Week One Analysis - Let The Questions Begin/NFL Monday Quick Six
September 8, 2008 by Brandon Campbell
Filed under Chargers, NFL Football
Hello Everyone,
After months of waiting the beginning of the NFL regular season was supposed to provide the San Diego Chargers with an opportunity to silence their critics. Instead, the Chargers began the 2008-2009 season with an inconsistent and uninspiring 26-24 loss at home to the Carolina Panthers. Although the majority of media coverage has focused on the last second touchdown pass by Jake Delhomme, yesterdays game raises numerous different questions about the Chargers organization. I will examine these questions in the latest edition of the….
NFL Monday Quick Six
1) Can San Diego Overcome The Injuries? - The Chargers are currently dealing with a number of different significant injuries, the impact of which were evident throughout the season opener. For example, serious preexisting injuries to Shawne Merriman (left knee), Antonio Gates (hip/toe), and Jamal Williams (knees) caused all three players to miss part of yesterdays game. The status of these players for next week is uncertain, and it’s expected that all three players will be dealing with their injuries for the foreseeable future. The Chargers are also dealing with injuries on the offensive line, where starters Marcus McNeil and Nick Hardwick still aren’t healthy enough to play.
2) Is Norv Turner the right coach for this team? - This question has been asked since the Chargers fired Marty Schottenheimer after a 14-2 season in 2006 and replaced him with Norv Turner. The slow start from the Chargers last season only further encouraged the skeptics, as San Diego started the season 1-3 and didn’t beat a team with a winning record until week ten. Although the Chargers success at the end of last year alleviated some of the pressure on Turner, there are still a lot of questions about his ability to coach an NFL franchise. It’s safe to assume that another slow start for San Diego will once again result in calls for Turner to be fired, and you have to assume the leash will be a little shorter this time around.
3) What Else Went Wrong? - Even if you ignore the injury problems, coaching concerns and heartbreaking manner in which the Chargers lost the game, there are still plenty of reasons to be concerned. First and foremost should be the San Diego run defence, as they allowed a mediocre Panthers rushing attack to average 4.9 yards per carry against them yesterday. I don’t believe the Chargers struggles against the run yesterday should be attributed to the players, but instead the play selection. This is a direct reflection on the performance of defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell, who made more than a couple of questionable decisions throughout the game yesterday.
4) Did Anything Go Right? - Although there were plenty of negatives for the Chargers, there were also some positive signs. For example, the health and performance of Philip Rivers. There was some concern over how the young QB would perform after undergoing major knee surgery in the off season, but Rivers looked fluid in his motions and put up respectable numbers for the day (217 yards passing, 63% completion, 7.5 yards per pass, 3 TD’s). Despite the struggles of the Chargers defence against the rush, their performance yesterday in the red zone was impressive. The Chargers defence limited the Panthers to only one touchdown in four red zone opportunities. Also, the performance of rookie CB Antoine Cason was noteworthy. The Chargers first round selection from last years draft made an immediate impact, finishing the game with six tackles and a forced fumble.
5) At Least San Diego Isn’t The Only AFC Powerhouse Struggling - Although things look bad at the moment for San Diego, there are numerous contenders around the AFC currently dealing with similar problems. Both the Colts and Jaguars lost yesterday against inferior opponents, while the Patriots look like they will be without Tom Brady for the rest of the season. The first week of the regular season demonstrated that the AFC will be wide open this season, and the team that emerges will be the one best positioned to handle adversity.
6) And On That Note, San Diego Looks To Get Back On The Horse - As they travel to Denver to play the Broncos next Sunday. The Chargers have had the Broncos number in recent years, winning the last four meetings between the two teams and outscoring Denver 147-53 in the process. That being said, Invesco Field is never an easy place for opponents to play and the Chargers will need to regain their focus quickly after yesterdays heartbreaking defeat.
That’s all I have for now, but I will be back in the middle of the week with a detailed preview of the Chargers and Broncos game next week. Till then, take care and have an enjoyable week.
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September 8th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Is there something within the team or his scheme that they are off to the slow start last year and with yesterday’s performance ?
September 8th, 2008 at 11:38 am
I really have no idea what the problem is.
After the early season struggles from San Diego last year, I really expected them to come out with a better performance in the first week of the season. I have some concerns about the ability of Turner to motivate his team…..I mean the Chargers only really started playing well last season after LT called a players only meeting. I don’t think the Chargers organization will tolerate another slow start this season, so Turner better figure something out soon.
September 8th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Wouldn’t you also be concerned about the lack of solid depth behind L.T. ?
September 8th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
I don’t perceive there to be a lack of depth behind L.T.
We obviously miss Michael Turner and the depth he provided, but there aren’t many teams in the league that have a backup RB of his quality.
I like our current situation with Sproles and Hester, each back can be effective in different situations. I believe Hester can be successful in short yardage situations, while Sproles is an effective third down back.
Although he’s no Michael Turner, I think Darren Sproles is a decent insurance policy. I mean Sproles ran for 122 yards against the Lions last season, and has averaged 4.8 yards per carry in his brief NFL career. Obviously if LT goes down for the season the Chargers super bowl hopes will go with him, but I think if necessary Sproles and Hester could be a decent stop gap solution for a week or two.
September 9th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Merriman is going to have surgery on his knee announced today he is done for the year… Add the Chargers to the list of teams affected by injury!