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“Chargers-Pick-Em-Pal”

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Here comes the forecast as the Chargers get ready to open the NFL season, Sunday in Kansas City.

The Bolts are fairly healthy, have had a good camp on offense, but still have much to prove on defense.

Philip Rivers has probably the best arsenal of offensive skill people around him he has had in years.

Melvin Gordon looks explosive and has worked on pass catching skills. Isolated against linebackers, he may be impossible to cover. He has shown what he can do if he gets space to run the ball. Danny Woodhead is the ideal compliment. And newly acquired ex-Giants running back Andre Williams may be a bigger version of the toughness of Brandon Oliver.

Keenan Allen has come into his own, slick running routes, tough to fite thru the contact, and dangerous yards after catch. When has San Diego had the typle of deep threat speed Travis Benjamin provides. Why Cleveland would ever let him get away in a mystery. It appears Tyrell Williams can be what Malcom Floyd was, a big size targed for Rivers.

The farewell tour for Antonio Gates begins. Watch to see how quickly Hunter Henry, the Arkansas rookie becomes part of the passing attack. He can catch, run, and get open.

The offensive front starts healthy and that is the key to the season. They had to use 11-different offensive lineman, and 23-different starting combinations last year because all but one of their top six OL had significant injuries. So far so good, but there are 16-weeks ahead to be played. I am worried about the concussion-prone issues with King Dunlap and DJ Fluker. Only time and good luck will tell.

Joey Bosa won’t play this week, and maybe not next week, nuring a minor hamstring. They could have used his athleticism and run stuff abilities in Kansas City come Sunday. He could have gotten hurt anytime in camp, but at least if he got nicked in late July, he would have had time to get healthy. Instead, he missed 31-days, 4-games, more than 30-practices and 51-team meetings. And now he has had 1-practice in 10-days. He will be behind the curve but there’s lots of time to get contributions.

This might be the biggfest defensive front San Diego has put on the field in awhile. Brandon Mebane, a 9-year vet takes up space. Corey Liuget and Darius Philon look as if they can hold up against the run. But depth becomes an issue if anyone gets dinged.

Five deep at linebacker, but the jury is still really out on Mantei Te’o, Jerry Attaochu and Kyle Emanuel. Are they just guys on the field, or playmakers?

The secondary will be different. Can Casey Hayward be better than Brandon Flowers? Jason Verret seems to have ‘star’ written all over his athletic ability. The safeties look solid, but only game action will tell us if CFL-import Dexter Coil, 2nd year man Craig Mauger and others can produce when called up.

The kicking game is rock solid, though it will be interesting see if Josh Lambo kicks off to put it in play, or will continue to hit it out of the end zone, giving the other team the ball at the 24.
The punter, Drew Kazor looks strong.

The schedule is very tough. If this team wins early, they will be a playoff team by the time they reach November first. The opening 8-games, against hired gun quarterbacks, will be a challenge.

If the offensive front holds up, and you’d think it’s time someone else had injury problems, Rivers will put up big numbers. Then it will be up to the defense to do their job to be better stopping the run, so John Pagano can unveil his exotic blitz packages.

It think the Bolts in in Kansas City, where they are just (8-18) since 1990. But Rivers is (5-5) at Arrowhead and loves that challenge of being hated. It is an organizational disgrace this franchise has just 1-playoff win in 8-years with him at quarterback. That’s on the front office, not on the quarterback.

Tom Telesco has had a good draft, and a good off season signing players. Better than the off season of the other three teams in the division.

Mike McCoy gets Ken Whisenhunt back as his offensive coordinator, so the play calling will be better, and some dimensions of tough guy football should reappear.

Know this, Rivers is on the clock. Know this too, McCoy needs to win He is just (5-14) in the divisions in 3-years. All those close losses, 16-by a TD or less over 3-seasons, are still ‘losses’. His record is (23-27).

He took over the best situation of any of the coaches hired in 2013. Bruce Arians has done a marvelous job in Arizona. McCoy has not, not yet, in San Diego.

The landscape has changed in the AFC-West. All four teams could wind up (9-7). I think the Chargers go from ‘worst-to-first’ because of Rivers and the upgrades on defense.

Win the division? A distinct possibility.
Make the playoffs? A must happen certainty.
Fire Mike McCoy if they miss the playoffs? Absolutely.

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“NFL-32 Teams-32 Storylines”

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ARIZONA….Yes Carson Palmer will bounce back from the post season playoff horrors and he is surrounded by lots of playmakers at receiver and running back. Watch to see if DT-Rob Nkemdiche and free agents Ty Branch and Arthur Jones make a big impact on defense.

ATLANTA…Did the Falcons do enough to upgrade their defense, and will LB-Courtney Upshaw make them tougher that side of the ball? Can Julio Jones and Matt Ryan recapture their magic and will Jones stay healthy?

BALTIMORE…Injuries wrecked them at the end of last season. Now healthy, will Joe Flacco, Steve Smith, Terrell Suggs return to the form of old, and will the one year layoff finally get last year’s top pick WR-Breshard Perryman healthy?

BUFFALO…Rex Ryan is on the hot seat. For all he inherited on defense, they sure have not played all that well in two seasons. Does QB-Tyrod Taylor step to the next level? Can WR-Sammy Watkins stay healthy?

CAROLINA…Will there be a Super Bowl hangover, or will the Panthers be even hungrier . How does the loss of Josh Norman to free agency change the team’s chemistry? Can WR-Kelvin Benjamin, badly hurt last August, return to form?

CHICAGO….This seems like a mish-mash roster, and you have the wild armed Jay Cuter to deal with. Don’t know if Coach John Fox is making progress, or just changing parts yearly. Life after Matt Forte starts now.

CINCINNATI…Lots of player movement for a team so close to being a deep in the playoff squad, but yet to get there. Karlos Dansby joins pretty active LB group, but Andy Dalton loses WR-Mo Sanu and Marvin Jones to free agency.

CLEVELAND…They open with 17-rookies on the roster, and the 25th different starting QB since 1999, just 16-seasons ago. Hue Jackson could be looking at an (0-16) season unless newly acquired QB-Robert Griffin can find his magic and his health.

DALLAS…Tony Romo is hurt again, and this team is just (1-10) in games he does not start. Dak Prescott will be the QB with Mark Sanchez coming on board as the insurance policy. The offense is still very good, but the defense is awful, with injuries, and drug suspensions.

DENVER….Is Trevor Siemian the next coming of a late round pick to do well at quarterback (Tom Brady) ? Broncos are taking a gamble. The defense takes on a different look wit the loss of free agents Malik Jackson and Danny Travathan.

DETROIT…Matthew Stafford operates for the first time ever without Megatron, following Calvin Johnson’s retirement as an elite WR. They don’t look like they have enough weapons on offense.

GREEN BAY…The health of RB-Eddie Lacy and TE-Jared Cook are key components to help Aaron Rodgers make plays down the field. Interested to see which young draft picks step up to be stars, since the Packers hardly ever enter free agency.

HOUSTON…Brock Osweiler got alot of money for winning five games in Denver. He won’t have the same talent around him with the Texans, but JJ Watt is healthy at DE and RB-Lamar Miller gives them a power back.

INDIANAPOLIS…Andrew Luck has taken a beating the last two years and has injuries to prove it. Camp turned out to be a mess with all the injuries on defense. This eerily seems to be like the Peyton Manning era. Not much size nor toughness in the OL or on the defense.

JACKSONVILLE…Coach Gus Bradley is (12-36) as they force fed QB-Blake Bortels. They now need a breakout season from a bunch of people on offense, but the defense gets better with free agent signings.

KANSAS CITY….The playmakers won’t be ready to start the season. LB-Justin Houston is out till at least week seven, RB-Jamal Charles is coming off a second knee surgery, and S-Eric Berry sat out all of camp. This will be a ball control offense with hopes the defense will hold up.

LA RAMS…Fans are happing the NFL is back but they might not be happy with an inefficient offense, and a torn apart defense. The Rams seem to have taken a step back letting so many on the defense get away, Chris Long, James Laurinitas, Janoris Jenkins, Akeem Ayers. LA will go as far as RB-Todd Gurley carries them, because Case Keenum does not scare anyone at QB and lst pick Jarrod Goff is not ready at all.

MIAMI…Adam Gase takes over and that should be good news for QB-Ryan Tannehill, still an uncut gem. They imported alot of defensive free agents, led by Jason Jones, Mario Williams and Kiki Alonso, and get Cam Wake and Dion Jordan back off injuries and suspension.

MINNESOTA…Devastating, the loss of QB-Ted Bridgewater, but the deal for Sam Bradford shows they are ‘all in’ to win. Adrian Peterson, play making WRs, and a very good-young defense should be able to make up for the loss of the young quarterback.

NEW ENGLAND…Jimmy Garappolo will run the show thru the Tom Brady suspension. They are still going thru transition in the offensive line, still experimenting with offensive skill people, but the defense is made up of young veterans.

NEW ORLEANS…Drew Brees cannot do it all by himself, and it appears this organization has failed in recent years to put enough good young draft picks or free agents around him. Has the look and feel of a franchise slipping to .500.

NEW YORK GIANTS…Ben McAdoo takes over for Tom Coughlin. He has Eli Manning but an oft-injured WR group. Lots of changes on defense and they spent a ton to get Olivier Vernon, Damon Harrison and Janoris Jenkins in free agency for the defense.

NEW YORK JETS…The bitter holdout is over and now the question, can Ryan Fitzpatrick duplicate the record career year he had last year. The defensive front seven is really good.
Wondering if Matt Forte and Ryan Clady make a difference to that offense?

OAKLAND…Derek Carr is growing. The Raiders have a great OL and depth at receiver-running back. A bunch of no name young athletes, who can run, support Khail Mack. Might this be a breakthru year under Jack Del Rio.

PHILADELPHIA…Carson Wentz will be the starting QB despite playing one quarter in preseason.The roster looks really shaky. The offensive line looks worse.

PITTSBURGH…Ben Roethlisberger has to go four weeks without RB-Le’Veon Bell, and won’t have WR-Martavis Bryant (suspended) or Heath Miller-TE (retired), but he does have Antonio Brown. The defense keeps adding young pieces, and maybe this is the year they all arrive together.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS…After Rex Ryan and Gus Bradley, Mike McCoy is the third guy on the hotseat. How disgraceful, an organization with Philip Rivers at QB-has just one playoff win in 8-years. Bounceback season possible if the injury ravaged OL can stay healthy and on the field. Melvin Gordon looks fabulous at RB, and the defense will be much more physically tougher with Brandon Mebane and Joey Bosa upfront. Could go worst to first. If not, McCoy is gone.

SAN FRANCISCO…Chip Kelly’s aura seems gone. Now we find out if he learned anything with the Eagles. He does not have a great roster, but he likes his system, and he likes his QBs Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaeperneck, but there’s not much else there.

SEATTLE….Life begins without the Beast, Marshawn Lynch, but it really was Russell Wilson’s team the last two years. Lots of speed at WR, and still talent in defense, though there has been huge changeover in personnel that side of the ball. Good, but not great these days in Seattle.

TAMPA BAY…The firing of the coaching staff shook things up, but Dirk Koetter has been held in high regard as an offensive guru. Seems to be a more mature and better in shape-Jameis Winston and they have firepower around him.

TENNESSEE…A strong preseason make you wonder how an awful team could become such a bully in just one off season? Marcus Mariota has power backs, receivers, and a much more aggressive defense. They could be pretty good this year if they stay healthy.

WASHINGTON..Can Kirk Cousins duplicate his numbers from a year ago? Is Josh Docton the perfect compliment to LeSean Jackson? Will the defense continue to grow with the arrival of Josh Norman. What happens to Jay Gruden if there is a dropoff this season?

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“What to Make of the West”

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Here comes the opening weekend of the NFL season and there are more questions than answers for teams in the AFC West.

CHARGERS…The waiting game for Joey Bosa continues. Healthy, not healthy, ready, not ready. We know a couple of things for sure. He is not ready for game type hitting. That’s what contact workouts in preseason camp, and the four preseason games are for. He had none of that. Hopefully, whatever ailment the Chargers are hiding from the media, calf, hamstring or minor knee strain, will not keep him out of ‘live action’ for sure. The Chargers think they have upgraded all their shortcomings in the draft and thru free-agency. Only time will tell if Casey Hayward is more consistent than Brandon Flowers. If Dwight Lowery is a different breed of safety than Eric Weddle. If the kids at linebacker, Josh Perry and Kyle Emanuel can make plays. The general feeling is that Brandon Mebane will be a difference maker at nose tackle, thereby making Corey Liuget and the combo of Darius Philion and Bosa much more active. Of course there needs to be weekly showings (big plays) from Melvin Ingram and Jerry Attaochu. Melvin Gordon looks so different, so good, so explosive.

RAIDERS…Everyone has picked the Raiders as a key team in the division. Yes they are building around young gun quarterback Derek Carr. And yes their offensive line is huge, nasty, veteran in game experience. The biggest question, is do they have enough of a running game to make Carr’s play action package something special down the field? The defense is really young, and yes Khalil Mack plays with veteran leadership well beyond his just two years in the league. But there are not alot of names, and not alot of big time studs on that side of the ball. And the Raiders must still prove they can win on the road, to be a really dangerous team. Only opening day and beyond will tell us that.

BRONCOS…Enjoy that shiny new Super Bowl ring, for you won’t be getting back to the dance for awhile. Denver did not want to pay (4.5M) as an insurance policy fee to keep veteran QB-Mark Sanchez on the roster, in case raw rookie Trevor Siemian, a 7th round pick out of Northwestern, gets overwhelmed as a first time NFL starter. Behind him is the Memphis rookie Paxton Lynch, who has played just 1-game in preseason. Yes the receiving corps is back, and the run game has been bolstered to support CJ Anderson. But the Denver defense took some hits. losing DT-Malik Jackson and inside linebacker Danny Travaythan. Von Miller is back, and so is DeMarcus Ware, if his back holds up. But the Broncos want to play ball control and play great defense, but you have to have a QB to make plays down the field. And some of those defensive playmakers are no longer there. Jury is out on he guys wearing rings.

CHIEFS…Andy Reid is so conservative, but what he wants to do, with what is left on the roster, might not be enough to get the job done. Jamal Charles, the explosive running back, is still not ready coming off his 2nd knee ligament surgery. Reid did uncover a ‘cloud of dust’ power run game in Spencer Ware-Chan West, but he needs game breakers there. For some reason KC has just never found blazing speed receivers over the years to compliment Jeremy Maclin. And they have a no-name offensive line after getting stung with free agent defections. The Blood-Red blitz package on defense won’t be the same either. Justin Houston, the sack artist, is coming off knee surgery, and won’t be available till week seven. Aging pass rusher Tamba Hali has not been the same player two years running. The secondary lost cover corner Sean Smith, too. Alex Smith cannot do it by himself, though he does alot of good things at quarterback.

SUMMARY…The Chiefs could be the only team in the division that wins opening weekend. That would mean a Chargers loss at Arrowhead, a Denver home loss to Cam Newton and Carolina, and a Raiders loss to Drew Brees on the road in New Orleans. We find out quickly how improved the Bolts defense is. What the loss of the quarterback and the defensive defections means in Denver. And whether the Raiders are ready to grow up and win away from the Black Hole against a quality opponent. Stay tuned for Sunday night. .

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“Quarterbacks-If You Have One-Lucky You”

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The NFL is a quarterback’s league. Just ask the most recent Super Bowl winners how important it is to have a Peyton Manning, a Cam Newton, a Drew Brees, a Tom Brady, an Eli Manning or a Ben Roethlisberger.

And if you don’t have one, then you are the Buffalo Bills, the Rams, the Jaguars and others, where post season games are something you watch on television.

Around the NFL road map, everyone, who doesn’t have one, is trying to get one.

The devastating dislocated kneecap injury that felled Vikings young star Ted Bridgewater, led to the big trade of a 1st and 4th round Vikings choice to go get Eagles veteran Sam Bradford.

Dallas, shaken by another back injury to Tony Romo, and knowing they are (1-10) in games he does not start, rolls the dice by bringing in just released Mark Sanchez, whose baggage has now gone thru the New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos camps.

In LA, where they are so excited to see the Rams back, comes the reality that the first pick in he draft Jared Goff, is so far behind the learning curve, that he is listed 3rd on the opening day depth chart. Rams fans will have to cheer journeyman Case Keenum to start the year.

Denver said goodbye to the greatness of Peyton Manning, then watched Brock Osweiler jump ship to get free agent riches in Houston. They must think they have the second coming of Tom Brady, the 6th round pick who is turning into a Hall of Famer. So Trevor Siemian, a 7th round pick out of Northwestern, has been anointed their starter.

Of course the Texas overpaid, at 15M per season, for Osweiler, who won all of 5-games last year in rallying the Broncos till the league caught up to him.

In Philadelphia, follow the Eagles philosophies, as it bounces all over the street like a rubber ball. They signed free-agent Chase Daniel, dealt for Sam Bradford, then spent their high first round pick on North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz. Bradford is gone, Daniel is a backup, and Wentz, who played one half in preseason before getting hurt, will start this weekend.

And then there is Cleveland, where Robert Griffin III will become the 25th different starting QB for the Browns since 1999. Think about that, 25-in 17-years. Makes you long for the days of Milt Plum and Frank Ryan. Surely no one has ever equaled Otto Grahame.

In San Francisco, where the Colin Kaeperneck flag fire still burns, Blaine Gabbert will start, this after washing out in Jacksonville a couple of years back.

By Sunday, there could be as many as 9-new quarterbacks making starts in the season openers. All this smacks of desperation moves by clubs, front office execs and coaches.

Quarterbacks. If you’ve got one you are lucky. If you don’t have one, you are in trouble, just a couple of days before the NFL openers.

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“Chargers-What Do We Really Know-Really Nothing”

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The preseason exhibition games are over. The team went (1-3) and didn’t play all that well collectively.

What do we really know right now about the Chargers, as they get ready to go to Kansas City to face the Chiefs next Sunday in the NFL opener?

We know Philip Rivers remains great.

We know it’s the farewell tour for Antonio Gates.

We know Melvin Gordon, with running room, is dangerous and deadly, primarilty with that 39-yard TD run and 49-yard TD catch and run.

We know Brandon Mebane takes up space upfront, that Jason Verrett is still a quality athlete and the Jahlil Addae is growing into a ballhawk.

We know the kickers, the Texas AM-twosome, Josh Lambo and Drew Kisor, are pretty strong.

But beyond that, we don’t really know a ton about this football team, but then again you can say that about alot of NFL teams, who seldom play their starters in these four games, protecting them from deadly injuries, that can cripple a season.

If I were searching for positives, young WR-Dom Williams caught lots of balls, and the Washington State rookie is headed to their taxi squad to start the season.

CFL-safety Dexter McCoil made plays in the secondary, and seems to be first man downfield on kick coverage.

Rookie running back Ken Farrow ran and caught balls in his 2-preseason game appearances, covering over 160-yards in total in playing close to four quarters of ball.

Tyrell Williams looks as if he is the replacement for the injured Stevie Johnson and the retired Malcom Floyd

But there are so many other unresolved questions.

The Joey Bosa holdout is over. The team loses on the field, the front office loses face again, and the player lost a ton of practice time, classroom meetings and in-game conditioing. He got his money, but in these early season must-win games against strong armed quarterbacks, one wonders how many snaps he gets, and how much of the complex John Pagano playbook he understands.

The Chargers linebacking group seldom made plays in preseason. Maybe they will bring Melvin Ingram and Jerry Attaochu on blitz schemes that work this year, and maybe there will be a combined 20-quarterback sacks coming from them. But then again, we’ve never seen any of that ‘consistency’ in the past three years.

Brandon Flowers, may be healthy, may have lost weight, but he gave up more big plays in preseason than he made.

Only time will tell whether they have a quality safety in place of Eric Weddle, but Dwight Lowery was active in limited playing time.

The offensive line, aside from a couple of big runs, did not dominate in run blocking.

Hunter Henry did not catch as many passes as I thought. I do like Travis Benjamin, but he is awful slight as a receiver, and I wonder about heavy hits on guys who run inside slot routes.

I was suprrised ex-Packers-Raiders wide receiver James Jones did not play well, and now he’s gone. I thought he would be a great insurance policy. Ditto for young wideout Jevontee Herndon, who played well the back half of last season. He got hurt early and was waived, and has not resurfaced.

And the defense, it really didn’t stop anyone. They gave up (5.5YPC) vs the run, almost as bad as last year. Opposing quarterbacks completed 62% of their passes in the four preseason games. That defense allowed 339-yards a game, and that was against last year’s bad teams that included Tennessee and the 49ers. The offense had 9-turnovers, much of that while rookie QB-Mike Bercovici was doing his impressions of Billy Joe Tolliver. And the punt return game, an anemic (1.5Y) per return, a shade better than last year’s abomination.

On paper, the Chargers free agent signings on defense, plus the inking of Bears center Matt Slauson looks solid. The Sunday night pickup of young heavy-duty running back Andre Williams, the former Boston College star, who had (975Y) in a year and a half with the Giants looks good. And we wait to see how quickly the top 2-draft picks, play and contribute.

The offensive line is healthy right now, with DJ Fluker back in practice on Monday. But holding up when the real bullets fly, becomes something we will wait on.

The loss of Brandon Oliver and Stevie Johnson robs the team of veteran depth, on a roster that is very young and athletic.

The only thing that is certain is that big throwing quarterbacks and heavy duty run games are just around the corner. Andrew Luck, Drew Brees, Blake Bortels, Derek Carr, Matt Ryan, the Chiefs powerball run game and the Broncos blitz package all await the first eight weeks of the season.

And Mike McCoy has 9-new assistants on this staff, and it has not bee a good four weeks for the schemes they are running.

Projections and Predictions are coming at the end of the week.

Right now, the Chargers look good on paper. But game is played on the field, and I’d be concerned over what I saw, especially, what I didn’t see. Explosiveness on offense, and dominance on defense. It wasnt’ really part of preseason. They better hope it surfaces starting next Sunday in regular season.. .