It’s late Friday night. I’m sure most of you are getting ready for the 3 day Memorial Day weekend. Some are gearing up to hit the beaches. Others might be making that mad dash to Sin City.

Me? I’m posting another article on Boltbeat.com… LOL. In all honesty, I will be celebrating the weekend in style, right along with you!

After the up & down emotional roller coaster of losing Ingram, signing Freeney, and then landing Starks…. it’s a little tough to find anything else to talk about. The players are off for a week, and there won’t likely be anymore free agency movements until after June 1sr. So… why not get into a little drama, eh?

When Peyton Manning chose to come to the AFC West, I’m sure the last thing on his mind was “Dwight Freeney might be chasing me down one day”. However, that is exactly what has happened. The two were long time teammates, and pretty good friends, after being on the same team for years.  Well, friendships take a back seat on the grid-iron.

Dwight Freeney, despite a slow 2012 season, has been one of the league’s most consistent sack-masters! He was a player that Peyton Manning could always count on to get him back on the field, so he could work his magic. Now, the tables have turned completely. Freeney is wearing lightning bolts on his helmet, and is charged with the task of using that WICKED spin move to disrupt Manning’s concentration, make him run for his life, force him to fumble, and ideally… drive his face into the dirt!!!

Personally, I couldn’t be more excited that Freeney is now a part of Manning’s closest divisional competition! The drama that will ensue, once Freeney gets his first sack on Manning (as a Charger) will be a thing of beauty! And, if it’s one of those “didn’t even see him coming”, whiplash fumble hits from behind… it will force me to jump out of my seat… pump my fist… and scream “YEAH” so loud, that my wife, my friends, my cat, and probably some of my neighbors will do a double take!!!

The only thing that disappoints me, is that we will have to wait until the tenth game to see it! Denver has a good o-line, so it will definitely be a challenge for the aging veteran to step up, and show his old colleague what it feels like to be on the receiving end of that spin move! Not to mention, SP95 will be looking to show Philip Rivers that he is not going to let him sling the ball at will against his new defensive unit. Both games are sure to be full of dramatic story lines. Ex-Chargers Vasquez, Hester, and Phillips have all switched sides. Freeney will be gunning for Manning. Mike McCoy will be looking to show that he knows how to beat Manning, and the high-powered Denver offense. Not to mention, Ron Milus will be ready to show his old team that his “scapegoat” firing was a big mistake, and put a secondary on the filed that is capable of making Peyton Manning think twice about getting pass happy!

Are you guys as excited as I am about this year’s match-ups with the Broncos? Who do you think will prevail, and how much will these players performances decide the outcomes? Do the Chargers have any edge, now that they have two of Denver’s coaches from last year? How many sacks do you think Freeney will put on Peyton, if any? Feel free to get nasty in the comments section below. No holds barred! Show your team spirit by bragging about what we are going to do to Denver!

Bolting Towards Vengence!

Pete

December 18, 2011; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Mathews (24) runs for a first down during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Qualcomm Stadium. The Chargers won 34-14 Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-US PRESSWIRE

Despite the fact that it is only week six of the NFL season, I am of the opinion that this is a must-win game for the Chargers.  Knowing that the team would still have ten more opportunities to post victories does not persuade me to think otherwise.

I don’t think it can be said enough how big it would be for the Chargers to go into the bye week with a 3-0 division record and a two game lead over the rival Broncos.

The stage has been set for just that to happen.  In my mind, I find it to be that much sweeter that we will attempt to gain this type of momentum against a Peyton Manning-led Denver team.

Oct 7, 2012; Foxboro, Massachusetts, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) reacts to turning the ball over during the fourth quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. The New England Patriots won 31-21. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE

After all, Manning is the one that decided the AFC West was his best/easiest opportunity to place one more Superbowl appearance under his belt.  As a fan, I took that personally.  I can’t imagine what truly went through the minds of our players; namely Philip Rivers.

Rivers comes from a 2004 draft class of quarterbacks that have combined to win four Superbowls ( Eli Manning and Roethlisberger each have two wins).  And Peyton Manning has the audacity to say that coming to Denver will inevitably mean that Rivers will have to wait until Manning retires to have his “next” chance to do so for himself.

Considering the fiery competitor that Philip is, I’m sure that he’s been looking forward to this game prior to the ink being dry on Manning’s contract.

December 18, 2011; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) celebrates after a touchdown run by running back Ryan Mathews (not pictured) during the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-US PRESSWIRE

Now let’s get back to the stage….. Monday night football in the house that Jack Murphy built. The entire nation will be watching as will football fans all over the world.

The Bolts charge into this game with the better of the two records. Yet media experts everywhere seem to be treating the Broncos as though they are the division leader.

In classic Rodney Dangerfield-like treatment, the Chargers get no respect.  All I can say to that is good.  Respect is earned and not given out like free samples at CostCo.

It seems to many of us that the Chargers receive very little respect from the league, it’s fans, and even players from the other 31 teams.

So how is it the team can earn the respect that some people think they deserve?  Quite simply, they need to win this game……. for starters.

To win this game the Bolts must rely heavily on Ryan Mathews.  Mathews looked excellent in limited touches against the Saints.  The Broncos run defense is similar to that of New Orleans in that it is considered to be poor at best.

In addition to getting the rock into the hands of Mathews, the Bolts have to keep the powder blue number 17 jersey of Philip Rivers clean. That is going to be a little more difficult if Jared Gaither is to be shelved with a groin injury that he suffered on the third to the last play of week 5.

As in any game, the Chargers must limit turnovers while forcing their share on defense.  This is a battle that I honestly expect the folks in lightning bolts to win.

Pressure on Manning will be the key defensively.  Even if the Chargers don’t post a huge sack total, it is imperative that they get a serious amount of pressure in Manning’s grill.  Hit him in the mouth; and repeat this step over and over again.

Nov 27, 2011; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers outside linebacker Shaun Phillips (95) in overtime against the Denver Broncos at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE

The Bolts boast the fifth ranked run defense in all of the NFL.  Willis McGahee has seemed to find the fountain of youth in recent years but I’m not all that concerned with him.

I also like the fact that Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker are bigger and/or possession receivers that aren’t “burners” in the passing attack.  The Chargers’ secondary seems to struggle more with speed than physicality.  That’s not to say that wideouts like Dwayne Bowe haven’t had success against our defensive backs.  I prefer receivers that our secondary have a much easier job of keeping in front of them.

This is an extremely pivotal game.  Despite my confidence in the team, I am always concerned about playing against a team that is quarterbacked by Peyton Manning.  Throw his record against us with the Colts out the window.  Forget that he has lost a little bit in the arm strength department.  Mentally he is still Peyton.

When Manning chose the AFC West as his destination for residency, he had to have looked at the Chargers as his biggest stepping stone.  I could be wrong but it sure has begun to prove itself to be true.  Especially considering the lackluster performances of the Chiefs and Raiders to this point.

Only time will tell.  We are that much closer to finding out the true result of the game.  But in my opinion, this game provides the perfect opportunity to Bolt Up or shut up.

Win and we have certainly “bolted up” in not only preparation for the game, but in the execution of the gameplan.  Lose and we have allowed ourselves to fail in the rare opportunity of securing the aforementioned 3-0 division record and two game lead over the Donkeys.

Bolt Up or shut up…… Period…. end.

Thanks a lot for reading.

I’m Bolted Up….. are you?

BoogaP

Anywhere Peyton Manning goes, he’ll always be considered the smartest man in the room. Manning conducted the Colts offense like a fine tuned symphony. Very rarely did he get rattled and always seemed a step or three ahead of the opponent’s game plan. Forget titles on the corporate office front doors, Peyton Manning was quarterback and offensive coordinator. With Manning’s choice of the Denver Broncos as his next team, Manning has proved he is and isn’t the smartest man in the room.

On one hand if the intention is winning championships he made the wrong decision. San Francisco threw themselves into the mix, clearly the best team for the job. The Niners defense was in the top five, their running game is solid, they have an all-pro tight end and just added Randy Moss and Mario Manningham to their receiving corps. The only thing missing is a better quarterback. Manning said no to the Niners and an almost guaranteed ring THIS SEASON.

In choosing Denver, Manning chose a team with a good, blossoming defense but a shoddy offense. Receiver Demaryius Thomas has potential. When your quarterback is the second leading rusher on the team, that’s a bad sign. Tim Tebow was that man, running first and passing later. You know John Elway was breaking out in hives watching Tebow make a mockery of the quarterback position on the very same field he made famous. Peyton Manning saw Tebow has no chance of competing against him, and a new offensive staff he could easily manipulate. Peyton would have the autonomy to form the offense to his liking and people in the organization he was familiar with, thus he chose Denver. After having suffered through the Tebow craziness, you know Elway promised anything Manning wanted and he was doing cartwheels in his office when Manning said yes. For that reason, Manning is the smartest man in the room. He took the team that was the most fragile over the solid team where he would have less control because Niners coach Jim Harbaugh has placed his stamp all over the team with better than expected success. By now, Manning is thinking he can turn any offense into one that runs like a swiss watch, despite how bare the cupboard may be.

Which bring us to the new wrinkle in an old rivalry. Manning will now lead the Broncos against Philip Rivers and the Chargers in a race for AFC West supremacy. As much as The Greg One would have loved for the Chargers to be facing Tebow for years to come in Denver, this is a better situation for one major reason. Manning in the division is going to raise Philip Rivers game to a level we haven’t seen before. Forget the pro bowl seasons and last season’s interception laden disappointment. We all know how competitive Rivers is and despite the fact that the Chargers have missed the playoffs by a game each of the last two seasons, Rivers has owned the other AFC West quarterbacks for years. In Denver, Rivers has had the Bronco quarterbacks for lunch. Rivers dominated the rivalry against Jay Cutler, has a winning record against Tim Tebow but now that Manning is in Denver, the Broncos are instantly projected as 8-1 super bowl favorites. That will not sit well with Rivers.

The Chargers have performed admirably against Peyton Manning and Peyton knows this. The Chargers knocked the Colts out of the playoffs two seasons in a row in 2007 and 2008. The Chargers ended Manning and the Colts bid for a perfect season in 2005 as the Colts entered the game 13-0. Manning will still be facing the same figureheads that dealt him those defeats with Turner calling the plays and Rivers firing the darts all over the field. Could revenge be another reason for Peyton coming to the AFC West? Rivers has dueled Manning to a draw so far and Rivers has a 2-1 playoff record against Manning in their three playoff meetings.

Manning sees Denver as the easiest road to the Super Bowl. If he can shape up the Denver offense, it will be easier to get through the AFC with only Tom Brady as the greatest threat with Rivers, Roethlisberger and Matt Schaub, who will all be coming off down years as the next up and coming threats. In the NFC he would have had to run the gauntlet of Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, Michael Vick and his brother Eli on the way to the big game. Facing Manning twice a year will make Philip Rivers work harder, study harder and motivate himself and his teammates to raise their games or be left in the dust like so many other teams Manning has steamrolled throughout his career. Iron sharpens iron. Not only will this make Rivers better, this will make Manning better. The ensuing matchups will be even more remarkable than before. With no other quarterback competition in the AFC West worth mentioning, this will be the showcase that will get Rivers the elite status he’s been taken for granted for his whole career.

The bottom line is this. Peyton Manning will NOT win a Super Bowl with the Broncos. EVER. The Broncos are extremely lacking at the receiver, tight end and the running game is only so-so because its hard to keep a Denver back on the field for any stretch of time. The Greg One will wear a RAIDERS jersey for a week if they do. That’s how sure it I am that it will never happen. Wearing a Raiders jersey will probably result in a life-threatening allergic reaction for me but i’ve said it and I stand by it. Now its in print and on the internet for the world to call me on.

Peyton chose the Broncos for the fit, not the potential of a Super Bowl ring or he would have chosen San Francisco. The next three years of Rivers vs. Manning heads up matches will be epic, nationally televised prime time viewing and will result in a Chargers Super Bowl, not a Denver Super Bowl. So bring it Peyton, we’ll be ready!