September 16, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers cheerleaders perform during the game against the Tennessee Titans at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-US PRESSWIRE

Although we are only heading into the third week of action in the NFL, week two proved to be very beneficial to the Chargers.

The Bolts demolished the Titans with a score of 38-10.  If you take into consideration a poor second quarter, San Diego could have won by an even larger margin against an overmatched Tennessee team.

Seeing the other three teams in the division lose was obviously quite a treat to all of the BoltFam.  Kansas City and Oakland both stunk it up against Buffalo and Miami respectively.  Then, to close out week two, Peyton Manning and the Broncos lost to our week three opponents while playing Atlanta on Monday night.

Week three could provide the same spark that last week did; as far as the Chargers winning and the other three teams coming out on the losing end in their games.

Kansas City, 0-2, is facing a New Orleans team that is also winless and must be chomping at the bit to prove that they are better than their record would show.  The Chiefs face a tough task playing in the Superdome.  I expect them to fall to 0-3 this week.

Although Oakland is at home, they face a Pittsburgh team that is in a three-way tie for the division lead in the AFC North.  Baltimore will be playing a tough game against New England while Cincinnati is playing on the road against Washington.  The Steelers have a chance to take the lead in a division that should be all the way down to the wire.  Like the AFC West, each and every week is extremely crucial.

Despite injuries to Polamalu, Harrison, and Mendenhall, expect Pittsburgh to do their part in distancing themselves from their AFC North rivals by beating up the hapless Raiders.

The very same Oakland team that got manhandled by the Dolphins 35-10.  The Raiders….. 0-3…. sounds great to me.

Coming off a tough loss against Atlanta, the Broncos will now host the Houston Texans.  The Texans have been chosen by countless “experts” as the odds on Superbowl favorite from the AFC.

It is no secret that Manning struggles against teams that run a 3-4 defensive scheme.  Well, I hate to tell you this Peyton, but this 3-4 is called by none other than Wade Phillips.  He may never be a head coach in the league again, but it is my honest opinion that he is the best defensive coordinator in the league.  He’ll be sure to have a ton of plays drawn up that will have Manning glad that he now only has to face Houston once a year in the regular season.

And lastly, the Chargers host the Atlanta Falcons in a game between two 2-0 teams.  A game that will be blacked out in the local San Diego market.  Despite the blackout, and the fact that it is only week three, this will be a huge test for the Bolts.

It has been said that both Mathews and Gates are most likely going to play.  I loved Rosario’s performance in week 2 but he is no Gates.  Rivers has been deadly down the middle of the field and I expect no different against Atlanta.

With a healthy Mathews in the backfield, the dynamic of the Chargers’ offense completely changes.  Despite a strong showing against a tired and beaten up Titans’ defense late in week 2, Jackie Battle is not the permanent answer at running back.  Even if San Diego uses Ryan as a decoy, the threat of him being in the game is enough to force the Falcons to play on their heels.

I will stick to my prediction of a Chargers’ victory of 27-21 as I tweeted four days ago on Twitter.  This, in turn, would build, albeit still a small margin, but another game lead in a week that we could see each of the other teams in the AFC West fall to their opposing teams.

Here’s to hopin that the Chargers repeat week two’s performance by handing the Falcons a good ole fashioned rear-end whooping at Qualcomm on Sunday.

Thanks a lot for reading.

BoltUp!!!

BoogaP

Jul 31, 2011; San Diego, CA, USA; General view of a San Diego Chargers helmet at training camp at San Diego Chargers training camp at Chargers Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Here is a position-by-position comparison between the Chargers and Broncos (excluding QB) offenses.  This evaluation looks at the primary contributors and free agents presently known to be contracted with the teams:

Running Backs

SD: Ryan Mathews, Le’Ron McClain

DEN: Willis McGahee, Lance Ball

Denver has a seasoned pro in McGahee, who has 8 years of experience and 2 Pro Bowl appearances, and had the best season of his career in 2011, averaging 4.8 yards per carry.  Beyond McGahee however, the players at this position are relatively inexperienced and average in terms of production.  One also has to wonder if McGahee will be able to maintain a high production level when Denver hits Ctrl, Alt, Delete and the option offense is uninstalled.

San Diego likewise has a veteran presence (5^th year) in newly acquired Le’Ron McClain, who has made 2 Pro Bowl appearances and has also been named to 2 All-Pro teams.  McClain is coupled with Ryan Mathews, who averaged 4.9 yards per carry and made his first Pro Bowl appearance in last season.  This backfield is young, productive, and decorated.

Denver had a phenomenal streak in 2011 using the option attack, however question marks remain about whether McGahee can be highly productive in a return to the traditional NFL-offense.  He is also nearly 31, so age may become a factor as well.

Slight Advantage, Chargers.

Wide Receivers

SD: Robert Meachem, Malcom Floyd, Eddie Royal, Vincent Brown

DEN: Eric Decker, Demaryius Thomas, D’Andre Goodwin, ?

Denver has one of the youngest wide receiving corps in the NFL, with both #1 and #2 WRs having just about 2 years of NFL experience.  Demaryius Thomas has a lot of potential and has averaged +15ypc, but has yet to play a full season due to injuries.  Eric Decker has been a very reliable target in Denver though, and has averaged +14ypc.  Both players are young and have the potential to develop into high quality WRs.  Beyond these two players, Denver has D’Andre Goodwin, who has no NFL experience but averaged 12ypc in his senior season of college football.  Denver is expected to NEEDS to make a play for a top-tier receiver through free agency and get help at the position through the draft.

San Diego on the other hand is extremely deep at the WR position, with all players except Vincent Brown having at least 3 seasons of experience.  The projected #1 WR is Robert Meachem, who averaged over 16ypc in New Orleans despite being a 3^rd/4^th option in that offense.  He was drafted very high in the 2007 draft and it could be argued that he did not live up to expectations in New Orleans.  Malcom Floyd has 7 years of experience, caught Rivers’ first TD pass, and averages an eye-popping 17.9ypc.  After that are Vincent Brown, who averaged 17ypc in his rookie season in limited playing time, and Eddie Royal, a former Bronco, who is reliable as a receiver (+10ypc) as well as in the return game.

All in all, Denver has a young and potentially excellent group of recievers, but until they prove themselves, the Chargers’ WR squad remain atop the AFC West.

For the moment, Moderate Advantage, Chargers.

Tight Ends

There is no comparison here.  Denver needs help at this position.  Currently there are only two tight ends on the books, combining for 4 career receptions for 29 yards.  One of the ends, Virgil Green, was considered a top prospect in the 2011 draft and may have a break-out season this year with Manning under helm.

The San Diego Chargers have Antonio Gates, who has appeared in 8 Pro Bowls, has been named to 5 All-Pro Teams, and the 2000’s All-Decade Team.  He also averages 13.0 ypc.  The other ends, Dante Rosario and Randy McMichael, both have had more pedestrian careers, but average over 10ypc.

Big Advantage, Chargers.

Offensive Line

The Denver offensive line was very good last season in run-blocking, succeeding often at getting runners into the secondary and into open space.  They did however struggle in pass protection, allowing sacks on over 9% off pass plays.  This figure could be slightly skewed in part due to the run-happy mentality of QB Tim Tebow.  This line will need to prove it can protect the QB as well as it can run-block, because Manning is a high-dollar, high-risk investment, and the Broncos can’t afford to let him take a lot of hits.

The Chargers offensive line allowed sacks on only 5% of pass plays, while getting similar production in the run game as Denver.  Rivers was constantly in peril though.  This group persevered through a number of injuries and setbacks, but came together strong at the end of the season.  The Chargers will be without two 2011-season starters, Marcus McNiell, and Kris Dielman, however they did lock up Jared Gaither to a long-term deal to replace McNiell, and Tyronne Green has been serviceable at the position.  There are holes at guard and right tackle, where Jeromey Clary has been consistently disappointing.

Slight Advantage: Broncos.  This is a case where the statistics may be deceiving; look for the sack percentages to go down with Peyton Manning at QB.   There are still many questions about the Chargers’ O-line that still need to be addressed before the start of the season.  Typically in the NFL the best lines are the ones that have continuity.  Right now there is continuity in Denver, and massive flux in San Diego.

Summary:

The Chargers offense is in better shape to win now than the Denver Broncos, despite losing Vincent Jackson.  Denver may have added Peyton Manning, but it may take some time for the team to come together and there is not much depth or experience at key positions.  Denver definitely has the younger team, which may or may not be an advantage as the season progresses.

Adding a veteran wide-out and a stud tight end would improve Denver’s outlook considerably.  I will provide a more complete offensive analysis before Week 1 when the 53-man rosters are finalized.  For the moment, the Chargers have a slight advantage over the Broncos thanks to experience at key positions, and the addition of new talent to the team to compensate for the losses of Jackson and Mike Tolbert through free agency.

I will say that regardless of what changes occur between now and week 1, the Broncos will start off as an average opponent while they learn to work together offensively.  By the end of the season however, expect the Broncos to be one of the tougher teams to earn a W against when their offense is in full stride and the young players have some experience under their belts.

It’s official – Peyton Manning will join the Denver Broncos in the AFC West.  So what does this mean for the San Diego Chargers?

Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

1)  Chargers no longer the assumed favorite to win the AFC West.  There will be increased competitiveness within the division with the addition of Manning.  The team that will win the division is the team that can consistently win games from the beginning through the end of the season.  The Chargers cannot afford to fall in to any slumps.

 2)  AFC West gains respect.  Next to the NFC West, the AFC West has been the punch line of the NFL for at least the last decade.  The Chargers have often been looked at as an average team, making it into the playoffs thanks only to being in a below-average division.  Bringing in Peyton Manning should help to change that perception and ensure that future playoff teams from the AFC West are legitimate Superbowl contenders.

3)  Division games will be more interesting.  There are now two top-tier quarterbacks in the AFC West.  The division rivalry between the Chargers and Broncos kind of sputtered out when Jay Cutler was traded to Chicago, but now that Manning is here the rivalry is back in full swing.  Manning should make all AFC West games more interesting, but the matchup between Rivers and Manning has the potential to get a lot of primetime attention.

4)  Pass rush just became Chargers’ top draft priority.  Any speculation that the Chargers might draft an offensive lineman in the first round should be squashed at this point.  The Chargers must draft a defensive player that can get to Manning.  As badly as the offensive line needs to be addressed, the Chargers’ anemic pass rush simply cannot be ignored now that Manning is in the division.