As the play clock struck all zeros in the fourth quarter in San Diego last night a lot of people were shocked with the out come, 35-24. This is a lot bigger then a loss. It can leave more negative impressions than a 18 year old teenager could have on a 5 year old. It was more than a 24 point blown lead to a team searching for identity. This was a game that completely made everyone including the fans understand that the Chargers are back as the joke of the NFL.

Fans were left to ask themselves what went wrong in 2 quarters of a game that appeared so simple in the first 2? Fans have started to play the “blame game,” on who is to blame for the Chargers historic loss. It’s time to hear the truth and that is what I am about to reveal to fans of San Diego.

5%- Chemistry- There were plays, whether they were on offense or defense, that created a negative play or vibe. Two examples: Eddie Royal’s misread on the option route, and Atari Bigby leaving Jammer high and dry over the top.

10%- Philip Rivers- I am a man of my word. I don’t jump on and off band wagons. People who do it may not examine all the facts and make a hasty decision. That is why I am not off the wagon, but I am certainly dragging from it. Rivers did nothing wrong last night. Why are people blaming him for his 4 interceptions? Look closer at the game and you will see Rivers had to force passes due to the fact of being hit consistently. He is trying to make something happen. What did he do wrong? After Denver scored the first 2 touchdowns he stopped believing. He stopped acting like a leader. Most of all, he gave up. As a quarterback to overcome adversity you must believe and have the will and want to achieve. If you don’t have that then there really isn’t any reason to play the game. Also, it might be time to start looking for a new quarterback. Rivers delivery is really starting to affect his power. Rivers hasn’t had as much pop out of his hand as it used to. With that and his attitude it could pose a question mark as to does he still have it. It is still early yet, but so far it doesn’t look pretty.

20%- The Offensive line- They honestly never looked sharp. It was unbelievable how easy it looked for Denver’s pass rush. It made the Bolt’s line look like a piece of lined paper. Outside of Nick Hardwick everyone slacked. The biggest failure was Clary. It seemed every play Elvis Dumervil was chasing Rivers. We also can’t forget about the LACK of rush. This aspect of the game was so bad, I don’t know if there is a way to improve and fix it right now.

30%- Norv Turner- I have a lot to say on this subject but the main thing is that he comes from a different generation where out of respect you ease up on an opponent when you are crushing them. It bit the Bolts in the butt 2 times in 2 weeks. In the NFL it is cut throat. If you have your foot on their neck? Step on it! Make sure that their is no way that they can come back and scorch you. Nine times out of ten you will get burned beyond belief. Think about it like this. You are in a fight, and you are dominating your opponent, are you going to stop because you feel bad? No, because you want to win. If you give them a chance it will backfire and you will get popped in the face once, twice, three times and by the time you try to fight back it is too late. Not to mention, at half time, you need to keep your team motivated and united. Fans get sick and tired of seeing their team flat. Play calling was an issue as well as his attitude, etc. Don’t worry I will address it all in another article. Just to save time, arguing with Rivers on the sideline isn’t a way to keep your job.

35%- AJ Smith- Let’s be honest, when it comes down to it all of the things above have been created due to one man… this man. A man who many perceive as good as fired. Two areas of concern were at the top of the list and he obviously didn’t address either. While corner back isn’t a big concern, offensive line is. AJ had all the chances to solve the problem but ignored it and now fans sit here and question their quarterback and leader. It’s really hard not to blame AJ in this whole escapade. He brought Norv back, he signed… I won’t even say the OT’s name. As far as I am concerned he isn’t even a part of the team anymore.

The Chargers may have just become the most embarrassed 3-3 team in the NFL, maybe more embarrassed then most 2-4 teams. One good thing is that the Chargers will have time to let this really fester. The first half of the game showed that San Diego can be a truly great defense, but when your offense surrenders two touchdowns you will lose 9 times out of 10 guaranteed if not 10. Can the Chargers defeat and respond to adversity? It is a question with a bad answer right now. One thing is for sure if the Bolts come out soft against Cleveland we could be seeing some changes sooner than later.

Bolt Pride!

-Joey Nicks

Dec 5, 2011; Jacksonville, FL, USA; ESPN Monday Night Football trucks outside of EverBank Field before the NFL game between the San Diego Chargers and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Tonight’s matchup of Denver at Atlanta could prove to be a great way for the coaching staff to kill two birds with one stone. I say that because Atlanta is our week three opponent and, of course, Denver is in our division.

Needless to say, this game creates an opportunity to scout both teams. Although I will be watching the entire game and each team’s 3 phases, there are five key areas that I will be paying very close attention to during this contest.

I will be listing my things to watch below. Please feel free to leave me some of things that you are paying close attention to in the comments section.

1) How will the secondary of the Falcons handle Peyton Manning now that Brent Grimes is injured?

Grimes is the team’s best cornerback. Manning and the Bronco offense are sure to attempt to exploit his absence.

2) How good is Denver 2nd round pick Derek Wolfe?

I keep hearing rave reviews about Wolfe. Whether it be the media, teammates, or Bronco coaching staff, everyone seems to have an extremely high opinion of him. Many people questioned the fact that Denver traded out of the first round and used their first choice on Wolfe. I will be watching him to see if he is worth all the hype.

3) Is Michael Turner running out of gas?

The debate about whether or not the Chargers should have kept Turner could go on for days. Turner was a fan favorite, while in San Diego, and seemed to perform well every time his number was called. The question is has the tread on those tires, along with the beatings he takes as a punishing bulldozer, started to add up and, in turn, lead to little production. Through two games the Chargers have the number one run defense in the league. We have done very well at containing both Darren McFadden and Chris Johnson. I know it is only week 3 but I am curious to see how we fare against a bruising type running back.

4) Who will benefit most from the Jack Del Rio and Dirk Koetter reunion?

Jack Del Rio is now the Defensive coordinator of the Broncos. Dirk Koetter is the new offensive coordinator of the Falcons. Koetter held the same position in Jacksonville while the team’s head coach was….you guessed it, Del Rio. To say that there will be some familiarity between the two is an understatement. I look forward to seeing these two go head to head in a playcalling battle.

5) Although it is only the second game of the season was Keenan Rickless right about Julio Jones?

I have a good memory. It’s one of the reasons that I am able to quote stats without relying on a search engine to do so. Keenan and I had a debate about whether or not Jones would have a better season than Roddy White. I am a big Roddy White fan but I didn’t allow that to cloud my judgement. I did, however, disagree and point out how crucial White is to Ryan and the entire play-calling scheme of the Falcons. Rickless held his ground and told me that this conversation can be proven at a later time. Well, Jones looks really good. I am excited to see what Jones looks like in the national spotlight against a good Denver defense. We will all find out tonight.

Thanks a lot for reading.

BoltUp!!!

BoogaP

Monday night in Oakland was quite a battle. Yes the Chargers won and yes the youngsters of the Bolts performed, but to win a championship you must not settle for a win. A win is a win no matter how you slice it and the Chargers should be happy that they left the Coliseum with a win. Monday night was not a Championship performance.

Oakland looked sharp in the opening drive of the game. That is until Melvin Ingram made his presence felt. A pass completed across the middle that Melvin missed the tackle led to a Ingram pop on Rod Streater causing a fumble, which resulted in a Raiders turnover. If that weren’t enough for the Raiders not only did they have 4 more turnovers, but were held to 45 yards rushing. McFadden definitely let frustration show. After getting popped consistently by a hungry Chargers line backing corps McFadden found himself in the face of his foe more often then not.

The Chargers offense showed to be no better though. We won’t even talk about the rushing game that was non-existent (32 yards), or the Red Zone offense that was pretty terrible (1-5 33%). What I want to recap is Philip Rivers play last night. Philip Rivers did a lot of great things last night one of them was ball security. Rivers didn’t throw a pick last night and that helped a lot more then people think. I also believe he was playing a little too cautious. Rivers had a wide open Malcom Floyd in the end zone and threw wide for an incomplete pass away from the corner back. He needs to gain the confidence to deliver it in the gut and not worry about the corner backs. So in essence I feel as if he should be a little more aggressive and confident. New season, new slate, new numbers. You can’t erase the past, but you can fix the future. Gates also dropped a pass that he catches 9 out of 10 times which would be Rivers second touchdown pass.

The offensive line needs to get comfortable and you could tell that it got better as the game went on. In the first two drives it looked as if it were going to be a long night for Rivers and the Chargers. It looked like a hot knife (Raiders defense) was going through butter (Chargers offensive line). The offensive line would settle down, gain confidence, and impress. The rookie Michael Harris, an undrafted Free Agent, in particular showed off what he could bring to the table. Harris showed pretty good technique and showed the NFL why they shouldn’t sleep on him. Nick Hardwick put in a solid game as the rest of the offensive line did. Charger fans can only hope that things will solidify like they did in Monday nights game through out the whole season.

Nate Kaeding was the super star for San Diego as he went a perfect 5 for 5. Nate showed off his well healed hamstring by nailing two 40+ yard field goals. As if Nate Kaeding wasn’t special enough, Dante Rosario had a blocked punt for the Bolts in the 3rd quarter. The ball was eventually covered up at the Oakland 8 yard line. The Chargers would have to settle for a field goal which could have hurt them in the long run. Special teams made an impact which hasn’t been the case in the past few years for San Diego, if they can build off Monday the Chargers offense will be able to find themselves in great field position all year.

Overall, the Chargers defense and special teams earned the victory for the San Diego in Oakland. The offense will have to step it up and gel faster unless Mathews gets the green light this week. His absence was definitely visible Monday night. San Diego has a lot to build off of though. This is a team, if they get on the same page, can do a LOT of damage on the offensive side of the ball. On the defensive side? Just eliminate stupid penalties that keep drives alive. The NFL has to deal with the replacement refs too, so you can’t use that as an excuse. If the defense plays smart ball, work to improve, and get off the field on third downs the AFC West better watch out. A new Sheriff will be in town and could be looking for more quarterback soup.

With the performance seen on Monday night, is it fair to say they are a Championship contender? No, we will have to sit, wait, and see how they make improvements and adjust to different teams. They do posses two qualities of a Championship team, a solid defense and solid special teams. If the offense can exceed expectations we could see this team in February. It’s only 1 week out of 19, no one should get too far ahead of themselves. IF the Bolts can improve each week though, we could be ready to witness something extremely special this year.

BOLT PRIDE!

-Joey Nicks