RFDC wrote:
RFDC wrote:
Seems like a lot of people really like the Chargers this year.
Can someone fill me in on why?
Rivers is good. Gates is still pretty good.
RB--meh
WR--decent
Defense--not what it has been in the past.
Oh and the biggest thing, Norv Turner is still their coach.
Hmmmmm
So maybe Rivers isn't so good.
Charger love should be over.
OH MY FUCKING GOD!!! EVERYONE UP ON THEIR FEET FOR THIS ROUND OF APPLAUSE!! RFDC DONE *KILLED* THAT POST THERE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, HE ALMOST SAID SOMETHING!!! we got a basic grunty utterance, a half-assed kinda-statement that features no evidence of critical thought in the wake of phil and friends shitting the bed tonight, and then we get an edgy statement that loops all the way back to his original post.... OH MY LORD LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, RFDC IS RIGHT!! WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT?!?! SOMEONE AWARD THIS CAT 6 INTERNETS FOR HIS UNEQUIVOCAL EXCELLENCE ON KICKING ALL OF YOUR ASSES AT LIFE CUZ YOU SEE, WHEN RFDC DOESN'T EVEN NECESSARILY SAY SOMETHING AS MUCH AS HALF-ASSEDLY IMPLY IT, GOD IMMEDIATELY GETS TO WORK CHISELING OUT HIS PRESCIENT SOOTHSAYER-LIKE WORDS IN STONE, IF NOT SPELLING IT OUT IN CROP CIRCLES IN THE BRITISH COUNTRYSIDE!!!
all dumb caps/redundant-RFDC-hate aside, having watched this game the one thing that stood out to me was that kansas city was murdering the san diego o-line at the point of attack. it seemed like whenever rivers dropped back to pass there were immediately 1-2 chiefs either alongside him or pushed behind him, forcing him to either step up in the pocket or scramble outright. this carried over to the running side of things where most times mathews would have to make a quick cut in the backfield to avoid an un/blocked chief, so it seemed like it was some sort of moral victory to make it back to the line of scrimmage.... all things considered, i think ryan mathews did well to get to 13/57 on the rushing front, alongside 6/55 on the passing side (mainly checkdowns used as de-facto running plays) before he got hurt.
the chargers' defense had a few years there where it seemed like they were a + defense, but by now they're pretty much just average... come to think of it, short of the aforementioned bob sanders, i struggle to think of anyone on their defense... well ok now that i stop and think about it luis castillo comes to mind, but still, it's not like they have a defensive outfit featuring a bunch of players who have made a name for themselves... they're just kind of there, which means that this team is going to go as far as it's offense can take it.
in the three seasons prior to this one philip rivers was the fucking goods:
2008: 105.5 rating, 4009 yards, 34/11 TD/INT
2009: 104.4 rating, 4254 yards, 28/9 TD/INT
2010: 101.8 rating, 4710 yards, 30/13 TD/INT
and now this year, in 7 games, he's got a 80.7 rating, 2084 yards (9th in the NFL), and 7/11 TD/INT (how convenient... har har) and i think you can use tonight's MNF game as a microcosm for his season... philip threw for 369 yards, having to climb out of the hole he dug with two first quarter INTs, and then had the costly fumble when the chargers were killing the clock to set up the probable game-winning field goal. their kicker novak had three 40+ yard FGs, so it wasn't even like they were making it to the red zone for most of the game... they did later in the game, setting up an easy ~30yd FG, and then he did lead them on a successful game-tying touchdown drive (he threw a pass that got them to the 1) where he threw for the 2pt conversion, and then he led them down the field on an end-of-regulation drive for what should have been the game-winning-FG.
so like, i give philip some credit... he shook off the early INTs and managed to put his team in a position to win the damn game even tho he was working with his ~3rd string RB (mike tolbert didn't play tonight either, so mathews picked a great time to get hurt) and even though he was running for his life the whole damn game, he managed to do what he had to do to get his team there... and perhaps moreso than in years past this team is all philip rivers this year... it's only going to go as far as he's going to take them. and when he's not leading the NFL in yards, coupled with his-and-the-team's inability to finish drives with TDs, then sprinkle in some dumb luck like the fumbled center/QB exchange right b4 a game-winning field goal, and you're going to end up with some... blah like you got tonight.
still, the chargers are either 5-2 or 4-3 or something, and the AFC west isn't exactly chock full of teams that scare the ever-living shit out of you (seriously, who doesn't have the chiefs game listed as a win for the beloved?) so once again they're very probably going to make the playoffs.... and once you get in there, shit, you never know what'll happen... philip has got some weapons in vincent jackson, malcolm floyd, and antonio gates... and randy mcmichael is decent at TE2... i like mathews and think he's coming along, that is, if he can stay on the damn field... and tolbert has been solid with mathews doing their thunder and lightning thing, as the bulk of tolbert's production has come out of the passing game this year as san diego has their RB-pass/checkdown thing working to the tune of ~3-7 yards whenever they do it... so basically, their offense is nice and solid... on paper.
if i'm not mistaken, last year the chargers led the NFL in both statistical offense and defense and failed to miss the playoffs. i think that's the epitome of their problems... prior to this year, on paper, they're juggernaughts... on paper/fantasy-football, philip rivers is a quarterbacking god... but like, when it just comes down to it and it's time to punch the ball in and make plays... this team just isn't quite there. they're good, they're entertaining, but they're not going to tear your fucking throat out and then laugh as they make you eat your own flesh and it pops right back out through the hole in your neck. if you wanna call that a byproduct of rivers being a top-shelf bum, go ahead... if you wanna blame norv and say that he's a DRILLROD </dave wills> that, metaphorically speaking, even if he got [insert supermodel here] naked in bed with him he wouldn't know what to do with her, go right ahead... but like, there's just some kink/flaw in the system that's holding them back.... and i think the "charger love" comes from people knowing that they're perennially gonna be there making the playoffs and one of these years everything's bound to work out and things will go their way and then all of a sudden the chargers will make a super bowl run and then those people who were vocal about their charger love could be like "uh huh! look at that! i was sooooo right" --- until then tho, you're going to be left with the RFDCs of the world calling you an idiot because, HAR HAR, he's implying that the chargers MIGHT suck. but don't expect him to say anything, cuz really, all the dude can do is just parrot what other people have said.
summary for everyone who didn't want to fuck with this tl;dr post: the chargers are kind of like the 90s braves in that they're always in or around the playoffs but save a (possible) fluke year, they don't win any damn championships. therefore, they're an easy pick to succeed and since you know they're going to win a super bowl one of these damn years, so maybe this is the year... YOU GOTTA BELIEVE! IT'S GONNA HAPPEN! WHY NOT US?!?!
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Curious Hair wrote:
Les Grobstein's huge hog is proof that God has a sense of humor, isn't it?