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“Chargers-Ugly-Game-Loss-Roster”

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The Chargers, a team many thought could be an AFC-championship calibre team, turned in a bad performance against a perennially bad Detroit Lions team. This, a week after they beat an Indianapolis team, they should have lost to.

It was ugly, the game, the execution, the finish, the loss, this (13-10) setback at Ford Field, to a Lions team that played just as ugly football.

Philip Rivers, the architect of so many late game comebacks, threw a terrible pass into double coverage, that led to an interception with (:63) left, killing any chance of a win. Rivers spent the entire game heaving passes to star receiver Keenan Allen. Lions safety Darius Slay picked it off, earning Detroit a victory they probably didn’t deserve.

Rivers never saw WR-Mike Williams open in the center of the field, that would have been a walk-in TD for a walkoff win.

It was a bizarre game between what was supposed to be a good team, the Bolts, and the Lions, who don’t win much. Where do you start with all the problems.

The Chargers kicker, former CFL star Ty Long, missed 2-field goals from 40-and-42 yards, a reversal from last weeks first strong showing.

Their lead DB-corner Casey Hayward gave up a TD pass. Desmond King, their top nickel back, got beaten on a TD pass. Veteran linebacker Thomas Davis, gave up a big pass play and took a facemarks penalty.

Running back Austin Ekeler fumbled at the 2-yard line trying to go over the top for a TD, killing a drive. On that drive, the Chargers had 2-touchdown runs taken off the books by holding penalties, then had Detroit give them the ball on a pass interference call in the end zone, only to have Ekeler caugh it right up.

In one stretch, there were 5-penalties in a 9-play sequence.

In that second half, Rivers and friends had 5-possessions that ended up like this: Fumble-Missed field goal-Missed Field Goal-Interception. All this from a supposed AFC-power.

Oh there were bad stretches to of the Lions, a team that blew a big lead last week and wound up in a 27-27 tie with lowly Arizona. In this game, the Lions missed a field goal and a point after, their special teams took five penalties,, and their QB-Matthew Stafford threw picks at the Bolts 15 and in the end zone too.

Even coach Matt Patricia nearly snuffed out the win, not taking a timeout,when he had the chance to get the ball back, just before halftime, letting Rivers drive his team 75-yards for a score.

Yes it only counts as one loss, but considering the teeth of the schedule ahead for the Chargers, this one was one they should have had, and didn’t get.

The Bolts are beat up physically, Joey Bosa and Adrian Phillips got hurt in the fourth quarter. They were down 2-linebackeers, 2-corners, their star safety, the big tight end, and still don’t have holdout running back Melvin Gordon.

And to add insult to injury, as they flew home to their tiny soccer stadium home field for next weeks game with Houston, the Rams cross-town were playing infront of 70-plus thousand at the Coliseum, as LA’s real team beat the New Orlean Saints in a key NFC-showdown early season matchup.

All not well for the Bolts. Everything about them seems troubled right now, the team, the game in Detroit, and the atmosphere in Los Angeles. Ugly.

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