In Week 6 San Diego hosted a 5-0 Denver team and lost. Denver progressed to 6-0 whilst San Diego fell to 2-3 were written off by many. Defense was the issue for San Diego. Chargers QB Philip Rivers was playing well then and he’s playing better now. TE Antonio Gates looks healthy and WR Malcolm Floyd has deposed WR Chris Chambers (released). The game winning drive at the Meadowlands was as good as it gets.
Denver is in trouble. The Broncos are an ordinary team and it is now showing. The injury suffered by QB Kyle Orton means that he is a game time decision. Backup QB Chris Simms looked terrible against Washington last Sunday. But the real problem is in the running game. Denver cannot run the football. This has reduced the impact of TE Tony Scheffler, who was huge in the second half at Qualcomm. If the Chargers can play decent defense on first down, and force passing situations, the Chargers should win. Dallas and New England dominated Denver for periods before losing momentum late. San Diego plays every year at Mile High, and has the better football team.
The first week is all played out and I’m proud to be able to claim the crown for the moment. I called one more game correctly than ProSet and am going to brag about it while I can. I know for a fact that we were both sweating on Monday’s games, waiting for New England and San Diego to recover from surprising strong starts from Buffalo and Oakland.
Check out the full results over here and tell us how much better you did in the comments. Keep an eye out, our week 2 selections will be up shortly – the games just keep getting bigger and better!
Quick question, why are the Oakland Raiders still allowed to play in the NFL? When you’ve set all kinds of records for losing streaks (six straight seasons with at least 11 losses, anyone?), surely it’s time to think seriously about whether or not football is right for you?
Things don’t improve at all for the Raiders as they line up to face fate, destiny, the Chargers again to open their season tonight.
Last season Philip Rivers unequivocally proved that he is the right man to lead this offense, with great improvement with his all round skills, decision-making, pressure plays and reads. Expect him to make good use of tonight as a bonus preseason warmup game. If LaDainian Tomlinson also exhibits some of his potential, then tonight will in all likelihood be a whitewash. Even with the potential distractions of Shawne Merriman’s off-field dramas, I don’t think we can really expect the Chargers to be outmatched, outclassed or overwhelmed in this matchup.
It’s hard to feel sorry for the Raiders anymore. Their management has taken the team beyond lost history and pride, and turned it into a modern day joke. They’ve had about a million coaching changes in the last few years (ok, ok – 5 coaches in six years, but is that really anything to brag about?) and their current coach is allegedly having fights with his assistants. Even so, it’s hard to feel sorry for the guy in spite of the fact that he’s clearly feeling the pressure. Anyone who signs on as the coach of the losingest team in football has to be a glutton for punishment. Even with the trade of former Patriots DE, Richard Seymour, the simple truth is that nobody likes the Raiders.
Conclusion
The Raiders suck, we all know they suck. Heck, the Chargers don’t even have to play good to win this thing. The Raiders have to play great just to avoid dying of embarrassment.
If a team that fumbles or muffs the ball forward is ultimately downed at a point of better field position, the dead ball spot should become the spot of the forward fumble or forward muff.
If a running back fumbles forward at the OPP 1 yard line, and the offense recovers in the endzone, the dead ball spot should be at the 1 yard line. Backward fumbles are fine. No one wants to add to the complexity of officiating by adding a distinction between backward fumbles and laterals.
Unfortunately, the NFL has done just that. The rule (on 4th down or in final two minutes) that only the runner can advance ANY fumble is philosophically wrong. The rule is designed to dissuade “deliberate” fumbles: such as the Raiders vs Chargers Holy Roller. But a deliberate backward fumble is conceptually identical to a lateral: a team concedes ground and possession to risk a greater gain.
Proposed rule: “Excluding the enforcement of penalties, no team shall enjoy a dead ball spot beyond the point at which that team fumbled or muffed the ball forward during any play from scrimmage, or any free kick.”
Whether a fumble was forward would be reviewable. Will the NFL Competition Committee be proactive for once?
In the 50th anniversary AFL season, the AFC West looks like a one team show. Al Davis, Pat Bowlen and Clark Hunt proffer three head coaches with one combined season of NFL head coaching experience. Norv Turner knows that 5-8 will not again be parlayed into a home playoff win. San Diego expects to win; the others hope.
Looking forward, season 2009 will be defined by the three AFC West games that open the schedule for the Raiders. Tom Cable is on the hot seat at 0-0. He needs help. Two recent SEC superstars need to deliver. QB JaMarcus Russell (LSU) and RB Darren McFadden (Arkansas) will feel the heat this season. They weren’t drafted to be backups. Some blocking and catching would help; I think that WR Javon Walker probably owes several TDs to the Raiders.
On defense, the anchor is Cleveland and Denver reject: DT Gerard Warren. Denver is well known for quality run defense: ask Mike Shanahan. It looks like DE Derrick Burgess will again be the sole pass rush threat. And he had better get to the QB fast, as the Raiders have been awful at safety since Shannon Sharpe humiliated them in the 2000 season AFC Title game.
Fearless Prediction: 5-11 and swept by the Chargers again
Big Dog Barks: To be honest with you, I’d actually forgotten the Raiders still existed. As a team they’re equivalent of the “payroll error” in the movie Office Space – everyone stopped paying attention to the Raiders years ago and they just kept turning up anyway. Actually I think Oakland could benefit from holding open tryouts and seeing who turns up – at least then we’d have something interesting to watch. Who knows, maybe there are some talented high school kids in the Bay Area who deserve a shot?
Foolhardy Guess: 4-12 assuming that somebody can talk Rudy into playing for them -
ProSet Proclaims: Denver deserves to have a better season. Owner Pat Bowlen is a loyal guy. But one playoff win in ten seasons is firing material in Cincinnati, let alone Denver. No Sunday night games illustrate the fall.
Josh McDaniels has blown up the skill positions in his first off-season. QB Jay Cutler was traded for QB Kyle Orton. RB Correll Buckhalter is new. RB Knowshon Moreno (UGA) was drafted first round. WR Brandon Marshall is unsettled. Considering his predecessor was a supposed offensive genius, this is another example of perception overcoming reality. I mean, people still believe that the GOP is the party of small government, but both major parties are as wasteful as each other regarding public funds.
On defense, Denver is apparently considering a new system: tackling opposition runners and covering opposition receivers. New Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan says that pressuring the passer is a bit advanced for the Donkeys. The depth chart backs him up.
Fearless Prediction: 7-9 with Thanksgiving prayers not to repeat the last Giants at Broncos match
Big Dog Barks: It’s sorely tempting to ask if “Mile High” is a reflection of Pat Bowlen’s mental state. To display this much loyalty after one playoff win in ten seasons implies he’s on some really good medication, or that somebody has compromising photos stashed away somewhere.
In any case, this is the year to try new things, like basic defense and offense. It remains to be seen how well they will do, but it’s hard not to echo Homer’s sentiments after Hank Scorpio gives him a football team –
ProSet Proclaims: This will be a tough season in Kansas City. The networks agree. The Chiefs have zero prime time games (despite crossing over with the ratings powerhouse NFC East). There is only one potential nationally televised game: Week 17 at Denver. CBS lower lights Don Criqui or Bill Macatee might as well buy a trailer next to Arrowhead.
On the field, the Chiefs will be sorely disappointed by new coach Todd Haley. The current trend to hire ‘hot’ coaching commodities on the back of one playoff run show s a disturbing bias towards ticket sales and ‘buzz’ over results. QB Kurt Warner to WR Larry Fitzgerald is not available. Legendary TE Tony Gonzalez has been traded. RB Larry Johnson, if his heart is in it, still holds the key to the Chiefs offense. The last remnant of the great mid-decade Chiefs O-Line, G Brian Waters, is unhappy. This is not good news for QB Matt Cassel. He might want to hire a full time home help.
Without the football (Chiefs fans are used to this) the new 3-4 defense looks weak up front. Glenn Dorsey will need to adjust fast to the difficult life of a 3-4 end. He’ll be expected to attract enough attention to free up blitzing linebackers. If he does his job well, doubtless the ill-informed will then highlight his low individual stats.
Fearless Prediction: 4-12 with a win over Denver to honour Lamar Hunt
Big Dog Barks: It takes a whole lot of things to come together in order to have a winning football franchise, no single coach or player can do it alone. Unfortunately for the Chiefs this year too many key members have been traded, lost or have other reasons to not be bonding well and this does not bode well for the possibility of developing real team cohesion.
They might get lucky and find the intensity of their first few games motivating enough to form them into a tight-knit unit but that doesn’t seem very likely. This will be a good season for Kansas City fans to circle the wagons and stockpile rations, they’re going to feel under siege.
Foolhardy Guess: 3-13 with the cavalry charging in to save the other side
Proset Proclaims: Norv Turner needs a faster start this season: and he gets the Raiders to open. San Diego should be 6-0 in the AFC West and beat CLE and CIN easily: that’s 8 wins.
I was really impressed with QB Philip Rivers last season. With RB LaDainian Tomlinson below his best, Rivers owned the offense. RB Darren Sproles got a lot of love for his efforts, but San Diego set up the run with the pass. As long as he hasn’t lost a step, WR Chris Chambers is the key receiver. He can draw a safety wide, allowing TE Antonio Gates to run the skinny post inside. I would line up Gates in the slot with Chambers at split end. If the defense floods that side, WR Vincent Jackson should have acres of space opposite. Rivers is now mature enough to make the right decision.
On defense, I felt that DT Jamal Williams was not quite as dominant last season. Obviously the injured LB Shawne Merriman stole the headlines. The Chargers have a good secondary. The linebackers must stay disciplined. There was a lot of outside rush last year and resultant inside gashing. Sacks look good. But an opposition YPC of fewer than 3.5 will win games.
Fearless Prediction: 12-4 with the game at Dallas being a season highlight
Big Dog Barks: Rivers was great for the Chargers last year and his decision making visibly improved as the season progressed. Expect more of the same this year, especially if Norv Turner can continue to make good use of his other key assets. The Chargers are on their way to being an electrifying team in the NFL once again. Look for them to get out to an early lead and to build on their winning momentum. Clearly they are the frontrunners for their division.
Foolhardy Guess: 14-2 with early breathless commentary about their ability to go undefeated
