Another Distraction for Chargers Prior to Loss on Sunday
You would think that the players from San Diego Chargers would have learned their lesson about not getting involved from outside distractions during the season, but you would be wrong. Prior to the San Diego Chargers game vs. the New York Jets, Chargers wide-receiver, Vincent Jackson was pulled over by the police for playing his music too loud. Jackson was then handcuffed for a brief time and had his car impounded for having expired tags. Vincent Jackson was also cited for having a suspended license.
It is hard to believe that this could happen before the biggest game of the season for the Chargers. It is hard enough for a wide-receiver during a game to be handcuffed by New York Jets cornerback, Darrelle Revis. But, to have it happen by the police before a playoff game is unacceptable. You can only hope that Vincent Jackson has will finally learn his lesson, but only time will tell.
(Sources: Fox Sports, San Diego Union-Tribune)
Big Win for Chargers in Dallas
All last week in Dallas, there was a lot of talk about the struggles of the Dallas Cowboys to win in December. And, once again, the Dallas Cowboys could not get it done, as the Chargers beat the Cowboys 20-17 on Sunday. But, for the San Diego Chargers, they have no trouble winning in December. The San Diego Chargers are now 16-0 in December under Philip Rivers.
Philip Rivers played a good game for the Chargers. Rivers threw for 272-yards and had one touchdown. Also, wide-receiver, Vincent Jackson, was another player who had a good game for the Chargers. Vincent Jackson had seven catches for 120-yards. But, for the San Diego Chargers, it was their defense that stepped up in this game. The biggest plays on defense were made by Chargers linebacker, Brandon Siler.
First, Brandon Siler sacked Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Tony Romo, in the first quarter. Later in the game, the Dallas Cowboys were driving down the field, however, they could not score a touchdown near the goal line. The Chargers defense stopped the Cowboys on four straight rushing plays and Brandon Siler was there to make sure that the Cowboys did not score. Towards the end of the game, the Dallas Cowboys failed to stop Chargers offense from marching down the field. The Chargers were able to take over seven minutes off the clock in the fourth quarter. The Chargers would eventually kick a field goal to ice the game for the Chargers.
For Tony Romo, coach Wade Phillips and the rest of the Dallas Cowboys, this was a costly loss. If the Cowboys won this game, they would have been on top of the NFC East division. However, it was not meant to be for the Dallas Cowboys. With the Cowboys losing, it leaves the door open for the Eagles or Giants to gain control of the NFC East. We shall see if the Cowboys can rebound or will it be too late for Dallas Cowboys as they try to make a push for the playoffs.
As for the San Diego Chargers, this was great victory. The Chargers are now on a eight game winning streak. But, more important than the winning streak is that the Chargers are two games up on the Broncos in the AFC West division. With two more wins, the Chargers can clinch their division. Also, since the Bengals lost earlier in the day, the Chargers are the second seed in the playoff race for now. If the San Diego Chargers can get a victory over the Bengals next week, it will place them in great position to make a great run in the playoffs. Only time will tell, so stay tuned.
(Sources: Fox Sports, ESPN)
Rivers Out Duels Manning as the Chargers beat the Giants
Coming into Sunday game both the New York Giants and the San Diego Chargers were looking to get a victory to keep up with their division leaders. In this game, it was just a matter of who would have the ball last. And luckily for the San Diego Chargers, Philip Rivers threw a touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson with 21 seconds left on the clock as the Chargers beat the Giants, 21-20.
This game mark the first time that Philip Rivers played against Eli Manning since the 2004 draft. In that draft, Eli Manning was drafted by the San Diego Chargers and then was traded to Giants. The Chargers would then draft Philip Rivers. It was a win, win for both teams. But, in this game, there could be only one winner and that would be the San Diego Chargers.
Eli Manning play great in this game, throwing for 215-yards and two touchdowns. And at times, the Giants defense kept the Chargers offense off balanced. However, it was not enough, as Rivers was able to get into a rhythm on the last drive that would eventually win the game for the Chargers. Also, when the Chargers defense needed to make a stop, Shawne Merriman proved that he was back. Merriman sacked Eli Manning twice, including on the last play of the game to preserve the victory for the Chargers.
For the New York Giants, this was a terrible loss going into their bye week. With the Cowboys taking control of their division, the Giants find themselves two games behind the Cowboys. The New York Giants have now lost their last four games. The Giants need to comeback from their bye and get on a roll because if not, the Giants are going to find themselves out of the playoffs.
As for the San Diego Chargers, this was great victory to keep us with Denver. But, the Chargers do have some issues. There was several plays where Chargers receivers drop the ball in curial situations. The Chargers need to catch ball to keep drives alive. Now, the Chargers have to get ready to play against the Eagles, another NFC East team. Let see if the Chargers can keep the momentum going as the Chargers look for their fourth straight victory.
(Sources: ESPN)
Releasing Chambers was the Right Decision for the Chargers
On Monday, the San Diego Chargers released wide-receiver, Chris Chambers. According Chris Chambers, the Chargers released him due to personal reasons. Chris Chambers was quoted in the San Diego Union-Tribune saying,
“I thought the team gave up on me a little quick – for factors that don’t have to deal with football. I guess it created a distraction upstairs. I kept my head on straight. We all go through things. I did my best to not have my personal life and football clash. They know a little too much of my life, and they used it against me.”
However, that was not the reason why Chambers was released. When Chris Chambers played for the Miami Dolphins, Chambers was a great and reliable receiver for the Dolphins. When Chambers was than traded to the Chargers in 2007, he continued to be a productive player for the Chargers.
However, this year, Chambers performance on the field has not lived up to expectations. Chambers became less reliable and his production when down. Also, with the emergence and exciting play of both Malcom Floyd and Vincent Jackson, Chambers became expendable. The Chargers have injuries on defense and need to find a way to fill that void.
Now, the San Diego Chargers and Chris Chambers will have move forward from here. The Chargers are getting ready to play against the N.Y. Giants and Chambers was claimed off wavier by the Kansas City Chiefs. We’ll see what happens when the Chargers play against the Chiefs on November 29, so stay tuned.
(Sources: Chargers.com, San Diego Union-Tribune)
Chargers get a Needed Victory over the Chiefs
After a disappointing loss last week, the San Diego Chargers were able to comeback and go on the road to beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 37-7. Philip Rivers looked sharp in this game. Rivers threw for 268-yards and three touchdowns. Vincent Jackson also had a great game for the Chargers. Jackson set a Chargers first half record with 142-yards receiving. The Kansas City Chiefs had no answers for the Chargers passing attack. The Chiefs did scored a touchdown in the 3rd quarter to keep the game close at 20-7. However, it was not enough, as the Chargers defense were able to keep the Chiefs offense off balanced and they also did not let the Chiefs offense get into any sort of rhythm.
The San Diego Chargers took control of this game when Philip Rivers threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to Darren Sproles. Even though it was a tough loss for the Chiefs, the Chiefs defense did come to play, especially towards the end zone. The Chiefs were successful on stopping LaDainian Tomlinson from scoring a rushing touchdown near the goal line on several occasions.
For the Kansas City Chiefs, this is a rebuilding year. The Chiefs will be successful someday, but not on this day. As for the San Diego Chargers, their offense needs to score touchdowns when they are close to the goal line. The Chargers should not settle for field goals. This is something that they need to work on, if the Chargers are to be successful this season.
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 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.