A Look Back – If there’s a team that is expected to win their division this season, it’s the San Diego Chargers. San Diego stormed through the second half of last season to capture the AFC West yet again, and there is no reason not to repeat again. Philips Rivers and the gang are clearly going to be out looking for the best record in the AFC so the road to the Super Bowl can come through Qualcomm Stadium.
Key Addition – RB Ryan Mathews – Give the Chargers all the credit in the world for doing what they needed to do on Draft Day, moving up into the middle of the round to snare Mathews from Fresno State. Someone needed to replace RB LaDainian Tomlinson, and leaving all of the pressure on the back of Darren Sproles just didn’t make all that much sense. There’s a reason that Mathews is the overwhelming favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year honors this season.
Key Loss – DB Antonio Cromartie – Whereas the Chargers successfully replaced their future Hall of Fame running back, they never really did find a way to replace Cromartie in the secondary. This could be the only real hole on a defense which could be fantastic in 2010. The former Florida State Seminole was also a special teams star when need be, which makes him all the more difficult for one man to replace.
2010 Will Be a Success if… – The Bolts stay healthy. Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the best team in the AFC West, and anything less than a division championship would be a bitter disappointment. The only way that the improbable happens is if Rivers, Mathews, and/or a whole slew of people get hurt.
The Crucial Game – On November 18th, the Chargers will travel to Indianapolis to take on the Colts. Theoretically, the AFC West will already essentially be wrapped up. With nothing but cupcakes surrounding this game on the schedule, San Diego will have nothing but time on its hands to prepare for this one. The winner of this NFL betting battle in “The Drum” will most likely end up being the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Needless to say, this is of paramount importance.
Predictions - With a potent passing game and a favorable schedule, the San Diego Chargers are going to be a dominating team against the weaker teams that get in their way. The Chargers are +600 in odds to win the AFC and they are +900 to win the Super Bowl. The rest of the AFC might look like a bunch of ants by the time the giants of the conference are done with them this year. At least 12 wins is a reasonable possibility.
2010 San Diego Chargers Regular Season Schedule
9/13 @ KC
9/19 vs. JAC
9/26 @ SEA
10/3 vs. ARI
10/10 @ OAK
10/17 @ STL
10/24 vs. NE
10/31 vs. TEN
11/7 @ HOU
Bye
11/22 vs. DEN
11/28 @ IND
12/5 vs. OAK
12/12 vs. KC
12/16 vs. SF
12/26 @ CIN
1/2 @ DEN
Over the Hill? Tomlinson’s NFL Career Not Over
The expected axe finally fell on LaDainian Tomlinson as the San Diego Chargers gave him his walking papers today after nine seasons.
The LT post-mortems all point out how he struggled last season getting just and average of 3.3 yards a carry and disappeared in the San Diego Chargers playoff loss to the Jets, but that’s a load of something that begins with c and rhymes with rap.
LT will miss the Chargers Cheerleaders
The Chargers Darren Sproles didn’t do much better picking up 3.7 yards per carry. The problem wasn’t Tomlinson, but rather the offensive line who couldn’t open enough holes for LT. Or at least it isn’t just LT’s fault.
Then pointing out his poor performance against the Jets is disingenuous. The Jets have the best defense in the NFL. Offenses are supposed to struggle against them. And again, the offensive line could have done a lot more to help San Diego’s running backs.
LT isn’t an elite running back anymore, but he can still be a contributor he just needs to find the right situation.
What kind of situation is that?
While I’m sure his veteran leadership will be appreciated on a rebuilding team, he needs to find himself a contender with an offensive line that can open holes with some consistency and an every-down running back to take most of the punishment. Preferably a big bruising running back, so they can switch LT in to change the pace.
Even though they’ve moved on, the Chargers still have some work to do if they want to close to the top echelon teams. They need to find a kicker who can kick in the playoffs too and their offensive line could use a little help. They currently sit at +975 in 2011 Super Bowl odds.