2009 NFL Preview: San Diego Chargers
2009 NFL Previews September 8th. 2009, 1:30pm
Ah, the team TBL loves to love. And what’s not to love, really? They have one of the league’s top offenses, playmakers at all three levels on defense, a punter with a robotic leg and an electric RB/return man playing for the franchise tender behind a former MVP. Oh, their coach? Yeah, about that...
What happened in 2008: Philip Rivers became the fourth-best QB in football, LaDainian Tomlinson continued to erode, Shawne Merriman took the year off, Antonio Cromartie played the season on a hip fractured from fornicating, Shaun Phillips discovered he’s merely adequate without Merriman’s presence, Eric Weddle grew into a solid strong safety, and Norv was Norv — a boob. The Chargers went 8-8, won a playoff game and went home unsatisfied.
Offseason happenings: In terms of player movement, very little. In terms of player rehabilitation from injury — Merriman, Tomlinson and Antonio Gates, namely — a lot. If those three can return at or close to their 2007 form, the Chargers will be an elite team. Add in first-round pick Larry English alongside Merriman and Phillips and you have a pass rush that will make life awfully easy on the talented secondary of Cromartie, Quinton Jammer, Weddle and Clinton Hart. The Chargers probably have the fewest “weaknesses” of any team in the NFL. But, as both they and the Cowboys know, games aren’t played on paper. Speaking of paper, Merriman has been dominating headlines in many over the past few days, thanks to him “allegedly” taking his “One Shot at Choking Tila Tequila.” It’s hard to say at this point what impact, if any, Merriman’s possible “lungs out” antics will have on the Chargers on the field. A suspension is possible, but not likely forthcoming. It is a locker room distraction, though. A weird and strange distraction, but this being the Chargers – the new Bengals – it’s to be expected.
From the schedule gods: They start the season 1-0, then face three straight playoff teams in Baltimore, Miami and Pittsburgh. Toss in tilts with the Giants, Eagles, Cowboys and Titans and it’s hard to see the Chargers winning homefield in the loaded AFC. They could, it’s just unlikely.
Projected finish: 12-4, win AFC West by five games.
What’s missing: Other than a head coach who won’t can his defensive coordinator when he knows his team’s getting ready to face a string of weak offenses, thereby taking the focus off his 3-5 start? Nothing, actually. The Chargers are the most talented team, top to bottom, in football.
Why they’ll be a playoff team: Because they’re loaded, play in the AFC West, and they have the best QB not named Manning, Brady or Brees.
Why they can’t win the Super Bowl: Oh, they can. No delusions here. The AFC troika of New England, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis are better bets, though.
Blog of choice: Bolt Talk
Video of choice: This is as much damage as the Raiders will likely cause the Chargers this season.
NFC East: 2009 Dallas Cowboys Preview | 2009 Philadelphia Eagles Preview | 2009 New York Giants Preview | 2009 Washington Redskins Preview
NFC North: 2009 Chicago Bears Preview | 2009 Detroit Lions Preview | 2009 Minnesota Vikings Preview | 2009 Green Bay Packers Preview
NFL South: 2009 Tampa Bay Bucs Preview | 2009 Atlanta Falcons Preview | 2009 New Orleans Saints Preview | 2009 Carolina Panthers Preview
NFL West: 2009 San Francisco 49ers Preview | 2009 St. Louis Rams Preview | 2009 Arizona Cardinals Preview | 2009 Seattle Seahawks Preview
AFC East: 2009 New England Patriots Preview | 2009 New York Jets Preview | 2009 Buffalo Bills Preview | 2009 Miami Dolphins Preview
AFC North: 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers Preview | 2009 Baltimore Ravens Preview | 2009 Cleveland Browns Preview | 2009 Cincinnati Bengals Preview
AFC South: 2009 Tennessee Titans Preview | 2009 Indianapolis Colts Preview | 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars Preview | 2009 Houston Texans Preview
AFC West: 2009 Denver Broncos Preview | 2009 Kansas City Chiefs Preview | San Diego Chargers
89 Responses to “2009 NFL Preview: San Diego Chargers”
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September 8th, 2009 at 1:37 PM
ot
people hate chris berman for this stupid nick names but i just saw a nutrisystem commercial on espn based off those stupid nick names. talk about not being self aware
September 8th, 2009 at 1:37 PM
Too bad Norv is running the show, other wise they would have a shot. That team is stacked.
/added nothing
September 8th, 2009 at 1:39 PM
“i would have made that block but i couldn’t get the merriman/tila news out of my head.”
if the tila thing causes a locker room distraction then every charger who is distracted should lose their fucking job. play football: that is all they have to do.
September 8th, 2009 at 1:39 PM
Technically, it’s the Madison Avenue hack that wrote that script for him, I’m guessing. His focus group told him it was funny.
/can’t belive I’m defending Berman, sort of
September 8th, 2009 at 1:40 PM
What would the Chargers get for Merriman if they try to trade him before the deadline?
September 8th, 2009 at 1:41 PM
is tennis turning into the wwe? mcenroe was calling out a player from the booth and played against an active player
September 8th, 2009 at 1:41 PM
/grits teeth
//QB rating is useless
///FLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAT
September 8th, 2009 at 1:42 PM
What would the Chargers get for Merriman if they try to trade him before the deadline?
an STD free locker room
September 8th, 2009 at 1:42 PM
A case of boli and a doo rag.
September 8th, 2009 at 1:42 PM
I wonder how good Phillip River’s numbers would be if he didn’t play Oakland and KC twice a year?
September 8th, 2009 at 1:43 PM
question is: with coaches like Gruden, Shannahan, Cowher, Dungy on the possible head coach FA list next season, what happens to Norv when his team goes 9-7 again and dies in the playoffs?
sterling cooper wouldn’t have let that air if they had that account.
September 8th, 2009 at 1:43 PM
if they trade him to the raiders the chargers would get 14 first round draft picks. any other team? 2nd and 3rd rounder
September 8th, 2009 at 1:44 PM
hes my fantasy qb so i cant knock him
September 8th, 2009 at 1:45 PM
i wonder how good peyton’s numbers would’ve been if he faced the titans D taht exists the past two years…or if he didn’t play the texans.
i wonder how good brady’s numbers would’ve been if he didn’t get to face the jets, bills and dolphins twice a year.
i wonder how good brees’ numbers would’ve been if he didn’t face atlanta and carolina’s pass D’s twice a year.
this is stupid. rivers is damn good.
September 8th, 2009 at 1:46 PM
I’d do a 2nd rounder for Merriman. Then again we dont have to, because David Harris is less expensive, hasnt had a major injury and isn’t a douche.
September 8th, 2009 at 1:46 PM
/shudders
September 8th, 2009 at 1:47 PM
shanny comes in on his white horse and the team wins the next three SB’s.
September 8th, 2009 at 1:48 PM
Hey!
I wonder how good big ben’s numbers would’ve been if he didnt have to face the browns and bengals twice a year. Oh wait, he still sucks.
September 8th, 2009 at 1:48 PM
Maybe. I could see a modern-day Peter Campbell writing that tripe.
September 8th, 2009 at 1:49 PM
After he trades Rivers for Flacco.
/runs
September 8th, 2009 at 1:49 PM
we’ll never see 3 in a row
September 8th, 2009 at 1:49 PM
hes my fantasy qb so i cant knock him
me too. I have Rodgers for my $ league
September 8th, 2009 at 1:51 PM
I actually like Pete Campbell on the show. Don Draper’s a dick.
September 8th, 2009 at 1:52 PM
i hope eric mangini fails miserably in cleveland. sorry spencer.
September 8th, 2009 at 1:53 PM
@ruck i was just about to ask if anyone even likes that guy, question answered
September 8th, 2009 at 1:54 PM
great…
September 8th, 2009 at 1:54 PM
Pete is a good foil to Don. I like him, but still bugs the hell out of me.
the show needs more Joan halloway
September 8th, 2009 at 1:55 PM
Draper’s a dick, but he’s spot-on in advertising and marketing. Campbell’s a weenie kiss-ass.
September 8th, 2009 at 1:55 PM
Draper is the mother fucking man.
@spencer096 – If his regular season numbers were that solid he would have gotten SD to one Super Bowl by now.
September 8th, 2009 at 1:56 PM
I like the way the guy plays Campbell. For some reason, I just think it’s kind of funny.
September 8th, 2009 at 1:57 PM
not really.
because brady and peyton are both better, and in his conference, and the steelers and ravens have the best defenses in the NFL, and are also in his conference.
maybe if he had the cakewalk eli and kurt warner had in the NFC, he’d have gotten the chargers to a super bowl by now.
September 8th, 2009 at 1:58 PM
agreed
September 8th, 2009 at 1:59 PM
I guess i could appreciate how campbell is played some of his little proud of himself faces are funny. but overall his character is a little shithead
September 8th, 2009 at 1:59 PM
I think Draper’s character in season 2 was a little cartoonish. The guy gets laid everywhere, and he disappears for a month and nobody asks any questions. Then he comes in and saves the day, and everybody praises him because that’s how he planned it all along.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:00 PM
isn’t football, like, a TEAM game?
September 8th, 2009 at 2:01 PM
C’mon Spence… because having the best RB in the NFL for about four seasons doesn’t count for anything. And a pretty damn good OL.
Not having a receiver has been the only real flaw in that team for a while.
/and a franchise QB
September 8th, 2009 at 2:01 PM
i’ve noticed this season is absolutely huge on character development, made me notice that Don occasionally likes Pete b/c he’s got the talent to be the best of the best, but he refuses to earn it the way everyone else has, and the way that don has.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:03 PM
@spencer096 – Because the giants didn’t beat “the greatest team ever”. Also I will argue the Giants have a better defense than both the Ravens and the Steelers. They beat down the Ravens and went on the road and beat the Steelers.
Also your are essentially justifying my initial claim. If he played in a division with the Steelers, Patriots or even a 2nd tier AFC team like Tenn, Jacksonville his numbers wouldn’t be as good as playing against the three jokes.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:04 PM
LT was the best RB in football for rivers’ first season under center.
so it’s rivers fault that he puts up GREAT numbers without any decent targets except a rapidly decaying TE? okie dokie.
keep failing…it’s humorous.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:05 PM
Exactly, it doesn’t. Look at how successful Barry Sanders’ Lions teams were. Give me a top flight defense before you give me the best player at any position on the offensive side of the ball.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:05 PM
@Ruck:
just saw your comment and I think that kind of works for the show. it doens’t dwell too much on the soap opera stuff other shows do. Yeah, Don split for a month, but it was more about what he found for himself instead of how everyone else reacted to it.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:06 PM
Was in reference to Norv/Marty, not Rivers.
But I had to get that Rivers jab in at the end. Because he’s, you know, not that good at football.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:09 PM
one things for sure: Brady wears the best hats.
/TBL
Hi, I’m GSG and I rehash old jokes.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:11 PM
he really is, though.
you might want to see an eye doctor.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:12 PM
When Tomlinson wasn’t in the Chargers had Michael Turner and Darren Sproles as backups. Hardly bums.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:15 PM
so…rivers sucks because he has a good running game?
that really makes little sense.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:18 PM
Didn’t we actually come up with a good way to solve this the time I posted about it Spencer? A legit talking about instead of us just bickering. It was:
How many guys could you trade player X for without seeing a considerable decline/improvement in the team?
I think that was inspired by, of all people, Bill Simmons. For Rivers, I’d say trade him for these guys to see the team improve:
Manning, Brady, Brees (whoops, already fucked that one up), Rodgers, Cutler, Palmer (healthy, obvs), Warner.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:19 PM
It also misses the point that running backs on the whole are overrated in terms of value, and the fact that the OL was at one point, very good in SD, even though it’s still not terrible.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:20 PM
Forgive Souvenir City for not being able to assess talent. He still insists to this day that Northern Iowa is actually a good team.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:20 PM
It makes a helluva lot more sense than talking about easy roads to the Super Bowl when you’re playing on the road every game in the playoffs and have to top it off against an undefeated team.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:21 PM
So wait, SC actually doesn’t like a team? When did this happen?!
Thank God I’m sitting down.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:21 PM
you’d take a 30 year old palmer, who’s last good year was in 2006 (!!!) with a pretty long injury list and QB at the tail end of his career over a 25 year old who is putting up elite numbers yet is still three years away from the prime of his career?
dear god that rationale sucks.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:23 PM
Palmer is 30 and can’t stay healthy, Warner is 38, Rodgers I’d say is a push, but Cutler? Get outta here with that mess.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:24 PM
Nah, clown. They just play in a division where a playoff decides who is the best team.
/something everyone can agree on!
//YAY!
September 8th, 2009 at 2:24 PM
had to move the college football post to the end of the day. sorry, folks.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:24 PM
again, im not taking anything away from the giants SB.
all im saying is that NE, PIT and indy are CLEARLY the top 3 teams in the NFL over the past 5 years and SD has to face two of those teams every single postseason.
that’s brutal and you can’t hate on him for not coming through against that slate. sure, it’s a legit knock on him, but there aren’t may QB’s who’d make it thru that schedule with norv turner, a superstar RB who refuses to play in the postseason, and a defense that completely disappeared last season.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:25 PM
you know there’s been a whole season since that super bowl, right?
September 8th, 2009 at 2:26 PM
i’d take cutler over rivers.
i’d take cutler over any QB in the league not named manning, brees or brady.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:26 PM
Didn’t say “build a franchise around”. Just a matter of here and now. I’d rather have Warner making decisions than Rivers. I’d take Palmer’s arm over Rivers.
Put them all together… and you’d have… DEAR GOD! The Jesus of QBs!
September 8th, 2009 at 2:27 PM
You and anyone within five hours of the city limits of Chicago. The rest of us will take the guy who plays on torn ACL’s and backs up what he says, rather than pout.
/Still thinks Cutler’s a great talent
//Still thinks Cutler never plays in a Super Bowl
September 8th, 2009 at 2:30 PM
i love that spence always gets drawn into the QB debates. its like putting a drink in front of an alcoholic.
/which makes the Brown’s QBs bathtub gin.
//i’m sorry, that was uncalled for
September 8th, 2009 at 2:33 PM
Yeah, but that act of his is going to get old once his talent declines more than it already has sanders. Look how Favre alienated his teammates in NY and towards the end of his tenure in GB how he made management resent him.
Rivers has that same aura but isn’t a dumb, lovable farmer. He’s far more boisterous. People don’t like that. Even Spencer agrees with me on the way Rivers carries himself.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:33 PM
it’s a lot easier to make decisions throwing to fitzy, boldin and steve breaston.
id take palmer’s arm over anyone other than cutler and jamarcus russell’s, but if he can’t stay healthy, which he hasn’t, what good is a strong arm?
rivers if 5, i just love cutler.
i refuse to let ignorance manifest itself.
but that was pretty damn funny. kudos.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:35 PM
You know that means it still happened, don’t you?
September 8th, 2009 at 2:36 PM
Rivers is a prick. Cutler is a prick. Rivers has already shown he’ll put the team above himself by putting his career at risk by playing in the playoffs on a blown-out ACL. When I see Cutler put the team above himself, I’ll reevaluate my stance. Until then, Rivers > Cutler. Of course, it also helps that Rivers had a great defense up until last year.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:40 PM
this just in…in order to lead a group of humans who are extremely violent, egotistical and arrogant, you need to be a dick yourself. show me a QB who was a nice guy and i’ll show you a picture of him holding a clipboard with a headset on.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:40 PM
What would saying something like “Tiger is on the decline” be akin to?
/for the record, Tiger is NOT on the decline
September 8th, 2009 at 2:42 PM
Ask and you shall receive. But he wasn’t/isn’t an elite QB. Just a nice guy with a fist full of rings, good receivers and a helluva defense.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:43 PM
Agreed. You have to be a prick to be a good NFL QB. Rivers is a prick who has done things that make a team believe in him. Cutler hasn’t – yet.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:43 PM
doing whippets. it’s easy to say, but damn, does it kill brain cells.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:44 PM
true…but rivers (even tho i love him) is a prick who hasn’t made my shit my pants with a ridiculous throw, cutler is a prick who does that once per game.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:45 PM
But, San Diego is always included in that mix and the other 3 teams have won a Super Bowl within that period of time often going through that same gauntlet.
Norv gets a bad rap, but he did a great job keeping that team together last year through the injuries and that first game with Denver. Norv made Alex Smith look good, Gus Frerotte servicabe and Troy Aikman a Hall of Famer, so he isn’t exactly poison to a QB.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:47 PM
think Draper’s character in season 2 was a little cartoonish. The guy gets laid everywhere, and he disappears for a month and nobody asks any questions. Then he comes in and saves the day, and everybody praises him because that’s how he planned it all along.
When you are about to drop spoilers on us, you put “SPOILER” some of us are only on Disc 1 of Season 2
September 8th, 2009 at 2:47 PM
norv is AWESOME for QB’s, but terrible for the big team picture (literally, because he’s ugly, and figuratively, because he’s as inspirational as a turkey sandwich).
sure SD is always in that mix with indy, NE and pit, but they’re just not as good of a team as the big 3. that doesn’t mean rivers is a POS for not beating them, just that he has some work to do…which is fine considering he’s nowhere near his prime right now.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:49 PM
but rivers (even tho i love him) is a prick who hasn’t made my shit my pants with a ridiculous throw, cutler is a prick who does that once per game.
i don’t get you sometimes, spence. you get to see Big Ben’s o-line make ole blocks, so that he needs to shrug off a d-lineman all while keeping his eyes downfield and finding a reciever just as often as Cutler makes you shit your pants, but you still are convinced that he sucks.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:52 PM
Well…actually San Diego has won three of the last four against the Colts, though that’s not really because of Rivers, mainly because of Jamal Williams and injuries along Indy’s offensive and defensive lines.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:53 PM
You know what makes me shit my pants? When Manning and Brady get rid of the ball lightning quick before the pocket collapses.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:53 PM
You know, I was willing to keep this civil until you brought the turkey sandwich in to this. What the hell man? What have you got against turkey!?!?
September 8th, 2009 at 2:53 PM
well, yea…if big ben produced like cutler, i’d probably love the guy. he just doesn’t though.
big ben did make me shit myself on that last play in the SB tho. that was a balls out play right thurr.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:57 PM
Ben wasn’t great last year, but take a look at his 2007 numbers and tell me he’s never produced. i’m expecting him to be much better than last year.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:59 PM
!SPOILER!
Bruce Willis is really dead the entire time!
!SPOILER!
September 8th, 2009 at 3:00 PM
The Chargers are the Phoenix Suns of this era. They’re one of those teams that will go down in history as underachievers.
September 8th, 2009 at 3:01 PM
what does 32 TD’s and only 3,100 yards say? running game got him there, he got the credit. willie parker was liek the disgruntled RB from varsity blues that season.
yes, big ben has produced, but he’s not in cutler’s echelon when it comes to production as a passer.
September 8th, 2009 at 3:02 PM
helluva reference.
September 8th, 2009 at 3:05 PM
Are you calling Mike Tomlin racist, Spencer? Was Alan Faneca playing the role of Billy Bob?
September 8th, 2009 at 3:05 PM
yes, big ben has produced, but he’s not in cutler’s echelon when it comes to production as a passer.
you’re right, differnet echelons. Ben is much more productive when he throws the ball. Cutler doesn’t have 1 season as good as Ben’s career average in yards per attempt
/i may be cherry picking stats, but i think its a pretty good indicator
September 8th, 2009 at 3:10 PM
na, you’re right about YPA, but to be fair, big ben has a 2 year head start on cutler, and never has big ben been asked to throw 600 times in a season. hell, i don’t think big ben has broken 500 (could be wrong).
whatever though…i’d take either on the browns quicker than you can say “a.” i just want a fucking win god damnit.
September 8th, 2009 at 3:54 PM
bsanders/cap – Madden just stole your broken hip/fornicating line.
September 8th, 2009 at 5:05 PM
It pains me–I mean, like, physically pains me–to write the following: Philip Rivers is very, very good at playing football.
But that doesn’t mean I’m not rooting for him to get Lyme Disease.