San Diego Chargers Defeat Miami Dolphins 26-16
by creanium on Oct 2, 2011 4:30 PM PDT
in San Diego Chargers News
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PrintThat marks two games in a row now that have been iced by an Eric Weddle interception. With 2:53 remaining in the game and a 10-point Chargers lead, Eric Weddle intercepted Matt Moore. The Chargers would go on to get a first down, and with Miami having no more timeouts, the game was over.
Much like last week, the Chargers won, but many fans are no more confident in this team. By many factors, Miami is not that good a team this year yet, so there was the expectation that the Chargers would be able to blow out the Dolphins today. A blowout seemed all but certain once Chad Henne was knocked out of the game on the Dolphins' second drive of the game. But it wasn't in the cards as Matt Moore kept the Dolphins in the game, even coming into the game and leading them to a touchdown, putting Miami on the board first.
The Chargers offense had trouble finding their stride throughout most the game. It wasn't until the 4th quarter did it appear that Philip Rivers decided to hoist the team upon his shoulders and lead San Diego to a win. The team played sloppy throughout the whole game, racking up 8 penalties for 80 yards.
Ryan Mathews did finally get some success in the second half. On their first drive of the second half, Rivers connected with Mathews on a screen that saw him take the ball 42 yards downfield, which set up a Tolbert leaping touchdown. Mathews would then later break off 2 rushes for 33 yards.
The Chargers ended up getting 2 interceptions, and not giving up any turnovers of their own, albeit some luck was involved. Both Michael Tolbert and Ryan Mathews fumbled the ball, but they were lucky to not lose those fumbles. Randy McMichael fell on Tolbert's fumble, and Mathews was able to fall back on the ball he fumbled.
Injuries were a big issue again. Vincent Jackson was on the sideline half the game, Antonio Garay, Shaun Philips and Randy McMichael all dealt with time on the sidelines. On the good side though, Larry English had two sacks in the game, and Donald Butler was disruptive yet again.
Next week sees the Chargers heading to Denver, who got obliterated by Green Bay today. If the Chargers can get a win in Denver, they would go into the bye week with a 4-1 record; easily their best start in a long time.
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Must be a US reference, but he wasn't too bad today was he
I’ve still got hopes for English, and the use of Butler and Spikes on the blitzes worked also well this week. Did Butler finish the game on the field. He’s coming along nicely at the moment.
queen of the rec fairies
although it broke our hearts it did not break our will the herd
Getting Better...?
PROS
1. Eric Weddle = worth the stack of cash he got in the preseason.
2. 1 TD and 0 INT by Philip Rivers. relieved sigh
3. They’re playing lousy opponents and coming out with a W. Last season they played lousy opponents and came out with a L.
4. English, Butler and Gilchrist are showing promise. God knows they need the D needs as much help as possible.
CONS
1. Injuries are mounting. The one I’m most worried about of course is VJax. He is THE MAN for Rivers and not only does he need to stay healthy but AJ need to keep him for the foreseeable future.
2. Fumbles, fumbles, fumbles. Yeah they were lucky that they didn’t lose possession of the ball but it’s a killer that WILL kill them and HAS killed them (@Pats).
3. The penalties were today’s latest self-inflicted stumbling block. Costly 15 yd penalties stopped potential scoring drives.
4. No emphatic wins against inferior teams but like I said winning in September/October is sadly rare so you take it especially with the likes of the Packers, Jets, Raiders, Lions (yeah, the 4-0 Lions) coming up on the schedule. Difficult times ahead after the BYE.
PRO # 5
5. Vincent Brown. Bryan Walters who?
PRO #6
This is the first time the Chargers have been in sole possession of first place since the 2009 season ended right?
CON #6
suck it up, injures are apart of the game. Time for AJ’s talent to step it up.
The peanut gallery has spoken!!!
What was Con #5?
Bolts from the Blue // "I eat cereal out of a giant novelty wine glass because it makes me feel fancy." - Britney Wade
Bloody Elbow // "I think we're poking fun at Leland's 'boner.'" - Michael Fagan
as in them not being needed
The peanut gallery has spoken!!!
Hopefully
Two sheep, one profile
"9 out of 10 Americans believe that out of 10 people, 1 American will always disagree with the other 9" -Colin
Orton/Tebow
I kind of like Orton’s INTs but that was against GB. Yes, calling number 15.
I try not to be a hater I really do
but man, Tebow supporters are hilarious they really believe he is a good NFL QB.
Winning
Try living in Denver
There are two stories on each edition of the local news basically saying, “when will John Fox finally start Tim Tebow?” It’s nauseating, really.
"Los Angeles is like San Diego’s older, uglier sister that has herpes." - Justin Halpern
Gaslamp Ball Wiki - All you need to know about Gaslamp Ball, its members, and all the inside jokes
Bolts from the Blue
i see the stories just being a nfl fan
in denver it has to be over the top. i just cant believe how much of a polarizing figure the guy is. i was chatting with my little cousin the other day, who is a high school football stud. he loves tebow. i actually felt bad for ripping tebow cause this kid liked him so much.
Winning
I don't know if all of the supporters think he is a good QB
but I can see their logic, in a sense, for pushing to get Tebow playing time. Their team doesn’t seem to be putting it together any time soon. Tebow cost them a first round pick, and although one can argue “sunk costs are sunk”, the Denver franchise owes it to themselves to figure out sooner rather than later if Tebow can do anything. Certainly before next year’s draft.
I’m skeptical like you, but if I were a Denver fan, I would be pushing for Tebow to play right away (with cautious hope, rather than outright confidence).
wait the Chargers played today?
I had no idea considering I was totally not able to watch it at all not even 1% I promise nope didn’t watch.
"I suggest more bike" ~KSK
"The Red Sox and Yankees are playing as I type but I don't know who's winning because I don't watch Arena League baseball." - the genius TTG
Destroying your facts with opinions
What I take from this game
This Charger team is better than last years team for sure. Rivers is finding his legs again.. he is stepping into passes. The defense is sending more than 3 and finding success. We all know that prevent for San Diego doesn’t exists so lets hope we continue sending pressure…. Now to my point I really like this team. You look at the fact that right now there are 3 wins against.. yes I will say it crap opponents but sometimes those are the hardest games.. Just as Buffalo fans today. In San Diego though unlike Buffalo it is clear this team has yet to peak or even play nearly it’s best football! It was great seeing the field stretched and even better seeing Mathews continue to mature and turn into a Forte like runner/ receiver.
I saw growth from this team over last week.
They looked crisp at times on both sides of the ball; last week they looked tenative except for the D in the first half, but after looking at the game, I think it was because the chefs just flat out sucked. This game was more about executing a plan and it was done better than last week.
The team still has a long way to go and yes, the injuries are a concern, but I saw progress this week and I liked that. Plus, PR 17 dumping the ball when nothing was there instead of trying to force a throw somewhere. That was a relief.
North Texas REALLY needs a Rubio's franchise.
And this^
The peanut gallery has spoken!!!
Gilchrist
Needs to either replace Gregory in base or Hughes in nickel or both. Really no reason he shouldnt be playing half of the defensive snaps at a minimum. Fast and physical, the kid is honestly the best rookie we have had in a long time
Winning
VB begs a differ
Two sheep, one profile
"9 out of 10 Americans believe that out of 10 people, 1 American will always disagree with the other 9" -Colin
He reminds me of
Cromartie in his first year.. He was just around the ball every snap of this game. Hope he sticks with the work ethic and works his way into the starting line up. Watching him in ACC play over the years he was/is very talented.
He is definitely less of an athletic freak than Cromartie,
But seeing as he actually has a work ethic and seems responsible, he can become a fantastic DB in his own right.
Everytime Tolbert touches the ball instead of Mathews
I cry a little inside.
by gman87 on Oct 2, 2011 5:29 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Rec'd so hard.
I said basically the same thing today only replace cry with die.
Bolts from the Blue // "I eat cereal out of a giant novelty wine glass because it makes me feel fancy." - Britney Wade
Bloody Elbow // "I think we're poking fun at Leland's 'boner.'" - Michael Fagan
Can anyone come up with a tasteful breast cancer awareness nickname for Rivers?
I really liked Felipe Rios for September Hispanic Heritage Month and feel like it was underused/generated too late. I can’t think of anything, but it’d be nice if we could have a monthly nickname to fit the theme.
by Lenny Suckerpunch on Oct 2, 2011 5:30 PM PDT reply actions
On fire. Rec'd again.
Bolts from the Blue // "I eat cereal out of a giant novelty wine glass because it makes me feel fancy." - Britney Wade
Bloody Elbow // "I think we're poking fun at Leland's 'boner.'" - Michael Fagan
Can you blame Mathews for his fumble?
I think I’d drop the ball, too, if someone yanked my facemask.
Best Season Ever.
as long as he doesnt lose the football
and continues to put up 150 scrimmage yards, i could care less
Winning
After ravens game
Two sheep, one profile
"9 out of 10 Americans believe that out of 10 people, 1 American will always disagree with the other 9" -Colin
I thought you meant NFL rewind
Two sheep, one profile
"9 out of 10 Americans believe that out of 10 people, 1 American will always disagree with the other 9" -Colin
Last season we wouldn't have recovered those fumbles.
We would have handed them to the opposition and watch them run downfield with the ball.
So that’s a progression.
It's NEVER a shrimp on the barbie. It's not even a shrimp.
by The Land Of Real Beer on Oct 2, 2011 6:14 PM PDT reply actions
So, you're saying we're luckier this year?
That’s not something we can count on continuing.
Bolts from the Blue // "I eat cereal out of a giant novelty wine glass because it makes me feel fancy." - Britney Wade
Bloody Elbow // "I think we're poking fun at Leland's 'boner.'" - Michael Fagan
no
but being aware of it, and trying to recover it is something i didn’t see a lot of last year. this year if they lose the ball, they seem to making a more conscious effort, with more hustle to get it back.
The peanut gallery has spoken!!!
Fumble recovery is pretty much entirely a function of luck.
Bolts from the Blue // "I eat cereal out of a giant novelty wine glass because it makes me feel fancy." - Britney Wade
Bloody Elbow // "I think we're poking fun at Leland's 'boner.'" - Michael Fagan
The manner in which you "try" to get it back, is not.
The peanut gallery has spoken!!!
I don't buy the idea that they weren't trying to recover fumbles last year.
Bolts from the Blue // "I eat cereal out of a giant novelty wine glass because it makes me feel fancy." - Britney Wade
Bloody Elbow // "I think we're poking fun at Leland's 'boner.'" - Michael Fagan
Good that's not what i'm selling.
The peanut gallery has spoken!!!
If reaction time is measurable.
Then no way is recovery purely down to luck. Awareness, vision, anticipation and tenacity are just as critical.
It's NEVER a shrimp on the barbie. It's not even a shrimp.
by The Land Of Real Beer on Oct 2, 2011 11:01 PM PDT up reply actions
Yes, anticipation is important
If last year taught the team anything, it’s keep your eyes on the ball all the time because there’s a good chance it’s going to hit the turf.
Statistically
teams don’t tend to excel consistently in fumble recoveries. If they are good one season, they tend to be bad the next. It makes intuitive sense that it is a skill, but there just isn’t much evidence to support that. Causing fumbles and learning not to fumble do appear to be skills that track from year to year.
Here is what the Football Outsiders had to say:
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stat-analysis/2010/fo-basics-regression-towards-mean
Which made sense to me.
The play of chance and probability within which the creative spirit is free to roam. -von Clausewitz 'On Football'
by Brian (DaBolts) on Oct 3, 2011 8:02 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I've played and coached Aussie Rules for years
Different game, but similar principles – contact sport, oval shaped ball. In Aussie rules, the ball is ‘loose’ all the time, and the ball turns over dozens of times. I can guarantee you that nobody, players, coaches, fans, thinks that luck is the only factor in who gets possession. If it was, it would be like saying that every single player on every team has the same skill set and the bounce of the ball is the only thing that determines who gets it. Just not true.
It's NEVER a shrimp on the barbie. It's not even a shrimp.
by The Land Of Real Beer on Oct 3, 2011 11:02 AM PDT up reply actions
Sorry about Collingwood
All the way from Brisbane, Queensland.
by Aussiecharger on Oct 3, 2011 4:53 PM PDT up reply actions
Clary will
be the cause of many of headaches if that is the best he’s got . A personal ( a brutal penalty at the 3 ) and two false starts as well as getting punked by Wake is no way to earn your 6 mil. I’m still curious as to how he has kept his job as most believe him to be sub par , except for the guy signing his checks . Popularity will only take you so far- Shane Olivea the II ?
I like both Butler and Gilchrist’s development , Butler may only play two downs now but I think he’s got the stuff to handle the middle , Gilchrist responded to his first start well , albeit vs a weak passing attack but make no mistake , he looks at home on the field – a very encouraging sign .
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