Chargers lose to Falcons, but Rivers is ready for the Season
On Saturday, the San Diego Chargers lost to the Atlanta Falcons, 27-24. But, the Chargers went into Atlanta looking to improve on offensive performance compared to their last preseason game. Philip Rivers played great in the game, throwing for 185 yards and one touchdown. Philip Rivers and the Chargers offense were able to move the team up and down the field, which kept the Falcons defense on their heels. Also, Darren Sproles, Vincent Jackson and Michael Bennett all looked good and are ready for the season too.
For the Atlanta Falcons, it was a chance for Michael Turner to play against his former team. Turner played well rushing for 47-yards. In the end, the Atlanta Falcons were able to drive down the field and win the game on a 5-yard touchdown pass with 9 seconds remaining.
This last touchdown drive for the Falcons was a good learning experience for the Chargers defense. The Chargers defense need to improve on their 2-minute drill and the defense needs to learn how to bend, but don’t break. Luckily for the Chargers, it was their second and third string defense that struggled to keep the lead and hopefully it doesn’t extend to their first team defense.
For the San Diego Chargers, their new $93 million dollar man, Philip Rivers, looked ready to go for the regular season. The key is that the guys up front need to protect him. And, with time in the pocket, the Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers are going to be a dangerous team this season. Stay tuned.
Chargers sign Rivers to a 6-year Extension
On Monday, the San Diego Chargers signed Philip Rivers to a 6-year extension for $92 millions dollars, which included $38.5 million dollars guaranteed. This was a great move by the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers needed to sign Rivers and get this issue out of the way before it became a big distraction as the team gets ready for this season.
Now, both Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers can focus on football and towards the future. Of course, some may argue that Rivers hasn’t won anything in comparison to both Pittsburgh Steelers’ QB, Ben Roethlisberger, or New York Giants’ QB, Eli Manning, who were drafted the same year as Philip Rivers and have won Super Bowls.
But, Philip Rivers is a franchise QB and you need a player like that if your going to win in this league. The San Diego Chargers and Philip Rivers will do great things together, but the only question is will the Chargers win the Super Bowl under Rivers? We shall see.
(Sources: Chargers.com, NFL.com, ESPN)
Chargers Win, But Protecting Rivers is More Important
On Saturday, the San Diego Chargers beat the defending NFC Champions, Arizona Cardinals, 17-6 in a preseason game in Arizona. LaDainian Tomlinson and Shawne Merriman look and played better compared to their last preseason game. But, for the San Diego Chargers, Legedu Naanee played a great game in replace of the injured Vincent Jackson. Naanee had two catches for 54-yards and one touchdown. For Legedu Naanee, the most impressive play was a 49-yard catch on the Chargers first offensive’s play. The Chargers defensive also made some great plays by preventing the Arizona Cardinals from scoring a couple of touchdowns inside the red-zone.
However, for the San Diego Chargers, the problem was protecting Philip Rivers. A couple of times when the Chargers were driving down the field, the Arizona Cardinals were able to stop the Chargers by sacking Rivers. The Chargers need to do a better job of pass protection. Good thing that this was just a preseason game and the Chargers will be able to work on their pass protection. This is an important thing to do because protecting Philip Rivers is the key to the Chargers success.
What’s wrong with Brett Favre signing with the Minnesota Vikings?
Well, for longtime Green Bay Packers fans, it would seem wrong for the former Green Bay Packers quarterback and three-time MVP, Brett Farve, to sign with the Packers rivals, the Minnesota Vikings. However, on Tuesday, it became reality. Brett Favre signed a two-year contract with the Vikings.
For the Minnesota Vikings, this was a great move. The Vikings made the playoffs last year, but lost in NFC Wild Card game. One thing the Vikings were lacking in the playoffs was experience and leadership at the quarterback position. Now, with the signing of Brett Favre, the Vikings do not have to worry about that. The Minnesota Vikings have a great running game and with Brett Favre at QB, this could be a dangerous team going into this season.
For the Green Bay Packers, the challenge of winning the NFC North Division just got more difficult. Brett Favre makes the Vikings a NFC contender, not only for the NFC North Division, but also for the championship. Who would have thought that this would be possible? Brett Favre playing for the Minnesota Vikings. This move by the Vikings adds more excitement to the Packers-Vikings rivalry.
We shall see how the Packers fan will react to Brett Favre when he shows up in Green Bay wearing a Minnesota Vikings uniform on November 1st. But, the first game between the Packers and Vikings will be on Monday Night Football on October 5th. There will be a lot of anticipation for this game. The only question is who will win the game, the Minnesota Vikings and Brett Favre or the Green Bay Packers, stay tuned.
(Sources: ESPN)
Tomlinson and Merriman makes their comeback in Preseason Opener
The biggest question for the San Diego Chargers was LaDainian Tomlinson going to play in the preseason. After two seasons of not playing in the preseason, LT did make his 2009 season debut. Although Tomlinson only had 10-yards on four carries, LT did look good. Tomlinson also had one catch for eight yards.
But, the most important thing was that LT did not get injured. Another player that made his debut was Shawne Merriman. Last year, Merriman had his season end early due to having knee surgery.
Even though the San Diego Chargers lost to the Seattle Seahawks, 20-14, it was nice to see both LaDainian Tomlinson and Shawne Merriman back on the field. As the preseason goes on, we shall see if LaDainian Tomlinson and Shawne Merriman continue to play as they get ready for the regular season.
What’s wrong with the Eagles Signing Michael Vick?
The biggest question in the NFL was who was going to sign Michael Vick? And, on Thursday, it was announced that Michael Vick had signed a one-year deal with an option for a second year with the Philadelphia Eagles. Why would the Eagles sign Michael Vick? The Eagles already have a quarterback in Donovan McNabb. Also, the Eagles already have an athletic all-pro player in Brian Westbrook. So, why would you bring in the Michael Vick and the drama that will follow him?
Well, if there was a team that is not new to controversy, it’s the Philadelphia Eagles. A couple of years ago, the Eagles had to deal with Terrell Owens. But, this is very different situation for the Eagles. Who know what issues will occur as a result of the signing of Michael Vick. However, for the Philadelphia Eagles, it is a good thing that they have a good head coach and veteran players that will be able to deal with this issue.
In terms of playing football, the Philadelphia Eagles run the “West Coast Offense”, which Michael Vick played in when he was a member of the Atlanta Falcons. Vick will need to get into football shape and we shall see how he will fit in with the rest of the team. And, if Michael Vick can be successful playing with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Eagles can be a dangerous team going into this season.
(Sources: ESPN)
Why L.T. Should Not Play in the Preseason?
The only reason why LaDainian Tomlinson should not play in the preseason is because he could get injured and be lost for the whole season playing in a meaningless preseason game. On Saturday, the San Diego Chargers will play their first preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. And, one of the biggest questions for the San Diego Chargers is whether or not L.T. should play in one of the Chargers’ four preseason games?
The biggest issue of playing L.T. in the preseason is that there is a huge risk of losing him for the entire season, if he plays and gets hurts. Some may argue that Tomlinson and the offensive-line need to get their timing down or the Chargers offense and L.T. need to get a feel for each other. But, it only takes one wrong move or one big hit and his season would be over.
Besides, the preseason means more of rookies and free-agents wanting to make the team. The preseason also is good for the quarterback to get his passing rhythm down with the offensive-line and wide-receivers. But, when you have a superstar running back and former NFL MVP, playing him in the preseason is not a good decision. Whether LaDainian Tomlinson plays or not is up to the coaches. But, the bottom-line is that the risk is not worth the reward.
Chargers Show their Appreciation to the Fans
On Saturday, the San Diego Chargers had their annual Fan Fest at Qualcomm Stadium. Fan Fest gives the Chargers’ fans a chance to see their favorite team and players. More than 19,000 fans should up to show their support for the Chargers.
This is a great thing that the San Diego Chargers organization does for the fans. For the Chargers players, it gives them a chance to see how excited the fans are for this team. Fan Fest included a performance by the Charger Girls and gave the fans a chance to get autographs from their favorite Chargers players.
Chargers Fan Fest also included a team scrimmage. The fans got a chance to see their favorite players in action, like Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson. With their first preseason game on August 15, Fan Fest is a great way to get the Chargers players and Chargers fans fired up for the up and coming season.
(Sources: San Diego Union-Tribune, Chargers.com)