Chargers Round Table

I was asked by Chris Eggermeyer from Chat Chargers to join in on a round table discussion on our Bolts this week with their upcoming matchup against the Green Bay Packers.  Enjoy the answers below and check out Chat Chargers when you get a chance.

Ernie Padaon – Bolt Beat Chris Eggemeyer – Chat Chargers (chatsports.com/san-diego-chargers) Max Greenspan – Guest Contributor from the University of Michigan

Q1: Can Philip Rivers bounce back against the Pack?

Bolt Beat: He has to or we have no shot in this game. The Chargers usually step up their game when the competition is high and I expect Philip to be one of the guys to step it up in a big way this weekend. If you had asked me this question on Tuesday though, I would have said ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Chat Chargers: I can be relatively impatient with a lot of things, but I’m usually willing to forgive a couple of bad performances before passing judgment. That’s why it’s so hard to answer this question. The guy has played phenomenal ball over the last couple of years, and he has shown flashes of that this year, but the bad performances just keep piling up. It’s not all on Rivers’ shoulders though: Getting receivers open has been impossible, keeping him vertical seems just as hard, and ultimately these things lead me to question whether or not Rivers simply has enough talent left around him to succeed. The answer? I don’t think so. He may bounce back later in the season, but not against a team as deadly as the Pack Attack.

Max Greenspan: Nearly halfway through the regular season, it is pretty apparent that Philip Rivers is playing at a level that is nowhere near the elite QB status he has rightfully earned. He isn’t playing with the same poise and pocket awareness that Bolt’s fans are accustomed to seeing each Sunday, and the loss of Darren Sproles, who appears to have been drastically undervalued in this offense, and the lingering injuries to Antonio Gates have left Rivers with fewer checkdown options than he has ever had. Unfortunately, a visit from the Packers is the exact opposite of what Rivers needs to right the ship midseason. It pains me to say it, but I think Dom Capers will orchestrate a defensive plan that capitalizes on Rivers current inability to handle heavy pressure, while the Packers’ corners will be able to handle the Bolt’s wideouts single handedly.