SB Nation - Philip Rivers

A pair of NBA gifts for Xmas

GrantC — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:19:45 -0000

by Mark Duncan - AP

The King & The Mambo are working on a new rap for Xmas.

Tomorrow, after most of us open our gifts and get through the fake smiling when you open the hideous sweater from your grandmother or book you already read from your aunt, we will be sitting around the tube and flipping through whatever sports has made the holiday schedule. Unlike the suckiness of watching the Lions and Cowboys on Turkey Day in recent years has been pretty high, we are quite thankful that David Stern continues to run the most fan friendly league around and is giving us a pair of gems for Christmas Day. There are technically 5 games on the docket, but its the two in the middle that have us the most excited. First is a matchup of the last two Eastern Conf champs when the Celts head down to Orlando for what should be a solid, physical game of two NBA Finals hopefuls. Dwight Howard has solidified himself as the most dominant big man in the NBA, while KG is back to MVP form this season. While Paul Pierce is going to miss the game with a knee injury, the truth is that we're watching because we want to see VC. While he tends to take a variety of plays a game off, when he wants to be, he is still one of the most fun and exciting players in the NBA - and almost no one is more clutch.

However, that game is just the appetizer - as the Christmas Ham is the late afternoon Cavs - Lakers showdown in LA. The amount of intriguing side stories is ridiculous: possible Finals preview - Kobe vs Lebron for best baller on the planet - Shaq retuning to the stadium he built. Its definitely the Kobe vs Lebron angle that we are most excited for. At a time in sports, and in a league where its so important, we are superstar obsessed and these guys are two of the biggest in the world. So tonight when our stalkings are hung and we are writing Santa a note, we are gonna be hoping that for Xmas we get a showdown where each guy goes for 50+ and somebody hits a ridiculous buzzer beater to pull out the win... or at least something more exciting than watching the Lions get mauled, again.

Poll

What game are you most interested in tomorrow?

Game Preview: Chargers at Titans

John (obviousman) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:26:28 -0000

via beat.bodoglife.com

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As this season has gone along, the game preview posts have gotten more and more statistical. I've stopped putting in my two cents, for the most part, and therefore have stopped looking brilliant when my predictions come true. At this point, I'm asking for your opinion on what I should do going forward. More stats or more opinions?

For this game preview, we're kicking it old school. Not because I'm looking to look smart, but because I've never realized just how heated this rivalry is. The Chargers players are still angry over a game two years ago, in which Shawne Merriman was allegedly injured on purpose with an illegal hit. Jeff Fisher has said that he doesn't like the Chargers, he considers them a dirty team, and has hinted that other teams around the league feel the same way. What has been most surprising to me, though, is how much Titans fans truly seem to hate the Chargers team (and ergo, their fans).

The most important part of this game, for the Chargers, is health. This cannot turn into week 1 in Oakland, where the opposing team is causing horrible injury after horrible injury with dirty hits. The Chargers need to put the game out of hand early and then take their starters out. Can they do it?

When the Titans Have the Ball

Since bringing in Vince Young to replace Kerry Collins, after going 0-6 through their first 6 games, the Titans have had quite the balanced offensive attack. Vince Young spent his time off working on his footwork, and as a result has become the accurate passer Tennessee needed to exploited the 8 man fronts defenses were throwing at them.

For the season, the Titans rank 11th in the league in yards per game and yards per play. They're 10th in 3rd down completion percentage. They've racked up the 14th least penalty yards in the league. While all of these are great stats, they paint the picture of an offense that's much better than Tennessee's. In terms of yards per play, the Titans are tied with the Patriots, Texans and Packers, and are better than the Vikings and Cardinals. However, each one of those teams scores more points per game than Tennessee.

So what's the Titans issue on offense? Similar to the Cardinals, Tennessee has a problem with turnovers (they're tied for 2nd in fumbles lost). The Cardinals will still make the playoffs with their -8 turnover margin, which is absurd, because the NFC West is so bad. The Titans are fighting to try to make the playoffs, but their 18th ranked turnover margin (-1) may end up being the thing that stops them.

The Titans passing attack is still not what you would consider "hich-octane". They're ranked 20th in the league in passing yards per game, and VY is averaging less (161.9) in that category than Kerry Collins did this year (175). He has been more efficient though, averaging 7.7 yards per pass attempt. His 5-to-2 TD/INT ratio is also much improved over Collins' 3-to-4.

In a nutshell, this is exactly the type of passing offense that can beat the Chargers. The Bolts are about not giving up the big play, but the Titans never even seem to try. They rank 27th in 20+ yard pass plays and 2nd in sacks allowed, which means they run short routes and get the ball out quickly. Young has a tendency to fumble the ball when he's hit (7 fumbles in 8 games), but getting to him seems like it might be a problem for the Chargers pass-rush (which has been awful lately).

The running attack, led by Chris Johnson, is so mind-boggling good that it should keep Ron Rivera sleepless this entire week. 2nd in the league in yards per game (162.6), 1st in yards per attempt (5.3). Although they blow everyone else away in 20+ yard runs (22, the next closest team has 15), they're only tied for 8th in the number of rushing touchdowns they have. The culprit, almost certainly, is that the Titans' running backs are tied for 2nd in the league in fumbles.

So here's the gameplan against the Tennessee offense: Contain Chris Johnson (don't let him get outside) and hit him hard. Do everything you can to get to Young, and hit him hard. Their offense will move down the field easily, probably, but giving up FGs and answering with TDs will change the Titans' gameplan in a hurry.

When the Chargers Have the Ball

The reason there's no stats about the Chargers defense above, and there won't be a ton about the Chargers offense below, is that you already know this team. You know what they're good at (defending WRs, preventing big plays, throwing the ball) and what they're bad at (stopping the run, running, rushing the passer). Whether or not they've moved up or down a ranking since last week is not going to determine the winner of this game.

Now, onto the Tennessee defense. A few injury notes. Keith Bulluck and David Thornton, the Titan's starting outside linebackers, have both been placed on IR this week. Bulluck is the leader of the defense, and arguably the entire team, as their best player. He leads the team with 108 tackles, and Thornton has 60 of his own (in 11 games). Their replacements, Colin Allred and Gerald McRath, have 41 tackles between them this season. This creates a huge hole in the defense that can be exploited with Antonio Gates, Mike Tolbert and hopefully a stronger Chargers running game. Also, Nick Harper (who apparently has been terrible) has a bad shoulder. Rod Hood (who has been inexplicably active for the past few weeks) could get the start if Harper misses the game.

This is not the Titans defense we remember from 2007, 2008 or 2009. The one that dominated the league. Tennessee ranks 28th in yards allowed per game and 24th in yards allowed per play. They're 22nd in 3rd down completion against them (roughly the same as the Chargers) and are allowed 24.8 points per game (27th). With a good offense, you can put up yards and points against the Titans.

Their passing defense is a major weakness. They're 31st in the league in passing yards allowed, giving up 7.2 yards per pass attempt (worse than the Giants and Cowboys). Thanks to Cortland Finnegan (and Bulluck), they're tied for 8th in the league with 19 interceptions. Expect Philip Rivers to avoid throwing that way unless he sees a big opening. There's plenty of holes in this defense, if you can avoid turning the ball over, such as the 50 pass plays of 20+ yards allowed this season (29th).

The rush defense has been good, but not great. The success can be attributed to a good defensive line (Kyle Vandenbosch and Tony Brown are excellent) and to Keith Bulluck. How much it goes down with the loss of Bulluck is a mystery right now. Tennessee has allowed just over 100 yards per game on the ground (9th), and 4.2 yards per carry (16th). Like the Chargers, they don't give up many big runs and are tied for 4th in the league in 20+ yard run plays allowed (5).

The Chargers game plan seems almost too easy. Test out the run and see if Keith Bulluck's replacement is up to snuff. Throw at the TE and RBs out of the backfield plenty. Look for big plays down the field with Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd. If the Chargers can have success with that early (and why shouldn't they? That's what they've done all season), the second half of this game can be relaxing for the Chargers players, coaches and fans.

Final Word

I haven't been saying it much, but all season I've been saying how much the Chargers remind me of the Colts. Great passing offense, poor running game and a bend-but-don't-break defense that makes big plays when it needs them. Also, if the Chargers are within a few points with 2 minutes left and the ball in their QB's hands it's a win (usually). The Colts were able to put up a ton of points on the Titans early a few weeks ago (24-10 at halftime), and then needed a few big plays from their defense in the second half to secure a 10-point victory. With a similar team, I'm expecting a similar game.

Poll

How do you like your Game Preview?

My Case For Matt Schaub As A 2010 Pro Bowl Selection

Mike Kerns — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:35:56 -0000

More photos » by Pat Sullivan - AP

This season, it would be hard to argue that there are three better QBs in the AFC than the Texans' Matt Schaub.

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With the news coming out this morning that Andre Johnson is one of the top 10 vote getters by the fans for the 2010 Pro Bowl, it got me to thinking about any other Texans who should make the game.

There are a few names that have been tossed around and given some consideration. Of course, Andre Johnson would make it. That's about as much of a no-brainer as there is. Many think that rookie LB Brian Cushing should get an invite to Hawaii. But as spectacular as he has been, I think being a rookie will keep him off the team (remember Ronnie Brown over Steve Slaton last season?). Mario Williams may get in off of name recognition alone, but many will agree that he hasn't had a Pro Bowl caliber season.

But the name that I adamantly agree with when it comes to Pro Bowl inclusion is QB Matt Schaub. It is no big secret around these parts that I am an avid Schaub supporter and defender. Before the Rosencopter incident, I felt (at times) like I was about the only one who didn't think Schaub should still be the starter over Sage Rosenfels. There were many knocks of criticism towards Schaub coming into the season, most of which were hard to argue with, health and durability being the biggest one.

Well, here we are 14 games in and Matt has played in, yep, all14 games. He had a scare in the preseason where he seemed to roll his ankle, and then of course the shoulder injury in the Jacksonville game, which knocked him out of the game for two series. Other than that, he has been kept upright all season.

Now, let's take a look at his numbers so far this season. 4,181 yards passing (2^nd in the NFL and only 32 yards behind Peyton Manning for 1^st in the NFL), 25 touchdown passes (Tied for 6^th in the NFL), a 69% completion rate (2^nd in the NFL) and an overall QB rating of 98.9 (7^th in the NFL). These numbers shouldn't be too surprising. I mean, even his detractors always said he would do this if he could stay healthy and play a full season.

Here is the part that gets him the most criticism. These people say that the only reason he is putting up those kinds of stats are because of Houston's lousy running game. In my opinion, wouldn't that be more a testament to how good he really is, not a criticism? I mean, when you become that one-dimensional and everyone, including the opposing defense, knows you're going to pass every play then they are going to be gunning for the QB every single snap. Schaub has been sacked 23 times this year, but most Texans fans would agree that with this offensive line we are running out there every game, that number was expected to be much higher.

The last criticism is the stat that is usually thrown out there by VY fan boys (like Little Dickie Justice, age 12). Win total. Yes, Houston is .500 this year. Again. While very disappointing, other than the season opener and a really bad 2^nd half against the Colts, I really don't know how much you can blame that on Matt. Yes, the pick 6 in Arizona hurt. But he still put the team in a position on the next drive to tie the game late. With the game on the line, I didn't see Matt fumbling or not even able to get into the end zone at the one-yard line, missing game tying field goals, or attempting halfback passes on 1st and goal.

His 13 interceptions are probably the only thing that would keep him off the AFC Pro Bowl team this year. He is good usually for about one bad throw per game, and that bad throw usually ends in an interception. But even Peyton Manning has thrown 15 picks this year. Also, Schaub has only lost 2 fumbles this year.

So, if the AFC sends three QBs to Hawaii every year, besides Peyton Manning, what other two would you send over Matt Schaub? Carson Palmer? Schaub has better statistics in every category than Palmer. However, Palmer is going to the playoffs this season. So he has that going for him.

I believe Matt deserves to go this season. But I think a lack of notoriety will be his undoing, and Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger will be voted in as the other two signal callers for the AFC this year. I can't argue with Rivers. He is having a phenomenal season. He has more touchdowns than Schaub and fewer interceptions. Not as many yards, but his team is 10-3. Then there is Big Ben, who voters can't use the win total argument in his favor, as the defending champs are looking up from the same perch as Houston is this year. He has less yards and touchdowns than Matt and he has been sacked 43 times this season. But, he plays for the defending champs and that gives him more notoriety.

So, in conclusion, what Matt Schaub has done with a banged-up offensive line and virtually zero play action due to no running threat in the offense is simply terrific. So terrific that in a perfect world he would be packing his bags for Hawaii. Looks like we will have to wait until December 29^th when the 2010 Pro Bowl selections are announced on NFL Network.

Poll

After Peyton Manning, what other two QB's from the AFC deserve a 2010 Pro Bowl Nod?

Eli for MVP? Of the Giants -- without a doubt

Ed Valentine — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:00:34 -0000

More photos » by Tim Larsen - AP

Eli ManningEl

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Eli Manning for MVP? No one mentions the New York Giants quarterback when they talk about 2009 candidates for the honor, and Mike Celizic of NBC Sports wonders why.

Go ahead and say that suggesting Manning the Younger could be a more deserving MVP candidate than his big brother, grizzled old Brett Favre, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Philip Rivers or Donovan McNabb is like taking the rice cakes over the aged prime rib. I’ll understand, because when the idea was first suggested to me, I thought the same thing.

But if you look at what the Giants have to work with, you have to admit there’s merit to the idea. In a year in which the Giants’ defense has played worse in each succeeding week, Eli Manning has without any fanfare been putting together the best season of his six-year career. Despite a month-long losing streak, the 8-6 Giants still have a shot at the postseason, and it’s all because of Eli Manning.

I’m not suggesting he’s the best quarterback in the league. Even I’m not that foolish. But we’re talking most valuable here, not best. And the reality is that the only way the Giants are getting into the playoffs is if Eli puts them on his shoulders and drags them there.

Eli, of course, will not even get little to no support in the MVP balloting. What Celizic is right about, though, is that you simply cannot underestimate how good Manning has been this season and how important he is to the Giants.

Eli is having the best season of his career, statistically and otherwise. He has the highest completion percentage, yards per game, yards per attempt and quarterback rating of his career. All of this while working with a new, inexperienced group of receivers who, while exciting and talented, are still prone to mistakes and drops. Also, consider how good his numbers would be had he not suffered the mid-season foot injury that impacted his throwing for a few weeks.

If you pay attention you also see how masterfully Eli orchestrates the line of scrimmage, changing protections and plays. ESPN analyst Jon Gruden could not stop gushing about Eli on Monday night. Gruden's hyperbole aside, he had a point.

Eli might not be the NFL MVP. He is, though, unquestionably the Giants' MVP.

There is no doubt Eli belongs on the list when you discuss the top 6-8 quarterbacks in the league. I know there is still a faction out there, even among Giants fans, who believe Manning is not very good. They seize on every mistake to say 'I told you so.'

All I can say to that small faction is, you are wrong. You formed your opinion a long time ago, and you have closed your mind to objectively watching what you are seeing.

That's too bad. Because you are missing being able to appreciate the guy who will finish his career as the best quarterback to ever wear a Giants uniform.

		Passing									Rushing					Sacks
	G	Rating	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/G	Y/A	TD	INT	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Sack	YdsL
2009 - Eli Manning	14	96	271	443	61.2	3584	256	8.1	26	11	15	59	4.2	3.9	0	23	156

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Gettin The Blood Pumping Edition

August West — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:26:36 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

Vince Young shows the rookie that revenge is a dish best served with full extension and overwhelming force.

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Jeff Fisher circled back around yesterday to explain why he opted not to use the timeouts right before the end of regulation on Sunday, and whatdaya know, his explanation sounds a lot like mine (ed.: That may be the greatest indicator yet that he should be fired):

He said his fear was that a tired defense that already blown an 18-point lead might give up a big play down the field. Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne had hit on a 57-yard pass to Brian Hartline on the game-tying drive, although Griffin should have intercepted the ball.

"Our defense had been on the field for two consecutive drives and didn’t stop them. We had a chance to end the game in regulation offensively," Fisher said. "At that point, I was not going to take a chance and force his hand and let him take an opportunity to throw the ball down the field."

Paul K's gets more good info from ESPN's mysterious stats guys on last Sunday's game, and perhaps shining brightest is this gem:

Young had a passer rating of 143.6 and two of his three touchdown throws against the Dolphins defense when it deployed five or more defensive backs.

Keith Bulluck is gone for the year, and nobody hates that more than the fine folks here at MCM. but it's time for the young guns to step-up and earn that paycheck because Jamie Winborn shouldn't be counted on for much considering he's only going to get a practice or two before the season is on the line on Friday.

Follow us through the jump for one more link, but it's a good one...

Here's the transcript from the Chargers' press conference yesterday where Norv Turner, Philip Rivers and Shaun Phillips discuss the Titans, and Shaun Phillips got the closest crying because he apparently wishes he played flag football instead to going off-script:

Does the dislike of the two teams from a few years ago still apply?

"They definitely took a cheap shot on Merriman (ed.: aww come on, it's not like we left his steroid needles out for everyone to see!). They're a physical team, though -- they thought they could punk us, and we obviously aren't going to get punked. We're going to do the same thing. They're a physical football team, and we like to believe we're a physical football team, so it's going to be one of those ones where we are going to punch them in the mouth and they're going to try to punch us back, and that's just how it's going to be. I personally know that Merriman definitely has to be a little heated because I believe that's when he originally hurt his woman part knee. He hurt his knee in that game....

Can you clarify what "Punked" means?

"Punked means basically to try and intimidate someone. They're trying to intimidate us. That's Jeff Fisher style of play, that's the type of football he plays. That's how he coaches. He wants tough guys. He wants guys that get out there and get physical and get nasty and get after it and try and intimidate the other opponent. You have to respect a guy for that.

On the physical nature of playing the Titans:

"For me, it's football. I don't even really care. You could cheap shot me all you want. I mean, I'm going to get you back, but I'm not one of those guys. It's football. We're supposed to be warriors; we're supposed to be gladiators. We have to understand that sometimes you're going to get hit in the face, or somebody's going to cheap shot you or do something out of line, but what can you do? You have to keep on playing. You can't cry about it, you can't go punch him in the face because you jeopardize the team. No, just keep on playing football and you'll get him back when you get a chance.

Man I'm looking forward to this game... I hope Vince jukes Roidiman right out of his Nandrolone-soaked shoes for a little payback on that cheapshot Merriman took on him after a hand-off in 2007. Then, VY can stand over him and do that profanely annoying 'lights-out dance'.

Have love, still need links: mcmaugustwest@gmail.com

Cincinnati tries to overcome adversity for an encore as the Cardiac Cats

Kirkendall — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:29:39 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

4 days ago: Cincinnati Bengals players, wearing a number 15 decal on their helmets, clasps hands just before the opening kickoff of the NFL football game against the San Diego Chargers Sunday Dec. 20, 2009 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

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You have to acknowledge, even appreciate, how the Bengals played their guts out after Chris Henry's death, who was a friend and a teammate, just days before. Nevertheless, you don't have to like the result. During the final series, the Bengals secondary left the sidelines undefended, saying to San Diego's offense that it's open for you to stop the clock... after catching the pass, of course. A defensive unit that's largely been the strength of this football team, uncharacteristically faltered during the game's final, and very critical, drive. With 12 seconds left during a tie game, Chargers wide receiver Malcolm Floyd ran a 15-yard out route. Right there, the sidelines, wide open, run out to stop the clock. Please, take it. Philip Rivers hit Floyd in stride, stopping the clock and picking up enough yardage so Nate Kaeding could kick the game-winning 52-yard field goal.

But as much as much as I want to criticize the Bengals for losing their second straight game, their third loss in their past five games and inching closer to a Baltimore Ravens team that's won exactly one game less than Cincinnati, I can't. I simply can't. Cincinnati gave it their all. They faced enormous adversity throughout the day. Hell, throughout the week. With 6:21 left in the third quarter, the Bengals offense committed three consecutive presnap fouls, penalizing themselves into a first-and-25 scenario on their own seven-yard line. Cincinnati then called a timeout. A timeout? Now? What else could you do but laugh hysterically? They couldn't recover and went three and out. After Nate Kaeding kicked a 33-yard field goal to give the Chargers an 11-point lead, Cincinnati made their run, right? No. After back-to-back runs by Cedric Benson to gain four yards rushing, Carson Palmer throws an incomplete third down pass. Punt.

At this point it appeared like Cincinnati was drained. I'm not saying that they were giving up. Just drained. Emotionally. Physically. Everything. Like no matter how hard you ran, you couldn't pick up speed. A dream, where you keep falling while being chased by an evil witch. Or my ex-girlfriend. We've all been there when we've had days at work in which we're exhausted, having lost all patience and motivations. Then Keith Rivers intercepts a pass intended for Antonio Gates. Then Chad hauls in a backwards pass out of the backfield and picks up 26 yards. Then Carson Palmer found and nailed Laveranues Coles in the endzone for a touchdown. Then Carson Palmer converted the two points on a called quarterback sneak.

Suddenly Cincinnati scored a game-tying field goal with 57 seconds left in the game after driving from their own three-yard line. But in the end, it wasn't meant to be. They're still the cardiac cats and they played the tune they've played all year. So acknowledge and appreciate your Bengals for their efforts. As for the result, that's another matter.

It didn't start like it was supposed to start. Darren Sproles returns the game opening kickoff 45 yards to the Chargers 45-yard line. Why is this important aside for field position? Quite simply, we had no idea how the Bengals would react Sunday after Henry's death. San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson was left uncovered out of the backfield through the first drive, catching two passes for 19 yards without a defender in the area. Tomlinson picked up another 15 yards on the ground on a drive that went 55 yards on 11 plays, ending with a three-yard touchdown pass to tight end Antonio Gates. That was the first touchdown allowed by the Bengals on an opening drive since October 19, 2008 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The age of passing is back, Bengals score their first points of the game. Carson Palmer and the Bengals responded by converting two third downs longer than eight yards to go; a 12-yard pass to Andre Caldwell, a 14-yard pass to Chad Ochocinco. Palmer and the Bengals passing game looked vastly improved, very much in synch and evidently comfortable. However, their inability to score touchdowns in the red zone continued, leaving four points on the field after Shayne Graham converted a 26-yard field goal.

Bengals take a 10-7 lead with an emotional 49-yard touchdown by Chad Ochocinco. Cincinnati's offense returns to the field, after scoring a field goal on their first possession, followed by an outstanding defensive effort allowing only one first down. After Cedric Benson picked up seven yards behind the hulking body of Andrew Whitworth, Palmer was sacked by Kevin Ellison, who blitzed off the right edge. A millisecond before a delay of game was called, Marvin Lewis called a timeout to prevent a third-and-18. Instead, Palmer, on third-and-13, found an uncovered J.P. Foschi over the middle who conquered all and picked up 14 yards and a first down. How does did Foschi look? Benson picked up five yards on the ground on back-to-back runs, which set up third-and-five at the Bengals 39-yard line. Brian Leonard, lined up in the slot on the left, ran a short out, caught the pass and thanks to his godlike field awareness, dove for the first down. On second-and-four at the San Diego 49-yard line, Chad Ochocinco lines up wide left, scorches the defense with a that-looks-really-easy sprint down the left sidelines, hauling in a perfectly placed pass by Carson Palmer for a 49-yard touchdown reception.

Johnathan Joseph gives the Bengals their first turnover of the game. On third-and-nine at the Chargers 46-yard line with 10:42 left in the first half, the Bengals defense brings seven rushers, one of whom is Chinedum Ndukwe. Breaking free, Ndukwe drills Rivers just as the quarterback made a deep throw. Johnathan Joseph located the rainbow pass before Chargers receiver Malcolm Floyd and intercepted the pass. Cincinnati would go on to give up a sack, run on second-21 at their own 15-yard line, then later punt.

Vincent Jackson and the Chargers take the lead with a 21-yard touchdown pass. With 7:25 left in the second quarter, Antonio Gates catches a dinky short pass. With nimble stalwarts tasked with challenging Gates, the tight end changed directions forcing Jonathan Fanene, who sat in zone coverage, and Rey Maualuga to overshoot, picking 13 yards and the first down. On the next play, Gates ran a crossing pattern from left to right, caught the pass, shifted, spun, juked and nimbly forced Morgan Trent to miss another tackle, picking up 12 yards and another first down. Several plays later, Vincent Jackson got separation from Leon Hall, faked a post, which caused Hall to break in. Instead Jackson broke out and ran towards the left side of the endzone, catching a touchdown pass on a dive.

Redzone issues continue; Bengals score a field goal to reduce Charger's lead before half time.With three minutes left in the first half, the Bengals called Larry Johnson's number three times on four plays, picking up 38 yards rushing in the process. Palmer threw a needle to Laveranues Coles with 1:14 left in the half over the middle on a slant, picking up another 21 yards. Cincinnati's offense picked up 67 yards on seven plays in two and a half minutes. After that, it was the same story we've seen in the second half of the season. The inability to score touchdowns in the redzone. After spiking the football to stop the clock, Palmer threw back-to-back incomplete passes to J.P. Foschi forcing Shayne Graham to convert a 25-yard field goal.

A bit of advice: Stop going into the redzone!

Mental mistakes on offense returns to start the second half. Thanks to Shawne Merriman's jump offsides, the Bengals were left with a third-and-one at their own 34-yard line with 13:14 left in the third quarter. Benson pounded the point of attack, picking up the first down. However, Cincinnati's offense broke down with mental mistakes after Laveranues Coles made caught a 17-yard pass. Illegal formation. Pass deflected at the line of scrimmage. Delay of game. Bengals are forced with a third-and-21 at their own 46-yard line. Palmer finds Foschi over the middle for an 11 yard gain. Bengals punt.

Big defensive stand; preventing Rivers from picking up the first down. After two runs picking up nine yards midway through the third quarter, the Chargers line up big formation at their own 29-yard line. Philip Rivers takes the snap and sneaks up the middle. Cincinnati's defense stacked the line, expecting the trickery of a sneaky quarterback, holding Rivers from converting the first. Chargers punt.

Bengals: Momentum.
Josh: Is a bitch.

Palmer's interception and blown coverage by the Bengals secondary leads to a 34-yard touchdown by Vincent Jackson. Chad Ochocinco lined up on the right, ran 10 yards and broke in. Chargers cornerback Quentin Jammer anticipated the route, stretched his arms and picked off the pass. On second down, Rivers found Vincent Jackson running free down the left sidelines. The Bengals secondary blew the coverage, with Leon Hall allowing Jackson to release upfield without safety help. Jackson easily scored the touchdown, taking a 21-13 lead.

Bengals offense has an epic breakdown -- before their first snap. Here is a list of items by the Bengals with 6:21 left in the third quarter.

False start by Dennis Roland
Illegal substitution
Delay of Game

Then the Bengals take a timeout. The epitome of how this team loses focus is showcased here in a way we haven't seen before. Before their first snap on their third offensive possession in the second half leads to 15 lost yards before taking their first snap.

Cedric Benson misses the handoff when Palmer decides to check down to a draw in shotgun formation.

Palmer dumped off a surrender-pass to J.P. Foschi on third-and-19. Bengals punt. Mercifully.

Tomlinson picks up 36 yards on a screen; Chargers take a 24-13 lead. With 4:27 left in the third quarter at their own 27-yard line, Rivers fakes the handoff to Tomlinson who sits to the left waiting for the screen pass. After the catch, Tomlinson sprints. And sprints. He's still sprinting. Hell, I'm parched with all of the sprinting. He's still running. Finally Tomlinson is tackled at the Cincinnati 37-yard line, picking up 36 yards. After a no-gain by Sproles, Rivers finds Jackson over the middle, catching his first non-touchdown reception of the game. On third-and-six at the Bengals 15-yard line, Rivers throws a rainbow pass to Vincent Jackson near the front left pylon. Leon Hall jumped with Jackson, separating the ball from the receiver causing an incomplete pass. The Chargers' Nate Kaeding converts the 33-yard field goal and the Chargers take a 24-13 lead. Leon Hall may have struggled throughout most of the game, but he made a play that saved four points; a deficit that makes the Bengals comeback all but impossible later.

And then the Bengals write the story about how comebacks after epic breakdowns happen. With 14:11 left in the game, Rivers lobs a pass to Antonio Gates. The football bounced around a jiffy and Keith Rivers hauls down the pass for the interception. On the first play, Palmer fakes the end around to Chad Ochocinco and then flips the pass to Chad out of the backfield, who runs left, right, forward, backward, diagonally, and picks up 26 yards down the left sidelines. Bengals at the Chargers seven-yard line. Oh, no. Redzone. After a five-yard pass to Jeremi Johnson, Palmer throws the football to Laveranues Coles towards the right side of the endzone. Coles catches the touchdown and the Bengals cut the score to 24-19. Bengals elect to go for the two-point conversion. Quarterback draw. Palmer scores. Just as we expected. Bengals down by three points.

The bookend of the Dhani. After Dhani Jones dropped Tomlinson for a one-yard loss with 12:32 left in the game, Rivers finds Jackson for a 15-yard gain on second down. After Keith Rivers sacked Rivers for an eight-yard loss, Chinedum Ndukwe was called for illegal contact and an automatic first down. After Maualuga stopped Tomlinson for a three-yard gain, Philip Rivers finds Malcolm Floyd running down the middle for a 20-yard gain. After Rivers completes two dinky two-yard passes for four yards, Dhani Jones slams into Floyd, who caught the pass out of bounds. Chargers punt. Dhani. The man that a lot of people want to run out of town so Rey Maualuga can start at middle linebacker.

And this time the game wasn't decided by another Andre Caldwell fumble... somewhat. Benson picks up ten yards down the left sidelines. J.P. Foschi is called for holding, bringing the Bengals back to their own three-yard line with 6:49 left in the game. Foschi says, "my bad boys, I'll make it up." On first-and-12, Palmer hits Foschi over the middle picking up 21 yards. On third-and-four at their own 30-yard line, Palmer hits Quan Cosby for five yards and the first down. Bengals moving. They're motivated again. They're the cardiac cats again. Palmer hits Foschi on a first down pass at their own 35-yard line, running across the field, picking up 15 yards. First down. Palmer is forced to rollout to the right with 4:39 left in the game, finds Cedric Benson, who picks up another 11 yards. He finds Benson on the next down for another eight yards.

Bengals driving... awesomely. The AFC North and possibly the second seed on the line. Benson gets the hand off and picks up 12 yards on second-and-two with 3:14 left in the game. Man, oh man. I can feel it. They're going to take it.

Then...

False start on Foschi. Palmer throws a quick pass to Andre Caldwell on the left. Tim Dobbins nails Caldwell, who losses the football. No, not just loses the football. The football shoots out of a canon about 20 yards backwards. Palmer dove on the fumble.

Cincinnati is stuck with second-and-36 at the Chargers 45-yard line. Palmer takes the shotgun snap, looks deep. Finds no one and hits Foschi on the left sidelines for a limited six-yard gain, leaving third-and-30. Cosby, lined up third wide receiver in from the right, crosses the field and picks up 22 yards, setting up game-tying field goal by Shayne Graham. I opened my eyes after the attempted kick and the field goal was made.

Bengals tied the game on a 12-play, 79 yard field goal drive. Granted, the Bengals tied the game. But how much easier would it have been to sustain the drive and picked up the first down if not for Caldwell's fumble? We still like the guy. But c'mon.

But Rivers and the Chargers offense set up Nate Kaeding's 52-yard game winner. With :54 seconds left in the game, starting at their own 20-yard line, the Bengals defense played soft coverage, especially considering the edges. Rivers completed four of five passes (the fifth being a spike) for 46 yards setting up a Nate Kaeding 52-yard field goal, that he nailed.

If you were not a fan of either team, this football game was very entertaining. If you're a fan of the Bengals, you have to appreciate how tough they played. But the same things bit Cincinnati as they have all year. Penalties. Turnovers. Lack of redzone production. Mistakes. Mistakes. Mistakes.

Cincinnati takes on the Kansas City Chiefs next week, who gave up 351 yards rushing to the Cleveland Browns.

Bolts & Dolts: Bengals at Chargers

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

More photos » by Chris Park - AP

4 days 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.

Post-game Open Thread: Cincinnati Bengals after game-winning field goal by San Diego

Kirkendall — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:32:50 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

4 days ago: Cincinnati Bengals' Chad Ochocinco, right, hugs teammate Jerome Simpson after his 49-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter of an NFL football game against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

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Cincinnati played their first game after the untimely death of their fallen teammate, Chris Henry. If you're a fan of the Bengals, you have to appreciate their effort and spirit. They played their guts out. Palmer passed for over 300 yards for the first time since week 17 in 2007. Laveranues Coles showed up after losing his starting spot, catching four passes after unquestionably disappearing several weeks before. J.P. Foschi had a great game, catching seven passes for 82 yards receiving, showing up when the team needed a tight end to catch passes underneath. Keith Rivers had an interception that brought Cincinnati back into the game, being down 24-10 and a sack. Chinedum Ndukwe had over ten tackles and half a sack. Johnathan Joseph recorded six tackles and an interception and Dhani Jones made several stops behind the line of scrimmage. Quan Cosby joined the offense against the Chargers catching three passes for 47 yards and Brian Leonard had another impressive third down pickup. Shayne Graham had two kickoffs out of the back of the endzone and never kicked the football out of bounds. That's progress.

But in the end, it just wasn't enough. Tied at 24 with 54 seconds left in the game, Philip Rivers and the Chargers offense marched down the field, picking up 46 yards through the air setting up Nate Kaeding's 52-yard game winning field goal.

As a football fan, this was a great game, full of it's exciting moments. True, it was another game of frustration with the Bengals committing nine penalties -- three of which were consecutive in the third quarter setting up first-and-25 before the first snap of the possession. It was frustrating that the Bengals were forced into second-and-36 after Andre Caldwell's fumble while driving for a late game drive in which a touchdown wins the game. Instead, they're forced to pick up as many yards as possible to kick the game-tying field goal.

Cincinnati has the Chiefs and Jets left on their schedule. It will be the third straight week next week that the Bengals will be able to clinch the AFC North. They fall to 9-5 on the season and while it appears that the Bengals might be losing momentum, they played well Sunday. They just didn't win.

Chargers Defeat Bengals 27-24 On Last-Second FG

John (obviousman) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:28:48 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

4 days ago: San Diego Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson makes a diving catch for a 21-yard touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

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Well, it wasn't pretty and it wasn't dominating. This was essentially a playoff game, against a playoff team, and the Chargers came out victorious.

The strange thing for me is that the Chargers nearly shot themselves in the foot with two very silly interceptions. The Bolts also seemed to have a semblance of a running game through most of this matchup. This game certainly did not go as anyone had planned, but Philip Rivers did that thing he does when the team needs a game-winning drive. He got it done (even after having a not-so-great game).

As I write this, the Raiders just took a 1 point lead against the Broncos with 35 second left in the game. Even with JaMarcus Russell throwing the ball, the Raiders seemingly have helped the Chargers to win the AFC West and hopefully homefield advantage and a playoff bye. With all the injuries accumulated in today's game, it's a week that's much needed. Also, the San Diego fans had the Q shaking in a way that I don't remember seeing in quite some time...which gives me even more hope for these playoff games.

Perhaps most importantly, the Christmas matchup against the Titans is now meaningless for the Chargers. There's no need to push the players hard on a short week, or force anybody (like Hardwick) to play when they're not necessary.

Time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of a well-played season, Norv and company. You've earned it.

Final - 12.20.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Cincinnati Bengals	3	10	0	11	24
San Diego Chargers	7	7	10	3	27

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Welcome to Week Fifteen, the week Peyton Manning locked up his 4th NFL MVP

BigBlueShoe — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 15:14:41 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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The race for the 2009 NFL MVP is over. Finished. Done.

Heading into Week Fifteen, only two people were considered legit candidates for the award, and their names were not Chris Johnson or Brett Favre. While both those players are having stellar years (Johnson is the Offensive Player of the Year, for me), they are not vital cogs on teams that were undefeated heading into the week. Players who fit that bill were Peyton Manning of the Colts and Drew Brees of the Saints.

And wouldn't you know it! Both Manning and Brees were slated to play in primetime games on Thursday and Saturday night (respectively) against teams who were desperate to make the playoffs.

For the Colts, the game against the Jaguars Thursday night "meant nothing." The #1 seed in the AFC playoffs belongs to the Colts, having clinched it the week before in a tough, brutal game against the Broncos. For the Saints, homefield is still up for grabs, making their contest with the Cowboys a vital match-up even if the Saints weren't undefeated going into the game.

Because of the stakes, and because both players had essentially the same stats going in, how both men performed on Thursday and Saturday night was going to go a long way to determining who would win the NFL MVP. Here's how it all went down:

On Thursday night, playing on the road against a tough division opponent with little defensive help until the 4th quarter, Peyton Manning racked up a 134.4 QB rating for the game, throwing for 308 yards, 4 TDs, and completing 76% of his passes, including a 65 yard TD to win the game with 5:05 left. Once again, the game was "meaningless." The Jaguars absolutely had to win, at home no less, to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Colts already had their playoff seeding set, and were simply playing for pride. Under these circumstances, Manning was still dominant. The win gave Indy their 23rd straight regular season victory, and pushed their record to 14-0. Only two other team in NFL history have reached 14-0: The 1972 Dolphins and the 2007 Patriots.

How did Drew Brees and the Saints respond?

On Saturday night, at home against a Cowboys team that has been positively dreadful in the month of December pretty much since Troy Aikman retired from playing football, Drew Brees accounted for more Saints turnovers than touchdowns. He threw for 298 yards, completed 64% of his passes, but he was unable to get the Saints into the endzone until the 4th quarter. By then, the Cowboys were up 24-3, spending much of the game grinding the Saints on the ground (145 yards rushing, 2 TDs) and blasting them through the air (294 yards for Tony Romo, no turnovers). Brees threw for one TD but also tossed one INT and had two very key fumbles; the last of which on the Saints final drive. The result was a Cowboys victory, knocking the Saints from the ranks of the unbeaten.

So, with both QBs dealing with similar circumstances (lack of defense, playoff caliber opponent, primetime game) Manning shined while Brees wilted somewhat. Factor in that Manning had to play brilliantly on the road while Brees had three turnovers and only one TD at home, and yeah... this MVP race is over.

With Brees' fumble with 6 seconds left, Peyton Manning has locked up his 4th MVP, which is an NFL record I might add. Anyone who suggests a different candidate is an idiot and should be dismissed.

Seriously. The argument against Manning now falls into the land of the absurd, otherwise known as Skip Bayless.

Manning has met every possible measure one uses to evaluate an NFL. In fact, not only has he met the measurements, he has exceeded them. He also happens to be the QB for a 14-0 team riding a 23 game winning streak. So, when you hear morons at ESPN plea for Chris Johnson, or idiots at NFL Network trumpet Philip Rivers (um, WHAT?), simply dismiss said pundits as idiots and change the channel.

#18 has locked up his 4th MVP, and any suggestion or argument to the contrary is just the wasted breath of a clueless blowhard who like to hear himself talk. This may come off as harsh from me, but if there is one thing I absolutely cannot stand is when people move the goal posts in order to short change someone who has exceeded expectations. And the silly counter-argument that "They could give it to Peyton every year" also has no merit. Peyton Manning teams are not 14-0 "every year," and if someone has played better than Peyton, and has their team primed for the playoffs, SHOW HIM TO ME!

Since I know no one has outplayed Peyton in the 2009 regular season, kindly allow me to enjoy Peyton winning another award while, at the same time, making NFL history. I grew up watching schmucks like Jeff George and Jack Trudeau play QB for my team. So, when I see greatness, especially Colts greatness, I want it appreciated to its full and complete extent.