Offensive Tackle

USC

6-5 303

40 time: 5.25

Draft board overall prospect rank: #10

Draft board offensive tackle rank: #2

Overall rating: 88*

            3/20/10: Charles Brown is one of the more underrated offensive tackles in this draft class. He will go in the first round, but he should go in the top half of the first round and garner some top 10 consideration by teams like Buffalo. He’s a former run blocking tight end, but he has bulked up to 303 for the Combine, though his decision not to run at that weight is a bit concerning. Let’s see how he runs, assuming he’s the same weight, at his Pro Day. His frame may be maxed out as a former run blocking tight end and he is still on the small size, but makes up for that with excellent mature technique and good athletic mobility and footwork. He has experience in a zone blocking scheme and excelled last year protecting Matt Barkley’s blindside at USC. He’s got very good long arms and uses them well. He is extremely mobile for a man of his size and can block at the second level. He plays with good lower body leverage, but lacks elite upper body strength and can be pushed back a bit by bigger bull rushers. His footwork and his hand use are extremely mature for his age, probably the best in the draft class. They rival Ryan Clady’s coming out of school and Clady allowed just 1 sack in a zone blocking scheme in Denver his first year in the league before struggling in a man blocking scheme in his 2^nd year. Likewise, Brown would struggle in a man blocking scheme where he was matched up one on one with a defender. He’s got great character and work ethic and he’s extremely consistent. I didn’t see him take very many plays off for what I saw of him last year and didn’t wear down late in games. Overall, he lacks bulk, but he has a great understanding of both the zone blocking scheme and the West Coast offense. He has an excellent motor and great instincts as well as excellent footwork. He used his hands well and he has great lateral agility. He should be considered in the top ten, but probably won’t be. The highest he possibly could go would be 14 to Seattle, but if someone gets him in the 20s, they would be getting a steal, assuming the used a scheme that properly utilized Brown’s skills and minimized his weaknesses.

NFL Comparison: Jordan Gross

*=For a breakdown of what this means, click here

By Eric Howard

At 2-5, all is not yet lost for the San Diego Chargers this season.  But, they must right the ship against the Tennessee Titans this Sunday.  Another loss against a beatable team at home could have all San Diego fans looking for other things to do on Sundays.

The Chargers have lost three straight games, the last two by a combined six points.  Minor tweaks, adjustments and players getting healthy could turn things around quickly and leave Charger fans with some hope.  At the same time, the San Diego football follies that have showed up on a weekly basis need to immediately disappear.

Tennessee is coming in, riding a three game winning streak.  They have overcome some injuries of their own, primarily at the quarterback position, and rest in first place in the AFC South.

The Titans are no slouches, they have several offensive weapons and a pretty stout defense and that will not make it easy for the Chargers to get on track to another playoff appearance.

History is on San Diego’s side.  The Chargers have won seven straight and Tennessee head coach Jeff Fisher is 0-6 against San Diego.  The Titans franchise has not beaten the Chargers since 1992, when they were the Houston Oilers. 

Chargers on Offense

On Christmas Day last season, the Chargers offense dominated the Titans.  The team combined for 166 yards on the ground and 4 touchdowns, including a team 60 yards from Mike Tolbert and two rushing touchdowns from Darren Sproles.

Philip Rivers had a very efficient day against the Titans last season.  He was 21-of-27 for 264 yards and two touchdowns.  He threw touchdown passes to Antonio Gates and Sproles.

Though some of the pieces are still there, the Chargers offense on Christmas last year is not the same that will take the field Sunday.  San Diego will still be without Malcom Floyd and possibly Buster Davis and Legedu Naanee because of injuries and Vincent Jackson is still three weeks away after just signing his tender.

Gates is still not 100%, but is a warrior and continues to battle through injury and produce.  Gates at 75 or 80 percent is better then most tight ends at 100%.  He will go as long as he can, as hard as he can and will probably still get around 80 yards and a touchdown.

Rivers will have only healthy veteran wide out on Sunday in Patrick Crayton.  Philips and Crayton have shown pretty good chemistry, accumulating 13 catches for 199 yards the last two games.

If the other wide outs are not healthy enough, Seyi Ajirotutu will get a long look. Last week, he made his NFL debut and had two catches for 26 yards.

Titans on Offense

The Tennessee offense revolves around running back Chris Johnson.  The best running back in the NFL already has accumulated 662 yards and 7 touchdowns.  He went over 2000 rushing yards last season and vowed to match that feat again this season.

Johnson ran for 142 and a touchdown in the December game against the Chargers.  Much of it came in garbage time with Antonio Cromartie running along side of him instead of tackling him in a 42-17 blow out victory for San Diego.

Injuries have forced Vince Young and Kerry Collins to share time at the quarterback position.  It appears that Young will be the one taking snaps on Sunday and with his mobility, adds an extra dimension to the Titans offense.

Wide receiver Kenny Britt is coming off a monster game against Philadelphia last week.  He torched the Eagles for 225 receiving yards and three touchdowns last week.  Britt has caught touchdown passes in five consecutive games and has seven for the season.

Veteran tight end Bo Scaife is the other big receiving target for the Titans.  He has caught 19 passes and two touchdowns this year.  The Chargers are notorious for giving up big games to tight ends, so he could be someone to keep an eye on.

Chargers on Defense

Tennessee played coy most of the week, not letting on who will start at quarterback, which was probably by design.  Young and Collins are two completely different types of players and require different types of defensive scheming.

It sounds as if Young will start which will mean the Chargers defense will have to leave a “spy” on him most of the game.  Having to keep a defensive player on Young during most of the game, leaves either one less defender in pass coverage or one less defender to blitz and put pressure.

Last season, the San Diego defense completely shut down Young.  He was only 8-of-21 for 89 yards and two interceptions.  Eric Weddle and Brandon Siler both picked off passes in the Christmas Day game.  Young did run for 40 yards and a touchdown but fumbled when Shaun Phillips striped the ball from him.

All in all, the defense held the multi-threat Young in check last season.  The Titan quarterback has played well when healthy this season though.  His over 61 percent completion percentage and his 7-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio are both above his careers norms.

With all that quarterback talk, the primary goal for the Chargers is to slow down Johnson.  A tall task obviously, but one San Diego should be up to.

The Chargers are giving up only 86 yards per game on the ground.  Defensive coordinator Ron Rivera has his squad playing well, but this will be the best running back they will see all season.

The line backing group will have to be at the top of their games on Sunday.  The group of Phillips, Stephen Cooper, Antwan Applewhite and Kevin Burnett will have to stay disciplined.  Over pursuit by a linebacker and a cutback by Johnson, could mean six points for the Titans.

Titans on Defense

Tennessee has a pretty formidable defense, with playmakers all over.  The Titans have done a great job of creating turnovers and with the Chargers propensity to give the ball away, ball security could be a major factor Sunday.

The defensive line is lead by Dave Ball and Jason Babin.   The two are tied for the team lead with six sacks each.  Chargers right tackle Jeromey Clary will not be able handle either one of those defensive ends.  He will need help from a tight end or get chip blocks from the running backs to protect Rivers.

Linebacker Stephen Tulloch leads the team with 71 tackles while fellow linebacker Will Witherspoon is tied for second on the team with 3 sacks.

The secondary is lead by former first round pick Michael Griffin.  The former Texas star leads the team with 4 interceptions.  Pesky Cortland Finnegan and rookie Alterraun Verner start at cornerback.  The two have combined for three interceptions this season.

Finnegan has made it clear; he is no fan of the Chargers, the quarterback in particular.  In a 2008 Sports Illustrated article, Finnegan was asked who in sports he would want to meet in a ring.  His answer…Philip Rivers!

Chargers Special Teams

San Diego has improved since their deplorable start to the season.  They had nowhere to go but up.

Kicker Nate Kaeding will miss Sunday’s game with an injury.  He may not be back until the after the bye week.  Kris Brown filled in admirably last week, pulling off an onside kick, but missed a game tying field goal.  It’s not 100% sure Kaeding would have made that kick, but the Chargers sure wish they had their regular kicker out there. 

Titans Special Teams

Kicker Rob Bironas is one of the best in the NFL.  He has missed only one field goal in 15 tries this season, so with the game on the line, he will not miss.

Marc Mariani handles both the kick off and punt returns.  Earlier this season, he returned a kick 98 yards for a touchdown against Denver.  He will challenge in always shaky San Diego special teams units.

Prediction

It won’t be easy, but San Diego has Philip Rivers and a stout enough defense to hold Johnson and Britt in check.

The Chargers get an early lead and hold on in front of the faithful home fans and pull out a tight victory and stay in playoff contention.

Chargers-24

Titans-20

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By Steve Adler

With all the wild goings on this week at Chargers Park, let’s not forget there is a game this Sunday. Sure, the game is against the lowly St Louis Rams, but with San Diego’s track record on the road this year, no win is guaranteed.

Yet again, for the fourth consecutive season, the Chargers have started the season 2-3. And yet again, they are forced to dig themselves out of a hole to win the AFC West. This week’s opponent is a good team to get the season turned around.

Though San Diego is coming off a disappointing loss against the Raiders, the Rams are trying to rebound from a 44-6 drubbing hands at the hands of the Detroit Lions. If you are getting smoked by the Lions, you are not a good team.

No excuses, the Chargers must win this game!

Chargers on Offense

Philip Rivers is simply unbelievable. He currently leads NFL with 1,759 yards and is tied with some guy named Peyton for first in the league with 11 touchdown passes. 

I am convinced that no one or two people can cover Antonio Gates. He had five catches for 92 yards last week and scored another touchdown. With a touchdown this week, he can pass Lance Alworth by catching scoring grabs in 10 consecutive games.

Vincent who? Malcom Floyd is killing Vincent Jackson’s bargaining leverage. Floyd had a gargantuan day against the Raiders last week, catching 8 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown. Many of those numbers were against all world cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. The Rams don’t have anyone near the caliber of Asomugha, so expect another large day from Floyd.

An injury to Legedu Naanee may open the door for Patrick Crayton and Buster Davis. Crayton has been looking for a chance since being forgotten about on the Dallas Cowboys bench. Rivers has mentioned he likes throwing the ball to Davis. Could be a big day facing the 22nd rank pass defense.

It appears the now very, very wealthy left tackle Marcus McNeill will see his first action after his holdout. His replacement, Brandyn Dombrowski, who played terrific in his absence could be moved to right tackle in place of Jeromey Clary or find himself on the bench. The Chargers have depth now in the offensive line, which will pay dividends as the season goes along.

Mike Tolbert either needs to hang onto the ball or stand on the sideline. It’s fun watching the big guy rumble down the field, but all the yards he’s gaining are wasted when he puts the ball on the ground.

Ryan Mathews is still not 100%, but will see action again this week. When he has been in the game, he has been impressive. As his ankle and elbow get healthier, his touches on offense will increase.

Rams on Offense

Running back Steven Jackson is in striking distance to set the Rams franchise record for rushing yards. He needs just 141 yards to pass Eric Dickerson (7,425). Last week, he ran for 114 yards against the improving Lions defense. He will be fed the ball early and often against a Chargers defense which surrendered 100 yards to Oakland’s Michael Bush.

For the Rams to have any chance at all, they will need Jackson to get the Rams in third and short situations. If rookie quarterback Sam Bradford is forced to drop back and pass the ball deep, it will be a long, painful day for the former Sooner.

Bradford has shown he is a very capable quarterback during the first five weeks of the season. He was the first overall pick in the 2010 draft and has exceeded many of the expectations that come with being drafted so high. 

The Rams signal caller has passed for 1159 yards and eight touchdowns so far this season. Last week, the St Louis offense was dealt a big blow when wide receiver Mark Clayton was lost for the season with a torn patellar tendon. 

Danny Amendola steps into the number one receiver role. Last week, he had12 catches for 95 yards against the Lions. A group of Mardy Gilyard, Laurent Robinson and Brandon Gibson will be Bradford’s other deep targets.

Tight end Michael Hoomanawanui who showed good chemistry with Bradford during the preseason will see significant action this weekend. The rookie from Illinois gives Bradford a huge target. At 6-5 and 270 pounds, he will be a load to tackle if he gets the ball in the open field.

Chargers on Defense

Antoine Cason and Quentin Jammer should be able to handle the inexperienced Rams receiving group. The two starting cornerbacks have done a splendid job this season shutting down opposing receivers.

An area of concern has to be at linebacker. With injuries and the imminent release of Shawne Merriman, the linebacker group is paper thin. Antwan Applewhite appears to have the first crack at playing outside in place of Merriman until Larry English returns from injury. 

The three other starting linebackers, Kevin Burnett, Stephen Cooper and Shaun Phillips have all played very well this season. Burnett and Phillips have been playing at a Pro Bowl level.

Reality is, one more injury to one of the linebackers and San Diego could be in deep trouble. There are not many quality, healthy players to turn to.

Rams on Defense

This is a bad, bad match up for St Louis.

If St Louis is going to have any chance to slow down the San Diego super offense, they are going to have to find a way to put pressure on Philip Rivers. That task falls on shoulders of defensive ends James Hall, who has four sacks and three fumble recoveries last three games, George Selvie, who is second on the team with two sacks and Howie’s kid, Chris Long.

If a combination of those three can’t put pressure on Rivers, second year cornerback Bradley Fletcher, who leads the team with two interceptions and Ron Bartell, who has not picked off a pass since 2008, will be chasing Malcom Floyd all over the field.

All three starting linebackers for the Rams played college ball at Ohio State. Veteran Na’il Diggs who had many successful years with Green Bay and Carolina is the leader on defense. Diggs and Larry Grant are the outside linebackers in the St Louis 4-3 defense.

Middle linebacker James Laurinaitis who had a celebrated career at Ohio State, leads the defense with 33 tackles. The son of professional wrestler Animal of the Road Warriors, brings toughness and will not be afraid to step up and face Mike Tolbert in the hole.

Chargers Special Teams

Oh the humanity!

A different week, a different special teams disaster. Having seemingly figured out the kick return coverage problem, the Chargers decided to show a flaw in a different area by allowing the first two punts in last week’s game to be blocked. 

Has there ever been a team that has had five weeks of such atrocious special teams weeks? What was once a strength of the San Diego Chargers, has now become one of the biggest reasons the team is under.500.

Rams Special Teams

Here are the returner names you need to know…Danny Amendola on punt returns and Marty Gilyard and Keith Toston share kickoff return duties.

None of these guys are spectacular, but that doesn’t mean they won’t do damage against the Chargers.

Prediction

Call me a sucker, but I just can’t pick against the Chargers when they play an such an inferior team. If San Diego does not win this game, I will not pick them to win ANY road games this season. 

Philip Rivers will continue to play out of his mind and have another huge, huge game. Then, he will hand off to Tolbert and Mathews who will put the game away in the second half.

The Rams offense will not be able to keep up.

Again, barring any turnover problems or special teams meltdowns, this sound not be a competitive game.

Chargers-40

Rams-10

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By Steve Adler 

As we roll into the 2010 season I am cautiously optimistic about this Chargers team.  Although I feel I am the only blogger that is not madly in love with AJ Smith and the way he conducts his business, there is no denying that this Chargers team is the most talented team in the AFC West…again.

In three seasons with Norv Turner at the helm the team is going into the same position in 2010 as it was when Norv took over in 2007, entering the season after a playoff loss to the Jets.  The difference?  Unlike his predecessor, Norv was given a contract extension.  Who says that it doesn’t pay to be a “yes” man?

Enough about my displeasure with AJ and Norv, let’s talk about the guys that strap on the gear.

Things I love about the 2010 Chargers

Philip Rivers – Unlike some people that believe he can walk on water, I simply think he is a very good QB with the potential to be great.  The down side (outside of his amazing ability to throw the ball a foot higher than his receiver) is the diminishing talent around him.  This is the weakest OL he has had since becoming the starter and this wide receiver group is unproven to say the least.  The argument has been made that Philip makes receivers, receivers do not make Philip.  I do not buy into that, but we will soon find out.

Antonio Gates – What is not to love about Gates?  Coming off his most productive season in 2010, Gates is the best tight end in football.  Without VJ on the field, Gates will get a lot more attention and Rivers will have smaller windows to throw into.  With that said, Gates is world class and I cannot wait to see him play.

Ryan Mathews – I do have concerns about Mathews.  First, will he be able to stay healthy?  He was banged up in college and guys tend to hit much harder in the NFL.  Second, will he have anywhere to run?  The OL looked great in the exhibition games, but will that translate into the regular season.  I think week two vs. the Jaguars will speak volumes.

Quinton Jammer – The most underrated corner in the league.  Jammer is amazing in every facet with the exception of being able to catch the ball.  Jammer enables defensive coordinator Ron Rivera to be more aggressive with blitzes and Jammer tackles like a linebacker.

Chargers Fans – The fans are pumped and ready for another playoff run.  It is exciting to see the enthusiasm and it gets me fired up to talk about the team.  Football is a game of drama and passion and the fans show that in many ways.

This I hate about the 2010 Chargers

The Chargers OL – McNeil will miss at least the first three games and could sit out the entire season.  Hardwick is fantastic…when he is not hurt.  Vasquez is great in pass protection but appears lost on run plays.  Dielman is nasty and a great guy to run behind, hopefully he can keep his emotions in check.  Clary…in my dreams I hear “false start number 66”.  This OL has shown the ability to pass protect, but with McNeil out, look for teams to expose that.  Many people want to blame LT for the teams inability to run last season, but none of the Chargers HBs were able to run.  Week two should set the tone.

Chargers wide receivers – With Vincent Jackson presumably lost for the season this WR group is a bunch of no names.  Malcom Floyd showed flashes last season, but he is also a guy that has trouble staying healthy.  Nanee only caught 24 passes last season, Crayton was about to get cut by the Cowboys and Craig Davis is the worst of all three rolled into one.

Chargers first half schedule – The Chargers should start 6-0, will they?  I would not put my money on it, for one simple reason.  I feel like they should start fast every year and they do not!  The first half is too easy, if this Chargers team is 4-2 or 3-3 people will start to FREAK OUT!  Which leads me to #4

AFC West – If you are not progressing you are regressing.  At this point I cannot say the Chargers are a better team than they were in 2009, or 2008, or 2007 for that matter.  I can say that every team in the division is better than they were last season.  None of them are playoff teams, but they are better.  I think that the AFC West has allowed the Chargers to be complacent because getting into the tournament is always AJ’s focus.  Plenty of other teams in the AFC could have won this division the last three seasons as well.

Front office decisions – VJ and McNeil are great examples.  Three years ago this team was cluttered with All Pro players, now we have a few all pros, a string of bad draft classes and a bunch of me me me guys.  AJ’s inability to bring in an impact veteran in areas of need is now hurting the team.  The Chargers depth of years past has evaporated.  To ask fans to shell out hundreds of dollars to watch a game when you are not fielding the best team you possibly can is a damn shame.

Side Notes:

Shawne Merriman – I would like nothing more than to see Shawne Merriman go off this season.  He is the key to the Chargers pass rush and if he is able to command double teams and get to the QB this could be a special season for the Bolts.

Eric Weddle – I think Weddle is a nice player, but that is about it.  I hope he turns into John Lynch like people want him to be, but I just do not feel he is that guy.

Injuries – I shake my head when I think about Castillo and Hardwick.  We may have to start a poll about which one gets injured first.  After last season’s injury issues with the OL why was this not addressed?

Stephen Cooper – This is a big season for Cooper, because he was not the same player last season and disappeared in some games.  He needs to assert himself again and become a tackle machine.

Shaun Phillips – In the words of SP95 himself, “You don’t need to like me, I’m famous”.  I think that about sums it up.

With that said I see the Chargers cruising through the AFC West with a 10-6 record, winning the wild card game at Qualcomm only to lose in the second round on the road.

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By Eric Howard 

Seattle head coach Pete Carroll is used to being the one with the high powered offense and the ball hawking defense when he coached at USC.  Well, he is likely to get a taste of his own medicine when the Chargers head on the road on Sunday to face the Seahawks.

By Sunday evening, Carroll may wish he had stayed in the college game after he gets a front row look at what a high powered NFL offense looks like.  For all of the criticism Norv Turner gets, some justified, he has had much more professional success then the “genius” from Southern Cal.

San Diego looked very impressive on both offense and defense, manhandling Jacksonville last week, while the Seahawks looked pretty pathetic and were completely dismantled by Denver.

Chargers on offense

The Chargers will exploit the size advantage they have over the all under six-foot defensive backs of the Seahawks.  Malcom Floyd will have at least a six-inch height advantage over either of the starting Seattle cornerbacks.  We will surely see plenty of Philip Rivers to the 6 foot, 5 inch Floyd and to the 6 foot, 3 inch Legedu Naanee.

You just have to think there is no way tight end Antonio Gates will be left alone by the defense like he was last week.  Gates was open all over the field against the Jags.  If the Seahawks do not put two guys on Gates, especially on third down, it’s going to be a long day for Seattle fans.

Even if Ryan Mathews is not healthy enough to go on Sunday, the Chargers running duties seem to be pretty safe in the hands of Mike Tolbert.  The human bowling ball crashed through the Jacksonville defense last week for 82 yards and two touchdowns.

The running backs should be involved more in the passing game on Sunday.  Seattle has not shown the ability to stop backs from catching the ball and gaining big yards.  Darren Sproles could be big on Sunday.

Chargers on defense

San Diego got after David Garrard last week and made a pretty respectable quarterback look horrible.  Expect much of the same this week against the Seahawks.  Though they only had two sacks last week, they did put enough pressure on the quarterback to force him into bad decisions.

Cornerback Antoine Cason took advantage of Garrard’s errant throws and had a career day last Sunday, recording two interceptions and a forced fumble.  Cason and Quentin Jammer have another favorable match up this week.  None of the Seattle receivers are anything spectacular.

The Line backing group had a big day last week and will likely do the same this week to Seattle’s quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.  Brandon Siler, filling in for the injured Stephen Cooper, contributed with an interception as did Kevin Burnett.

Seattle’s offense is pretty comparable to Jacksonville’s maybe, maybe a little less effective then the Jags.  So, another huge day by the Chargers defense seems likely.

Seahawks on offense

There is just not a lot going on with the Seahawk offense.  They are not only lacking an identity on offense, they are lacking skill as well.

After a three interception game against the Broncos last week, there were rumblings in the Pacific Northwest about sitting starting quarterback Hasselbeck in favor of former Charger Charlie Whitehurst.  Hasselbeck will remain the starter for now, but as appears to be the trend in the NFL, coaches are not opposed to yanking unproductive quarterbacks in favor of their second stringer.

The biggest threat on offense is tight end John Carlson, who leads the team with eight receptions and 84 yards.  The rest of the receiving corps are just average, at best.  Golden Tate, a rookie wide receiver from Notre Dame, was spectacular in college and showed some flashes last week.  He caught a 52-yard touchdown pass and impressed on punt returns.  Tate will test the shaky Chargers special teams.

Seattle just hasn’t featured the running game yet this season.  Justin Forsett is averaging almost six yards per carry this season, but can’t get a fulltime load of work.  He has been sharing carries with Julius Jones and Leon Washington, neither of whom are lighting the world on fire, averaging just a little over fire yards per carry…COMBINED.

Seahawks on defense

Linebacker Lofa Tatupu is still one of the upper echelon defenders in the league and is the clear leader of a Seattle defense that has been very stingy against the run early this season.

After two games into the regular season, the Seahawks rank 5th in the NFL against the rush.  And it’s not like they have faced a couple of slouches.  They limited San Francisco’s Frank Gore to a measly 38 yards (2.2 yards per carry) in week one and Denver’s Knowshon Moreno to only 51 yards (2.1 YPC) in week two.

Concentrating on stop Moreno last week made them susceptible to the Broncos passing game last week.  Kyle Orton torched them for more than 300 yards last week.  

Rookie safety Earl Thomas leads the Seahawks in tackles.  In fact, four of the top five tacklers on the Seahawks are defensive backs.  Sure, the DB’s are helping with run stopping, but in last week’s game, they were making tackles several yards down the field.

Prediction

The San Diego air show will take over Seattle.  The Chargers have way too much on both sides of the ball for the Seahawks to handle.  Floyd and Naanee are just too big and too strong and the short passing game to the running backs will take the place of a traditional running game if the Seahawks try to stack the line of scrimmage.

Hasselbeck will be pressured from start to end and a Whitehurst sighting is not entirely out of the question.

This will be an easy winner for the Bolts.

Chargers-27

Seahawks-13

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By Kyle Wadford

The San Diego Chargers, with the number 1 offense in the NFL, came into Oakland looking to keep the unheard of streak of 13 straight victories (7 years) over the Raiders alive. Very early in the game the Raiders showed no signs of allowing the arch nemesis take them out in front of their home crowd. The Raiders jumped on the board early in the game with the help of there special teams, 2 blocked punts gave the Raiders 9 points.  The Raiders also forced 3 fumbles, one on the 1 yard line, the other on the 19 yard line, and the last with 1 minute to go in the game, was knocked out of Rivers hand and returned for a back-breaking touchdown. which would prove to be the “nail in the coffin” putting the raiders up 27-35.

The San Diego Chargers looking to take the continued dominance over the Raiders to 14 straight games  could only sit back and shake there heads and they, yet again, shoot themselves in the foot away from San Diego, now 0-3 on the road, 2-0 at home. Philip Rivers seemed to have been on a different level than the other Chargers as he tried to will the Bolts to a comeback victory. A faltering offensive line, failing special teams and costly turnovers helped the Chargers trip over there own feet.

Philip Rivers (21/42-431 yrds-2 tds- 2fumbles) had a heck of a day throwing for well over 400 yrds for the 3rd time this year. Rivers did what he does on a consistante basis in keeping the Chargers in the game late.

Running Backs- Ryan Mathews (9/59) had a long of 17 yards and an average of 6.6 ypc with no fumbles and no td’s. Mike Tolbert (12/11) had a lost fumble on the 1 yard line, and a touchdown.

Wide Receivers – Malcom Floyd (8/231) had a huge coming out party for the Chargers today with an average of 26.6 ypc, a touchdown and a long of 55 yards. Antonio Gates (5/92) had his typical day with 18.4 ypc, a long of 22 yards and Gates also scored a touchdown.

Offensive line – The offensive line had a hard days work with the Raiders on the other side of the ball, allowing 3 sacks, 4 tackles for loss, and 2 QB hits. The line couldn’t open any running holes for our running backs. Even allowing a defender to get enough pressure on Rivers to get the ball knocked out of his hand and returned for a TD late in the game.

Defense

Defensive line – As a collective unit, our guys got beat up. Allowing 111 yards on 30 carries. The Raiders rb had 104 yards on 26 carries.  No sacks to speak of on behalf of the d-line.

Linebackers –  Burrnett had 5 tackles and 2 sacks on the day. Copper was the only other backer to register a sack, he had 1 sack and 3 tackles. Wilson registered 4 tackles. Phillips (3) and Merriman (2) had a quiet day, year even.

Secondary – The Chargers secondary did a great job the first half of the game shutting down the Raiders Gradkowski, but seemed to have an even harder time keeping the arm of Campell under wraps. The Chargers secondary allowed only 14 completions all day 168 yards and 1 td. Oliver had a solid day with 8 tackles. Weddle had 4. Jammer and Cason had 2 tackles each. No Raiders receiver had more than 62 yards receiving.

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The Chargers struggled in the start of the 2010 season, nothing new to them. They started 2-5, but like they had in recent years, everyone expected them to be able to bounce back. They looked well on their way, winning 4 in a row, before losing to the Raiders and falling to 6-6. They won their next two games, but a loss to the lowly Bengals eliminated them week 16 and the Chiefs won the division with a record of 10-6.

Several things did them in. One was injuries. Vincent Jackson missed most of the season with various injuries, a holdout, and a suspension. Antonio Gates also missed 6 games with injuries. Malcom Floyd also was hurt, as was Legedu Naanee. Running back Ryan Mathews also missed time. That’s their top three receivers, their Pro-Bowl tight end, and their promising rookie running back all missing time with injury. How Philip Rivers was still able to lead the league in passing yards, I don’t know. He really cemented himself as one of the top 6 or 7 quarterbacks in the league with his performance last year.

However, injuries couldn’t have been the only thing that did them in. Even with their injuries, they ranked 1^st in total offense and 1^st in total defense. That’s how talented they are. So why did they go 9-7? For one thing, there was that slow start. However, the bigger problem was special teams. It seems like they allowed scores in every way possible last year.

Their final problem was luck. They had a point differential of plus 119. That suggests they should have had a much better record than 9-7. That type of thing typically balances itself out over the years and I think if they have a similar point differential, this year, they should have around 12 wins. Pittsburgh had a point differential of plus 143. They got 12 wins. Atlanta had plus 126. They got 13 wins.

On top of that, there are other reasons why I like San Diego in 2011. They don’t have a first place schedule. They will be healthier. Their special teams can’t possibly be worse and given the new kickoff rule, even if they were as bad this year, it might not matter. Kickoff recovery teams don’t matter as much now. They gave up 3 kickoff return touchdowns last year. They won’t do that this year, no matter what.

Finally, call me crazy, but I think last season was a wakeup call for this team. Every year, they were able to sleep walk early and still make the playoffs. Last year, they couldn’t. I think that was a wakeup call for this Norv Turner coached bunch. I still can’t pick them to go deep into the playoffs because Norv is their coach, but I don’t think he’ll let them sleepwalk this year. Neither will Philip Rivers, a feisty competitor who had to hate watching the playoffs from home.

Rivers will be helped out by better health in his receiving corps. If he can have an MVP type season throwing to guys like Patrick Crayton, Seyi Ajitotutu, and Randy McMichael, imagine what he can do with a full season of Vincent Jackson, Malcom Floyd, and Antonio Gates. Ryan Mathews will be back for them at running back. In his absence last year, Mike Tolbert stepped up big time. Mathews and Tolbert will both see action in the backfield this year.

The Chargers return all 5 starters on their offensive line, good for continuity’s sake, but I bet most Chargers fans wish they made one change. That change would have been at right tackle, where Jeromey Clary received a 4 year 20 million dollar deal in the offseason despite being terrible. Clary allowed 8 sacks and 38 pressures last side on the right side. They had young Brandyn Dombrowski waiting in the wings to take over, with rookie Steve Schilling brought in to compete for the starting right tackle job. However, they still decided to bring back Clary.

Aside from Clary, this is one of the better lines in the league. Excluding Clary, they allowed 26 sacks last year, all while being above average as run blockers. Left tackle Marcus McNeill is one of the better left tackles in the league. He didn’t play all year, but he did only allow 1 sack in 708 snaps. Center Nick Hardwick and left guard Kris Dielman are both above average, while right guard Louis Vasquez is decent with upside, as a 2009 3^rd round pick.

Philip Rivers has to be very pleased with all of their talent up front, as well as all their talent in the receiving corps. Rivers could be even better this season than he was last season when he threw for 4710 yards, averaged 8.7 yards per completion, completed 66% of his passes, and threw 30 touchdowns to 13 interceptions.

 

Defensively, they have almost as much talent as they do on the offensive end. After all, they did rank #1 in fewest yards allowed in addition to most yards of offense. Their strength is their defensive line and their pass rush, as is the strength of most good defenses. Antonio Garay was a revelation at nose tackle in their first season since cutting long time nose tackle Jamal Williams. Garay came out of nowhere to have 5.5 sacks, all while providing a strong force against the run.

Around him on their 3 man defensive line are Luis Castillo, an above average player, and Jacques Cesaire, a marginal player who should be leapfrogged by rookie first round pick Corey Liuget on the depth chart at some point this season. However, their top pass rusher is Shaun Phillips, who has effectively stepped up in Shawne Merriman’s absence in the past few years. He had 11 sacks last year from the 3-4 rush linebacker slot.

They are, however, struggling to find a consistent pass rusher opposite him. Larry English, a 2009 1^st round pick, was supposed to take the job in his 2^nd year. He failed to do so. Antwan Barnes and Antawn Applewhite both tried to become the consistent starter. Neither were able to prove themselves as such. Applewhite left as a free agent, while Barnes is listed as a backup.

Larry English, who is looking more and more like a bust each day, also is listed as a backup on the depth chart. Free agent acquisition Travis LaBoy will get the first crack at the starting job opposite Phillips. LaBoy has been a marginal player throughout his career. He had 5 sacks last season in San Francisco after being out of the league in 2009 and has never had more than 6.5 in a season. He rejoins former San Francisco defensive coordinator and new San Diego defensive coordinator Greg Manusky.

The Chargers underwent a makeover at the middle linebacker position. Their top 3 guys from last season, Kevin Burnett, Stephen Cooper, and Brandon Siler are all gone as free agents. To replace them, they signed Takeo Spikes from San Francisco, another one of Greg Manusky’s guys from San Francisco. 2010 3^rd round pick Donald Butler is expected to start next to him, though he’ll be pushed by James Holt, an inexperienced former undrafted free agent out of Kansas in 2009. Jonas Mouton could also push him, though the rookie 2^nd round pick was mostly brought in for special teams purposes. Same with Andrew Gachkar, a middle linebacker they drafted in the 7^th round.

When they traded Antonio Cromartie to the Jets last offseason, they didn’t miss a beat in the starting lineup as 2008 first round pick Antoine Cason stepped into Cromartie’s spot in the lineup opposite Quentin Jammer and played well. However, Cason moving from nickelback to the starting lineup did leave them with a hole at the nickel back position. Nickel corner Donald Strickland really struggled. For this reason, they drafted Marcus Gilchrist and Shareece Wright in the 2^nd and 3^rd rounds respectively this past April. The two will battle it out for the nickel back role.

Safety was a question going into the offseason. Strong safety was a position of weakness for them last year and if they let stud free safety Eric Weddle leave as a free agent, free safety would too become a position of weakness. Not only did they resign Weddle, albeit for more than he was worth, they signed strong safety Bob Sanders from Indianapolis.

Sanders was the defensive player of the year in 2006, but hasn’t been able to stay healthy since. He’s reportedly healthy now and while I don’t think he still has it in him to be a defensive player of the year caliber player anymore, he can still be a solid strong safety for them. If he gets hurt again, 2^nd year player Darrell Stuckey, a 4^th round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, would step into the lineup.

With better luck, better health, and better special teams, this team should be able to rise to the top of the AFC West once again. For once, I don’t expect them to have an early season slump. I think last year was the wakeup call they needed. I still don’t trust their coach enough to pick them to win a Super Bowl, but I really like this team once again in 2011.

Quarterback: A-

Running backs: B-

Receiving corps: A-

Offensive line: B+

Run defense: B+

Pass rush: A-

Pass coverage: B

Coaching: C-

Projection: 12-4 1^st in AFC West

 

 

 

Cornerback

The Chargers ranked 28^th against the pass in 2011. Quentin Jammer was pretty bad. The 33 year old could move to safety long term. Meanwhile, Antoine Cason wasn’t much better opposite him. They have Marcus Gilchrist, their 2^nd rounder last year, in the mix, but they’ll need one more cornerback.

Rush Linebacker

Their struggles against the pass are a bit of a chicken and the egg problem. Do they suck in coverage because they can’t get any pressure on the opposing quarterback or can they not get any pressure on the opposing quarterback because they suck in coverage? They should fix both of these problems this offseason. Antawn Barnes, a situational player, led the way with 11 sacks last year, but no one else had more than 4. Shaun Phillips, once a good pass rusher, had just 3.5 sacks in an injury plagued season. He turns 31 this offseason and is a declining player. Nick Perry will be considered at 18.

Offensive Tackle

Left tackle Marcus McNeill is expected to be a cap casualty after an injury plagued season. Right tackle Jeromey Clary was awful once more last season, allowing 7 sacks and 42 pressures, while committing 11 penalties. In McNeill’s absence, swing tackle Brandyn Dombrowski was awful, surrendering 6 sacks and 17 pressures, despite playing just 257 snaps. Extrapolated over 1000 snaps, that’s 24 sacks and 68 pressures. So yeah, he was pretty bad. He was so bad that they signed Jared Gaither, who had been waived from 3 teams in the last year because of back problems. The once elite left tackle was good on the left side down the stretch, but he’s a free agent and hardly a sure thing going forward with his injury history. They are expected to resign Gaither to play the left side and give Clary one more shot on the right side, but neither of them are sure things. They, at the very least, need a good swing tackle behind those two.

Guard

As you can tell, the offensive tackle position is in a bit of flux in San Diego. The guard position is as well, though not as much. Kris Dielman is one of the best interior offensive linemen in the league, but he’s considering retirement. That makes sense because he suffered seizures following a concussion this season. Health is most important. However, in his absence, Tyronne Green was pretty awful. They should select a couple versatile offensive linemen through the draft this April.

 

Running Back

The Chargers offense really missed Darren Sproles last season. Ryan Mathews broke out as the lead back, but they didn’t have a niche player like Sproles. 3^rd down back Mike Tolbert is a free agent so look for them to target a Sproles like player through the draft to play on 3^rd down for them and compliment Mathews, more of a two down player.

Wide Receiver

Vincent Jackson is a free agent. He’s expected back, which seemed unlikely 12 months ago, but he’ll need to be resigned. Even if he isn’t, they could still add another wide receiver to the mix. Malcom Floyd can’t stay healthy and while 2011 3^rd round pick Vincent Brown was solid at times, he’s still an unproven commodity.

Safety

They need another safety opposite Eric Weddle. Quinton Jammer could move to safety and be that player, but he’s no sure thing and even if he plays well, he’s still 33, so I think they need to add a safety either way.

Center

Nick Hardwick had another good season last year, but the 30 year old is a free agent and reportedly considered retirement. If he’s not back with the team, they’ll need a new center.

3-4 Defensive End

Luis Castillo is not expected back, so they’ll need to add depth behind starters Vaughn Martin and Corey Liuget.

Nose Tackle

Antonio Garay is a great player, but a 32 year old free agent. Cam Thomas was solid in limited action last season, but if Garay is not resigned, they might be best off adding another nose tackle to compete with and possibly split snaps with Thomas.

 

() FA Rank 

QB Billy Volek

RB Mike Tolbert

RB Darren Sproles

WR Vincent Jackson (#19)- Franchised 

He has character and attitude issues, but he had 1000+ yard seasons in 2008 and 2009 and was dominant in short bursts this season, in between injury and contract disputes.

WR Malcom Floyd

WR Legedu Naanee

TE Randy McMichael

TE Kris Wilson

OT Jeromey Clary

OT Brandyn Dombrowski

C Scott Mruczkowski

3-4 DE Jacques Cesaire

3-4 DE Travis Johnson

RLB Antawn Barnes

RLB Antawn Applewhite

RLB James Holt (exclusive rights)- tendered

MLB Kevin Burnett (#40)

A do everything linebacker, Burnett has settled into his role in the middle of San Diego’s 3-4 with 95 tackles, 6 sacks, and 2 picks last season.

MLB Stephen Cooper

MLB Brandon Siler

CB Dante Hughes

S Eric Weddle (#30)

S Paul Oliver

S Tyrone Carter

Offseason moves:

Signed Bob Sanders

Tendered James Holt

Franchised Vincent Jackson

Draft

 

3-4 DE Ronnie Cameron (Old Dominion)

S D.J. Campbell (California)

S Brandon Hardin (Oregon State)

MLB Dont’a Hightower (Alabama)

RLB Melvin Ingram (South Carolina)

RLB Ronnell Lewis (Oklahoma)

RLB Donavan Robinson (Jackson State)

FB Brad Smelley (Alabama)

MLB Bobby Wagner (Utah State)

S Tavon Wilson (Illinois)