SB Nation - Shawne Merriman

Chargers Week 14 Injury Report

John (obviousman) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:32:04 -0000

Player	Injury	Wendnesday	Thursday	Friday	Status
Nick Hardwick, C	Ankle	DNP	DNP	DNP	Out
Alfonso Boone, DE	Knee	DNP	FP	FP	Questionable
Kevin Burnett, ILB	Neck			DNP	Questionable
Legedu Naanee, WR	Foot		DNP	FP	Questionable
Shaun Phillips, OLB	Ankle	DNP	FP	FP	Questionable
Quentin Jammer, CB	Toe	DNP	FP	FP	Probable
Travis Johnson, DE	Groin	DNP	FP	FP	Probable
Shawne Merriman, OLB	Foot	DNP	DNP	FP	Probable
Mike Scifres, P	Groin	FP	FP	FP	Probable
Eric Weddle, S	Knee	FP	FP	FP	Probable

Key:

DNP = Did Not Participate
FP = Full Participation

All told, the Chargers looks extremely healthy. Hardwick is out, and I'm starting to think he'll be IR'd and they'll just aim for the beginning of next season. Burnett will probably play but not start, which he might not have anyways. Everyone else I expect to play.

Bengals Injury Report is after the jump.

Key:

LP = Limited Participation (usually working out on the side alone)
Out = The team didn't expect the player to practice due to a long-term injury. The player may not have even been at the facility.
If you're wondering why some of the boxes are blank, it's because the player was not on that day's injury report (these reports are submitted to the NFL ever day) and was probably injured in practice the day before.

Player	Injury	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Status
Chris Crocker, S	Ankle	Out	Out	Out	Out
Domata Peko, DT	Knee	Out	Out	Out	Out
Bernard Scott, HB	Toe	DNP	LP	LP	Questionable
Robert Geathers, DE	Knee			DNP	Probable
Kyries Hebert, S	Knee	LP	FP	FP	Probable
Tank Johnson, DT	Foot	DNP	LP	FP	Probable
Brian Leonard, HB	Calf	DNP	FP	FP	Probable
Morgan Trent, CB	Knee	LP	FP	FP	Probable

Chad: I will beat Shawne Merriman's head in

Kirkendall — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:37:49 -0000

Back in June, Chad Ochocinco kicked off Tweet Wars against Shawne Merriman. And Chad is back in form (on Wednesday), throwing a salvo at Merriman.

“I will beat Shawne's head in, right now,” he said. “It's not even fun. This is not in fun. This is personal. Bring it on. It is what it is. I think he might be one of the only people I don't really get along with. I want to fight. I'm not sure how to get the fight on without him suing me.”

OK, this isn't the same Chad. His pissivity level is reaching six, a level in which only ancient puzzles, dark force sermons and Balrog fire whips could open the door to.

I don't know. You just have somebody that, like, you have the itch, you just want to fight? That's what it's come to. I just want to fight. I think back when we played last time,” he continued. “I can't remember. I don't know. You know what, I think I copied his dance after I scored, and I think it pissed him off.”

Merriman blew off Chad. When asked if he thinks that Chad is serious, Merriman said, "I haven’t been called out by too many guys. This is a different situation for me. I can tell you one thing. It’s not going to be a joke. And that’s when I see him Sunday."

Uh-oh. Now, this will be interesting. We know Chad. We know he's a jokester. This isn't the same thing. And we know Chad will take one for the team. Can you say, "personal foul, defense, number 56"... It should be noted that all of this probably has changed since Henry's passing Thursday. But if we know Chad, he'll use it. And Chad will dominate.

Final Injury Report: Cincinnati Bengals (9-4) at San Diego Chargers (10-3)

Kirkendall — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:18:27 -0000

BENGALS	WED	THUR	FRI	STATUS
S Chris Crocker (ankle)	OUT	OUT	OUT	OUT
DT Domata Peko (knee)	OUT	OUT	OUT	OUT
DT Tank Johnson (foot)	DNP	LP	LP	Probable
RB Brian Leonard (calf)	DNP	FP	FP	Probable
RB Bernard Scott (toe)	DNP	LP	LP	Questionable
S Kyries Hebert (knee)	LP	FP	FP	Probable
CB Morgan Trent (knee)	LP	FP	FP	Probable
DE Robert Geathers (knee)	--	--	DNP	Probable

CHARGERS	WED	THUR	FRI	STATUS
DE Alfonso Boone (knee)	DNP	FP	FP	Questionable
C Nick Hardwick (ankle)	DNP	DNP	DNP	OUT
CB Quentin Jammer (toe)	DNP	FP	FP	Probable
DE Travis Johnson (groin)	DNP	FP	FP	Probable
LB Shawne Merriman (foot)	DNP	DNP	FP	Probable
LB Shaun Phillips (ankle)	DNP	FP	FP	Questionable
P Mike Scifres (left groin)	FP	FP	FP	Probable
S Eric Weddle (knee)	FP	FP	FP	Probable
WR Legedu Naanee (foot)	--	DNP	FP	Questionable
LB Kevin Burnett (neck)	--	--	DNP	Questionable

Bolts & Dolts: Chargers at Cowboys

John (obviousman) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:58:21 -0000

More photos » by Amy Gutierrez - AP

6 days ago: San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates (85) pulls in a touchdown pass in the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009 in Arlington, Texas. The Chargers won 20-17. (AP Photo/Amy Gutierrez)

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When you factor in things like how the opposing teams have played in the games immediately before or after their showdown with the Chargers, you could make a case that this Cowboys team is the 2nd or 3rd best team the Bolts have faced all year. Although it's December, they're playing much better than they were in the beginning of the season (when the Broncos beat them) and it was going to take a complete game by the coaching staff and players to get a win.

Well, that was about as complete of a game as you can have in the NFL against a legitimate opponent. The defense, similar to the game against the Browns, seemed to play a soft zone in the beginning and end of the game. They struggled to stop any of the Cowboys three star RBs, and yet Dallas was only able to score one meaningful touchdown in the game. I have no idea how Ron Rivera keeps doing it, but he continually keeps points off the board.

The offense is currently unstoppable. It's clicking in a way it never has before, with Philip Rivers playing his best football and Norv Turner calling all the right plays at the right times. It helps when you have 5 guys on the field who are receiving threats on any given play. Even LaDainian Tomlinson, who isn't much of a feature-back these days, seems to become a better player near the goal line and whenever the Chargers need a big run for a first down.

It's a good time to be a Chargers fan. The division crowd, the playoffs and a first round bye are no longer just dreams.

Bolts

Offense

Philip Rivers - 21/32, 272 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT. Whomever is disappointed that Philip didn't have another game with a QB rating of over 130, please leave the room. This was not the Browns and it was not the Chiefs. This was a legitimate NFL defense with very few holes. The pass-rush was there all game, and kept Philip stepping up in the pocket and sometimes running for his life. The CBs played a great game, Mike Jenkins in particular. Rivers and his WRs were just better. Any time you can post a near 90 QB rating against one of the better defenses in the league, count it as a victory.

Vincent Jackson - 7 catches, 120 yds. Well, well, well....somebody's back. In reality, VJ never left. This game wasn't about him breaking out as much as it was the defense going with a different philosophy. In the last few games, the idea was to double Jackson on every play. That left things open for Antonio Gates. This game, the Cowboys did the opposite and VJ came through in a big way. Huge plays by him and Rivers are the reason this game wasn't lost. They kicked the team back into high gear after the injury to DeMarcus Ware.

Antonio Gates - 4 catches, 44 yds, 1 TD. Need a first down on third down? Need a TD from inside the 15 yard line? Go to the guy who is completely and totally uncoverable. Philip didn't need to force passes to him this game, and didn't, but when he needed that outlet to get the team out of a jam Gates was there. He always is.

Malcom Floyd - 3 catches, 40 yds. First off, his catch on the sideline was absolutely ridiculous. Second, Floyd is a Pass-Interference machine....which actually makes sense. His speed is not that great, so it's rare that you see him more than a half-step ahead of his defenders downfield. However, he has a reputation for catching everything and is the king of jump balls. So any CB covering him is close by, and knows that just getting his hands in Floyd's face isn't going to do a thing. Add in the fact that he's skinny (so it always looks like he's the one that got pushed) and he could get PI called against a CB nearly every time if he tried. It's great that Norv has figured this out, and knows there's no risk in throwing it to Floyd one-on-one downfield, and calls it when a big play is necessary.

Offensive Line - 1 sack allowed. Say what you want about the run-blocking. It's at least three times more important to keep Rivers upright and healthy than it is opening holes for LT and Darren Sproles. That was a fierce pass-rush, with lots of blitzing (I miss Phillips' recklessness sometimes), and the offensive line gave Philip just enough time and space to make plays. Even that one sack, you could argue that it happened because Rivers didn't move in the pocket when he should've. Great showing by everyone, and specifically the tackles. I don't know where Scott Mruczkowski and Brandyn Dombrowski fit into the future of the offensive line, but with them and Jeromey Clary and Nick Hardwick it would appear the Bolts have a plethora of talent up front for next year.

Defense

Brandon Siler - 5 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss. That's it. Let there be no more doubt in anybody's mind. Brandon Siler is a Player, with a capital P, and has earned the right to start ahead of Kevin Burnett for the rest of the season. He makes the run-defense stronger, gets pressure on the QB when blitzing and is generally a force that can mess up any given play for the offense. Give him the most credit for the goal-line stand (his specialty), and give him credit for being strong in coverage all game as well.

Stephen Cooper - 3 tackles, 2 defended passes, 1 forced fumble. The best game of zone coverage Coop has played all season. I don't really care that he didn't pick off the passes he got his hands on, because I believe most of them were big 3rd down plays. Cooper had an OK game against the run as well, which is why you saw a lot more runs to the outside (away from him and Siler) as time went on.

Special Teams

Mike Scifres - 42.0 average, 2 (of 3) inside opposing 20 yd line. Follow this theory, dreamed up by my wife. With about 10 second left to go in the first half, Scifres came out for his first punt (that's kindof amazing). The punt landed inside the Cowboys' 5 and bounced into the end zone. When the camera showed Mike, he was screaming "Man, what the @#$&!" at somebody. I couldn't tell why, and my wife said "I guess he wanted somebody to down it. You know, for his stats." My response was "Screw his stats, it's the end of the half!" Well, if the following theory is correct, I'm the only idiot.

In the second half, Mike punted twice. Each time it was downed inside the Cowboys' 5 yard line by Kassim Osgood. After each time, Kassim stayed where he downed it, held the ball up and looked back at where the play originated from. I originally thought he was just doing it as a celebration, and to show the refs where he was. My wife was the one who said "I bet he's showing the ball to Scifres." If that's the case, and it makes the most sense, then good job by Mike to get on Kassim. That field position meant the world in the second half. Oh, and....

Kassim Osgood - 2 downed punts inside the Cowboys' 5. You could argue that, between Osgood and Mike Tolbert, the Chargers have two of the ten best special teams players in football. I'd certainly argue that point. The Bolts are going to have big shoes to fill on punt returns next season when Osgood is playing WR somewhere else.

Nate Kaeding - 2/2 FGs, 2/2 XPs. I love that stat that shows up every time he kicks now, the most accurate kicker in the history of the NFL. Kaeding is everything that everybody thought Mike Nugent would be. If you're within 45 yards of the goal post, it's a guaranteed 3 points. Beyond that, you still have a good chance.

Dolts

Offense

There were no offensive Dolts this week.

Defense

Defensive Line - 4.0 YPC allowed, zero sacks. This probably isn't their fault. There just isn't enough talent on the line to dominate anybody anymore. Still, each guy on the line was getting pushed around with ease and I don't believe any of them were demanding anything more than a single blocker. This is a big reason why Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips were held in check as pass-rushers and run-stoppers. The defensive line allowed a lot of easy runs up the gut, and didn't take up the blockers to free up LBs to stop the runs to the outside either. Whether or not they can do it, the Bolts may need the defensive line to play better than that to win any playoff games.

Almost Bolts

Mike Tolbert - Quite a weapon on offense, and quite a hitter on special teams. I'm left scratching my head as to why he didn't carry the ball once all game, but I'm sure Norv has his reasons. Perhaps, like me, he doesn't yet trust him to hold onto the ball in a close game?
LaDainian Tomlinson - Just what we've come to expect from LT. Smart running, timely big plays and a knack for never fumbling the football. Has anyone else noticed that he never loses yardage anymore? A handoff to LT these days is a guaranteed 2 yards or more.
Antonio Cromartie - He's gotta be the best man-to-man CB in the league right now. In man, he was untouchable. In zone, he was good but not great. The Quentin Jammer-Antonio Cromartie tandem is playing at the highest combined level ever right now. That's why you see teams putting their star WRs (like Miles Austin) in the slot, to get away from those guys.
Safeties - Nobody mistook these Safeties for Eric Weddle or Troy Polamalu out there, but the same philosophies were in place and played out. Paul Oliver, Steve Gregory, Kevin Ellison and C.J. Spillman did not allow big plays through the air and prevented big plays on the ground with sound tackling. I personally can't wait until Gregory can slide back down to the Nickel CB spot again and Weddle can start roaming centerfield like always. It's my belief that the run defense, as well as the man-defense on the slot receiver, is a lot better with Gregory down near the line of scrimmage.
Tim Dobbins - The poor man's Brandon Siler. He played well in goal line situations.
Larry English - He got the closest to Tony Romo out of the OLBs. As with most of this season though, English was close but couldn't make the play.

Coach Joe DeCamillis is Cool with Romo Holding

Aaron Novinger — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:34:28 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Anything else I can do to help, Coach?

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Yes, Tony Romo's old-but-new job as holder is the talk of the town. Special team's coach, Joe DeCamillis, is impressed not only that Romo volunteered for the position, but also at how "smooth" a holder the quarterback actually is.

DeCamillis, who didn't have a lot of options outside of McBriar, was impressed that Romo was willing to offer his services.

"To me, that just shows what a competitor he is and how much he wants to help our team win," said DeCamillis. "He had a bad experience, and he really wants to help us out and help us win games. That's a real pro."

More after the jump.

Todd Archer reports that Romo and Coach Joe D talked about his potentially taking over holding duties on the plane ride home from the Giants' game.

DeCamillis said he studied all of Romo's holds in the 2006 season before they worked on it Wednesday.

"He's very natural with his hands and he's an upright target, so [snapper L.P. Ladouceur] can look back and there's a big target to hit," DeCamillis said.

"He's very smooth and to be honest with you it doesn't shock me one bit but it really was his idea. It wasn't my idea. We talked about it but this shows me what a competitor he is and how much he wants to help the team win because he had a bad experience and he really wants to help us out. That's a real pro to me. That's a huge boost, in my opinion, of him not that he needed one but he got one from me."

Hat tip to Fernie67 for the link.

In injury news today, FS Ken Hamlin (ankle), and TE Martellus Bennett (concussion) were held out of practice again. Both are still looking doubtful for Sunday's game.

The good news is that FB Deon Anderson did return, though he was wearing a sleeve on his knee. His return will be important for the Cowboys' heavy packages if Bennett does not go.

One other injury note: Terence Newman's knee checked out.

CB Terence Newman underwent an MRI for an undisclosed knee injury he sustained in the 31-24 loss to the Giants. The test came back negative as no structural damage was found. Newman practiced Wednesday and should be ready to play on Sunday against the Chargers.

In Coach Phillips' presser today, he was adament that rookie TE John Phillips will be ready for an increased role. The mood surrounding Bennett's concussion lightened when Coach was asked about if he had seen a specialist yet.

"Oh, he's already done that," Phillips said. "Of course, we kid him obviously...the old joke, you know. X-rayed his head and they didn't find anything."

Judging by the laughter in the room and the smile on Phillips' face, Bennett's absence this week seems precautionary and in line with the league's trend of protecting concussed players from returning too soon.

Speaking of Coach Phillips, not all Cowboys' fans love him, but the players do - even those who play for the Chargers.

Phillips, the San Diego defensive coordinator before taking the Cowboys job in 2007, is getting nothing but love and respect from his former players.

"I love Wade. Love and respect," said Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman, who echoed sentiments of a number of his teammates to the media earlier this week.

State of the AFC West Week 13

Sam (sdsuaztec4) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:16:37 -0000

More photos » by Amy Sancetta - AP

Dude, smell my fingers! (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

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Good news, everyone! The Chargers can become the first member of the AFC West to clinch a spot in the playoffs if they beat the Cowboys, like 8 other teams lose, Tim Tebow dies for our sins, and Brett Favre retires for the rest of the regular season and makes a comeback in the playoffs...for the Broncos.

Anyway, after being left for dead (by me and the MSM at least) after their 4 game losing streak, the Broncos have come back with two dominating victories over the G-Men and the Chiefs to stay within 1 game of the Chargers. The Chargers have a tough 3 game stretch (@DAL, vs. CIN, @TEN) but hold the tiebreaker over Denver so the Chargers still hold the best position to win their 4th straight AFC West title.

The Raiders now have two big wins on their schedule after the Gradkowski led them on multiple 4th quarter TD drives to win over the Stillers in Pittsburgh, something the Chargers couldn't do. While they still aren't very good, the are now clearly much better than the sucky sucky Chiefs. (HA! Take that Chiefs fans! I called your team sucky!) Let's see if the Raiders can beat the Broncos and prove they can win a division game (other than over the Chiefs, HA!) and maybe we'll think about considering whether the Raiders can be relevant again anytime soon.

Click the jump link thingy. Please.

AFC West Standings

	W	L	PF	PA
San Diego	9	3	342	242
Denver	8	4	240	202
Oakland	4	8	142	282
Kansas City	3	9	196	326

(updated 12.8.2009 at 1:21 AM PST)

Kansas City Chiefs: The whispers are Matt Cassel better get his act together soon are he might go the way of the Dodo. I'm not sure what they expected from a career backup who came from the devious Patriots. Although Josh McDaniels sure wanted him and he obviously knows about him. On the other hand, maybe he was just feigning interest to get the Chiefs in on him to guarantee they would suck. Josh is pretty douchy like that, coming from the counsel of Bill Belichick. All of that, and now the Chiefs might be facing the first blackout in like a really really long time. Not to mention they've only won one homegame out of the last 12. Anyway, enough bashing on the Chiefs. If you don't have anything nice to say, you shouldn't say anything at all, right? That Jamaal Charles guy is really good.

Oakland Raiders: Even if their best defensive player is out and their QB is coming back from his 23rd concussion, anytime you beat the Steelers on their home field it is impressive. Anytime your QB leads you on two 4th quarter TD drives that's impressive. Gradkowski has now led two winning drives in the final two minutes in three weeks. Vote in the poll for the AFC West Question of the WEEK! Was Jamarcus Russell such a black hole of Suck that he made the entire team awful? Or are the Raiders just catching some breaks and playing teams at the right time? 400 yards of offense by the Raiders on Hienz field. Think about that. This is way too much Raider love though; probably because I hate the Steelers more than the Raiders because the Raiders suck and they have two former Aztecs starters on their team. (C. Shillens and K. Morrison).

Denver Broncos: So, after getting shellacked in Denver by the Bolts, the Broncos b*tch slapped New York and then pimp slapped KC. I still can't understand this team. Streaky is an understatement. The Broncos appear headed for a wildcard spot in the #5 seed, which means they would play the #4 seed in an away game in the wildcard round of the playoffs. It looks like right now that would be the Patriots. Can this Broncos team beat the Patriots in Foxbourgh in January? If I had to bet, I'd say no, but then again I thought they'd lose to both the Giants and the Chiefs. The good news for the Broncos is that they really got the running game together against the Chiefs which will do good things for them in the playoffs; although that might say more about the Chiefs defense than anything else. The Broncos have a tough 3 game stretch coming up (@ IND, vs. OAK, @PHI) we'll know a lot more after we see how they do in those games.

San Diego Chargers: Here's what we know: The Chargers have the best passing offense in the NFL according to ~~G0d~~ Football Outsiders, a sometimes useful running game, an inconsistent defense, and really injury prone starters. A lot of the Chargers future success will depend on the health of the team. Sound familiar? Like every post season from the last 4 years familiar? I'm REALLY starting to wonder about the training staff. The health of Eric Weddle, Shawne Merriman, and Luis Castillo are going to be very important down the like; not only because of the players themselves, but when Shawne is in, Shaun doesn't get doubled and is able to get more pressure...our match-ups against offensive players are much better. Eric Weddle might be the most important player on our defense. We get killed on defense without him. (See Browns, Cleveland). If the Chargers beat the Bengals, they have a very good chance of locking up the #2 seed and a first round bye...which is very important given our health issues. We definitely could use that time to heal up.

Poll

Is Bruce Gradkowski the long term answer in Oakland?

San Diego Chargers Defeat Cleveland Browns 30-23

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

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

13 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 >

Is Larry English Ready to Start?

John (obviousman) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:13:40 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

San Diego Chargers' Larry English, right, drags down Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne, left, for a loss. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

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Larry English will most likely get the start at OLB this week against the Browns, standing in for Shawne Merriman (who has missed very little time considering all of his injuries this season). Since the Chargers are in the second half of their schedule and it's now "Undefeated Month", this is just the right time to find out what kind of player their first round draft pick is.

Let's start out by seeing where English is in comparison to his peers. I'll be the first to admit that I've kept an eye on all three USC rookie linebackers, and they have all impressed me. Brian Cushing is every bit the player he was in college, Clay Matthews uses his speed to fly around and make plays, and Rey Maualuga is the missile-like force we all thought he'd be when we talked about drafting him.

MLB has not been an issue though, so Maualuga can be forgotten about, and we can take out Cushing because he's playing in a 4-3 and not as a pass-rusher. Besides Matthews, the only other 3 first-round pass-rushers drafted by teams running a 3-4 defense are English, Robert Ayers and Brian Orakpo. Let's compare.

Matthews - (541 plays) 29 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 5 defended passes, 1 defensive TD.

Ayers - (297 plays) 14 tackles, 0 sacks, 1 defended pass, 1 defensive TD.

Orakpo - (635 plays) 37 tackles, 7 sacks, 2 defended passes.

English - (338 plays) 20 tackles, 2 sacks, 6 QB pressures, 1 forced fumble. Keep in mind that I got the numbers from the guys above from unbiased stat sites, but I got English's numbers from the Chargers coaching staff (thus the extra "QB pressures" stat). The stat sites have him in about 40 less plays and credit him with only 17 tackles.

Since I like to even the playing field, let's find some averages.

Matthews - .05 tackles per play, .009 sacks per play

Ayers - .04 tackles per play, 0 sacks per play

Orakpo - .05 tackles per play, .01 sacks per play

English - .05 tackles per play, .005 sacks per play

So, has he been the complete bust that Ayers appears to be in Denver? No. When you factor in the way he's been used (sporadically, with very little rhythm), you can say he's actually been pretty good.

This week needs to be his coming out party. I know he'll be going up against Joe Thomas, one of the best LTs in the league, but Larry English needs to make everyone stop worrying about whether or not Shawne Merriman is going to play against Dallas or after that. The storylines we need to hear, heading into the playoffs, are the ones about the Chargers "3-headed-monster" at OLB. English's performance, up to this point, has not lived up to that.

In the past couple of years, the Bolts have been "stacked" enough that their first day picks don't have to make a contribution until towards the end of the season and the playoffs. Eric Weddle came on strong at the end of 2007, just like Antoine Cason and Jacob Hester did towards the end of 2008. Louis Vasquez has been pretty good all season, but with the OLBs dropping like flies it's absolutely necessary for Larry English to start contributing more and soon.

Now, let's step away from the stats a little bit. Allow me to vent. Larry English looks small to me. Not just short, but he seems to have a very short wingspan. That worries me. The more I see him on the field, the more he looks like he should be a MLB instead of an OLB. I stumbled across a pre-draft scouting report on him this morning, and here's what it said (I'll highlight the parts that stand out to me)....

Positives: Solid linebacker build, with more than adequate upper-body strength and legs for the position. Good motor, hustles down or across the field until the play is completed, even if initially blocked. Changes direction in space well. Secure wrap-up tackler when man is in his area. Can use his arms to keep linemen and fullbacks off him when standing up. Stays balanced and upright most times on stretch plays. At times he can bounce off a block using his punch. Has quick, violent hands to stay free. Stays at home on option plays until last possible moment. Able to drop back off the line in zone blitzes and stay with tight ends. Strong week of practice at the Senior Bowl eliminated many of the concerns regarding English's level of competition.

Negatives: Lacks the bulk to play with his hand down in the NFL, which he did in college. Gets engulfed by better left tackles on inside pass rush moves, lacks the strength to bull rush and doesn't quite have the speed to get the corner consistently (but has good closing speed when standing up). Fails to hold his ground when directly out of his stance and can't get off the block quickly enough to get to the ball. Will need to prove he can handle coverage duties against better tight ends and that he has zone awareness. Needs to get lower in his backpedal, as he stands a bit tall.

I don't understand. He can't rush inside, he can't bull-rush and he can't speed-rush. What the heck can he do? Even English's big plays this year came mostly off of plays where the coverage was good and he kept his motor going. As much as I'm rooting for the guy, he hasn't shown me anything yet. The fact that he has good speed, strength, intelligence and linebacker size doesn't make him a good pass-rusher.

You can point to Elvis Dumervil and say "There's a short guy who's getting it done!" Actually, both players ran similar 40 times at the Combine, both are about the same weight and Dumervil is at least 2 inches shorter. So yes, you're right. Larry English I guess has the potential to be Elvis Dumervil, and that would be great. I just don't know if I see that happening. Even Elvis had 8.5 sacks his rookie season.

State of the AFC West Week 12

Sam (sdsuaztec4) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:32:40 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

LT protecting his baby.(AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

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State of the AFC West is back this week after taking the holiday week off because I was out of state without my laptop. Actually, I had something prepared for last week but it's good that I didn't publish it because it would make me look less than prescient about the Chiefs and Broncos. On the other hand, Raiders suck-age is easy to predict no matter the circumstances.

I have to say that I didn't give the Broncos much of a chance against the Giants; although I will say I think that game probably said more about the Giants than the Broncos. The New York media is all saying how the Giants looked flatter than they've seen all season and that the team has lost its passion.

On the other hand, I was going to say how the Chiefs had improved; that was until the annoying Chief trolls came. It's a good thing that they did come because the Chiefs didn't really improve, they still suck; maybe just slightly less so with the release of Johnson. Jamaal Charles looks like the only good player on that team though.

Anyhoo, the Chargers are the first team in the division to finish division play, completing the tour with a 5-1 record. The Raiders and Chiefs still have a chance to play spoiler and affect the playoff picture; the Chiefs still have both games against the Broncos and the Raiders also play the Broncos once more.

One thing that I thought was interesting is that if you look at points allowed San Diego and Denver are almost identical when earlier in the season there was a wide gap. I wonder if its San Diego's defense improving or Denver's regressing. With the emergence of Vince Young, the Chargers have three tough games left: @Dallas, vs. Cinci, and @Tenn. The Broncos have two tough games left @Indy and @Philly. The tiebreaker scenario may end up to be important so I think it will also be difficult for Denver to sweep the 3 remaining division games.

Jump the break, yo.

AFC West Standings

	W	L	PF	PA
San Diego	8	3	312	219
Denver	7	4	196	189
Oakland	3	8	115	258
Kansas City	3	8	183	282

(updated 12.1.2009 at 1:12 AM PST)

I'm not going to post the injury widgets anymore because they suck and are inaccurate.

Oakland Raiders: A week after a big upset win the Raiders returned to their getting blown out ways. They gave up 24 points to the Cowboys who have had an enormous struggle with scoring points in recent weeks. Bruce Gradkowski similarly regressed and simply didn't play very well. It seems like neither Russell or Gradkowski is the answer at QB and they will have to look at the draft and try not to fail. Again. *cough* Russell, Heyward-Bey, McFadden *cough* DE Greg Ellis re-injured his surgically repaired knee in the loss and is questionable to play against the Steelers. The only other important injury is Justin Fargas who also is questionable. It looks like Ben will be back on Sunday so the Raiders will have their hands full with the Steelers and will try to play wildcard spoiler as well.

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs thought that one win turned around the franchise. Think again. Its going to take a lot more than that to turn that mess around. That being said, Charger fans are definitely Chief fans for the rest of the season. Well, I guess they are getting better in that case. The only two games they have been blown out in were the two against the Chargers. If they limit the mistakes and stick to the run maybe they can help the Chargers out in the playoff picture. The Chiefs didn't sustain any additional injures, just the same ones as last week (Vrabel, Rogers, Savage, Herron). Bowe is still out from his PED suspension. With the Chiefs season over, the only story worth thinking about besides being spoiler is Charlie Weis' firing from Notre Dame. There is a strong possibility that Weis may take over as offensive coordinator at Kansas City given his connection with Scott Pioli and Haley request to focus more on overall game management. We'll have to see how it plays out.

Denver Broncos: After their embarrassing 4 game losing streak, the Broncos absolutely laid wood on the G-Men who looked like little girls on Thanksgiving. What does this mean for the Broncos? Probably a first round playoff loss. We'll have to see how they respond against a weak opponent in the Chiefs on Sunday. Either way, I still think teams have figured out how to scheme against them and the defense is going to play old. Eddie Royal left the game with a thigh injury and I haven't heard anything else about that. Losing Royal for any amount of time would be a huge loss. They are only 4.5 point favorites right now so the rest of the world hasn't regained their confidence yet. Not much else going on in Bronco land right now as things seem to have settled down after the win although Brandon Marshall has been real ornery lately.

San Diego Chargers: Another week, another win, another injury. The only thing stopping the Bolts right now from making a deep playoff run is injuries. Good thing we have a bye week to rest the walking wounded and let Hardwick and Runyan settle in. From what my inside sources tell me, Eric Weddle is out for probably two weeks, Luis Castillo and Shawne Merriman will likely rest against the Browns. Everyone else looks ok. Larry English will probably get alot of playing time and we might be able to see what he can do in that role. I just got the exclusive scoop that OLB Marques Harris is re-signing today. That should help with depth at that position. The DL by committee shuffle win continue as is without Luis; we are definitely weaker against the run without him but we will manage. Hopefully he can return for the Dallas game because they have some dynamic backs. At safety, Oliver and Gregory should do the job just fine with Cason in the nickle and Ellison in on running downs.

Hopefully everyone will be rested up and healed in time to make a playoff run. I don't think this Cromartie thing is going to distract anyone with Phil and Norv at the helm and he'll play at least until he gets suspended or convicted. We'll have to see how it plays out but I assume Cason would take over if it comes to that. Let's hope his teammates who are saying he didn't do anything are telling the truth.

Horse Tracks 12/1/09 - Broncos given extra day of rest, return to practice today in preparation for trip to KC

Douglas A. Lee — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:36:05 -0000

DB - Weekly Press Release - Patrick Smyth

DPP - Broncos give any foe a run for money when they can run - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Hurting Broncos enjoy some rest - Lindsay Jones
"The Broncos also will be closely watching offensive tackle Ryan Harris, who is expected to return to the practice field in earnest this week for the first time since dislocating a big toe Nov. 1 against Baltimore."

DP - Broncos Mailbag: Giants caught napping? - Mike Klis

DPP - Analysis: Urlacher points out the Bears made a mistake the Broncos made first - Mike Klis

DPP - Q&A: McDaniels still in Cassel's fan club - Jeff Legwold

NFL - NFL declines to address investigation reports about McDaniels' spat
"McDaniels indicated the Broncos asked the NFL to look into the encounter, according to ESPN." Honestly, I think they should just leave it be...

CBS4 - Holliday Credits Win To 'Complimentary' Football - Matthew Buettner
I'm pretty sure (like roughly 100% so) that the word Vonnie used was "complementary" and not "complimentary". What makes the Broncos D play well is not telling each other, "Hey Elvis - nice play."

CBS4 - Elway Says Broncos Players-Only Meeting Helped - Jesse Sarles

CSG - Broncos rookie class having quiet year - Frank Schwab

DPP - Broncos eyeing ... The Chiefs - Lindsay Jones

DPP - Spotlight on Broncos kicker Matt Prater - Lindsay Jones

DPP - By the numbers, Broncos chasing only Chargers

KDVR - Broncos leading AFC Wild Card race - Chris Tanaka

DB - Ask Vonnie Holliday...

NFL Results

NFL - New England Patriots 17 at New Orleans Saints 38

NFP - The Monday Rewind - Matt Bowen

SI - New Orleans Saints look unbeatable while dismantling Patriots - Don Banks

Y! - Saints' monumental rout means 16-0 within grasp - Jason Cole

FH - Brees, Team Mardi Gras Headed to 16-0 - Jay Mariotti

SN - Saints have it all: a perfect blend of offense, defense - Dennis Dillon

NFP - Brees, Brady: good people, great players - Andrew Brandt

AFC West News

ESPN - Weis could land in the AFC West - Bill Williamson

SDUT - Injury updates - Kevin Acee
"Norv Turner confirmed that free safety Eric Weddle sprained his knee and will likely miss the next two games. Weddle, who has a sprained MCL, is expected to play Dec. 20 against Cincinnati. Turner also said he might consider resting outside linebacker Shawne Merriman this Sunday against the Browns."

SDUT - Why wait? Sign Turner - Nick Canepa
Yes! Please! Do it!!!! I understand he's been winning division titles, but that hasn't exactly taken much in recent years. The Dolts underachieve relative to their talent every single year...

SDUT - Browns give Bolts a needed respite - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Defense shows its depth in secondary - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Ex-Charger’s mistress charged with stalking - John Wilkens
Well, this explains the release of Chris Chambers...the drama-to-catches ratio was simply too high (sort of like the people-to-cake ratio).

KCS - Chiefs’ Haley knows Weis well - Adam Teicher

OT - Raiders safety Mike Mitchell bids to prove 'experts' wrong - Steve Corkran

NFL News

PFW - Week 13 matchup tidbits

NFL - Playoff Picture 2009

NFL - Falcons' Ryan to miss next game, maybe more with turf toe

NFL - Cardinals' Warner dealing with eye issues following concussion

NFL - Broken finger may finally sideline struggling Delhomme

NFL - Jackson's status remains uncertain for Eagles after concussion

NFL - Giants' Manning not 'overly concerned' over stress reaction in foot

NFL - Giants place defensive captain Pierce on injured reserve

NFL - Benson will be back for Bengals