Chargers Continue To Disappoint, Lose To Colts

I am no longer surprised at how bad this Charger team is...especially the defense.  So this past weekend's loss to the Colts that came with no time left on the clock just seemed like most every other loss for the Chargers.

The 2008 Charger team has lost any desire and determination to play...and that is probably because of the coaching.  The Charger, going into Sunday night's game, were given a second chance at the playoffs when the Radiers beat the Broncos.  Now a Charger victory would put the Chargers only 1 game behind the Broncos and within sight of the AFC lead.  Instead, the Chargers kick a game-tying field goal with well over a minute left on the clock,  The Colts then have little problems moving the ball to within field goal range and end the game as time expires.  The Chargers had a 4th and 2 when they kicked the tying field goal and many fans, knowing the Charger defense, felt that the Chargers should have gone for it because even tying the game with that much time left surely would end in a loss for the Chargers as it has all season...heck, the Steelers held the ball for 9 minutes and ground the clock out against the Chargers in the 4th quarter as they effortlessly moved the ball for the game winning score...

The cold reality of this season being a complete failure has begun to creep into the mindset of even the most faithful Charger fans...yet they continue to view the 2008 Chargers as if they were the Charger team from the past 2 seasons which, on paper they are, but on the field they are not even close to resembling the play this team has shown the past 2 years.

Rivers did look better this past week, Tomlinson had a decent game but dropped an easy pass late in the game and overall doesn't look like the LT most had seen prior to this season... he slips or trips for a loss/no gain almost every other play, there are no long touchdown runs (anymore) and he now drops what appear to be very catchable balls.

But again we turn to the defense...words can not describe how bad this defense is... they had some pressure on Manning but never enough to effect the Colts offensive output.  Jammer had a very nice interception in the first half which was the first Charger takeaway in 5 games but is going to be a very rare defensive highlight for this team, this year.

It is very possible now that the Raiders could very well pass the Chargers in the AFC West standings before the year is out ... and heck, if the Chiefs win a couple more games, they too could be in the hunt... The Chargers play the Atlanta Falcons this week and I don't see any way the Chargers are going to beat this team.  The Falcons are a young team that I am sure is not intimidated by the lowly Chargers in any manner.  Matt Ryan should have a career day and Roddy White will also have a very big day in his young career.  Micheal Turner will show the Chargers what they let go and LT will likely be ineffective which will only add gas to the fire.  I didn't like Norv getting hired and hopefully this is the beginning of the end of his coaching tenure in San Diego.

Chargers Lose To Steelers

The San Diego Chargers have all but wrapped up their 2008 season after losing to Pittsburgh 11-10 with the same 'theme' that this Charger team has exhibited for most of the season...the Charger defense can't stop anyone and especially when it matters most.  The Chargers scored only 1 touchdown and didn't allow Pittsburgh to score any and defensively, for most of the game, the defense played well.  But the Steelers got the ball in the 4th quarter with just over 6 minutes on the clock.  They methodically moved down the field and only faced 2 third downs, the latter 3rd down is when they lined up for the game winning field goal with 11 seconds left.  The Steelers even had a 1st and 20 (after a penalty) but the Steelers could easily gain 5-7 yards per play on the final drive as the Charger defense provided no resistance to the Steelers at all.

Phillp Rivers who had started out the 2008 season red hot has now looked like complete crap the past 3 games.  Against the Steelers he had 2 interceptions, one wasn't his fault as Vincent Jackson continues to not hold onto the ball and the Steelers make an incredible interception after his bobble.  But the second interception was such a poorly thrown pass and right to the Steeler defender there was no one but Rivers to blame.  Rivers also had a fumble in the endzone that accounted for a Steeler safety...not totally his fault, but still, not a timely event for the Chargers.

Nate Kaeding, the Charger field goal kicker, has proven to be a colossal choker.  He can make a field goal anytime it doesn't matter and if the conditions are perfect.  Kaeding missed a 42 yard field goal in the 3rd quarter that would have matched the Steelers field goal they scored on the previous possession.  But Kaeding has proven time and time again that he can not be counted on for a game winning, game breaking or big game kick.  When he missed the field goal against the NY Jets in the playoffs, was it, 5 years ago(?) I had hoped that would be a character builder...instead it has been a defining moment for him.  Yes, he is a solid kicker...but only when it doesn't matter.

There are still plenty of Charger hope amongst some of their fans...but my mid-season prediction is 2-0 so far and I don't see how the Chargers can even compete against the Colts this Sunday night.  Peyton Manning could very well break some NFL records against this horrible defense...

Chargers Win Disgustingly

This past week was to be the week the Chargers make everyone forget the first half of the 2008 NFL season and revert back to the Chargers we saw from the previous 2 seasons...a defensively sound, high powered offensive team.  The high powered offense is still present in the '08 Chargers but the defense had sunk to one of the worst in the NFL.  But the firing of defensive coordinator Ted Cottrill and promotion of Ron Rivera after the London trip and with 2 weeks to prepare for the Chiefs seemed like it could theoritically be that easy of a fix...well it wasn't.

In a game in which the Charger offense seemed to struggle against a Chiefs team that carted an injured defender off the field after each play.  And the Charger defense showed little improvement... Tyler Thigpen and Tony Gonzalez shredded the Charger defense and the Chiefs rarely even tried to run the ball, knowing that passing is ticket to beating the Chargers.

The Chiefs scored a touchdown with :23 left to go after converting several 3rd downs and a 4th and 8 on the drive, but instead of settling for a tie with an extra point Herm Edwards, the desperate coach of the Chiefs, knew that this might be the best opportunity to get a win for his team...1 play against one of the league's worst defenses to gain 3 yards.  Of course the target was Gonzalez but the Chargers had a swarm of defenders around him and prevented the Chiefs from winning.

Hey a win is a win, as the saying goes, but this win is a bittersweet one.  It might be the continuing tale of the Chargers pathetic defense which will prevent the Chargers from likely even making the playoffs.  It's on the road to Pittsburgh in a game that will likely be a Steeler romp over the Chargers.  Hopefully improvement on the defense will be seen... I don't believe Thigpen was sacked at all and that would mean over 2 games with no Charger sacks.  Roethlisberger won't have to worry about getting injured and should have a good "practice" against the Chargers this Sunday...

Chargers Start 2nd Half Of Season 3-5

So the Chargers start the second half of the season 3-5, fresh off another loss in London.  With the exception of the New England game, any game the Chargers have been involved in has gone down to the wire...which shouldn't be the case with a team that was considered to be among the NFL's best. 

New for the second half of the season is Ron Rivera taking over the controls of the Charger defense that so far this year has done nothing to stop opponents from moving the ball and scoring at will.  Most observers of the Chargers, me included, have noticed that there is absolutely no pass rush and no pressure on the passer at all.  It seemed as if the Chargers rarely blitzed and mostly dropped into a zone coverage that, with no pressure on the quarterback, allowed for routine gains for their opponents.  Some are saying that the loss of Merriman was that impactful to this team's defensive pressure, and if that is the case then it really exposed how 'thin' this defense is.  That without one player this defense goes from a top-tier defense to the league's worst would clearly expose that their are more issues then anyone could have guessed.

But that is not my thought.  I don't think a player like Antonio Cromartie, who led the league in interceptions and looked like a pure stud last year, now look like complete crap this year.  Shaun Phillips who was a prominent pass rusher is now rarely even seen near the quarterback.  The young defensive backs Weddle and Cason are oftentimes seen missing tackles or chasing receivers.  Are these things that Ron Rivera can rectify and turn this defense around?  His first test is this weekend against Kansas City, a team that the Chargers should beat at home...but didn't last year.

The Chargers don't have much room to give if they want to win the AFC West, which will likely be the only path into the playoffs this year for the Chargers.  The Browns couldn't help the Chargers out even though they were up 23-10 in the third and get outscored 24-7 in the last 25 minutes of the game to lose to the Broncos.

A loss to the Chiefs this weekend will show that there is more wrong with this team than the defense.  It will show that this team has lost it's heart and has given up on this season.  We'll see how the Chargers approach the second half of this season with this game.  If the Chargers come out and win convincingly it will regain the confidence of the fans of this team and likely energize the players.  Next week it is a trip to Pittsburgh so it won't get any easier...

Election Day 2008 - Unexcited

I don't recall an election day where I have been more uninterested in the election this year...which was likely the same feeling 4 years ago.  What was different this year was that Ron Paul, a candidate that I would have voted for, actually seemed like he had a legitimate chance to win...but of course the major media squelched Ron Paul and the only choices Americans get is what version of more of the same do you want?

But I still get up and go to the polls and cast my vote like I do every election day but it just doesn't seem very worthwhile when I know that my vote will literally not count for jack shit...but that's the American way.

I'm not sure if I had noticed it before after Bush won the last 2 elections, but I most certainly have noticed it after this past election and that is the 'snobbishness' of know Democrats.  I had just briefly flipped to MSNBC the day after the election to see how the anti-Fox news channel was reacting to the Obama victory and to say that they were elated was an understatement.  Keith Oberman was literally yelling taunts at conservative show hosts and writers ... at one time I had respect for Oberman but after seeing that pathetic display and clearly displaying his open bias and disdain towards those that he doesn't agree with removed any respect I had for him.  For a political party that tries to portray itself as the party for the lower-class and use class-envy as part of their party's attack process, come off as seeing themselves as 'superior' to others right now.

Having not voted for Obama (or McCain) I will hold them accountable to what the media essentially promoted what will happen if Obama would be elected...that being the war in Iraq and Afghanistan should be over by the end of 2009, 95% of all American tax payers will get their taxes cut and fuel and energy costs will be reduced.  

If McCain was elected, I would be expecting nothing to change because that was essentially how they were sold to us... McCain was a vote for more of the same, whereas Obama was a vote for change (such as the ones described above) and since that is how he was sold, I expect him to deliver ... but of course I know he won't and is just a typical lying politician... how long will it take until Obama has to admit that 95% of Americans won't be getting their taxes cut and more likely have them increased...