Saturday 25 August 2012

Chargers defence impresses while knocked up offense struggles

San Diego Line
The Chargers' game vs the Vikings was both worrying and exciting depending what side of the ball you were on. The defence have shown through preseason that they can return to the form they were in under Ron Rivera and that they now had the weapons to have a dangerous pass rushing attack. The offense, which only had five of its usual starters, failed to impress in any single area and did not manage a touchdown.

Starting on a positive note, the Chargers appear to have their pass rush problems finally solved. Kendall Reyes has managed a sack every game so far and Melvin Ingram, has also got to the quarterback. Most pleasing for the coaches and AJ Smith is seeing former first round pick Larry English getting in on the sack count. One of his teammates was quoted after the game as saying that English had been 'unblockable for the last ten days'. He certainly made himself hard to block against the Vikings and managed a pair of sacks which should get him in the mix for a larger number of reps in the regular season. He is likely to play well in the season so long as he stays away from injury but as the Chargers know already, he has struggled with injury throughout his NFL career. Overall the Chargers defence was very promising keeping the first team Vikings offense to three points for three quarters.

The offense however was disappointing. It cannot come as a huge surprise that the offensive line struggled on the left side and down the middle seeing as they were missing their left guard and tackle as well as Centre Nick Hardwick. Jared Allen absolutely dominated replacement left tackle Mike Harris who has had a good training camp for an undrafted rookie. This has to worry the Chargers and Philip Rivers though as one of the main reasons the Chargers went on their six game losing streak was the injuries imposed on the offensive line. If this is the standard our backups are at then it is a big concern as the Chargers are bound to have one or two injuries on the offensive line in the season and Rivers will be feeling a lot of pressure.

Charlie Whitehurst unsurprisingly had a difficult game but under the circumstances seemed to cope reasonably well. The main disappointment for me was to see nobody step up and grab the backup running back job. With Ryan Mathews out the Chargers simply cannot afford to have their backs averaging two or three yards until Mathews returns. Edwin Baker managed to break out for one long run worth 21 yards but that was the only highlight of his game as he managed 14 yards off 12 carries discluding that run. No other back did anything special and it would appear Ronnie Brown will get the job despite only getting one run all game.

With Floyd and Meacham not being used a huge amount this preseason and particularly this week against the Vikings, the other receivers have been given the chance to impress the coaches in preseason. The one man who has stood out to me is punt return specialist Michael Spurlock who lead in recieving yesterday and also hasn't dropped a ball which has been thrown to him thus far. This could be very important as there is already an injury for Vincent Brown and he could well be needed in the regular season.

Wednesday 22 August 2012

Rookie watch

After two weeks of preseason we can start to gauge the effectiveness of our rookies. The preseason is important for the rookies to make an impression and prove that they are ready to start in the regular season. I will give each of our drafted rookies in the first three rounds a grade for their first two performances and give a mention to other important rookies.

                                         Melvin Ingram A

Ingram was very impressive against the Green Bay Packers in week one. He made a great move on the Left Tackle on 4th and 2 and ran straight on to Rodgers who was forced to chuck it straight to Cason for the interception. Ingram was impressive on various other plays notching up a couple of tackles and lived up to his hype of being the best outside linebacker in the draft. In the game against Dallas he wasn't quite as impressive but still managed to get his first NFL sack. Overall everyone has been very impressed with Melvin Ingram and he has settled into the NFL straight away. He seems to be able to shed blocks like he did in college and his athletic ability is constantly on show.


Kendell Reyes B+
Although he hasn't looked quite as dominant as Ingram, Reyes still managed a sack in week one along with a few good tackles in the running game in both weeks. He has done nothing wrong and has been all round solid. I fully expect him to line up at defencive end alongside Corey Liuget and will hopefully continue to impress.





                                   
Brandon Taylor B
Taylor was traded up for by the Chargers and he seems a decent player. He  had a few tackles in both games and seemed fairly solid in coverage. It is difficult to know quite how good he is however as unlike Reyes and Ingram he has lined up in the second team so although he looked good, he hasn't gone up against the best quarterbacks or running backs who might exploit his rookie experience. Although he's been reliable thus far, he hasn't come up with a big play so has not impressed enough to get a  higher grade.




As for the other drafted players, Ladarius Green has not yet caught a ball in preseason but has impressed in camp. Johnnie Troutman is injured for the season, something the Chargers already knew about when drafting. David Molk, who fell to the 7th round for the Chargers and is considered very good value, has done his business and as most Centres do, kept out of the headlines. He's played a few snaps in the games and has gone unnoticed which is good as an offensive lineman. One man who I have been disappointed in is Edwin Baker who was our final selection. Baker failed to make any sought of impression in camp or so far in preseason and will likely loose out on a roster spot. He was a rookie I thought very highly of and thought might become a decent third running back but Ronnie Brown and either Jackie Battle or Michael Hayes will take that spot.



There have also been some impressive performances in training camp and preseason for some the undrafted free agents. Jarrett Lee has been the most impressive as in week one while backup Whitehurst was injured, Lee threw for 235 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Although he may struggle to make the final roster as Whitehurst will take the backup role, he has certainly impressed and may find himself on the verge of making a roster position on another team. Michael Hayes who I previously mentioned impressed a lot in training camp. He has been less impressive in preseason so might miss out on a roster spot but is probably more likely to get in baring in mind Ryan Mathews' injuries. Mike Harris has been the stand out tackle for rookies in camp and preseason. He has probably earnt himself a roster spot especially with LT Jared Gaither struggling with injury.

Monday 20 August 2012

Time for a reunion?

Shawne Merriman, was cut by the Buffalo Bills this morning. If you had even a vague knowledge of the NFL 5 or 6 years ago then you will be aware that Merriman used to be a star outside linebacker for San Diego. Merriman was a key reason the Chargers were thought of as one of the best defences in the league and formed a lethal pass rushing threat.

Unfortunately, from the 2008 season to 2010, Merriman suffered numerous season ending injuries and after such a long length of time spent on the PUP list, the Chargers were forced to cut him. Merriman was given a generous two year contract worth around $10 million problems by the Bills in 2011. This proved to be a mistake for the Bills organisation as Merriman failed to produce anything like what he achieved in previous years in San Diego. Thus today's events are no shock to many people bearing in mind Merriman's hefty wage bill in contrast to his performance.

So, like true Charger fans we wonder would it be worth inviting Merriman back to San Diego? Well one thing that is for sure is it shouldn't carry a large risk as Merriman will not be valued much more than the minimum NFL wage. It would also get bums on seats in Qualcomm which is important considering the recent blackout vs Dallas in preseason. It may also benefit Merriman to be back in familiar (and much warmer) surroundings. He would join old team mate Shaun Phillips at Outside linebacker and might be able to rediscover some of his old form.

One problem with the move however is that San Diego have little room for an Outside Linebacker with Shaun Phillips, Antwan Barnes, Jarrett Johnson and impressive rookie Melvin Ingram using up most of the playing time. Even Larry English has been impressive and bringing in a player who is thought to be past his prime in for a promising young player would be difficult for AJ Smith to justify. It is also true that Merriman has shown absolutely no signs of his 2005-2007 form and in all likelihood will not show it again. As well as that, AJ Smith is a GM who wants to move on from a player once he has cut them however good they have been for the franchise. This was shown by his reluctance to re-sign  LaDanian Tomlinson after leaving the Jets.

Overall the move is unlikely and there will be 31 other teams considering taking Merriman on the Cheap. The best thing to do in my opinion would be to give Merriman a week with the practise squad and see how he performs. If he impresses then they can sign him with a cheap contract and please those San Diego fans with Merriman shirts like me! If not they can just release him and move on and at least say they tried. But as we all know it isn't about what I think, it's about what AJ Smith thinks and anyone who can predict what AJ Smith does can phone up NFL.com and get a job because that man is certainly difficult to make predictions about!

Saturday 18 August 2012

This weeks preseason player battles and how they must impress

After a fairly impressive performance against the Packers, winning 21-13, the Chargers will continue their preseason campaign against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night. The Chargers will first of all try and prevent any injuries to their starting players, but also try and build on certain aspects of their game in preparation for the regular season opener against the Raiders.

First of all they need to establish the ground game. With Ryan Mathews out for 4-6 weeks with a broken clavicle (collarbone), the Chargers will look towards the likes of Ronnie Brown, Jackie Battle and Curtis Brinkley to compete for a possible starting role. Ronnie Brown is considered as favourite for a starting job if Mathews does not return for week one but the coaches want to leave the position open to fight for. Le'Ron McClain has often aspired to rush the ball himself and we could see a few handoffs going his way so he can show what he can do. Norv Turner however will certainly be aware of the big Full Backs ability to be one of the best in the business for making holes in the defence for the backs to run into so he may not see a large role at tail back. Edwin Baker and Michael Hayes will also receive a chance to get the ball but they will need to make a fairly big impact in the coming games to feature often in the regular season.

Philip Rivers will aim to avoid getting turned over against Dallas and begin to put an end to his recent tendency of throwing interceptions. Jarrett Lee, who impressed in his first game in the NFL, will be looking to build on his previous performance once Turner feels Rivers has done enough. The receivers will continue their battle to impress the coaches with Floyd and Meacham fighting for that number one receiver position while Eddie Royal and Vincent Brown attempt to be the teams Primary slot receiver.

On the defencive side of the ball, rookies Ingram and Reyes will look to continue their successful start to their careers. Melvin Ingram, considered the best outside linebacker in the draft, showed off his pass rushing skills against the Packers last week and is sure to be a force in the league in coming years. Larry English, one of Ingram's fellow outside linebacker, has struggled with injury in previous years but managed to show off his pass rushing skills on defence last week and will look to earn himself more reps on defence in the competitive crop of linebackers that San Diego now owns. These are just a few players looking to carry on impressive performances, however nearly every defencive player gets a few reps in preseason so really any player has a chance to jump out and impress even if its merely fighting for a backup role. Other former first round picks like Corey Liuget will also be trying to show their worth and justify their selections.

One final pair of players battling it out is the pair of kickers on the roster. Nate Kaeding will be looking forward to putting his previous season behind him when he was injured on the opening kickoff, while Nick Novak, who was brought in as a replacement last season, will be hoping for an improvement of his performance against Green Bay where he missed his only attempt. Although Kaeding is a better kicker, he has a much larger contract and he has shown in the past that he cannot cope with the pressure of kicking post season field goals.As it is rare for a pair of kickers to be on the same roster in the regular season, both will be looking to avoid the dreaded cut.

Either way tonight's game promises to throw up some intriguing competitions and Charger fans will be hoping to see if some players can stand out from the rest. Highest on the wish list for coaching staff and fans will be for a running back to prove himself to be ready to start week one with the absence of Ryan Mathews.

Thursday 16 August 2012

What we have learnt after week one

Firstly, I apologise for the lack of recent articles but now the football season has as good as begun and I am free for the rest of the year, I am back to regularly adding posts to the blog.

In week one of the preseason, Charger fans learnt a fair bit about their team and what our fate may be come the end of the season. It is admittedly very difficult to judge a team's future on how they performed in the first week of preseason but what did we discover about the Chargers when they played Green Bay?

Well, we learnt that yet again Ryan Mathews cannot stay clear of injury. On his first possession of the game he suffered a broken clavicle which is expected to take him 4-6 weeks to recover from. Mathews is said to be targeting a comeback against the Raiders in week one but whether that is realistic or not, only time will tell. This injury encourages yet more doubt as to whether Mathews' body can live up to the strains of being a top back in the league. Many NFL analysts had predicted a huge season for Mathews this year and if he gets back for week 1 or 2 the season could still live up to expectation. Overall you have to be pleased as a Charger fan that this happened week one of the preseason rather than week one of the regular season and I'm sure that Ryan will be determined to get on that field against the raiders in the opening game of the season.

The rest of our offense seemed to perform solidly. Antonio Gates who said himself in training camp that he felt 100% fit put in an impressive performance and managed to link up with Rivers for a touchdown. This was a great site for the Chargers because if Gates can return to his usual self then there will inevitably be a much higher touchdown to field goal ratio as Gates when healthy excels in the red zone.Vincent Brown who had a promising season last year managed to gain 80 yards with four receptions. This will keep up the pressure on Eddie Royal for the third position on the depth chart and will likely lead to to the pair sharing time in the slot receiver position. As for Rivers he was fairly solid throwing both a touchdown and an interception but we will have to wait and see how Rivers performs when the pressure is on in the regular season before we judge how good he will be. The quarterback who most impressed me was Jarrett Lee who found his feat in the NFL very quickly. I admit he was against a second string defence but throwing for 235 yards and a completion percentage of 68.2 is certainly impressive.

On the defencive side of the ball the Chargers impressed. Top rookies Melvin Ingram and Kendall Reyes sttod out with Reyes kicking off his sack total. Ingram went on a blitz against Aaron Rodgers on 4th and 2 and grabbed hold of him forcing Rodgers to chuck it straight to Cornerback Cason's outstretched hands. This play by Ingram should get the whole organisation exited. He ran past the left tackle like he wasn't even there and got straight to the quarterback. All I can say is to watch this guy and expect Shawn Merriman type performances out of him.

So overall it was a good start to the preseason for the Chargers who will hope to have Mathews back as soon as possible and will want impressive rookies Melvin Ingram and Kendell Reyes to continue to get to the quarterback.