San Diego Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Three Bold Predictions

Mediocrity and the San Diego Chargers seem to go hand in hand.
At times, the Chargers look dominant and ready to take control of the AFC West.
However, there are other times when the seat really heats up for Norv Turner.
Last week's drubbing by the hands of Atlanta 27-3, makes us sports fans really scratch their heads.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs were dead in the water trailing 24-6 against New Orleans, but they came alive and roared back winning that game in overtime.
Is Jamaal Charles really back from his injury? He looked the part last Sunday.
Here are three bold predictions.
Bold Prediction No. 1: The Chargers will throw the ball  -- A LOT
Look for San Diego to exploit the Chiefs' undersized secondary on Sunday. Kansas City’s best cover corner, Brandon Flowers, is only 5-10, so look for Philip Rivers to utilizes his taller receivers to get their offense going.
Kansas City’s pass defense is ranked 12^th in the league, which isn’t bad, but the Chargers' receivers are way more athletic and Norv Turner is excellent at spreading the ball around. After three games, Rivers' numbers aren’t impressive 688 passing yards, 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, but I expect those numbers to get a major boost in Kansas City.
Rivalry games bring out the best in great players, and Rivers will deliver.
But will it be enough for the win? Rivers' stat line: 27 for 41 360 yards, 3 touchdowns 1, interception.
Bold Prediction No. 2: Feed the Beast -- Charles will keep running, and running and running
Jamaal Charles leads the NFL in rushing with 323 yards and averaging six yards per carry. Charles ran for 233 yards against the Saints including that spectacular 91-yard touchdown so the Chiefs will live and die with the running game.
The Chargers are no slouch against the run. They are giving up 67 yards per game which is fourth in the NFL. Expect Chargers linebackers, Takeo Spikes and Donald Butler, to really play close attention to Charles and contain him early. However, as we found out last week, Charles can explode at any time. Charles' stat line: 23 carries 98 yards.  
Bold Prediction No. 3: Cassel will struggle, but the Chiefs find a way to win at home
Matt Cassel's numbers have not been impressive. In fact, he is borderline to be replaced if he keeps playing that way. Throwing four interceptions with a talented offensive cast surrounding him is not acceptable.
However, the Chiefs are playing at home in front of a rabid home crowd so I expect his numbers to mirror that of Rivers. With Jamaal Charles emerging as one of the NFL’s best running backs, the pressure is off of Cassel a bit. All he needs to do is to get the ball into the hands of Dwayne Bowe and Dexter McCluster and get out of the way.
KC has a potent three-headed monster attack, so look for the home crowd to will the Chiefs to a victory over their rival.

San Diego Chargers Daily Links: September 25, 2012

The Falcons game could have gone a lot differently if Mathews didn’t fumble near the Falcons' goal line. A touchdown there and the Chargers would have taken a 7-6 lead early in the second quarter. Obviously Mathews is a bellcow back for San Diego, but fumbles have been an issue in his career (11 total, six lost) and this was his first game action since the preseason opener. Maybe looking to Jackie Battle or Le’Ron McClain in that situation would have been a better option.

Mathews tries to shake off fumble - Scott Bair
"I told him to take those frustrations out on the next play and carry it on to Sunday against the Chiefs," McClain said Monday. "You can't dwell on the past, but you can learn from it. You can be better because of it. Ryan is so gifted, and his future is bright. I think he's going to respond well and play great football. He's going to be fine."

Bennett Honored to be Inducted into Chargers Hall of Fame - Ricky Henne
For the first time in team history, the San Diego Chargers allowed the fans to vote for the newest inductee into the Chargers Hall of Fame. Over 25,000 votes were cast, and in the end, punter Darren Bennett edged running back Natrone Means and wide receiver Anthony Miller to become the 36th member of the team’s hall of fame.

ReFo: Chiefs @ Saints, Week 3 - John Maney
While Charles was the man on offense, Justin Houston (+5.1) stole the show on the Kansas City defense, producing one of the most complete performances you will see from an outside linebacker in a base 3-4 defense. Lining up on the left side of the defense on 52 of his 61 snaps, Houston abused Saints’ right tackle Zach Strief, finishing the game with three sacks, three hurries, and a QB hit.

Turner Assumes Responsibility for Making Improvements - Ricky Henne
Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons was a disappointment, and no one understands that more than head coach Norv Turner. That’s why when addressing the media on Monday, he made it clear that he is putting the onus on himself to figure out what went wrong and get the team back on track starting with the upcoming game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Chargers shake off a sour first loss - Michael Gehlken (UT$)
"I don’t know that anyone knows where their team is right now," Turner said. "It’s early. … I’m upset as anyone in San Diego. I don’t like going out and having our team perform the way we performed. It happened; we’ve got to fix it. We will do everything in our power to fix it.

Moving on: San Diego Chargers - Bill Williamson
The Chargers were hammered by the Falcons, but backup running back Jackie Battle looked good for the second straight game. He had 55 yards on three carries. He should continue to be in the rotation

Chargers report: Philip Rivers not the only one to blame in San Diego

The Chargers quarterback won't be heard faulting his offensive line, consistently praising their work in the trenches despite pressure allowed with all-too-constant frequency, and he won't be seen pointing a finger at his receivers. But his supporting cast lacked in support Sunday in a 27-3 loss to the Falcons.
Never mind, for a moment, Atlanta was the Chargers' toughest opponent yet and deserves plenty of credit for forcing the issue.
In the locker room after the game, tight end Antonio Gates and wide receiver Malcom Floyd both accepted blame without prompting, saying they need to do a better job of looking the ball into their hands and completing the catch.
Their key drops aside, the pass protection struggled with Rivers under pressure on both his interceptions.
Rivers, sacked once, completed 21 of 38 passes for 173 yards. It was his lowest yardage total in a game since the 2009 season, and the performance broke a streak of 11 straight games with at least one touchdown pass.
Rivers had a 45.2 quarterback rating, his lowest since a 11-10 loss in Pittsburgh in 2008.
He expressed confidence the team can rebound next week against the Chiefs.
NOTES: Three of the Falcons' four touchdowns directly followed Chargers gaffes. In the second quarter, a Ryan Mathews fumble and Rivers interception each turned into scoring drives. In the fourth, punter Mike Scifres mis-hit a punt from the back of his end zone, sailing out of bounds at the Chargers' own 32-yard line. Scifres is as consistent as they come in the battle for field position, so the error was rare. Said Scifres: “It'll never happen again. I can tell you that.”

San Diego Chargers re-sign huge LT Jared Gaither

The San Diego Chargers on Wednesday re-signed mammoth left tackle Jared Gaither, who helped stabilize their offensive line last season.

Gaither, who is 6-9, 350 pounds, got to a four-year deal. Financial terms were not immediately available.

After playing his first three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Gaither was let go by last offseason. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs, where he spent 10 games as a backup before being cut. He then hooked on with the Chargers and started the last five games at left tackle.

As expected, the Chargers released left tackle Marcus McNeill this week because of lingering spine and neck issues. That cleared the way for them to re-sign Gaither, who provided dominant play in December.

The move comes with risk, however, because Gaither wasn’t always motivated in Baltimore and Kansas City. On the plus side, Gaither turns 26 next week, so he should have several prime years ahead.

On Tuesday, the Chargers re-signed center Nick Hardwick—another top priority on their offseason to-do list. Hardwick got a three-year deal shortly before he was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.

The San Diego Chargers are showing improvements on defense

Christopher Hanewinckel-US Presswire

The San Diego Chargers continued to show improvements on defense this season in Sunday’s 38-10 victory against the Tennessee Titans.

San Diego allowed 212 total yards of offense, Tennessee quarterback Jake Locker completed 50 percent of his passes with one touchdown and one interception while Chris Johnson had eight rushing attempts for 17 yards.

In two previous games against San Diego, Johnson combined for 36 attempts, 201 yards and two rushing touchdowns.  San Diego needed to and did contain Johnson so he was unable to take pressure away from Tennessee’s second year QB.

In 2011, 10 teams allowed more points per game than San Diego.  The Chargers also allowed about 5.8 yards per play to go along with the 23.6 points per game they gave up.  There were only seven teams who allowed more yards per play than the Lightning Bolts.

San Diego ranked last in the NFL at stopping teams on third downs as they allowed opponents to convert 49 percent of the time.  San Diego has shown improvement through the first two games this season.

San Diego allowed 14 points in their regular season opener which was a win against the Oakland Raiders.  In two games, San Diego allowed about 4.9 yards per play.  There are only eight teams who allowed fewer yards per play so far in 2012.

San Diego’s defense will face their first true test of the regular season against the Atlanta Falcons in San Diego on Sunday at 1:05 PDT. Atlanta ranked seventh in the NFL in points per game during the 2011 season and currently rank second at 33.5 for the 2012 season.

Atlanta QB Matt Ryan leads the NFL with five touchdown passes and no interceptions, so the Chargers will be in for a battle.
Read more at http://www.rantsports.com/nfl/2012/09/18/the-san-diego-chargers-are-showing-improvements-on-defense/#Q23iJv2EJGs8jOe2.99

The San Diego Chargers are showing improvements on defense

The San Diego Chargers continued to show improvements on defense this season in Sunday’s 38-10 victory against the Tennessee Titans.

San Diego allowed 212 total yards of offense, Tennessee quarterback Jake Locker completed 50 percent of his passes with one touchdown and one interception while Chris Johnson had eight rushing attempts for 17 yards.

In two previous games against San Diego, Johnson combined for 36 attempts, 201 yards and two rushing touchdowns.  San Diego needed to and did contain Johnson so he was unable to take pressure away from Tennessee’s second year QB.

In 2011, 10 teams allowed more points per game than San Diego.  The Chargers also allowed about 5.8 yards per play to go along with the 23.6 points per game they gave up.  There were only seven teams who allowed more yards per play than the Lightning Bolts.

San Diego ranked last in the NFL at stopping teams on third downs as they allowed opponents to convert 49 percent of the time.  San Diego has shown improvement through the first two games this season.

San Diego allowed 14 points in their regular season opener which was a win against the Oakland Raiders.  In two games, San Diego allowed about 4.9 yards per play.  There are only eight teams who allowed fewer yards per play so far in 2012.

San Diego’s defense will face their first true test of the regular season against the Atlanta Falcons in San Diego on Sunday at 1:05 PDT. Atlanta ranked seventh in the NFL in points per game during the 2011 season and currently rank second at 33.5 for the 2012 season.

Atlanta QB Matt Ryan leads the NFL with five touchdown passes and no interceptions, so the Chargers will be in for a battle.




Read more at http://www.rantsports.com/nfl/2012/09/18/the-san-diego-chargers-are-showing-improvements-on-defense/#Q23iJv2EJGs8jOe2.99

Sports Where San Diego Chargers Based Its NameRevolution was made

Where San Diego Chargers Based Its NameRevolution was made known to men the moment Benjamin Franklin made that risk to tie that kite to catch the charge caused by lightning. Truly, “charging” and electricity has delivered a lot of development to the entire world. The charge created by electricity which allows us to automate processes that are essential for the continuous enhancement in our daily lives. It makes household appliances do the job, computers, gigantic equipment and nearly all things accomplish the task.
Charge will not only mean electricity, the power of the word charge can also be put to use in business transactions. Just like credit cards. So long as it is with the credit limit of one's account, you can simply “charge” the things you really want and go buy straight away. Individuals keep “charging” what they really wish to get right up until they meet their wants. However, we are accountable and in charge for this kind of “charging”. This indicates that the term “Charge” suggests power and authority. And anyone has possessed that power of “charge” has the power to make things possible. One has to “recharge” to restore that power. Charging and recharging work together and makes perfect sense.
Undoubtedly, the word “charge” basically gives power and authority. This is where the professional football team, San Diego Chargers based their franchise name.
This team is a part of the bigger California and chiefly began to play under Los Angeles. However they transferred to San Diego following their very first season and received their initial title in the American Football League.
They have been displaying that they have something to clearly show ever since the merge of the American Football League and the National Football League. And since 2006, they have made 10 trips to the playoffs and 4 performances in the National Football Conference Championship Games. The San Diego Chargers team strives hard to better their game with the desires of succeeding a Super Bowl at some point.
And talking about California, which is the home of different tremendously competitive football teams like San Diego Chargers, it's without a doubt that the “Cali Life” really supports football. This is exactly why Chargers Tickets are continually sold out. It is no real surprise since most families go bonding and buy San Diego Chargers Tickets online to enjoy their favorite team play. Surely, football is not only a sport to play but a way of life as well.
It's truly interesting to see what the future has for the San Diego Chargers team and how they would carry on as being a part of California, this location that embraces football. So what are you waiting for, obtain your Chargers Tickets right now and go for that great big charge!

Rudy Shaw is a fan of spectator sports. He buys cheap great
Chargers Tickets online. He agrees that you can get affordable San Diego Chargers Tickets through a trusted online ticket butler.

NFL Must Change Blackout Rules When San Diego Chargers Retire Junior Seau’s Number Sunday

The San Diego Chargers are going to retire Junior Seau’s No. 55 jersey this Sunday in the home opener against the Tennessee Titans. It is a great gesture to the late Seau, who took his own life after enjoying one of the best careers in the history of the Chargers’ franchise.
Unfortunately, many of the people and fans who watched Seau have some of his best seasons with the Chargers may not be able to witness the game or ceremony take place due to NFL local blackout rules.
The Chargers reportedly still have several thousand unsold tickets entering this weekend’s game with the Titans. they have until 1:25 local time today to sell those remaining general tickets. If not, the game will not be televised in Southern California.
I understand the rule. I know why it is in place. But as they always say, there is always an exception to every rule.
San Diego faced a similar situation last year, when home games against the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals were not aired locally. In 2010, the Chargers had three games that also did not air locally, including the team’s first two of the season.
This season marks the fifth consecutive year that the team has not raised ticket prices, but season-ticket sales are reportedly lower than last year. The team has not enjoyed the same level of success on the field, so I understand the dip in sales. Due to that, I understand why a few Chargers games have not aired on local television.
But Sunday is different. Seau was so important to the people of Southern California. He was a member of the USC Trojans. he played for the Chargers in a Super Bowl. He did so much for the community and people in the area. Regardless of what the local blackout rules are, this game needs to be seen by anyone in the area who wants to watch it on Sunday.
I don’t care what it takes. The league can buy and raffle the tickets with the money going to concussion research instead of to the Chargers. It doesn’t matter.
But ultimately, someone needs to come up with an idea that will sell the remaining tickets and get this game on television for the people of Southern California.
For all that he did for the fans and the NFL, Seau and his family deserve at least that much.

San Diego Chargers Sign Veteran Tackle/Guard Reggie Wells

The Chargers had an open spot on their roster, and they filled it today with veteran Offensive Tackle/Guard Reggie Wells.

The team plans to use him at both the Tackle and Guard positions. Is this an indication of the teams lack of confidence in Tyronne Green? Or their lack of confidence in Jared Gaither returning?

Or a lack of confidence in Mike Harris? Possibly. The team had been carrying only 8 linemen to start the season, so it's not exactly a surprise that they signed an offensive lineman.

Standing at 6-foot-4 and 318 pounds, Wells was drafted out of Clarion in the sixth round of the 2003 draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He spent seven years with Arizona before being traded to

Philadelphia in 2010. In 2011 he was on the Carolina Panthers, and this year he spent training camp with Green Bay.

In his 10-year career, Wells has played in 117 games; and started 91 of those games.
Said Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith:

    The fact that we carried eight linemen originally, people knew we were looking for another one, and we found the right guy, and that's Reggie. With the Jared Gaither situation unknown and

a day-to-day process, we decided to make the move at this point in time. We will put him in at the guard and tackle positions, and head coach Norv Turner will decide exactly where he fits in for

us.

NFL Rumors: Will Ryan Mathews Have to Wait Until Week 2 to Play for the San Diego Chargers?

San Diego Chargers starting running back Ryan Mathews broke his clavicle against the Green Bay Packers on August 9, 2012. Mathews was expected to miss 4-6 weeks at the time of his injury.

Mathews said that he was aiming to come back at the earliest which would be Monday night’s game against the Oakland Raiders.  As of yesterday, Mathews has not been cleared for contact.  This could be a problem with the game just three days away.

San Diego backup RB Ronnie Brown has had success against Oakland.  In four games against them, Brown has 70 rushing attempts, 378 yards and two rushing touchdowns.  Mathews has not received enough touches to put together a great game against Oakland.

In two career games against the Raiders, Mathews has 15 rushing attempts, 93 yards and no touchdowns. Although Mathews did not received enough touches against Oakland, San Diego is 0-2 against them with Mathews.

San Diego is 8-2 in their last 10 games against the Raiders in Oakland including a win last season that ended Oakland’s playoff chances. While Mathews and Oakland’s starting RB Darren McFadden missed that game, Oakland is 1-3 against the Raiders with McFadden.

If Mathews is not ready to go by Monday, he should return for San Diego’s home opener against the Tennessee Titans on September 16, 2012.

Mathews was San Diego’s first round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.  In college, Mathews missed five games in 2008 with a knee injury. Mathews missed four games during his rookie season and missed two games last season.

While Mathews had injury problems in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012, the amount of regular season games he missed continues to decline. Hopefully the latter trend will continue for Mathews and the Chargers because they need him for this season and their future.

Share Print Email RSS San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders

The San Diego Chargers kick off the 2012 regular-season in a nationally televised game on ESPN’s Monday Night Football against the Oakland Raiders at the O.co. Coliseum in Oakland.  The Chargers own a 30-22 lifetime record in season openers, and are 3-2 under head coach Norv Turner.  The team is also 12-11 in season openers against the AFC West and 4-1 when the first game of the year airs on national television.

A Look Back At the Preseason

The Chargers finished the exhibition season with a 3-1 record, winning their first three games before falling in the finale at the San Francisco 49ers. Philip Rivers appeared in three of those contests, completing 24 of 30 passes for 235 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions.  Micheal Spurlock led the way with 10 receptions for 135 yards while Antonio Gates chipped in with six catches for 63 yards.  Defensively, first round pick Melvin Ingram led the team with two sacks in just three games, while Donald Butler paced all starters with 14 tackles and an interception.

What to Watch For…

On Offense for the Chargers

Rivers, the franchise’s all-time leader for career completion percentage and passer rating, leads the way for the potent Bolts attack. In last year’s season finale against the Raiders, he had an outstanding game, completing 19 of 26 attempts for 310 yards, three touchdowns and a passer rating of 135.1, so look for him to replicate that performance in the opener. His favorite target, Antonio Gates, also had a memorable game in Oakland last year, catching five balls for 106 yards and a score.

On Offense for the Raiders

Carson Palmer helms the Raiders offense. He started nine games in 2011, completing 60.7% of his attempts for 2,753 yards, 13 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. The Raiders lost last season’s leading rusher, Michael Bush, to free agency, but the dangerous Darren McFadden returns after a 614-yard, four-touchdown season in which he was limited to seven games due to injury. The Raiders top two receivers are Darrius Heyward-Bey (64 catches, 975 yards and four touchdowns) and Denarius Moore (33-618-5).

On Defense for the Chargers

New defensive coordinator John Pagano takes over a unit that was headed by safety Eric Weddle and linebacker Takeo Spikes in 2011. Weddle set a career high and tied for the NFL lead with seven interceptions, while Spikes led the way with 119 tackles, his 11th-career 100-tackle season. New to the defense are this year’s top draft choices Melvin Ingram and Kendall Reyes, who combined for 3.5 sacks in the preseason.

San Diego Chargers: Most Loved and Hated Players

Gates is the perfect player to start this list with.
The former basketball player for Kent State has put up great numbers throughout his career while revolutionizing the tight end position.
The 6-4, 260 pound athlete, has lined up virtually everywhere on the field for the Chargers quickly becoming quarterback Philip Rivers' favorite target.
When Gates has been injured or not 100 percent, the Chargers offense has struggled.
It is that simple. In ‘04 and ‘05, Gates broke onto the national scene by catching 80+ balls, 950+ yards, and double digit touchdowns both years.
Eight Pro Bowl appearances and three All-Pro team selections give the pass-catching athlete the respect he deserves. Injuries have slowed him down from accomplishing everything he “could” have done by now, but Charger supporters and football fans everywhere are hoping he will be back to full strength this season.
The fans have shown their support for him throughout the years and that’s why he makes the list as the No. 1 most loved player on the San Diego Chargers.
FS Eric Weddle
Eric Weddle is in his sixth season out of the University of Utah. The starting free safety for the Chargers since his second season has always been a solid, reliable player in the last level of the defense. Last season Weddle was tied for the league’s lead with seven interceptions and made the Pro Bowl.
The hard-nosed safety has quickly become respected by fans and players for his fearless playing style. At 5-11, Weddle isn’t the biggest player on the field but he plays with the most heart and would love to follow up last season with another terrific year.
The Chargers' safety tandem looks better this year than it has the last couple seasons with the addition of former Green Bay Packer, Atari Bigby. San Diego experimented with former Pro Bowler Bob Sanders last season and lost him for season due to an injury very early in the year.
Bigby and Sanders may look the same to fans due to their size and hair (dreadlocks), but everyone, including Weddle, hopes he can stay healthy and provide stability to the secondary.
QB Philip Rivers
In the 2003 NFL Draft, the San Diego Chargers had the first overall pick. They needed a quarterback of the future and the consensus first pick was Eli Manning. However, the days leading up to the Draft were filled with Manning whining about not wanting to play for the Chargers and hoping a team would trade up for him.
One question, why wouldn’t anyone want to live and play football in San Diego? Hmm. Nevertheless, the Chargers ended up getting Philip Rivers out of North Carolina State and he has proved to be a great NFL starter.
He may have an awkward release while Eli Manning has now won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants, yet the Chargers are pleased with his efficiency over the years and believe he is still the quarterback that can lead them back to the Super Bowl.
He has posted four straight seasons of more than 4,000 yards thrown and has been selected to the Pro Bowl four times. Last season he threw a career-high of 20 interceptions which carried San Diego to a disappointing season with no playoff berth.
Rivers is the leader on this football team and is poised to have a bounce-back year and lead the Chargers back to the AFC West crown.
MOST HATED
The Entire Offensive Line
After injury problems derailed the Pro Bowl careers of Kris Dielman and Marcus McNeil and forced them to retire, the offensive line of the San Diego Chargers has been an overall disappointing unit.
Last year's offensive line had so many changes throughout the season, it was hard for quarterback Philip Rivers to establish a consistent rhythm with the offense.
In my opinion you cannot succeed in the NFL if you do not have a solid offensive and defensive line. The battle of the trenches affects so many different facets of the game.
This year's projected starting unit will consist of LT Jared Gaither, LG yronne Green, C Nick Hardwick, RG Louis Vasquez and RT Jeromey Clary.
The season starts with a Monday night game vs. division rival Oakland Raiders and every fan is eager to see how the offensive line will produce this upcoming season. Almost any effort at all will be better than last season.
OLB Larry English
Larry English is a 6-2, 255 pound outside linebacker from Northern Illinois. It was a bit of a surprise when the Chargers selected him with the 16^th overall pick in the 2009 Draft and he has not lived up to the hype thus far.
While starting every game his rookie season, English only recorded two sacks and did not give fans any reason to love him after the team spent such a high pick on an outside linebacker when they already had a few solid players at the position.
The Chargers could’ve used the pick on a position of real need. His second and third season’s in the league have been even less efficient: seven tackles and two sacks last year. English had a decent preseason though and can hopefully be a consistent contributor to a pass rush that hopes to excel this season.
RB Ryan Mathews
I was reluctant to put Mathews on this list because I still believe he will become a huge contributor for the Chargers in the near future. He also had a very good year last year. However, injury problems and the inconsistency throughout his short career so far, has landed him as the last player on my most hated list.
The former 12^th overall pick has not lived up to high expectations since entering the league and having to step right into the starting job when Chargers legend Ladanian Tomlinson departed. He has had injury problems and has also had trouble holding onto the football as ball security is something he must improve if he wants to become an elite running back.

Last season he posted his first 1,000-yard rushing season to give San Diego fans hope, but he then broke a collarbone in the first preseason game and is expected to miss the start of the season. He is trying to return to action as soon as possible. Until then newcomer Ronnie Brown is expected to get most of the carries.

Will the San Diego Chargers’ offensive line struggle to protect Philip Rivers in 2012?

The San Diego Chargers had offensive line problems last season.  Four time Pro Bowl and two time All-Pro left guard Kris Dielman missed 10 games because of a concussion and he suffered a seizure on the team plane following a game against the New York Jets.

Two time Pro Bowl left tackle Marcus McNeill missed seven games last season and injuries took its toll on the Chargers.  Philip Rivers was sacked 28 times in the team’s first 11 games which included a season high six sacks in a loss against the Oakland Raiders.

Rivers also threw 15 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in the team’s first 11 games.  The Kansas City Chiefs placed left tackle Jared Gaither on waivers and San Diego ended up claiming him.  After Gaither was picked up, Rivers threw 11 touchdowns and three interceptions in five games.

Nick Hardwick was San Diego’s primary starting center from 2004-2008 and 2010-2011.  Dielman retired during the off-season, Hardwick thought about retirement and Gaither was a free agent.  Hardwick returned to San Diego when he signed a three year deal worth $13.5 million while Gaither re-signed for four years and $24.6 million.

Hardwick battled a concussion and did not play in last week’s preseason game while Gaither participated in one practice during the off-season, left with back spasms and has not played in a preseason game.

San Diego solved their offensive line issues in the last five games of their 2011 season.  Rivers was sacked two times in the team’s last five games.

Vincent Jackson led San Diego in receiving yards and TD receptions during the 2011 NFL season.   The Chargers lost Jackson in free agency, so this along with potential offensive line problems could mean a struggle to start the season on the right foot.

Hopefully Gaither and Hardwick will be ready for the season opener against Oakland on September 10th and stay healthy in 2012.

The San Diego Chargers released Roscoe Parrish and cut their roster down to 75 guys

The San Diego Chargers released veteran punt returner/wide receiver Roscoe Parrish yesterday.  Parrish spent seven seasons with the Buffalo Bills from 2005-2011.  Parrish also led the NFL in yards per punt return during the 2007 and 2008 NFL seasons.

Parrish missed a lot of games over the last two seasons as he did not play in eight games during the 2010 season and missed 14 games in 2011.  The Chargers ranked 22nd in yards per punt return last season among all teams, so Parrish was expected to help improve on this ranking. Parrish ranks second among all players in his career with an average of  12 yards per punt return.

San Diego also added former Denver Broncos return man/wide receiver Eddie Royal.  Royal ranks third among active players in yards per punt return at 11.9 yards for his career and is a better receiver than Parrish.  Royal and Patrick Crayton are capable of returning punts, so Parrish’s release was not a shock.

The Chargers also released wide receivers Jason Barnes and Jason Embree, defensive tackles Eddie Brown and Garrett Brown, long snapper Nick Guess, running back Michael Hayes, tight end Brad Taylor and offensive tackles Phil Trautwein and Michael Toudouze.

San Diego has to get their roster down to 53 players by Friday, so the final preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday will be the last shot for guys to make their cases.

Guard/offensive tackle Brandyn Dombrowski started 15 games and appeared in 46 of San Diego’s 48 regular season games from 2009-2011.  Dombrowski was placed on injured reserve yesterday while 2012 fifth round pick Johnnie Troutman was also placed on injured reserve.

It will be interesting to see which players survive roster cuts when the deadline is over at 6:00 p.m. PDT on Friday.

Injuries continue to pile up for the San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers will enter tonight’s game on the road against the Minnesota Vikings shorthanded.  San Diego’s starting running back Ryan Mathews broke his clavicle two weeks ago against the Green Bay Packers and could miss the team’s first two regular season games.

Vincent Brown had 19 receptions, 329 yards and two touchdown receptions as a rookie in 2011.  Brown had an opportunity to make more of an impact for San Diego with the departure of Vincent Jackson, but he broke his ankle against the Dallas Cowboys last week and could miss almost half of the regular season.

Jared Gaither started five games for San Diego at left tackle last season.  Before Gaither was added to the team, Philip Rivers was sacked 28 times in 11 games while he had 16 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.  After Gaither was brought in, Rivers was sacked two times in five games while he had 11 touchdowns and three interceptions.

Gaither participated in one practice during the off-season, left with back spasms and has not practiced after this happened.  Nick Hardwick was the team’s primary starting center from 2004-2008 and from 2010-2011, which included a Pro Bowl appearance in 2006.  Hardwick suffered a concussion against Dallas and could be out of tonight’s game against Minnesota.

Hardwick thought about retirement during the off-season, but re-signed for three years and $13.5 million.  Gaither got a four year deal worth $24.6 million to stay with the Chargers.  San Diego signed Gaither and Hardwick for a combined $38.1 million with $13.5 million guaranteed to Gaither and $6.5 million to Hardwick.

Injuries are a part of every sport, so hopefully these preseason problems with health will be the only time that San Diego deals with major concerns and will avoid them during the 2012 NFL season.

Taking a Look at the San Diego Chargers Offseason

The Chargers have been an enigma of sorts over the last two seasons, finished at or around .500 each season. Considering the talent that this team has on the offense side of the ball, that has to be concerning to fans in Southern California.
After all, we are looking at a team that can pretty much go blow to blow in terms of talent up and down their 53 man roster with every other franchise in the National Football League.
Despite a consistent inability to perform up to level, San Diego has retained head coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith. The 2012 season will be their last go-around unless San Diego actually does some damage in the postseason. Expectations are going to be high, but they need to actually put up on the football field.
These expectations have been raised due to a solid offseason by the Chargers.
While San Diego did lose Vincent Jackson to free agency, they more than made up for his production at the wide receiver position. Both Robert Meachem and Eddie Royal bring previous success and an ability to stretch the field with them to San Diego. They’re going to join Vincent Brown and Malcom Floyd along a wide receiver unit that promises to be much deeper and much more talented in 2012.
San Diego also did a solid job adding veteran talent to the offensive backfield. They picked up fullback Le’Ron McClain from the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs. McClain is not just a solid blocker, but he will be able to handle the short yardage situations that seemed to plague San Diego last year. Ronnie Brown comes in to take over the Chargers backup running back duties from Mike Tolbert, who departed in free agency.
Defensively, San Diego did a great job addressing one huge need. They were able to pry standout 3-4 outside linebacker Jarret Johnson away from the Baltimore Ravens. While Johnson will not put up the sack numbers that you expect in this scheme, he had been a mainstay in the same style defense in Baltimore over the course of the last eight seasons.
San Diego absolutely aced the 2012 NFL draft. The selection of Melvin Ingram, who had as a top 10 pick, at No. 18 was an absolute coup. The talented outside linebacker was the best pure pass-rusher in the draft. He adds another dimension to a unit that already boasts Antwan Barnes, Shaun Phillips, the aforementioned Jarret Johnson as well as the under-performing Larry English.
Kendall Reyes was another solid pickup, this time in the second round. The former UCONN standout will help a great deal along the interior of the defensive line against the run. His mere presence as a gap-filler should also help the Chargers wide array of pass-rush threats on the outside.
Two of my favorite mid-round picks in the entire draft were safety Brandon Taylor in the third round and tight end Ladarius Green a round later. Taylor will challenge Atari Bigby, a free agent signing from the Seattle Seahawks, for the starting strong safety spot opposite Eric Weddle.
Green, a small-school prospect from Louisiana-Lafayette, translates into being the heir-apparent to future Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates. Green has the athleticism and talent to become another in a next breed of tight ends that have joined the NFL ranks over the course of the last four or five seasons.
Overall, the Chargers did an amazing job this offseason. They filled a tremendous amount of holes up and down the roster on each side of the ball and are the most complete team in the AFC West.
That really doesn’t mean a whole lot on paper. They need this talent to translate onto the football field in the form of a deep run in the postseason. If that doesn’t happen there are going to be wholesale changes in Southern California.

Eddie Royal has deal with Chargers

SAN DIEGO -- Wide receiver-punt returner Eddie Royal joined the San Diego Chargers on Thursday after burning them a few times while with the division rival Denver Broncos.

Royal agreed to a three-year, $13.5 million contract, including $6 million guaranteed.

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Williamson Eddie Royal left the Broncos for the rival Chargers and Bill Williamson says the wideout is a good fit for San Diego's offense. Blog

"I'm just happy to be with a great organization," Royal told The Associated Press. "I've always had a lot of respect for the San Diego Chargers. Whenever we had to play them, we knew it was going to be a tough game, a hard-fought game, a high-scoring game, one that would come down to the fourth quarter. We knew they would be a well-coached, tough football team to play. When I got the opportunity to join them, I knew that I really had to give them a serious look."

Royal joined the Chargers two days after San Diego agreed with Robert Meachem. The Chargers lost top wideout Vincent Jackson to Tampa Bay in the opening hours of free agency on Tuesday.

In September 2008, after referee Ed Hochuli's infamous blown call in Denver, the rookie Royal caught a fourth-down touchdown pass from Jay Cutler and then ran the same route to catch the winning two-point conversion.

In 2009, Royal returned a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns in a 34-23 Monday night victory at San Diego. The kickoff return went for 93 yards and the punt return was 71 yards.

"They were big plays for me," Royal said. "They're something I'll always remember, but I guess it's time to put those to rest and make new highlights."

Royal has averaged 11.9 yards per punt return for his career, third in the NFL in that span behind Julian Edelman and Devin Hester.

Malcom Floyd and Meachem are the projected starting wideouts for the Chargers, with Royal and second-year pro Vincent Brown in the mix.

Denver won the AFC West last season behind Tim Tebow. San Diego has missed the playoffs the last two seasons after a four-year run as division champion.

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COMMENTARY | The San Diego Chargers are in the midst of a critical time with respect to their future in San Diego.

On Monday, Chargers' special counsel, Mark Fabiani, joined XTRA Sports 1360's "The World of Sports with Chris and Ben" and spoke about the issues surrounding the team's bid to get a new stadium built in San Diego. While most of his rhetoric was all too familiar to Chargers fans, it simply reaffirmed that winning immediately is critical.

That's because 2012 may be the team's last chance to convince voters in San Diego that the Chargers are a worthwhile investment when it comes to their tax dollars. As of now, the biggest issues stemming from the ten-year fight to acquire a fitting home for the team in the San Diego area have been funding and finding appropriate land. Currently, a downtown San Diego site is the most viable opiton.

Fabiani mentioned that the community will have a more defined course of action once a new mayor is in place following elections in the fall. Though he would not comment on any candidates that would be better suited for working with the team on the issue, he did say that they would aggressively work with whichever candidate assumes the job.

The good news for Chargers faithful is that the new collective bargaining agreement allows for a $200 million loan from the NFL. "The league values having a team here," said Fabiani. "The league will do whatever it can to help us get a stadium."

While the efforts of the front office and the league are well-documented, the team itself needs to step up in order to give fans a reason to want the team to stay. Though the Chargers haven't had a losing season since 2003, it stands to reason that a disappointing regular season in 2012 at such an important juncture in the franchise's San Diego history could spell disaster with respect to Fabiani's efforts and the stadium project in general.

Whether or not the hard work on behalf of the Chargers to stay in San Diego pays off remains to be seen. The fact remains that there is still a lot of important work to do, both on and off the field, to reach an agreement on a world-class facility.

The best thing the team can do to help its cause is win -- immediately and often -- in 2012.

4 San Diego Chargers Who Must Step Up After Vincent Brown's Injury

Second-year receiver Vincent Brown appeared headed for a big year with the San Diego Chargers. The athletic San Diego State product showed a ton of promise as a rookie and looked like a budding star.

Brown broke his left ankle during Saturday night's preseason contest against the Dallas Cowboys and has since had surgery to repair the fracture. He'll be out at least eight weeks.

The San Diego offense took a big hit with Brown going down, and now the rest of the roster must fill the void left by his absence.

The following are four players who must step up with Brown out.

SD Flash Hosts NPSL Championship Matches in San Diego

The San Diego Flash Soccer Club, are pleased to be hosts of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) Championship Weekend in San Diego (July 27 – 29).
The two Semi-Final Matches, a San Diego Flash Scrimmage, the Third-Place Playoff Match and the NPSL Championship Final will take place at their home field; Del Norte High School.
Friday, July 27, 2012
3pm – Playoff Game 1. FC Sonic vs Madison 56ers
7pm – Playoff Game 2. Chattanooga FC vs Bay Area Ambassadors
Saturday, July 28, 2012
3pm – San Diego Flash Scrimmage
7pm – 3rd Place Playoff Game (Loser of Game 1 Vs. Loser of Game 2)
Sunday, July 29, 2012
10am – U.S. Men’s National Amputee Team Clinic with Top Soccer (U.S. Youth Soccer)
12pm – NPSL Championship Game (Winner of Game 1 Vs. Winner of Game 2)
Said Clent Alexander, CEO of the San Diego Flash ”We are excited about continuing to provide quality soccer entertainment to local fans.
“I am proud to welcome the top representatives of  the NPSL and the Conference Champion teams from across the country to San Diego. I am sure they will appreciate our city, our facilities and most importantly the hospitality and support of our passionate soccer fans.
“San Diego is a soccer city and while our San Diego Flash didn’t make it to the Championship Weekend, we are still going to put on a Soccer Party!
“I encourage San Diego soccer fans to come out to watch all the action at the NPSL Championships starting on Friday at Del Norte High (Poway)” Mr. Alexander said.