Chargers Fall to the Packers: Good, Bad, and Ugly

Chargers fall at home to the Packers and are now 4-4 on the season. A blow out turned close game, turned heart breaker is the best way I can describe today's game. After starting the game with an amazing opening drive, that was coined (and rec'd) "BEST START TO A GAME IN THE NORV TURNER ERA!!!!" by Superduperboltman. Rivers started throwing to the guys in Green. Two pick sixes later, the Chargers were in a hole.

The Chargers were able to hang around until the fourth quarter when Aaron Rodgers decided he had enough of the cat and mouse game and put the Packers up 45-24 with 10:27 remaining in the game. At that point Philip Rivers, went all "PHILIP RIVERS" and started taking advantage of the Packers soft defense. The Chargers put up back to back touchdowns and we within seven points of the lead, when they received the ball with less than two minutes to go. After a few pass interference calls against the Packers, Rivers inevitably threw a game ending interception. Chargers lose 45-38

Good
Philip Rivers - The guy was on fire! 26/46 385 yards and four touchdowns. The first drive was fantastic and for a good portion of this game I was reminded why the fan LOVE Rivers

Vincent Jackson - Nice to see Action Jackson is back! 12 targets, seven catches, 141 yards and three touchdowns. All seven of Jackson's catches results in first downs. No Floyd, no problem for the Chargers offense.

Mike Tolbert - Tolbert took full advantage of Mathews being out, piling up 142 total yards (83 rushing, 59 receiving), six first downs, and a touchdown on the day.

Antonio Gates - 11 targets, eight catches, 96 yards, and a touchdown for Gates. He's not the same guy he was before the foot injury, but he is still fantastic. Five of his catches went for first downs and Woodson was called for pass interference twice, which resulted in two more first downs.

Antwan Barnes - Two sacks, seven tackles, and a tackle for loss. Love the speed coming off the edge and his nose for the QB.

Honorable Mentions: Darrell Stuckey and Vincent Brown

Bad
Penalties - Chargers tallied eight penalties for 64 yards. On the flip side, the Packers were penalized five times for only 33 yards. You cannot beat good teams when you shoot yourself in the foot.

Marcus Gilchrist - He led the team in tackles with nine, but that's the only thing that kept him off the ugly list. I saw the back of his jersey all day long.

Steve Gregory - Finley abused him on a jump ball in the end zone and he only had three tackles on the day.

Ugly

Turnover battle - Chargers turned the ball over three times and were not able to force one turnover.  I accept that the Chargers are not going to force a lot of turnovers, but if that is the case, they need to stop giving them up.

Philip Rivers - This team wins and loses with Rivers and once again, Rivers lost. Rivers did some good things today, but throwing three interceptions in unacceptable. It was nice to see him pick apart the Packers vanilla defense in the fourth, but he has to stop turning the ball over.

With all the talk about this being his team, Rivers needs to brush things off and do something Tomlinson's teams always did... beat the Raiders.