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Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus Podcast
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“CHARGERS FOOTBALL–NEVER ENDS”
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You hoped this would be a breakout season for the Chargers.
You wound up with an injury ravaged roster.
You finished with a brutal beatdown at the hands of the New England Patriots.

From start to finish, I feared it would be a very hard road game in New England.
And it was and it ended really badly, with a battered Justin Herbert crushed by sacks

A quick look see at every aspect of another post season failure.

JIM HARBAUGH….His team, his coaching staff, his playbook, his shortcomings.  Enough with all these Network TV guys telling the world this coach teaches toughness and has changed the culture of the Bolts.  Then how come this year, they got bulldozed by the lowly Giants, Washington, Jacksonville and then the pounding in New England.  All that after they were creamed in 6-different games in 2024, when they lost to team’s that played tough guy football.

GREG ROMAN…Enough with all the praise for his creative play-calling.  Do you know in the two playoff games he has called with Justin Herbert, Roman’s offense has 1-touchdown in 33-possessions.  The bigger crime is the inability to make adjustments to help the battered QBs.  His offense looked ill-prepared to cope with the stunts, twists, delayed blitzes.  He never changed the pass protection packages, by using tight ends of fullbacks as extra backers.  And as things went bad, instead of going up tempo, going to shorter pass packages, slants, outs and tight ends, Roman insisted on having Herbert stand back in the pocket, with the heat coming, and try to go thru progressions.  He got crushed.  Add on the wide receivers never got separation, dropped passes, and never got the balls.  It was a horrific day.

JUSTIN HERBERT…6-sacks, 11-hits, 12-pressures, no rythym, no hope of rallying the offense.  This was about what was around him, not what was his fault.

PASSING GAME…Not much there…Got bullied coming off the line of scrimmage…never got into patterns with all the combo coverage the Pats threw over the receivers…dropped balls…just a failure.

RUN GAME…What run game is the issue-did not stick with it long enough…virtually no holes to run thru…and the blitz block pick up was woeful.

OFFENSIVE LINE…Staple it to their resume, they allowed Herbert to take 60-sacks…The injuries wrecked the book end tackles…RG-Mekhi Becton cannot hold up in pass coverage-cannot handle stunts and twists…OC-Brad Bozeman breaks down too much and seems to be moving in slow motion…Thank goodness Rashawn Slater-Joe Alt return next year-they need more OL and a true starting center.

JESSIE MINTER..Added more credibility to his resume with exotic packages to go after the Patriots quarterback, five sacks, a tough run defense, but in the end, on the field too long because the offense did not do its job.

DEFENSIVE PASS RUSH..It was fierce and it was effective but it ran out of gas.

PASS COVERAGE…They got burned because QB-Drake Maye kept making plays downfield, 12-chunk plays, and a pile of big yardage pass plays off broken plays….The LBs-and young CBs did not hold up…Derwin James got beat on a formation pass route…It just got worse as the game moved on.

WHAT’S NEXT…Serious consideration to an Off Coord-change…Figure who runs the defense if Minter gets his head coaching opportunity…Mandate to upgrade the offensive line and maybe a year’s growth from the kid receivers-this will be a step forward.  But my lasting memory if Herbert getting plastered time and time again and the smart guy coaching staff failing their Superman QB all night long.

 

All the regular season wins don’t mean much if you miss the playoffs or just become a 1-and-done franchise…again.

 

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Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus Podcast…1:30pm
You Tube-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton
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Alot of football..frantic 4th quarters…as I thought it would be a wild-Wildcard Weekend.  What I saw-What I think:

CHARGERS-PATRIOTS
..It started bad-ended worse..Justin Herbert had no chance-no help from his offensive line..his receivers seldom got open..and the Chargers defense died in the 2nd half-gashed by 10-chunk plays in the second half…Herbert took a fierce pounding in the 2nd half…fumbled 3-times in the game..The rag tag OL allowed 6-sacks-12 pressures and 6-additional hits…Despite all that Herbet showed great moxie (159P-57R)..but Drake Maye kept making big plays (268P-66R)…He survived 5-sacks and made 13-chunk plays in the win…Herbert now (0-3) in his career in postseason..Herbert finishes the season with 60-sacks…231-pressures…135-hits.

RAMS-CAROLINA
..Courageous comeback by Matthew Stafford, playing with sprained finger on throwing hand…Survived alot of negative stuff around him….Sean McVay’s blown 4th down play call when a field goal would have given LA a (20-7) lead…Instead momentum changes-the Panthers roared back and took the lead…Stafford survived a 4th quarter full of blitzes…7-dropped passes…an unseemly 9-penalties for 83-yards…The Rams kept making mistakes-the QB bailed them out….But that is 4-straight road games they have not played well…Why does it feel as if the Rams are living on borrowed time?

BEARS-PACKERS…Amazing comeback by Chicago, or an amazing collapse by Green Bay…The Pack blew a (21-3) lead in the fourth quarter…Caleb Williams led 4-scoring drives in a row in the fatal 4th quarter, outgunning Jordan Love…The Packers pass rush disappeared and it took a 4th down stop on the final drive by the leaky Chicago defense to save the day after Williams won it for him…Bad taste in everyone’s mouth, towards Matt LaFleur’s failures at the end of the game and Ben Johnson’s ‘no class’ comments in the victors lockeroom.

49ers-EAGLES…Just too much Green for SF to defend..but that group did not play 60-minutes…The battered Niners survived all those injuries all season, then lost George Kittle…and survived 3-Brock Purdy turnovers and won…So bad by the middle of the 3rd quarter, Eagles fans were booing last year’s Super Bowl team….Hard to believe a team with Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, the wideouts Smith-Brown, the TE, not to mention the Eagles pass rush..lose…The Niners-so undermanned-so banged up..found a way to win..  So hard on Brock Purdy, once Philly put the lid on the run game-taking away Christian McCaffrey..but the team survived every-which way to pull off a 4th quarter shocker…The way the weekend went.

BILLS-JAGUARS…The best QB-biggest QB in the NFL put on a dazzling show…Josh Allen throwing, Josh Allen running, Josh Allen leading the Bills to a really tough win in Jacksonville…Some 4th quarter, backs to the wall, hits a key 36Y-pass…backs to the wall on a must get 4th down-QB sneak-he goes for 10-yards and eventually got into the end zone…First road playoff win in 33-years (1992)…Allen now had 42-TDs this season.

HOUSTON-PITTSBURGH….You wonder if the Texans will give the Steelers a dose of their own medicine-beat them with their brand of defense….Aaron Rodgers has had a good season and gotten better and better as the season has moved on-but this is a 47-sack Houston defense with 29-takeaways…How many scoring drives can Rodgers put together?

Some wildcard weekend and now Denver and Seattle join the party next weekend
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Hacksaw’s Great Sports Weekend Podcast
You Tube-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton
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“WILDCARD WEEKEND..WILL BE WILD”
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Explosions are upcoming.
Firepower is everywhere.
Hi octane offenses.
Big power defenses.
A few overachievers too.

The field is set and here comes Saturday-Sunday-Monday playoff football.
AKA-Wildcard weekend.

A scouting report:

CHARGERS-PATRIOTS…Matchups galore…The shootout between star QBs, Justin Herbert (4225APY-28TD) and Drake Maye (4844APY-35TD)…Or maybe the matchup of what Bolts defensive coordinator Jess Minter calls and how the Patriots offensive line blocks it…There is a big argument about ‘who have the Pats played’-a lineup that included 12-non playoff teams…The Pats scored 58TDs-gave up 38TD-but the schedule had something to do with that…The Chargers scored 42TD-but gave up 40TD…We will see if they can hold up to the big pass plays to Stefon Diggs-Hunter Henry…Justin Herbert-yet to win a playoff game…Drake Maye-yet to be in a playoff game.

BILLS-JAGUARS…Questions worth asking…’Hey Bills-who are you’….’Hey Jags, you have 7-wins against bottom feeder teams-how good are you’…Josh Allen is all world with his 39-TD season…RB-James Cook (1621Y) rushing…But the wideouts have been erratic…Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrene comes off a (4007Y-29TD) and (359R-10TD)..The defense is improving (303YPG)…Which Bills team shows up?  Is Jville for real?

HOUSTON-STEELERS..’On fire’ the only way to describe the Texans defense…47-sacks..29-takeaways…giving up just (277YPG)…and it doesn’t matter where they play-that is how they play…CJ Stroud sprays the ball everywhere..It is a team with a 9-game winning streak heading into Pittsburgh…and even in losses (1-3-5-7) they are in games…Aaron Rodgers has gotten better and better as this year has gone on (3322P-27TD) and they get DK Metcalf back but this will be so hard to move the ball on Houston

RAMS-CAROLINA..LA is loaded, possessed, with a great QB and a great coach…Yes they lost 3-in a row on the road to end the season, but now they pay back Carolina for what happened early…’Firepower & Fury’ is the calling card…QB-Matthew Stafford (4707P-46TD)…Nacua-Adams have combined for (189R-13YPC), they have (1900Y) worth of running backs and the Rams defense 47-sacks-26-takeaways..What is there not to respect?…Carolina’s Bryce Young will have his hands full..and by the way, does an (8-9) record impress you, or the fact they went (2-5)-vs-playoff teams this year?

BEARS-PACKERS..Chicago has firepower and needs it (369YPG) because the defense leaks oil (361YPG)…Caleb Williams (4330Y-30TD) throws to everyone and they are hard to contain..They earned the (11-6) record…The Packers are ailing…4-straight losses…Jordan Love’s concussion…the season ending knee injury to Micah Parsons..and the major injuries to virtually all his receiving corps…Just not the same team any longer-wrong time of year to be hurt.

49ERS-EAGLES…Asking this.. ‘San Francisco spent-any bullets left in the gun?’…Great season thru all the adversity that Kyle Shanahan has had to face, but maybe this is the end of the run…So many people on defense are out…Strange season in Philadelphia-the oft-injured offensive line…a hot-cold Jalen Hurts..but Saquon Barkley finished strong (1140Y) and those two WRs (AJ Brown-Davonte Smith) combined for (202R-2004Y)…The defense has regained its swagger too (42-sacks-21-takeaways)…Challenging day ahead for Brock Purdy-great-gutty season-but likely to end this weekend.

What a fun-first weekend…will be a wild-Wildcard Weekend.
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Hacksaw’s ThursdayPodcast…1:30pm

You Tube-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton

Hot Topics on Table-Stay for Fans Forum

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“COLLEGE FB-PICK EM PAL”
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Can they top what we saw just last week in the College Football Playoffs?

You close your eyes and you see the explosive Ole Miss comeback win over Georgia.

You see Miami’s defense mauling Ohio State all day long.

That was Indiana steam rolling Alabama into the off season

You blinked at seeing Oregon’s shutout destruction of Texas Tech.

So now we look forward to the semi finals:

OREGON-INDIANA…A rematch of the stunning Hoosiers win at Autzen Stadium, where Indiana did to the Ducks what they have done to all 14-teams they beat this year.  Dominated at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and let QB-Fernando Mendoza make the big plays downfield.  Oregon has to approach this game differently.  As dynamic as Dante Moore is, he has to go up tempo, no huddle, move the pocket and get IU on its back heels.  I do not think the Ducks can outslug the Hoosiers, but if they can hit big plays, get early scores, wear out the Crimson-Cream defense, it’s a different game.  If not, Indiana slugs out a win and takes their (15-0) record to the finals.

MIAMI-OLE MISS…Who is going to get who?  That’s the storyline, where the Canes bring their fierce pass rush to the line of scrimmage to go after the Rebels high octane passing game.  Trinidad Chambliss has been dynamic, in the pocket, on rollouts.  He throws, he runs, he has no fear and he has two big playmaking WRs who get open and get yards after catches.  Keep an eye out and listen for the names Wallace & Stribling…Bain & Mesidor, the pass catchers and the pass rushers.  This is a different Miami team, not a big down the field strike offense, and this is a Rebels defense that gets after it.  Ole Miss will try to negate RB-Mark Fletcher, placing the game squarely on veteran QB-Carson Beck, who can throw TDs but also has a history of throwing picks.

WHO WINS..Love the Ole Miss story, setting aside all the distractions from the Lane Kiffin storyline.  Love what Dan Lanning has done with the Ducks.  That would be some college football finale wouldn’t it?  Play on.  I pick the Ducks and Rebels to advance.  Thursday-Friday night will be fun
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“AZTECS OBSERVATION”
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It’s like being stationed in a firetower looking out into the forest.

Looking at the big picture, not just this specific San Diego State basketball game.

A strange season so far.  So much expected early on.
So little consistency.
Some real questions about how long it will take this team to come together.

And in that firetower, I am looking for embers close by to catch fire and seeing what the big picture far away (NCAA-March Madness time) might look like.

The Aztecs are not yet, what I thought, you thought, Brian Dutcher imagined, so far.

The Tuesday night game at Nevada-Reno was a prime example.
So was the ugly loss weeks ago to Troy State.
And the the wild win vs Boise State that went 3-overtimes on the weekend.

Looking thru my binoculars, I have yet to see Magoon Gwath be what he was a year ago, an ascending star on the come.  He looks tentative jumping, driving, rebounding.  This comeback from knee surgery will take longer, maybe into the second half of the season.  His confidence is missing.

Anyone seen the dynamics of Miles Byrd?  At least not yet, especially from someone who practiced so well against potential NBA draft picks last summer.  I expected alot more consistency.

BJ Davis has been exceptional, and looks so different from a year ago,much more explosive.

Miles Heide does all the dirty work around the basket but has his limitations, but he will give you all his minutes and fouls.

Pharaoh Compton, it’s not pretty, some nights not consistent, but he is a real grinder amongst the bigs.  Can play the role and lots of games left on his docket.

Reese Waters, the time away from the game has been a challenge.  Still think the best of a final season is still to come, and he is such a wide body who can lean on people.

Elzie Harrington, what a surprise.  Young guys have good nights and nights they get  overwhelmed by the process.  That’s him.  But what upside.

Taj deGourville looks so much more explosive this second year and they really need him.  Huge upside about to be delivered too

Sean Newman makes me wonder sometimes, is it too overwhelming for him, this step up from Louisiana Tech.  Have yet to find  trust-worthy play from him coming off the bench.

Jeremiah Oden brings lots of experience to the floor but defining a role has been hard for him and his coach.

Tae Simmons is just scratching the surface, and is so young, but the stage does not seem too big for him yet.

The bench bunch has really delivered just 14-games into the season.  The toughness dimension has shown its streak at times.  The defensive intensity has been hit and miss.  It is weird, this deep into the season, the Aztecs don’t feel like a finished product.  At times you don’t know if they have the right guys in the starting lineup either.

We know they are not equal to Michigan-Arizona and the big boys they played.  At this juncture they don’t resemble great teams of SDSU vintage we have seen the last couple of years.

But we also know that we’d trust SDSU’s history over say the up and down play of USC or the volatility of UCLA and their coach.  Aside from all things Gonzaga and Mark Few, State still has time to make it come together.

Atop my firetower, I don’t see any blazes out there yet.  I expect as they march thru this final MWC schedule, they will come together.  Just not yet.  Keep looking for smoke that this SDSU fire will erupt before March Madness gets here.

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