Philip Rivers: “We have a swagger”

The San Diego Chargers have been missing a little something over the last few years. They have been missing that swagger.

What the hell is swagger? Swagger on that football field is a little bit of a walk of confidence. It is a little bit of an attitude that is brought onto the field. Confidence and attitude and the ability to force that onto your opponents.

Do the Chargers have that swagger this season? The last time we saw that swagger was when Shawne Merriman was on the field. When Stephen Cooper was talking trash in the middle of the defense. When Shaun Phillips was calling out Jay Cutler. When Vincent Jackson was catching deep balls and telling the opponents that he was about to do it again.

Do we have that swagger?

Philip Rivers is starting to think that we have it.

“We have a lot of young guys, in their third-sixth season, I really like that makeup,’ Rivers said. “It’s kind of rejuvenated me.  We have a swagger. It’s going to be fun to see what type of personality this team has.” – Today’s Pigskin

Philip likes what he sees from the new crop of players that Tom Telesco has brought in. For a long time, our team has been soft. Malcom Floyd was the leading receiver and he is more of a lead by example type. The defense was led by Eric Weddle and I swear he was smiling on the field more than striking fear.

Now look at the fresh crop of guys that have a little bit of a chip on their shoulder. Keenan Allen loves to talk a little trash on the field. He can definitely help Philip Rivers out in talking some trash on the defense. D.J. Fluker always wants to get into a scuffle. Danny Woodhead might be small, but he is scrappy.

On defense is where I am ready to see this team walk around with a swagger. Denzel Perryman is going to lead this defense with some of the hits he puts on the field. When you see him light up a running back or a receiver coming over the middle, you can’t help but get fired up and talk some smack. Jason Verrett will lock you down and will let you know about it. Melvin Ingram is getting more and more confident and is starting to smack talk on the field.

Once we get Joey Bosa on the field with these guys, we are going to have another guy on the field that will punish opponents and his teammates will build off of it.

Not everyone on the field has that edge to them, but some of the rising leaders on the squad have a little bit of swagger to them. Now if we can translate that swagger to wins!