One good thing about the Chargers as of late is they play a hell of a fourth quarter. It’s the pesky first third of the game they have to improve upon.

A late rally by Rivers and Co. fell short in Pittsburgh, sending the San Diego Chargers to 2-2, looking up at a shockingly stout Denver team atop the division.

Despite the 21-point final frame, this game wasn’t as close as the final score.

The Steelers had 497 total yards, a 66% 3rd down conversion rate, and just over forty minutes of possession. Against those numbers, unless your team rhymes with the Smindianapolis Smolts, you’re going to lose.

As if the Bolts were downtrodden enough, good ol’ AJ Smith, General Manager extraordinaire, chimed in with:

“Absolutely embarrassing… Everything is wrong with it right now. I’m not the least bit happy in a lot of areas. I’ve seen us be tough and physical to soft and bewildered.” (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Is he right? Does it matter? Or is that the type of thing you tell your players, coaches, staff, and not the press? Lighting a fire underneath the team is just as effective with inflammatory words that don’t end up on every blog on the net.

It didn’t take long for player reaction, with Shawne Merriman going on record. Suffice to say, he wasn’t too thrilled:

“I don’t know too much of that. That’s an opinion of a person, and it’s not needed… We know that we have to play better. We met for an extra hour and a half as a defense as a whole to discuss what we need to do and things we need to do to get better. And we’re going to make adjustments in this locker room as far as players and our attitudes and getting after people a little more. But all that extra (stuff) is not needed at all.”

“The only opinions that matter to me are the ones in this locker room. Anything else, it doesn’t matter.” (Associated Press)

 I imagine the sentiment is echoed in the locker room. AJ surely didn’t make many friends this week. Glad he could lower morale just that much more.

The team is drowning, and the General Manager is describing the water.

It could be worse. Plenty worse.

Sitting with a 2-1 record, the Chargers should consider themselves fortunate. All things considered, they could easily have a goose egg in the win column going into Week 4.

They’ve had to win without Tomlinson. Sproles has been an affable replacement, but he doesn’t have the same kind of power up the middle. I think Ray Lewis would agree.

LT’s absence notwithstanding, the Chargers offense has been abysmal in the red zone. Sundays victory over the Dolphins did little to fix the problem.

Against the Ravens in Week 2, the Chargers were 0-5 in the red zone. Sunday they were 1 for 6 thanks to a five yard Philip Rivers gallop to the endzone.

Meanwhile, Nate Kaeding has kicked eight field goals on nine tries. Good news for fantasy owners, but the Bolts can’t rely on Kaedings leg the whole season.

Can the answer be as simple as LT returning to form? Can his presence reinvigorate the stalled offense? He has that game changing ability. And Sproles is certainly more dangerous as a backup.

Going into Steeler country next week for Sunday Night Football, the Bolts will have to figure things out in a hurry.

While San Diegans can watch the Bolts battle the Ravens come Sunday, LT will not be on the field. The AP reported that the star running back will be held out of the home opener, only the second time he’s missed a game in his career. The ankle sprain was sustained last week against the Raiders, and coaches seem optimistic he’ll be good to go next week.

Also out for Week 2 are center Nick Hardwick and DE Travis Johnson.

Looks like the injury bug is hitting hard and fast. We haven’t seen a guy like Merriman go down, but it might be a good idea to knock on wood just in case.

And finally, looks like Philip Rivers’ mouth is writing checks his ass can cash. The UT reported that the NFL fined him $7,500 for taunting against the Raiders on Monday Night Football.