Chargers 2010 Season Concludes, A Look Back

The San Diego Chargers played their last game of the 2010 season and beat the Denver Broncos in a meaningless game.  Even in the final game the Chargers displayed the characteristics that prevented them from making the playoffs and as to why the Chargers are not a good team.

Here's my analysis of the 2010 season for the Chargers...

I might as well start out with what will likely be the only bright spot of the season, that is Phillip Rivers.  I've said it more than once and will say it one more time...Phillip Rivers is a winner.  A team couldn't ask for a better quarterback in the NFL today.  He had a career season but like most quarterbacks that throw for record or near record numbers (Rivers set the Chargers single season passing record, passing Dan Fouts) it is likely because your team is behind and needing to pass.  The Chargers rarely fielded the same group of wide receivers in any 2 games of the season and Rivers was still able to pass fairly efficiently.

And to wrap up the "positives" of the 2010 Charger season, that would be Antonio Gates.  Gates was among the league leaders in many receiving categories until being injured and sidelined for most of the 2nd half of the season.  Gates, when healthy, is the premiere tight end in the NFL.  Unfortunately, Gates has had a toe injury that he seems to re-injure on an almost yearly basis that hinders his production.  It will be really unfortunate if Gates is never able to fully recover from the toe injury he suffered a couple of years ago that seems reoccur... I know Marshall Faulk and Shaun Alexander (as well as others that slip my mind at the time) that had suffered a "turf-toe" injury like Gates, all had their careers fade into oblivion after trying to make unsuccessful return attempt to play.  Gates is a warrior and has played through the pain but one would have to figure that the pain would certainly dampen his production as well as his enthusiasm to play.

And now to the "meat" of the 2010 Chargers...the negatives.  Before I begin to rip into the Chargers I want to first preface this with this, that I repeat often on my blog, that I am a fan of the Chargers and will continue to be one.  I am not a "homer" thinking that everything will be alright and things just didn't work out this last year because of the usual list of excuses which includes injuries and bad breaks.

I will begin with the blatantly obvious...the coaching.  I've pointed it out more than once, but I have never been a fan of the hiring of Norv Turner.  Norv Turner was hired after the 2006 season and the San Diego Chargers were a 14-2 regular season team.  Turner had Charger fans slowly warming to him when he took the Chargers to the AFC Championship game.  But that was Turner's best playoff performance with the Chargers.  In 2008, after beating a lowly Titan team at home, the Chargers are thoroughly outplayed by the Steelers and their playoffs ended in Pittsburgh in week 2 of the playoffs.  Last year the Chargers, going into the playoffs labeled as one of the "hottest" teams in the NFL, riding an 11 game win streak, get manhandled by the New York Jets and are one and done.  Now in 2010, the San Diego Chargers with one of the easiest schedules in the NFL fail to even make the playoffs.  Losing to bad teams all season and losing to a Bengals team that will win 4 games all season when the Charger season was in the balance is a complete embarrassment. I blame coaching and Norv Turner for the way this Charger team performs.  One week the Chargers look unbeatable against the Indianapolis Colts but then get blown out by a 4-12 Bengals team is inexcusable.

The 2010 Charger team reminded me of the Charger teams of the late 90's.  The Charger defense of the 90's was often cited as a good defense, not allowing 100 yard rushers...ever.  But if a person looks past that stat realizes that the Charger offense was completely inept and the pass defense was a complete joke.  Teams didn't even try to run because they could simply pass...the Charger defense made any opposing quarterback look like a hall of famer.  The 2010 Chargers are very much similar...the Chargers will finish #1 in overall offense and defense.  Yes, statistically speaking, the 2010 Chargers are probably the greatest team not to make the playoffs...but are they really?  No.

Special teams.  The 2010 San Diego Chargers special teams was historically the worst special teams squad ever in the NFL.  Whenever the Chargers had to kick the chance the other team would score was likely 33%.  The Chargers had multiple punts blocked and return touchdowns scored on them...in the meantime, the Chargers routinely missed field goals and fumbled kicks.  The special teams of the Chargers likely cost the Chargers 3 or 4 of their 7 losses and hindered a few of their wins.  As a Charger fan, I was perplexed as to why the Chargers didn't fire their special teams coach at the bye...instead, let him continue to do a poor coaching job for the entire season.

Defense.  Number one defense in the league, tied for 2nd in the league in sacks...but could the defense stop even a lowly opponent when needed?  No.

Offense.   Number one offense in the league and number 1 passing offense in the league.  It was feast or famine for the Chargers.  Against some teams the Chargers looked unstoppable, like the Colts, Jags and Cards.  But even against lowly teams the Charger offense often times struggled to get first downs.  Both the offense and defensive numbers have been skewed, for when the Chargers were beating a team, they were really beating a team...but when the Chargers were getting beaten, the other team really didn't have to do much to beat the Chargers.

A problem that I continue to harp on, year after year, is the fact that the Charger offensive and defensive lines are horrible.  Rivers was sacked a lot this past season against teams that had "figured" out the Chargers.  Even in the last game, the Broncos, who averaged a sack a game, had at least 4 yesterday.  As for the defensive lines, the Raiders ran all over the Chargers and other teams easily handled the Chargers defensive line.

Ryan Matthews, rookie runningback for the Chargers, was hyped to be "LT's replacement" and some Charger fans are still pretty high on him.  Me, not so much so.  Matthews essentially played one game...yesterday's game.  He fumbled a lot and was injured more.  Sure, if he improves and becomes a viable NFL player, I may grow to like him...but right now, he has done nothing to impress me.  The same goes with Malcolm Floyd, he was suppose to (I was told by Charger fans) step up and be the go to guy while Vincent Jackson was holding out...well, Floyd, Nannee, Goodman and whoever else had a chance to prove their mettle with the team seemed to get hurt faster than they could be replaced.  Even Vincent Jackson, who claimed that he was training and staying in game shape while he held out for most of the 2010 season, when he did report with the team was hurt within the first few plays of his first game and left the final game injured as well.  Clearly, he had no intention of playing hard for this team.

The Chargers are what their record shows them to be...a barely above .500 team in a bad division.  With Turner remaining as the head coach it is doubtful that the Chargers could acquire any player that will make this team a contender.  Again, looking at just the sheer numbers of the Chargers, all the Chargers should have to do is shore up their special teams...but the numbers are deceiving and the Chargers prove that being the #1 team in stats is a far cry from being the #1 team in the NFL.