as effective).

This game came down to health and trust. Did Ron Rivera trust Antoine Cason to cover his man on-on-one? No, and rightfully so. Did he trust Steve Gregory to make the plays in the secondary Weddle would? No, and he's right. Did he trust Kevin Ellison to cover the opposing TE on his own? No, and in instances where it happened the Browns took full advantage.

The score of this game is misleading. It wasn't nearly this close, but that had everything to do with an overpowering offense that couldn't be matched by the Browns no matter how many injuries San Diego's defense had. As I say going into most games, "The worst-case scenario is a shootout, and I like out offense better."

As always, your recommendations for Bolts (and Dolts) are appreciated in the comments. Also, feel free to discuss the Vikings/Cardinals game in the comments here. Here's a quick list of some of my Bolts, before re-watching the game or checking the box score.

Final - 12.6.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
San Diego Chargers	10	3	14	3	30
Cleveland Browns	7	0	0	16	23

Complete Coverage >

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)

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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).

GoT NUMBERS? Analyzing the Chargers vs. the Browns

Ryan Kelsey — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:51:50 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

Darren Sproles is short. Vincent Jackson is tall. The Chargers are good. The Browns are bad. (AP Photo/John Amis)

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This season is getting even harder to watch. We now have starting RB Jamal Lewis, our best defensive player- NT Shaun Rogers, and starting FS Brodney Pool on injured reserve to join our 2 starting ILBs, starting TE, our pro bowl caliber punter, and a bunch of other would-be contributors. Seems like doom for our 30th ranked defense (in efficiency by DVOA). But that's not all. Our top pass rusher (OLB Kam Wimbley) and another starting member of the front 7 (DE Kenyon Coleman) are nursing knee injuries and hadn't practiced as of last check. And to top it all off, we are playing an incredibly talented and very efficient offense in the San Diego Chargers.

And I don't think anyone expects Brady Quinn and the offense to be able to keep up with the dozens of points Philip Rivers and co. will be putting up against our ravaged defense. Let's see what the numbers say.

Once again, the stats I use are from Football Outsiders:

A quick note about the stats I'm going to use in this regular column. The full explanation can be found here. Basically, Football Outsiders uses the data from every play and finds the league average (adjusting for yards gained in the redzone, touchdowns scored, and the down and distance- so a 3 yard TD run on 3rd-and-1 from the 3 means a lot more than a 3 yard run on 3rd-and-15 from your own 20.) Then it rates players and teams based on their relation to this league average. The result is meaningful rate stats. They are akin to league adjusted stats in baseball, like OPS+ and ERA+. DVOA is the most common stat they use and 0.0 is exactly league average. A 10.0% DVOA for a QB means a QB that is 10.0% better than average. -15.0% DVOA means 15% below average for a QB. For defensive numbers they are reversed, so negative numbers are better.

Got all that? No? Well, then trust me when I say, higher positive numbers are good for offensive players and lower or negative numbers are good for defenses. 0.0% is always average.

And my personal caveat using these numbers in football: here.

When the Chargers have the Ball

Philip Rivers is really good. In fact, he is underrated and probably deserves to be in the Favre/Brees/Manning/Brady conversation as a top QB in the league right now (apologies to Warner and Rodgers). This year, he is leading the league's top rated passing attack by efficiency (56.7% DVOA). He has had a QB rating over 100 for 2 straight years. If he keeps that rating over 100 this season, he will join Manning as the only active QB to have 2 straight seasons over 100. (I was shocked that Brady, Warner, Favre, McNabb have all never done that). Rivers ranks 4th in QB DVOA (38.7%). He has two great weapons that he depends on: Antonio Gates (1st in DYAR and 2nd in DVOA amongst TEs) and Vincent Jackson (3rd in DYAR and 2nd in DVOA amongst WRs). Gates is huge with good hands and runs good routes. Think Kellen Winslow, but bigger, stronger, and healthier. Jackson is big and fast (6'5, 230, 4.38 40). Think Braylon Edwards only much bigger, much faster, and with better hands. The Browns defense is bad against the pass (30th in defensive efficiency), and especially bad against #1 WRs (31st) and TEs (32nd). So look for HUGE days from Jackson and Gates.

And if those two weren't enough to worry about in the passing game, the Chargers also boast another big (also 6'5) and fast WR in Malcom Floyd, who hasn't been targeted a bunch, but on a per play basis he ranks 6th among all NFL WRs (DVOA of 31.2%). Their #3 WR is no slouch either. Only 6'2, Legedu Naanee has a healthy DVOA of 32.6% (though he doesn't have enough targets to qualify) Finally, for the last several years the Chargers passing game has used their RBs as an extra, constant, and effective weapon. That effort is lead this year by Darren Sproles. He ranks 5th in both DVOA (33.2%) and DYAR as a receiving RB. The Browns have a chance at slowing these guys down. They are 11th in defending #2 WRs, 23rd against "other" WRs, and 26th against RBs in the passing game. Not great, but it won't be as ugly here (though that was with a healthier unit than they'll have this week).

Don't expect to get to Rivers either. The Charger line has allowed sacks on just 5% of the drop backs. Good for 8th in the league. The Browns are pretty much exactly league average at sacking the QB, 16th in the league at 6.5% of drop backs. But, again, that was with a healthy Rogers, Wimbley, Coleman, etc.

So with such an efficient and prolific passing game, why do the Chargers rank just 6th in total offensive efficiency? Well, the running game has been a bit embarrassing. 31st in DVOA at -11.4%. A one time force in the NFL, LaDainian Tomlinson has had a tough couple years, battling injuries and feeling the wear of thousands of NFL carries on his 30 year old body. This year he ranks 31st of 37 qualified backs in rushing DVOA, about 10% worse than an average RB. And while Darren Sproles has excelled in the passing game and as a change of pace back over his career, nobody is mistaking him as an every down running threat. He has averaged just 3.3 yards per carry on his way to a dismal -33.5% DVOA (of all RBs with more than 50 carries, only Glen Coffee and Marshawn Lynch have a worse number). Still, this might be the week the San Diego rushing attack gets healthy. Why? Because the Browns rank 30th against the run in DVOA (10.2%)

When the Browns have the Ball

Injuries make this matchup even tougher to evaluate. While the Browns will be without the back they have hopelessly fed the ball to for the better part of 3 years (Jamal Lewis), the Chargers could be choose to rest many of their banged up defensive stars. OLB- Shawne Merriman, OLB- Shaun Phillips, DE- Luis Castillo, S- Eric Weddle, and DT- Ogembi Nwagbuo all were held out of practice yesterday. But even with these guys playing most of the season, the Chargers have been below average on the defensive side (19th in DVOA, 7.1%). Not that we expect the Browns terrible offense to take advantage of this mediocrity.

The Chargers strong suit is against the pass. They rank 13th, but still worse than average in DVOA at 6.3%. They are 6th against TEs and against #2 WRs. So don't look for our gang scrub TEs to catch many passes. And Chansi Stuckey is going to have a tough time keeping his recent momentum going. But the Chargers do struggle with defending RBs out of the backfield. That should mean good things for Harrison and Jennings. Not that we have been good at getting the ball to these two. Jennings dropped the pass of the year from Brady Quinn against Detroit, and Harrison has struggled when given the chance (-38.3% DVOA, 45 of 47 qualifying RBs in pass catching). But hopefully we keep trying the wheel routes and screens. It may be our best chance to score.

But the biggest key will be to protect Brady Quinn (and make him believe he is protected). The Chargers are 10th in getting to the QB with 28 sacks, 7% of opponent drop backs. The Browns have allowed sacks on 6.6% of Quinn and DA's drop backs, good for 18th. The problem isn't always the sacks, its the blitzes (which the Chargers will bring a lot of with Phillips and Merriman or not) and having the WRs and QB on the same page. We'll see if that continues to improve with Quinn's second stint as starting QB.

The Chargers have struggled against the run (25th in the league at 7.9% DVOA). And with their front 7 banged up, this could be something to exploit. Thing is, there really isn't enough data to know what we will get in the running game with Chris Jennings and Jerome Harrison. And we really haven't seen enough of them to have any reason to be confident in them. Only time will tell. Hey, maybe Cribbs and Quinn can break some runs?!

Special Teams

The Browns remain 2nd, just behind the Vikings in overall special teams DVOA (7.2%). They are still lead by the return units, especially the league leading punt return group. San Diego is pretty average at everything in special teams, except for kick coverage, where they have a -5.3% DVOA (5th worst in the league). Making the overall special teams place 20th overall in efficiency. Maybe Cribbs can break a kickoff return. He should have a couple opportunities.

Conclusions and Questions

It doesn't look good for our Browns. But with the injuries on both sides, there are a lot of variables. And variables are always good for the underdog. Three questions that will determine the outcome:

1.) With Jamal Lewis finally out of the way, what can Chris Jennings and Jerome Harrison show against a suspect and hurt front 7 of San Diego? Both in the run game and in the passing game.

2.) Will LT have a breakout game or will his decline continue, even against a battered and suspect front seven of Cleveland?

3.) Can the Browns prevent Rivers, Gates, and Jackson from scoring TDs at will? Anything less than 350 yds and 4 TDs would be amazing to me.

The Chargers are good. At 8-3, they are playing for playoff position. It seems like our only hope is if they overlook our battered, bruised, and beaten Cleveland Browns or if the brisk weather on Lake Erie gets to those sissy SoCalians. I don't see it happening: Chargers win, 35-16.

Brent Celek signs 6-year extension; Vernon Davis begins salivating

Fooch — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:09:34 -0000

While this is not 49ers news, it is something that will certainly play into the 49ers long term plans. TE Brent Celek has reportedly agreed to a 6-year contract extension with the Philadelphia Eagles worth $33 million, with $11 million guaranteed. I bring this up because our own monster TE Vernon Davis is signed through the 2010 season. If the 49ers intend to lock him up, the numbers are probably starting to fall into place. First, a quick comparison of Celek and Davis this season:

Celek: 54 receptions, 601 yards, 5 TDs, 8 catches of 20+ yards

Davis: 57 receptions, 670 yards, 9 TDs, 10 catches of 20+ yards

Celek, like Davis, is in the midst of a breakout season. The former 5th round pick certainly didn't come with the fanfare of Vernon Davis, but he's steadily improved and become a huge weapon for Donovan McNabb this season. If the 49ers do extend Davis at some point, I think it's safe to say it will end up being more than Celek's contract. I say this because I think Davis is a greater all around weapon than Celek, and also because of the fact that as time passes, contracts continue to inflate. Of course, this can be countered with the fact that we're looking at a whole lot of labor instability in the NFL, so who really knows what that means for contracts.

Just for the heck of it, I thought I'd pull up the contracts of some of the other elite tight ends in the NFL (with date it was signed in parentheses). These are from Rotoworld, which I consider a solid source, although obviously there's no guarantees on accuracy:

Dallas Clark (2/2/08): 6 years, $36 million - looks like $11 or so million was guaranteed

Jason Witten (7/22/06): 6 years, $29 million - $12 million guaranteed

Antonio Gates (8/30/05): 6 years, $24 million - $10.5 million guaranteed

Tony Gonzalez (1/12/06): 5 years $35 million - $17.75 million guaranteed

At this point, I'd imagine Dallas Clark is Davis's starting point for a contract. Of course, I'd imagine Vernon will be asking for more than that. If he continues his development at its new pace, one could argue he's well on his way to becoming the best tight end in the NFL. Heck, in my fantasy league with no PPR and basic scoring stats (where I snagged him for a 12th round pick and can keep him as a 12th rounder next year!), Davis is the highest scoring tight end in the league by 7 points over Dallas Clark. While Davis might not be using those fantasy numbers in his contract negotiations, it goes to show how far the man has come.

The only way I see Davis's contract value going up is if he goes into next season and puts up similar, or better numbers than this year to show an ability to be consistently great. The 49ers have done a good job signing young players to contract extensions, but they definitely missed the boat with Vernon Davis. If Davis and his agent told the 49ers he was going to wait to sign an extension, well then Davis is a smart individual. Either way, we'll see how long it takes for the 49ers to get a deal worked out, if it happens at all any time soon.

Stat of the Day; Bolts & Dolts

John (obviousman) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:17:09 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

According to Bolts & Dolts, Darren Sproles has had just as many good games as he's had bad games in 2009. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

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Through 11 games, these are your 2009 leaders in Bolts & Dolts:

Bolts

Dolts

Darren Sproles (4)
Chris Chambers (4)
Jacob Hester (3)
Offensive Line (2)
12 tied with 1

Funny that Sproles shows up on both of these lists. Either he's terribly inconsistent, or I've been too harsh on him. As you would expect in the midst of an 8-3 season, there were significantly more Bolts than there were Dolts.

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

11 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)

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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.

San Diego Chargers Defeat Kansas City Chiefs 43-14

John (obviousman) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:07:26 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson, foreground, celebrates his one-yard touchdown run during the second quarter of n NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

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Two games against the Chiefs, two blowouts. The Chargers have beaten the 2009 Chiefs by an average of 29.5 points in their two matchups.

I said before the game that the only chance the Chiefs had of beating the Bolts was by winning the turnover battle, which they lost handily. This was a good team effort by everyone on the Chargers. The offensive line looked really solid (I almost don't want to play Jon Runyan and Nick Hardwick unless necessary), the running game was good enough and Antonio Gates proved why he's one of the deadliest weapons in the NFL.

That's six wins in a row and a game in Cleveland next weekend. Good job, fellas.

Your Bolts & Dolts recommendations are always appreciated in the comments.

Final - 11.29.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Kansas City Chiefs	0	7	7	0	14
San Diego Chargers	7	21	10	5	43

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