Arizona Cardinals Vs San Diego Chargers: Ask Bolts From The Blue

We’ve heard the same thing from Manusky that every team with a new D-coordinator has heard. He’s more aggressive, he’s focused on creating turnovers, etc. etc. It’s not a big difference in styles, so we won’t know any real differences until we see a few real games.

Gates is not 100% healthy. The scary thing is that, outside of the first 6 or so games of last season, Gates hasn’t been 100% for years. He’ll be good enough to play and be one of the league’s best TEs again.

Rivers and Jackson’s chemistry is amazing. We almost forgot about it with VJax out last season. Jackson is a great WR and all, but it’s like him and Rivers can read each other’s thoughts. It’s a fun thing to watch again.

are the Chargers Special Teams improved enough to make a difference positively instead of negatively this year?

Yes! Three giant shifts here. First, the kick offs being moved up 5 yards helps a great deal. If that happened last year, the Chargers make the playoffs. Second, the Chargers fired Steve Crosby (who was good but was getting a bit stale) and brought in very-highly-regarded Rich Bisaccia from Tampa Bay, who has been a breath of fresh air in training camp. Third, the Chargers focused their draft picks and FA pickups heavily on special teams.

Last year, the thought process was that we didn’t need depth there because many of our players had started their careers on special teams. However, with it no longer being their focus….there was a noticeable drop-off. This year there are at least a handful of special teams specialists that should make the roster.

Is Phillip Rivers really as dorky as he seems?

Kinda. He’s dorky in that Beaver Cleaver way, but he’s also tough as nails and obsessed with football (and a wonderful leader/motivator). He’s pretty much everything you could want in a QB.

Is Ryan Mathews going to be any good?

Yes. I don’t know why after one pretty good rookie season a lot of people, including a lot of Chargers fans, are ready to write him off. He played through injury, but when healthy he showed all the talent they were looking for from him. If he can get better at not fumbling, a common issue for rookie RBs that is usually much improved in Year 2, he can be one of the best backs in the league still.

Any new players we should be wary of?

Bob Sanders! Seriously though…the first round pick, Corey Liuget, looks like the real deal at DE. He had a shortened camp, but has caught up quickly and looked downright dominant at times against the Cowboys last week.

No reason it’d change now. You would think, with two very different off the field personalities, that the guys might not be close but they are. As sad as it was to hear VJax got pulled over and cited for driving with a suspended license on his way to a playoff game, it was a good (and telling) sign that he phoned Rivers to pick him up on the side of the road and drive him to the game.

But I think John’s point is this: through whatever method you want to use, look up the various starting QBs for the Chargers between Fouts leaving and Brees arriving.

Besides Doug Flutie… that, my friends, is a wasteland.

I’m off two minds on it:

1. Larry is easily an elite WR and an elite football player. Therefore, to keep him, you have to pay him. If he’s already on the team, I say you do whatever you can to keep him. I can’t imagine that there are many people who don’t understand why the Cardinals would Give The Man His Money.

2. I just hope that the deal doesn’t “break the bank” for the Cardinals, and prevents them from getting a great (or even an elite) QB to throw to him. Because that’s the fundamental issue with the whole thing: you have this all-world WR, without a great QB to throw to him.

There was talk last year that the Chargers might go after Larry when he hit free agency, so I was a bit bummed by the news of the contract signing. Also, that will probably increase Vincent Jackson’s asking price next year, so there’s that concern.

How well do they pass protect?

One of the best groups in the league at it, when everyone is healthy. Rivers only gets hit on coverage sacks or when guys are missing (like McNeill last year, or Hardwick and Clary the year before).

Can they dominate in the run game?

At one point, this was the best o-line in football at run-blocking. LT gave them much-deserved credit when he was breaking his records. However, a different offense and a focus on protecting the QB has weakened their run-blocking. They CAN dominate, but will only really do it occasionally throughout the season. It’s like a shooting star.