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“Chargers-Winning-But Losing Players’

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They head into Detroit for a Sunday game, but things are not right with the Chargers.

They could have, or maybe should have lost to the Indianapolis Colts last weekend at home.  Were it not for 3-missed kicks by Adam Vinatierri, or a questionable instant replay call denying the Colts a TD, that win could very well have been a loss.

Now they face a Jekyll-Hyde Lions team, that could blow you out with quarterback Matthew Stafford, but could also self-destruct, as they did last weekend, when they blew a big lead and wound up in a weird (27-27) tie with lowly Arizona.

The Chargers problems are more than just facing coach Matt Patricia’s team.  The problems involve a roster that is falling apart, fast, quickly and disappointingly.

Philip Rivers will be there, but lots of key people around him won’t, and that’s the issue, he cannot do this by himself.

A Bolt offense that does not have OT-Russell Okung (blood clot) and RB-Melvin Gordon (holdout) has now lost a very good TE-Hunter Henry.  (fractured kneecap).  It’s his 3rd major injury in 3-years with the team.

And now Mike Williams, the big play capable wide receiver, has missed the entire week of practice with a bruised knee, and might not be able to play.  He is the key number two guy behind Keenan Allen.  The drop-off talent wise is huge if Williams cannot play Sunday.

On defense, this will be half a season on the IR for do-everything safety Derwin James, but the team now has holes elsewhere..  Starting CB-Mike Davis went out with a hamstring early last week, and has not practiced.  His replacement Trevor Williams is gone for the year, on IR.

And the nagging injuries that have played LBs Jatavis Brown and Denzel Perryman, have reappeared.  Ankle-hamstring issues kept them limited or out of practice this week.  The LB corps without them looks thin and very young.

Even young prospect WRs Geremy Davis and Artavis Scott won’t be available because of nagging injuries that have taken them out of practice.

Kicker Michael Badgley remains out with a groin injury that showed up the Friday before the season started, though CFL free agent Ty Law handled all the kicking duties well.

The Chargers are asking a lot of the running back by committee, and didn’t really run the ball at all last weekend vs the Colts.  So we can’t really subscribe that Austin Ekeler-Justin Jackson combo are true and equal replacements to the holdout renegade Melvin Gordon.

And no one on the roster is equal to Henry’s big play productivity so there is a drop-off there.

The replacement for Okung, second year guy LT-Trent Scott, gave up 2-sacks, got beat four other times on rushes and committed a penalty, and he wasn’t going against a premier pass rusher.  Meet the ex-Patriot Trey Flowers, now on the Lions defensive front.

So come Sunday, Rivers figures to de down a bunch of bullets in his gun.  And his defense may have their hands full with Stafford, Danny Amendola, and the two tight ends he throws too.  Stafford thew for (385) last Sunday, so he has ability.

The Bolts won one they could have lost.  They’ll need luck, not to lose this weekend.

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“NFL Notes–Likes & Dislikes”

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NEW ENGLAND…anyone tired of the Antonio Brown soap opera? We’re surrounded by divas. If the entire Raiders saga was not the epitome of selfishness, now this rape investigation seems about ready to overwhelm his career.

NEW ENGLAND….Pity the media covering all things Bill Belichick, who shows his disdain for the people who have jobs to do. Week in-Week out, condescending non-answers about viable questions.

NEW ENGLAND…Just asking….months and months after Robert Kraft was arrested for soliciting prostitutes twice in Jupiter, Florida, nothing has happened in the case, and nothing has happened from NFL discipline measures either. Lawyers rule for rich people?

BROWNS……Ever seen such expectations on opening day go so flat as what we saw in Cleveland’s home opener, when Tennessee trashed them. Baker Mayfield got beat up. The Browns defense got mugged. And nice composure, those 18-Browns penalties for 182-yards.

GIANTS…Odell Beckham needs to wear an expensive wrist-watch while playing? Guess he needs to be dial up GPS to run his pass routes in games. The diva watch continues doesn’t it?.

MIAMI…..Nice home opener for the Dolphins, giving up over 600-yards and 59-points to the Baltimore Ravens. Nice franchise owner Steven Ross and President Tom Garfinkle have allowed to take the field.

PITTSBURGH….Life after Antonio Brown-Le’Veon Bell didn’t start too well when the Steelers got slammed (33-3) in New England, but it is a long season and Mike Tomlin teams have a history of improving.

RAIDERS…Some beat-down they handed the Broncos on Monday night, but it counts as only one, and the Raiders are taking hits. Losing Antonio Brown will be a big blow over the long haul. Now they lost 1st round pick S-Jon Abram with labrum surgery after one game.

BRONCOS…Denver got boat-raced bad in Oakland, a bit of a stinging loss for new coach Vic Fangio. Don’t know where defense was, but it did not show up in Black Hole. Young WRs hurt QB-Joe Flacco’s debut, but they will get better as they go.

CHARGERS….It was a win, but could have-should have been a loss. Now they lose TE-Hunter Henry with knee fracture, this on top of loss of OT-Russell Okung, S-Derwin James and the holdout of Melvin Gordon.

CHARGERS…The crowd was 50-50 in Carson, half wearing Colts colors, the other half showing support for the Bolts. Think about what is head…home games with Packers-Steelers-Raiders-Packers. That might have been best home crowd Philip Rivers and friends will see all year.

HOUSTON…Bill O’Brien calling all the shots on all these roster changes with the Texans, and his QB-Deshaun Watson taking 6-sacks and 11-other hits attempting to throw. Don’t think this is going to end well for the quarterback.

RAMS…Lost in the shuffle with start of the season…a judge has ruled the 1.6B-lawsuit over the move of the team to LA, will go to trial in St Louis. Will not be moved. Will not be an arbitration hearing either. Stan Kroenke has lost two other lawsuits over his PSL-ticket sales to the fans and businesses in St. Louis. This trial bears watching. Looking for the paper trail of evidence the NFL violated its bylaws involving franchise shifts when Kroenke refused to meet with the city-county-state after they acquired the land and the funding for a new Rams Stadium. Stay tuned.

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“Aztecs Football–Who Are These Guys”

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San Diego State is a strange (1-1) this season. A struggle to win over a lower level 1-aa team, Weber State, then the stunning dominance of UCLA in the Pac 12-Conference.

To look so bad opening night, and so dominant the next weekend was a surprise.

This week, back on the road, to play a struggling New Mexico State Aggies program. NMSU is trying to regroup after getting trashed in two payday games, blowout losses to Alabama and Washington State, (62-10)..(57-10)..

Coach Rocky Long has plenty to say about his (2-0) SDSU team.

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..Las Cruces is a tough place to get to, and to play at.
..On film, Aggies play hard and are better team than
..Watch Alabama beat NMSU-they do that to everyone
..WSU went up and down the field but Aggies moved the ball on them

..Aztecs players in past reached out to us after UCLA game

..Players prepared better…played better
..This wasn’t about the coaches, it was players intensity-execution
..We have to run ball better…have to block better at line of scrimmage
..We need to practice running the ball more…we’ve been throwing ball in practice
..We need to find better balance run and throw-it will come

..Ryan Agnew more comfortable-got better and better as game went on
..Agnew-ability to run and throw..buy time with feet..run ball if nothing is there..helps
..It was huge step forward for offense.
..Agnew-had a breakout game for him-but he has had outstanding games-one of his best…since last year.

..Kobe Smith-breakout game for him..got himself open…got yards after catch

..Defense tremendous on 3rd down…(9-30) conversion rate.

..New Mexico State job is very difficult job..staff done unbelievable job recruiting
..Aggies have players..will win some games
..Played them for the payday…Bama-WSU-Ole Miss…get 8M paydays
..You have to do that in places like New Mexico State…
..Longevity of coach not a good process….
..Aggies football is supporting entire Athletic Department-salute them.

..California vote to pay players…they are paid players-scholarships
..Governor will have to consider signing this bill for California schools
..Lots of changes coming at NCAA level-it’s not just a California schools issues
..If you pay players, big schools will have an advantage in California

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Quarterback Ryan Agnew

..We made plays against UCLA
..Coaches good job getting us ready
..Week one we did not have focus, intensity, did not make plays..Week two we did.
..Week 1-we were nervous-uptight before big crowd
..Week 2-we saw how good we could be…do your job-we did
..Lockeroom became much closer.
..I knew what UCLA was going go do to us..so I was ready to move pocket-run ball
..We were surprised with win…celebrated…happy…time to move
..Kobe Smith is a stud…not surprised to see him run routes..run sideline routes
..This is a young group and preparation took a jump between weeks 1-and-2
..Does not matter who we play on Saturday…we have same mentality..we can win
..We can play SDSU-tough football.and win…
..Not surprised in conference wins..what Hawaii-Wyoming-Boise State done two weeks
..This is a good conference-good offenses…we want entire conference successful

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“Padres Pitching–Better Future Than Today”

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The Padres season is drawing to a fast close, with just 1-more homestead left after they finish this series with the Cubs at Petco Park.

I had hoped the team would go (81-81) and set the stage for a playoff run. Not happening this season.

Might happen next season, but this ‘next year’ thing has been going on too long.

The AJ Preller blueprint has brought a truckload of young pitching to Petco Park this year. The top 6-young pitchers in the starting rotation have held their own.

From Joey Lucchesi to Eric Lauer…Chris Paddack to Cal Quantrill….Dinelson Lamet to Nick Margavicius, the Friars young arms have gone (35-37) and made 114-starts this season.

They have been reliable…gone more solid innings than bad ones, been competitive, and with rare exception have gotten into the 5th and 6th innings in most starts, as the Padres tried to keep them on pitch counts and out of stressful innings.

Yes the team record is disappointing, with the Friards headed to their 9th season in a row below .500. It will be 13-years since this team was in a playoff game.

Manager Andy Green headed into the Cubs series with a (271-357) record. His GM-AJ Prellar has a franchise that is (345-445), a whopping 100-games under .500 since 2015.

It takes time.

I asked a wide variety of people at Petco Park their opinion of what the 6-young starting pitchers have gone thru this season, handed the ball regularly in the rotation. The reactions were unique. Pitching 101.

ANDY GREEN..Padres manager
..Fatigue is a huge issue with kids. We have done a lot to make sure we gave them extra rest.
..We have tried to space out their starts-protect their arms.
..They have learned how to handle the hitters in the league.
..There have been bumps in the road-important to see how they respond to adversity.
..They have shown resiliency in the face of adversity.
..Pitching on a 6-man rotation this year won’t be the case next year.
..They’ve learned about hitters, like hitters have learned about them
..When you see a batter 15-times a season-you need to learn how to attack them.
..Next year will be a different grind…a 5-man rotation
..This off season will be huge for them to get physically ready for 202.

BUD BLACK-Rockies manager
..Most young pitchers wear out early in first season-they’ve been in a grind since January
..Young pitchers get ready in January..then camp in February, then a long season
..They show lots of intensity early in jApril-May-June…out of gas August-September
..Minor league baseball is 2-months shorter than the Padres-Rockies season
..Physicality goes first when fatigue takes over-arm weariness…pitch counts.
..Mentally there is a drain on kid pitchers by August
..You want them to compete even when things are going badly-mental makeup huge.
..In the majors there are no easy innings…these are good hitters
..In the minors, guys go chasing bad pitches…not up here they don’t.
..There are easy innings in the minors because of lack of hitter discipline.
..I guarantee you the kids in San Diego will be so much better next year
..This learning curve season has enormous value to them.
..I worry about young pitchers over-training in the offseason
..I don’t want young pitchers experimenting-follow the regimen
..San Diego has a nice group..this is a great stepping stone.
..Each of those pitchers is different-but they will figure it out.

CRAIG STAMMEN-Padres veteran pitcher
..The 1st year is the really tough time for a pitcher
..There is nothing similar in pitching in the minors compared to up here
..There is a physical toll you pay late in season…even worse a mental toll.
..There are high-highs when you pitch well early in the year…lows later in the year.
..Mental toughness-it takes a toll
..Young pitchers need to build a mental barrier to cope with it.
..They need resolve to have a mental will to get thru a long season.
..Guarantee you scouting reports catch up to kid pitchers.
..Justin Turner will see each of these kids 10-at bats early..he’ll figure them out
..The veterans compile scouting reports on the kid pitchers by mid-season in division
..Pitch counts with young pitchers always run high-those are good hitters
..In the majors-guys will keep fouling off pitches-stress you out in early innings
..You like to think you are the same guy late in the season you were at the start-not.
..You need heart to push thru August-September and not cave in
..I see these 6-pitchers trending upwards. from this young staff
..Veterans on teams don’t like giving away seasons-but we knew what this was about
..Let’s be realistic-this was about giving these kid pitchers real experience.
..A rough year..a rough period is a learning lesson for the next season
..You have to grind on the mound some starts-you have to learn how to win
..Show you can survive a bad inning and come back the next inning..they have mostly
..This off season will be huge for them to get ready for years 2-and-3
..Guarantee you the September callups important to give pitchers a taste of majors
..My 1st year-I was wiped out by August-September
..I came back the 2nd year healthier-mentally tougher.

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“NFL Drama & Divas”

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As soap operas go, this was a pretty good one….and I don’t think it’s over either.

Antonio Brown is now a New England Patriot, till he wears out his welcome, butts head with Bill Belicheck, and loses this job too.

The drama that has enveloped the Raiders for the last 30-days is over, but the damage to the franchise is not.

In the end, you could say newly minted GM-Mike Mayock showed everyone who was boss, but he likely wrecked his teams potential turn-around season.

The Raiders now longer have the superstar WR who was going to change everything. The moved to dump Brown cost them a 1-million signing bonus. They could face a grievance over the decision to terminate the 30M-in guarantees he had on the first two years of his contract, so there could be more fallout.

Equally as bad, they traded a 3rd and a 5th round pick to the Steelers to get the chance to bring Brown to the Black Hole, so this counts in the loss column too.

I figured the Patriots and the Bengals would make a run at the troubled wide receiver. Bill Belicheck has that history. And Mike Brown is willing to take on all types of riff-raff for his troubled team in Cincinnati.

There is history here in New England with the Patriots leadership. They took on troubled RB-Corey Dillon, who promptly gave them a (1,600Y) rushing season in a Super Bowl Year. They added on the ex Viking Randy Moss, in what turned out to be a (98-reception) run to the Super Bowl. They were gone within a couple of years after that.

The Patriots other wide receiver is the drug-alcohol troubled Josh Gordon, the ex Brown, coming off a 5th NFL suspension. He’s played 51-games in his career, suspended for 56. Most everyone thinks this ‘second chance’ in New England, will be his last chance anywhere.

New England has a history of taking on players from other teams and having success despite guys having 100,000 miles on the tread. Guys like Rodney Harrison and Junior Sean flourished in their post Chargers careers under Belicheck.

Rob Ninkovich was a street free agent, having been with 5-teams, then became a reliable star in Foxboro. They have successful runs with people like Mike Vrabel and Antwain Smith, whom they took off the scrap heap. So they know players.

But there have been failures too up there, CB-Shawn Springs..WR-Joey Galloway..LB-Chad Brown..LB-Adalius Thomas..DT-Albert Haynesworth. Some were older players who could not longer play, some couldn’t fit in, some were bums.

As for Antonio Brown, who destroyed his relationships at the end of the Steelers season last fall, there are questions in neon lights that have to be answered.

What is his ‘mental health state’. He wanted to go to Oakland. He wanted to play for Jon Gruden. HIs agent Drew Rosenhaus got him a big payday, and then Brown went off the track emotionally for the better part of a month.

If there were ever a reason for ’cause testing of a troubled player, you’d think New England would need answers to those questions before they forked over a potential 1Y-15M contract to a man with talent and baggage.

I wonder if past concussions have now taken over in his mental health.

For those of you keeping score at home, this is what AB did to the Silver & Black, that got him kicked out of the Black Hole.

..Went to France, outside the circle of Raiders doctors, for cryotherapy treatment resulting in frostbite to his feet.

..Knew in April the NFL was banning an old style helmet he wore for 9-years in Pittsburgh, then spent weeks fighting the league office, losing 2-grievances in the process.

..Missed 12-of-13 workouts in camp in Napa with his off-field issues, then practiced 3-times, but never played in a preseason game.

..Was fined 54,000-for no-shows at workouts, walk-thrus and team meetings.

..Stalked and confronted GM-Mike Mayock on the field during practice, racially slurred him, cursed him out infront of the team, and threatened to punch him in the face.

..Went on social media, calling his GM the ‘devil’ and a ‘hater’

..Emotionally apologized to his team in the lockeroom and said he was ready to play.

..Went back on social media and released a taped phone call he had with Coach Jon Gruden, his enabler, who asked ‘Do You Want to be a Raider’….told Brown to ‘stop this s–t and just play’….Said he was not a villain but just misunderstood.

..Was fined an additional 215,000 by the GM for the on-field confrontation and informed via letter his 30-M-guarantees in the contract were voided by his insubordnation.

..Jumped back on social media with hashtags…’No guarantees-No play’…..’No More’…..’Release Me’.

..Was then released by the Raiders before the opening day rosters became final that would have guaranteed his 14.6M contract for the season.

..Signed 3-hours later in New England.

Of course now, the agent is saying how Brown wants to ‘fit in’…will be ‘all effort’…and wants to get what he’s never had a ‘Super Bowl Ring’.

What normal person would do these things?

His signing might put the Patriots back in the Super Bowl again. It may blow up in their face. It surely has destroyed the potential of the Raiders last season in Oakland.

Pick any word you want to described what we have just witnessed. Bizarre. Dramatic. Surreal. Circus.

I’ll choose another one. Dangerous.

I think there is something terribly emotionally wrong with this superstar. Players can wake up with traumatic brain damage one morning. The physical-emotional toll on his flamboyant wide receiver career may be taking over his life.

This comes within a week of star QB-Andrew Luck leaving the Colts because of chronic pain from 8-injuries suffered in 4-years of Sunday combat. And weeks after former Baltimore-Chargers fullback LeRon McClain pleads with the NFL to help with him get treatment for severe mental health issues and likely damage from his playing days.

I wonder if anyone in the NFL sees a ‘red flag’ here, or doesn’t care because the ‘green flag’ has been dropped on the 2019-NFL season.

Antonio Brown, a New England Patriot. We’ll wait to see his next touchdown catch, or next off field incident.

Am I the only one who thinks this may end badly, not just for the player, but the person?

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