Chargeroo
11-04-2006, 09:08 AM
Posted By Rich Campbell On 30th October 2006 @ 21:27 In Chargers Confidential (http://chargers.mostvaluablenetwork.com/category/chargers-confidential/) | No Comments (http://chargers.mostvaluablenetwork.com/chargers-confidential/theres-plenty-of-thunder-in-these-lightning-bolts/#comments)
In the aftermath of the victory over St. Louis, I have found many thoughts running through my mind. Praise of Peyton Manning and the best clutch kicker in the game…wondering if Shaun Phillips is ready and how many minutes it will take after he is pronounced ready to start before Shawne Merriman drops his appeal…(OK, a moment about that. Well done guys! Shawne gets a chance to fight for his good name and we don’t go without both starting OLB’ers in any games. Well played and I know you can’t call it what it is but I still appreciate it.)…enjoying the sight of the standings and thinking that we are well set up for the second half…wondering how to react to a Charger team that is actually good on both offense and defense.
But the most unconventional of my thoughts may lie around this…this is a smash mouth football team. This team hits HARD. I keep looking for George Halas or Lombardi on the sidelines. I keep looking for someone to pull out a black jersey (ever notice that teams with an organizational “rep” as hard-hitting wear black or deep-deep-deep blue?).
Sure. This team has Shawne Merriman. This team has Jamal Williams. Of course they hit hard…
Only I’m not only talking about defense. We have some monsters on “D”, oh yes we do. Shawne Merriman is in his second year in the league and is already known as the guy who knocked Priest Holmes off his pedestal. There are plenty of guys on this defense that love to hit.
But this team has offensive players that are gaining that reputation as well, or that have already earned it. Did you see the stiff arm that L.T. gave on his way to the end zone yesterday? At the start of his 38-yard 1st quarter TD scamper, he put out his left arm and flat out embarrassed a Ram’s safety with an unpronounceable name, sending both helmet and doo rag to the Qualcomm Stadium turf, with the player soon to follow.
We have receivers that welcome contact as well, or at least don’t avoid it like some at their position do. Sometimes I wonder if Eric Parker deliberately finds the spot on the field where at least three defenders will converge before going three feet in the air after a ball. Keenan McCardell often seems fearless. Vincent Jackson and Malcolm Floyd aren’t exactly small guys and Kassim Osgood has mostly made his rep as a special teams tackler.
Of course, Offensive Line play is as much about physical power as any position on the field, and while the Chargers group doesn’t have the gaudy name recognition of an Orlando Pace type, they are more than holding their own.
Antonio Gates is playing more aggressively on the blocking and contact side, and Brandon Manumaleuna looks and sounds like the guy who picks you up and tosses you to a Honolulu curb after you get a little too fresh with the girl handing out leis.
Ok…no one expects a Quarterback to be physical. And considering how much is resting on him staying healthy, I’d be quite happy to see Phillip Rivers hook slide away from contact all year…
But behind and to the side of the QB are the guys really making this team into an offensive hitting force. L.T. may be known for speed, but he is also quickly becoming known as someone who will push out an arm and make you look like a fool on national TV, especially if you wear an NFC uniform. Remember last year against Washington?
Michael Turner is a bruiser. He loves bouncing off people and I am convinced that Turner could start for about 20 NFL teams. Only the stellar talents of LaDainian keep him from his own 1000 yard seasons.
Clearing the way for both of them, you have the preeminent offensive hit-man in the game. Lorenzo Neal. Lorenzo Neal just lives to hit people,to go low and knock a guy back. To spring his trailing ball carrier for a big run…Lorenzo Neal has blocked for a 1000 yard rusher for 8 straight seasons. Eight! With four or five different teams. Tony Siragusa was talking about Neal on Sunday, saying how nobody gets lower with that much force. Talking about how Neal knocked him silly on a field a few years back. Siragusa outweighs Lorenzo Neal by a C-note or more! Lorenzo Neal is a wrecking ball.
We spent years enjoying the light show in the eighties, but we never got a ring…I’m all for making some noise this year.
Article printed from Most Valuable Network - Chargers Confidential: http://chargers.mostvaluablenetwork.com (http://chargers.mostvaluablenetwork.com/)
URL to article: http://chargers.mostvaluablenetwork.com/chargers-confidential/theres-plenty-of-thunder-in-these-lightning-bolts/
In the aftermath of the victory over St. Louis, I have found many thoughts running through my mind. Praise of Peyton Manning and the best clutch kicker in the game…wondering if Shaun Phillips is ready and how many minutes it will take after he is pronounced ready to start before Shawne Merriman drops his appeal…(OK, a moment about that. Well done guys! Shawne gets a chance to fight for his good name and we don’t go without both starting OLB’ers in any games. Well played and I know you can’t call it what it is but I still appreciate it.)…enjoying the sight of the standings and thinking that we are well set up for the second half…wondering how to react to a Charger team that is actually good on both offense and defense.
But the most unconventional of my thoughts may lie around this…this is a smash mouth football team. This team hits HARD. I keep looking for George Halas or Lombardi on the sidelines. I keep looking for someone to pull out a black jersey (ever notice that teams with an organizational “rep” as hard-hitting wear black or deep-deep-deep blue?).
Sure. This team has Shawne Merriman. This team has Jamal Williams. Of course they hit hard…
Only I’m not only talking about defense. We have some monsters on “D”, oh yes we do. Shawne Merriman is in his second year in the league and is already known as the guy who knocked Priest Holmes off his pedestal. There are plenty of guys on this defense that love to hit.
But this team has offensive players that are gaining that reputation as well, or that have already earned it. Did you see the stiff arm that L.T. gave on his way to the end zone yesterday? At the start of his 38-yard 1st quarter TD scamper, he put out his left arm and flat out embarrassed a Ram’s safety with an unpronounceable name, sending both helmet and doo rag to the Qualcomm Stadium turf, with the player soon to follow.
We have receivers that welcome contact as well, or at least don’t avoid it like some at their position do. Sometimes I wonder if Eric Parker deliberately finds the spot on the field where at least three defenders will converge before going three feet in the air after a ball. Keenan McCardell often seems fearless. Vincent Jackson and Malcolm Floyd aren’t exactly small guys and Kassim Osgood has mostly made his rep as a special teams tackler.
Of course, Offensive Line play is as much about physical power as any position on the field, and while the Chargers group doesn’t have the gaudy name recognition of an Orlando Pace type, they are more than holding their own.
Antonio Gates is playing more aggressively on the blocking and contact side, and Brandon Manumaleuna looks and sounds like the guy who picks you up and tosses you to a Honolulu curb after you get a little too fresh with the girl handing out leis.
Ok…no one expects a Quarterback to be physical. And considering how much is resting on him staying healthy, I’d be quite happy to see Phillip Rivers hook slide away from contact all year…
But behind and to the side of the QB are the guys really making this team into an offensive hitting force. L.T. may be known for speed, but he is also quickly becoming known as someone who will push out an arm and make you look like a fool on national TV, especially if you wear an NFC uniform. Remember last year against Washington?
Michael Turner is a bruiser. He loves bouncing off people and I am convinced that Turner could start for about 20 NFL teams. Only the stellar talents of LaDainian keep him from his own 1000 yard seasons.
Clearing the way for both of them, you have the preeminent offensive hit-man in the game. Lorenzo Neal. Lorenzo Neal just lives to hit people,to go low and knock a guy back. To spring his trailing ball carrier for a big run…Lorenzo Neal has blocked for a 1000 yard rusher for 8 straight seasons. Eight! With four or five different teams. Tony Siragusa was talking about Neal on Sunday, saying how nobody gets lower with that much force. Talking about how Neal knocked him silly on a field a few years back. Siragusa outweighs Lorenzo Neal by a C-note or more! Lorenzo Neal is a wrecking ball.
We spent years enjoying the light show in the eighties, but we never got a ring…I’m all for making some noise this year.
Article printed from Most Valuable Network - Chargers Confidential: http://chargers.mostvaluablenetwork.com (http://chargers.mostvaluablenetwork.com/)
URL to article: http://chargers.mostvaluablenetwork.com/chargers-confidential/theres-plenty-of-thunder-in-these-lightning-bolts/