Football Diner 2008 Team Reviews / Previews
San Diego Chargers
by Mark Lyne-Austen
12/8/2008
 
Overview
 
The San Diego Chargers have been one of the top teams in the NFL over the last few seasons and 2008 should be no different. Taking advantage of teams in transition over in the AFC West, the Chargers have won the last two division titles and remain the strongest team in the West. Featuring arguably the most talented player in the NFL in LaDainian Tomlinson and a fearsome defense, the Chargers should be heading into the post-season yet again.
 
Quarterbacks
 
Philip Rivers has cemented himself as the trigger man of choice in San Diego over the last two years following Drew Brees being moved on to New Orleans. While Brees is still a quality QB, Rivers has tossed over 3000 yards in each of his seasons as a starter and boasts a 43-24 TD-Int ratio over the same period. Rivers is a fiery character who is not to everyone's taste and was not been able to lead the team to a Super Bowl in the absence of LaDainian Tomlinson last season but in a league where few QBs are given much of a chance, Rivers has taken his and should continue well this year. Rivers is notably tough but his playing hurt is not always in the best interests of the team and he can be a liability when sucking up the adulation of the public.
Grade: B
 
Running Backs
 
LaDainian Tomlinson is a high quality player and over 100 career touchdowns is not a lying statistic. The 5 time Pro Bowler is the current two-time rushing leader in the NFL and one of the greats in league history at the position. Tomlinson brings a vision that makes him standout, able to see plays unfold faster than those around him. Holding the single season record he set in 2006 for most rushing TDs in a season, LT is a potential trick play waiting to happen with his ability to throw a tight spiral. The only cloud hanging over him is injury. All NFL RBs get injured, the position is brutal. He was not able to play in the Conference Championship match vs New England at the end of last season and his knee damage will not be tested until the new season. However, the Chargers must be confident that he will make a recovery in time having released highly touted backup Michael Turner. Rookie Jacob Hester has been starting in the pre-season in LT's absence. The team will miss Full Back Lorenzo Neal who was cut in the off-season though the Chargers offense is not expected to call for a feature FB.
Grade: A
 
Receivers
 
Receiver is the weak link in the San Diego offense. The trade for former Miami Dolphin Chris Chambers last season was designed to bolster the catching corps but Chambers struggled in his last years in Miami and has not been a real threat since 2005. Vincent Jackson needs to turn into the playmaker he has shown flashes of this season though at 6'5” needs to make more of his red zone potential. Jackson was not bad last year but needs to emerge as a genuine No 1 receiver if this team is going to make the most of the weapons elsewhere. Of the rest of the receivers, none have made much of an NFL impact and with Eric Parker cut following injury there is no depth here at all. Instead, the pass catching primary is Tight End Antonio Gates who is an excellent player and a massive mismatch problem all across the league but is also injured. Expecting to start the season, the Chargers need Gates on the field to serve as a second player for defenses to worry about alongside LT.
Grade: B-
 
Offensive Line
 
Offensive Line has been the bedrock of the Chargers offense and remains an excellent unit. Marcus McNeill at Left Tackle is an imposing figure and has been a Pro Bowler in both his NFL seasons, a remarkable feat at a high pressure position that normally takes much longer to learn. First time Pro Bowler Kris Dielman earned a huge pay rise following last season and is a damaging blocker while veteran Mike Goff brings 9 seasons of experience. Center Nick Hardwick anchors effectively. Right Tackle is the only questionable position after starter Shane Olivea ran into drugs problems. Jeromey Clary took over the starting position last season and held up acceptably, heading into his third year in the league Clary is probably still the weak link on what is otherwise quite possibly the best line in the NFL.
Grade: A
 
Defensive Line
 
Defensive Line is an unglamorous position in San Diego. In their 3-4 scheme, the glory goes squarely to the blitzing Linebackers but the Chargers still have some awesome talent at the position. Ukrainian Igor Olshansky is one of the NFL's strongest men and is excellent in holding up the run. Right in the middle, the Chargers can boast both the 348lb Jamal Williams and the 324lb Bryant McKinney. Neither is an easy man to move off the ball and they clog up blockers for the glamour players to run free. More controversial is Luis Castillo. A former steroid user, Castillo is no doubt an effective player but is not the only Charger to have a drugs history. The team also have depth with players such as Jacques Cesaire.
This is a powerful lineup and a horrible force for opposition Linemen to take on yet they were inexplicably blasted apart by the Minnesota Vikings for an all-time single game rushing record in their matchup last season.
Grade: B
 
Linebackers
 
The most dominating force on the San Diego defense is Shawn Merriman. As an Outside Linebacker in the 3-4 he is almost a D-Lineman at times and has been a Pro Bowler in each of his three seasons. Merriman has racked up 39.5 sacks in the three regular seasons he has been involved in and is considered one of the best defensive players in the NFL. However, he has never gone through an entire season without either injury or suspension for drugs infractions. Merriman is unfairly labelled as an acceptable face of the NFL though how anyone associated with the great Priest Holmes must feel about his career being ended by a drugs cheat would be interesting to know. Merriman was still productive after his return from his ban though noticeably slimmer. Still, the recency of his use will mean that he is still accruing the benefit – remember that the next time a commentator marvels at his explosivity.
Aside from Merriman, the Chargers also count the excellent Shaun Phillips in their ranks. Securing 46 sacks himself in four seasons and being a ferocious tackler, Phillips is a player to take extremely seriously. The inside Linebackers are far less heralded though with Matt Wilhelm nearing 100 tackles last year and Stephen Cooper topping that mark, these guys mop up when the more flashy players around them are not doing so. Cooper will miss the first 4 games of 2008 following a positive drugs test.
Grade: A
 
Secondary
 
There isn't really a weakness in the San Diego defense but secondary is the one that some point to. In Antonio Cromartie, the Chargers have a player who is one of the most misunderstood in the league. Cromartie pops up on charts of overrated players but that is only because he is so often underrated. It is not by accident that Cromartie secured an NFL-high 10 interceptions in 2007 followed by 2 in the post-season. Cromartie is an unbelievably athletic player yet some knock him for not being physical. Cromartie's role in San Diego is not to be a physical player, there are plenty of those around. Cromartie's role is to make the opposition QB worry about the interception and give that additional moment for the rampaging Outside Linebackers to get the sack. In that role, there is no-one better in the NFL.
However, the rest of the Chargers secondary is not as much of a threat. Quentin Jammer has been something of a disappointment while the departure of hot-headed Drayton Florence to Jacksonville means that first rounder Antoine Cason will see a lot of time at Corner. At Safety, Clinton Hart has not yet been truly effective while second year player Eric Weddle remains a prospect rather than a pedigree.
Grade: C+
 
Special Teams
 
Special Teams is a mixed bag for the Chargers. Returner Darren Sproles came into the league with YouTube videos of outstanding open field play and has shown glimpses of that including in regular play but has also shown why those who feared he is too small passed over him in getting knocked out on more than one occasion. Kicker Nate Kaeding is not clutch but is actually the NFL's most accurate kicker over the past three regular seasons.
Grade: C
 
Coaching
 
San Diego surprised the league when they signed Norv Turner as Head Coach to replace Marty Schottenheimer for the 2007 season. Turner put in his best season ever in 2007 at 11-5 though it was exactly the same team that Schottenheimer put together. Defensive Coordinator Ted Cottrell has been touted for Head Coaching positions though Offensive Coordinator Clarence Shelmon has not.
Grade: C-
 
Outlook
 
The Chargers look strong again this season with only the possibility of injury to their star men being a worry. LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates both go into the season with significant injuries in their very recent past. Neither is likely to be 100% at the start of the season and without them the Chargers offense lacks weapons. The defense is formidable and will be able to carry a relative lack of firepower should their offensive playmakers be absent but against the very best in the league they will likely fall short of the Super Bowl once more. With them, every team in the NFL should fear the Chargers. Last year's London winners went on to take the Super Bowl and San Diego are in with a shot of winning the London game this year.
 
The only other thing to note about the Chargers is that the whiff of drugs hangs over them more than any other team in the NFL. Nothing is likely to emerge but it would not be a surprise were more Chargers players to miss time due to narcotics infractions.