Chargers Have No Problem In Pass Defense But Run Defense=Trouble

If the San Diego Chargers mission was to put fear into many fans on Friday, mission accomplished. It seems as if some people had too much of a high expectation for our defense in 2014.

Remember my Five Intruiging Match Ups To Watch for Chargers vs Seahawks? One of them happened to be Robert Turbin/Christine Michael vs Run Defense. Well Turbin ran for 81 yards and 1 TD in just 12 attemps. Michael had 45 yards on 8 attemps and while were talking about stats we might as well add Terrell Pryor’s 51 yards and a touchdown.

Manti Te’o was getting flushed out all game. NFL Game Rewind tape doesn’t lie, he was a huge factor in all this (Kavell Connor didn’t impress either). Victor Aiyewa, who I had high expectations for, looked lost out there but we can’t blame the kid. He’s not used to the system yet. Throw in Reggie Walker? Maybe, but he is probably not ready just yet.

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Ryan Carrethers is very raw; he isn’t a starting nose tackle yet and may not be for a couple of years. Kwame Geathers seems much more prepared, but either way Sean Lissemore will start if he can return.

As much as all of us love Jarret Johnson, he is seriously on the quick decline. His age (33) is not helping his athleticism.

I’ve laid down the bad news, these players must improve for the run defense to be better. Now the passing problem that occurred against Russell Wilson, who completed his first nine throws and 11 of 13 overall for 121 yards in Seattle’s rampaging first half, was a…….well a problem.

Not to worry.

Replace Johnson (sorry JJ) with Dwight Freeney, shove Jason Verrett and Brandon Flowers into that starting line-up, and let Corey Liuget and Melvin Ingram ball out. We will be fine.

The biggest question for me, however, still remains. Manti Te’o and Kavell Conner are seriously struggling out there. To be brutally honest, I think Manti still may need another year to adapt to the game, this isn’t college football. So how do we get this fixed? In Tom We Trust, right? There are still some quality middle linebackers in free agency Tom. Here’s the list.

Pat Angerer: 63 tackles in 2013, and a pick. Young but still a five year vet.

Dan Connor: Two-Time All American for Penn State. Played well in Indy when given the chance

Jonathan Vilma: Hey, he was a great linebacker around two years ago. Diamond in the rough?

Will Witherspoon: hehe, I know he took a job as a sideline reporter, but miracles can happen.