SB Nation - Shaun Phillips

Bolts & Dolts: Bengals at Chargers

John (obviousman) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:21:04 -0000

about 19 hours ago: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer is caught by San Diego Chargers safety Kevin Ellison for a ten yard loss in the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Chris Park)

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Alright, we're doing it a little different this week. I'm doing Bolts & Dolts without re-watching the game, because this is a team/game/post driven by emotion, and after re-watching I may come back and add or change something. S'alright? S'alright.

First, the game. This game ranks up there with the Giants game for me. It's an opponent of equal talent, and a lot of times in the past the Chargers have lost to teams that are just as good as them by not doing the little things. This season, through plenty of adversity (namely, injuries), the team has continued to do the little things that keep you in the game and give you a chance to win the game at the end. Because of that, today's first Bolt might be the most well-deserved one ever.

Bolts

Norv Turner. There's this recurring conversation I seem to have with my friends and family every year about Norv Turner. In a nutshell, the conversation is "The team just doesn't seem ready to play at the beginning of the season or at the beginning of games. That's coaching." Sure, fine, although the team has been much better this season at starting off games strong.

However, that's negative thinking. Three straight division titles, nine straight wins and seventeen straight wins in December (not all of thus under Turner, but still). That's coaching too. Three straight seasons where the team has started slow and could've quit on him but never did, that takes coaching. No coach is unblemished, and with Norv the good certainly outweighs the bad. I'm not ready to declare Norv the greatest Chargers coach ever, but if you look at where he is now it's hard to argue that he's not on his way to getting there.

Offense

Philip Rivers - 24/38, 308 yds, 3 TDs, 2 INTs. Only Philip would be able to manage a 92.9 QB Rating in a game in which he was picked off twice. This is why he's the active leader in QB Rating. It wasn't the best game for him, but he sporadically had some perfect throws and (as usual) came alive to save the day in the fourth quarter. His MVP resume is getting stronger while Brett Favre's is getting weaker.

LaDainian Tomlinson - 117 all-purpose yds, 3.7 YPC. It was a very efficient day for LT. He was used in the passing game when the Bengals were focused too much on the receivers, and he looked strong in the running game (as did the offensive line) nearly all game. It wasn't dominating, but it was efficient. By the way, has LT ever smiled this much in one season? He looks like he's having a ball this year.

Vincent Jackson - 5 catches, 108 yds, 2 TDs. First it was VJ that was free because of Antonio Gates, then it was Gates that was open because of VJ. Now, and credit Norv Turner for this, the team has found a perfect balance of both. Defenses have to find a way to cover both guys on every play otherwise there's going to be a big play. Credit Vincent for fighting through the little bit of adversity he's faced this year and coming back alive right when the team needed him most.

Antonio Gates - 4 catches, 33 yds, TD. Simply put, the best receiving TE in football. He cannot be covered by a CB, LB or most NFL Safeties. Unless you have somebody like Troy Polamalu or Tyvon Branch, be prepared to double-team Gates on just about every play. Gates almost lost his Bolt when he dropped the ball into Keith Rivers hands, but that ball was thrown behind him.

Malcom Floyd - 4 catches, 63 yds. I originally had Floyd down in the "Almost Bolts" and then realized that he had a better game than Gates (or at least close to it). I love how Malcom has become Philip's new favorite 3rd down target, and I love how there's never any doubt that he caught the ball if he's gotten his hands on it.

Floyd is a free-agent after this season, and a few days ago somebody said they thought another team would spend too much money on him and he wouldn't be back next season. I hope, for the sake of Philip Rivers and Malcom Floyd, that's inaccurate. These guys have been together since the start of their careers, creating chemistry on the 2nd string team in practice, and bring out the best in each other.

Defense

Tim Dobbins - 11 tackles, 1 forced fumble. Yes, yes, that was me saying "Dobbins sucks" in the first half. The truth is, the Chargers played Dobbins a lot because he's great against the run. The Bengals did the right thing in calling pass plays that would force him into coverage, where he's not-so-good. His tackle numbers are half because he was very good against the run and half because he was tackling his receiver after giving the guy an easy catch. What earned him a Bolt was getting the closest thing to a turnover on the most important play of the game.

Eric Weddle - 8 tackles. Great to see Weddle hasn't lost anything in his two weeks off. He was still in the middle of every play, and providing great downfield coverage.

Kevin Ellison - 6 tackles, 1 sack. I love Ellison's size. When the Bengals put a TE/RB out wide, Ellison always lined up with him in man coverage. He has the speed to stay with them, and the strength to give them a big bump on the line. I haven't seen him playing a lot of zone coverage (that seems to be Oliver's specialty), but in man he's stellar. I think he's earned the starting SS spot for 2010.

Defensive Line. Okay, none of them were really demanding a double-team (which is why the pass-rush was non-existent) so they weren't a huge help in rushing the QB. However, they were stellar at stopping the run. Alfonso Boone, Travis Johnson and Vaughn Martin each had periods of the game where they dominated their section of the line. If you take away the two "cut-back" runs (27 yards for Larry Johnson, 26 yards for Chad Ochocinco), the rushing numbers look significantly better. Holding Cedric Benson to just 53 yards (and no TDs) is something to be congratulated for.

Special Teams

Nate Kaeding - 2/2 FGs, 3/3 XPs. Was there even any doubt? There wasn't for me. The second Malcom Floyd caught that ball and put the Chargers on the 35 yard line, I knew they had won the game. Just as Gates is the best receiving TE in football (and arguably the best overall), Kaeding is the most accurate kicker in football (and arguably the best overall). Lucky for the Chargers, both guys are having career years at the same time.

Dolts

Offense

There were no offensive Dolts this week.

Defense

There were no defensive Dolts this week.]

Almost Bolts

Mike Scifres - The Bengals had time for one more drive to win or tie the game. Scifres punts, his gunners are blocked, and the ball still goes out of bounds on it's own at the Cincinnati 5 yard line. Any time you can force a team to go 95 yards to score the winning TD, you're making it very difficult for them. He would've been the hero of the game if the Bengals didn't go down the field and tie it.

Quentin Jammer - Jammer is one of the first plays that could've been a Bolt or a Dolt. His interception against Chad Ochocinco was beautiful, but overshadowed in my mind by the numerous times he was beaten on out routes. His goal-line play against the Bengals TE at the end of the game was a big reason why the Chargers won, but what will stick out to people is the easy interception that went through his hands on the previous play. It certainly wasn't Jammer's best game, but he responded well to being thrown at (which doesn't happen often).

Kris Wilson - Jeff will be able to better point this out in his post later this week, but I thought the team really came alive on Wilson's catch. For those that didn't see it, Kris has his helmet torn off and kept fighting for the extra yard. It got to the point where the defender literally pulled Wilson down by the back of his head (it looked like a for-sure neck injury), and Kris popped right back up with an angry stare. This all happened about a foot in front of the Chargers sideline, which went bananas after the play.

I like Wilson's toughness, blocking and soft hands. This is probably way too early, but I could see him replacing Brandon Manumaleuna next season as the team's backup TE/FB.

Kassim Osgood - Not just the best special team player in the league, but quite possibly the smartest. Nobody knows special teams better than him, and nobody works harder at it. I know it's not possible, but I really hope he's wearing a bolt on his helmet next season.

Almost Dolts

Steve Gregory - Just like Tim Dobbins, Gregory was targeted and thrown at all day. The Bengals were smart enough to not throw short-passes at his receivers, because that's Steve's specialty, and instead hit the receiver at the point where they've gotten past Gregory but before they've gotten to the safeties. It was a good gameplan that the Bolts are sure to see more of going forward. Unlike Dobbins, Gregory wasn't able to stand out with any big plays.

Pass Rush - I've been over this, but I'll go over it again. 2 sacks is not enough, but this is not the fault of Shawne Merriman, Shaun Phillips or Larry English. The defensive line needs to cause more of a disturbance for the QB when he's sliding up in the pocket. I think we may see more of Vaughn Martin in the next couple of weeks because, even though he's still not great or very consistent, there were times where he was pushing around offensive linemen like they were children. If he can force offenses to pay attention to him, you'll see the OLBs racking up the sacks in droves once again.

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

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

Week 14 Review. Chargers @ Dallas Cowboys. Final: 20-17 Chargers.

Jeff (sliderockmpc) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:30:19 -0000

The Chargers win their first true test in the last 3 weeks. Behind clutch offense, and stingy red-zone defense, the Chargers are able to defeat the Dallas Cowboys for their 8th consecutive victory.

Chargers vs Cowboys boxscore

The weekend couldn't have worked out much better for the San Diego Chargers. First, they proved their mental toughness again, defeating a Dallas Cowboys team that needed the victory as much (if not more) than San Diego did. The Chargers, make no mistake, took this game from the Dallas Cowboys, simply by making more big plays at crucial times than their erstwhile opponents.

Almost across the board, the stats were even, with 2 significant exceptions. The 1st major difference is 3rd and 4th down conversions. Combined, the Chargers were 6-13. The Cowboys: 2-10. The 2nd major difference was in penalty yards; 24 for the Chargers, 68 for the Cowboys. This is the difference between 2 talented teams, one makes positive plays when they are needed most, the other makes mistakes when they are needed least.

Secondly, the Chargers got help from the Indianapolis Colts, allowing them to increase their division lead to 2 games over the Denver Broncos. Thirdly, the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, which gave the Chargers the outright lead in the chase for the AFC's #2 seed, and the bye week that comes with it.

Grades are below the jump.

Quarterbacks: A-

Rivers final numbers (21-32, 271 yards) don't quite stress how amazing his performance was. More than in any game since the Week 2 loss to Baltimore, Rivers was throwing long and often. Considering the degree of difficulty on many of his passes, his overall accuracy and efficiency was sensational. Rivers did throw one horrendous interception - I couldn't tell if he was trying to get the ball to Jackson, or throw the ball away. Otherwise, especially on 2 sideline throws to Jackson, Rivers was terrific. Also, continuing his habit of performing in the clutch, Rivers was 7-8 for 114 yards and a TD on the Chargers final 2 drives of the game.

Running Backs: B

LaDainian Tomlinson's final line of 21 carries for 50 yards was not impressive. What was impressive was Tomlinson's running on the 1 drive where the Chargers absolutely, positively needed him to be productive. On the final possession, he gained 30 of his 51 total yards to help the Chargers kill the clock. Darren Sproles chipped in with 7 carries for 22 yards, often making 3 yards when nothing appeared to be available. Tomlinson and Sproles also contributed 1 catch each. FB Mike Tolbert has been nicely rediscovered as a pass option the last few weeks, contributing 3 catches for 19 yards, but his biggest play came on Tomlinson's TD run - he blew through Dallas LB Keith Brooking to open a hole for Tomlinson. Blitz pickup by the group was outstanding.

Wide Receivers: A+

Vincent Jackson returned to form with 7 catches for 120 yards. His 34 yard reception early in the 4th quarter on 3rd and 12 was the biggest play of the 2nd half. Malcom Floyd contributed 3 catches for 40 yards, but he was a nightmare for Dallas CB Mike Jenkins (who got away with a pair of uncalled pass interference plays in the 2nd and 3rd quarter). TE Antonio Gates added 4 catches for 44 yards and the go-ahead TD in the 4th quarter. Legedu Naanee added one catch, as did reserve TE Kris Wilson - his 21 yard catch and run was a key play on the Chargers' opening TD drive.

Offensive Line: B-

Once again, both good and bad. The good - Dallas OLB DeMarcus Ware never sniffed Philip Rivers, despite being moved all around the defense. It was especially nice to see that RT Brandyn Dombroski handled him well in a pair of 1-on-1 matchups early in the game. The interior of the line, RG Louis Vasquez and C Scott Mruczkowski did a solid job of controlling NT Jay Ratliff, which prevented Dallas' blitzes from reaching Rivers. The only sack was allowed by LG Kris Dielman, against DE Stephen Bowen. LT Marcus McNeill was again good in pass protection. However, excepting the final drive, the unit was overall awful in the running game, gaining a meager 2.7 yards on 31 attempts for the game (the average was less than 2 yards per carry until the final drive).

Defensive Line: B-

Of the Cowboys 108 yards rushing, 68 yards came on their 3rd possession of the game - mitigated by the Chargers' outstanding goal-line stand to keep the Cowboys scoreless on the drive. Despite being blown off the ball for most of the drive, the group of DE Jaques Cesaire, NT Ian Scott, and DE Luis Castillo did a great job of standing up the Cowboys' offensive line to allow the LBs to penetrate and make stops. It appeared that the stand broke the Cowboys' will to run for the rest of the game. On pass defense, the unit did not get much push, but Scott did have a pass deflection that almost turned into an INT. This unit, however, continues to struggle with draw plays and delay runs.

Linebackers: B+

Can someone find ILB Stephen Cooper some hands? He had 3 pass deflections that nearly (maybe should) have been turned into INTs. OLBs Shaun Phillips and Shawne Merriman were playing hurt and it showed, as neither really got close to Romo. OLB Larry English did get close to Romo a few times, but overpursuit and/or bad angles cost him at least 1, maybe 2 sacks (one could have been a Safety). Inside, ILB Brandon Siler continued to come up with huge plays, especially on the Chargers' goal-line stand, and contributed 5 tackles,as well as the Chargers' only sack. In coverage, the LBs were very good at helping to control Dallas TE Jason Witten, as well as the Dallas RBs in the passing game.

Secondary: B+

Despite not forcing any turnovers, this group had a very good game. Subtracting the 86 yards allowed in the final 2 minutes, when the unit willingly traded yards for seconds off the clock, the DBs allowed only 153 yards through the air. Excepting 1 catch by Dallas WR Roy Williams, the group as a whole limited yards after the catch, and prevented the Cowboys' receivers from making any huge plays. As good as CBs Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie were, the work of Safties Steve Gregory, Paul Oliver, and Kevin Ellison was more impressive. The group limited Witten and slot WR Patrick Crayton to a combined total of 6 catches for 80 yards - half of their receptions, yards, and the Crayton TD came in garbage time. As a whole, the unit was not used on blitzes as much as in recent weeks.

Special Teams: B

After allowing a game-opening 41-yard return, the coverage units played very well for the remainder of the game. As usual, WR Kassim Osgood was great on punt coverage downing 2 of P Mike Scifres' punts inside the Dallas' 5 yard line. Scifres' 3rd punt, however, resulted in only his 2nd touchback of the season. PK Nate Kaeding was again Mr. Reliable, converting on FGs of 29 and 34 yards - the 2nd of which iced the game late in the 4th quarter. Punt and Kickoff return blocking leaves something to be desired, as Sproles found little to no room to run.

Coaching: A

No matter how you look at it, Head Coach Norv Turner and Defensive Coordinator Ron Rivera thoroughly outcoached Dallas Head Coach Wade Phillips and Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett. Early in the game, Rivera was very selective with his blitzes, using them to stall the Cowboys' opening drive with ILB / OLB crosses and stunts. Rivera also did not use the Safety blitzes nearly as much as he had in previous weeks. On offense, Turner was a step ahead of Phillips the entire game, notably early with the flea flicker off the Wildcat and the clear out throw to Kris Wilson. Amazingly, following the goal line stand, Garrett virtually abandoned the run - the one weakness of the Chargers defense which the Cowboys could exploit. The Cowboys ran the ball 8 times in the 2nd half, a game in which they did not trail by more than 1 score until 2 minutes remained.

Side note: I'm beginning to think one of Turner's best moves was re-hiring Rob Chudzinsky as TE Coach and Assistant Head Coach. I say this because while Turner has seemingly become an very good game manager overnight (poor game management was one of my main complaints about Turner), many of his opposite numbers are struggling in this area. On Sunday, Phillips fell into this trap. Never mind panicking and not kicking the FG in the 2nd quarter to close within 10-6, Phillips also doomed his team to defeat by not attempting a FG with the ball at the Chargers' 18 and only 26 seconds remaining.

Hidden Plays (Non scoring, non-turnover plays that directly affected the outcome):

Not really a hidden play - the goal line stand that seemed to suck the life out of the Cowboys and their fans.
On Dallas' 1st possession - 4th down. Quentin Jammer cheats up to Jason Witten, allowing Williams to get open behind him for a 1st down catch, leading to a Dallas FG.
Following the missed FG attempt by Dallas K Nick Folk, the Chargers have the ball at the Dallas' 46 yard line with about 25 seconds and 1 timeout. Rivers is sacked, killing a chance to score before the half.
In the 3rd quarter, Rivers attempts a throw to Gates, missed because of the Umpire. With a single safety rotating high, Gates needs only to make the catch and beat the LB for a 40+ yard TD.
On Dallas' 1st posession of the 4th quarter, Cooper strips RB Felix Jones of the ball, causing a 5 yard loss and killing the drive for Dallas.

Biggest Positives:

Red-zone defense: 2 TDs allowed in 4 trips.
Escaping this game without any major injuries.
Improved play from Safeties not named Eric Weddle.
Offensive Line asserting itself in the 4th quarter to ice the game.
Coverage of opposing TE and slot WRs was terrific.
Heart shown by D-line to make the goal line stand after getting run on for 60+ yards.

Biggest Areas of Concern:

Finishing drives on offense could have ended this game in the 3rd quarter.
Offensive run blocking for the 1st 3 and 1/2 quarters of the game.
Defensive Line did not open pass rushing lanes for LBs or DBs.
Dropped / missed INTs.
Punt and Kick return blocking.

Looking ahead to:

To making another statement this weekend vs. the Cincinnati Bengals. This weekend's game could very well be a preview of a divisional playoff game. The Chargers have to make sure any rematch takes place in San Diego, following a week of rest.

Bolts & Dolts: Chargers at Cowboys

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

More photos » by Amy Gutierrez - AP

7 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.

Bolts & Dolts: Chargers at Browns

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

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

14 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

14 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 >

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

21 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.

Horse Tracks 11/29/09 - McDaniels recounts his side of trash-talking episode with Shaun Phillips to ESPN

Douglas A. Lee — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:15:45 -0000

ESPN - Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels tells his side of trash-talking incident - Chris Mortensen & Ed Werder
"I wasn't out there trash-talking their players, going through their drills. This guy has been doing this since I've been in the league and, because they won, he takes the liberty of telling his side of the story. I didn't swear at him or threaten him. What I actually said was, 'I've heard the same thing from you for four or five years now, and when I was in New England, we owned you.'"

DB - Davis, Sharpe Named HoF Semifinalists - Zach Eisendrath

DPP - Sharpe, Davis semifinalists on Hall of Fame list - Lindsay Jones
"Thursday against the Giants, Bruton made two solo special-teams tackles, bringing his season total to 10, tied for the team lead with fellow rookie Darcel McBath."

DPP - Davis savors fresh start with Broncos - Lindsay Jones

DPP - Dawkins puts it in perspective - Dave Krieger

DPP - Broncos just kept believin' - Jeff Legwold

LTC - Veteran Stokley content with his role on team - Brian Howell

INDT - Broncos: Remember these guys? - Hunter Ansley

DPP - Want to win? Run the ball - Mike Klis

CSG - Broncos WR Stokley reaches out to injured college player - Frank Schwab

CP - Dawkins talks, sets example - Geoff Mosher

DP - McDaniels now a mouth that roared profanity - Mark Kiszla

DP - A full deck of dining delights - Penny Parker
"John Elway hosted a host of managers from his Elway's Cherry Creek restaurant in his sweet suite Thursday at Invesco Field at Mile High."

AP - Falcons kicker Elam mired in baffling slump - Paul Newberry

DP - Dave Logan a Mullen marvel - Woody Paige

AFC West News

SDUT - Balance key to Chargers' five straight wins - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Chargers vs. Chiefs: Five things to watch - Jay Posner

SDUT - Like Padres, Chargers took time to rev up - Nick Canepa

ESPN - Chiefs make a roster move - Bill Williamson

KCS - Chiefs’ attitude sunnier after stormy Johnson exits - Kent Babb

KCS - Cassel, Haley's growth bigger than score - Jason Whitlock

OT - Oakland Raiders' Darren McFadden isn't as advertised - Steve Corkran

NFL News

PFW - Glazer family's patience with Morris wearing thin - Dan Parr

NFL - Roethlisberger won't play after concussion, giving Dixon start

NFL - Colts DE Freeney doesn't travel, will miss game at Texans

FH - UFL's Jim Haslett Contacted for NFL Job - Anthony Olivieri

NFL Opinion

NFP - Sunday at the Post - Mike Lombardi

FOX - Success rare for this crop of rookie coaches - Alex Marvez

NFP - Weekend Notes: Remember Us? - Matt Bowen

DPP - December marks the time for closers - Jeff Legwold

FH - The Once-Over: Week 12 - Knox Bardeen

FOX - Countdown: Previewing Sunday's Week 12 games - John Czarnecki

NYT - With Help From Friend, Young Connects Again - Karen Crouse

USAT - Clutch, aggressive Jaguars playing way into race - Jarrett Bell

Injury Report: Week 12

John (obviousman) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:34:52 -0000

First, some news about the possible blackout. The Chargers have been granted another 24 hours, and now have until 1pm on Saturday, to sell the remaining 1,350 tickets. Considering the Chargers have sold more than 2,000 tickets in the last 24 hours, I think there's now a very good chance of this game not being blacked out in San Diego.

Now, onto the injury report.