Lacking the physical toughness

[Geezbolt]

As arguably the longest tenured Charger fan on this board (unless someone else here attended to their games in LA in 1960) I have to say I am feeling more positive about this team than I have in years. TT and MM are the best hires Dean Spanos and family have made in a long time. I have seen the Bolts go as far as they can in a season and win an AFL Title in 1963. It was a really good feeling to win it all and one I hope all of us here can experience someday. Concerning the toughness, Boltbacker hit it on the head; it's the injuries! Many of those forced into starting roles are great, physically tough players -- when they come into games in certain situations. They are simply playing more snaps than they normally would. More snaps = more fatigue. IMO, it's that simple. All teams have injuries, but the 2014 Chargers have been hit harder than most in key positions, especially on defense. This team is simply worn down and the bye week can't come soon enough. The Chargers at full strength are a formidable opponent for any team in the NFL. I think Aaron Rogers said it best, R-E-L-A-X.
And concerning "Q", he can't leave! I still want to see someone take him up on his foot race challenge.

[SDFan]

Are you reffering to me? Because I have no idea what the fuck you are talking about.

you must be new here

[QSmokey]

As arguably the longest tenured Charger fan on this board (unless someone else here attended to their games in LA in 1960) I have to say I am feeling more positive about this team than I have in years. TT and MM are the best hires Dean Spanos and family have made in a long time. I have seen the Bolts go as far as they can in a season and win an AFL Title in 1963. It was a really good feeling to win it all and one I hope all of us here can experience someday. Concerning the toughness, Boltbacker hit it on the head; it's the injuries! Many of those forced into starting roles are great, physically tough players -- when they come into games in certain situations. They are simply playing more snaps than they normally would. More snaps = more fatigue. IMO, it's that simple. All teams have injuries, but the 2014 Chargers have been hit harder than most in key positions, especially on defense. This team is simply worn down and the bye week can't come soon enough. The Chargers at full strength are a formidable opponent for any team in the NFL. I think Aaron Rogers said it best, R-E-L-A-X.

And concerning "Q", he can't leave! I still want to see someone take him up on his foot race challenge.

LOL! Thanks, Geez. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere (just yet). SFW is a good guy; hell, almost everyone here is a good guy. As for the challenge, I'm still in training. I've been searching for a flat, 40-yard course in my neighborhood, on the street. I've still gotta perfect my start out of the 'blocks'. But a sub-7, just from a couple of (unofficial) trail runs, seems quite do-able. And it will all be on video, so the Board's faithful can have a good chuckle at my expense.

[Millionaire Wussy]

LOL! Thanks, Geez. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere (just yet). SFW is a good guy; hell, almost everyone here is a good guy. As for the challenge, I'm still in training. I've been searching for a flat, 40-yard course in my neighborhood, on the street. I've still gotta perfect my start out of the 'blocks'. But a sub-7, just from a couple of (unofficial) trail runs, seems quite do-able. And it will all be on video, so the Board's faithful can have a good chuckle at my expense.

That will be fun. How about showing your animals too! But don't let them know you're filming.

[QSmokey]

That will be fun. How about showing your animals too! But don't let them know you're filming.

LOL!! I was planning on also showing a 40-yard-dash with Max, my running buddy, leashed to a belt on my waist (which is how I always run with him). I'd probably be able to do a "dog-aided" sub-6. If he doesn't pull me over and drag me the last 30 yards.

[Millionaire Wussy]

LOL!! I was planning on also showing a 40-yard-dash with Max, my running buddy, leashed to a belt on my waist (which is how I always run with him). I'd probably be able to do a "dog-aided" sub-6. If he doesn't pull me over and drag me the last 30 yards.

haha It's cool you keep your dogs so active. They're probably more relaxed around the cats because of that. I'm serious about the video of all them. I would watch for sure. i guess I need to do more volunteer work at the local Animal Shelter. Last time the smell overpowered me and I had to leave but they moved into a more spacious facility so who knows. :smile:

[Yubaking]

Don't agree with it at all. This team is much more physical than prior years. Our biggest issues have been on the edges of the D. It's mainly been issues at OLB and ILB. I do agree we lack physicality at ILB, but I simply don't see us lacking up front. I would actually go out on a limb and say that our ILB are BY FAR the biggest issue on the team right now. Butler has taken multiple steps back and looks like a lost puppy out there with how hesitant he's playing (and please don't give the bullshit excuse that our DL isn't keeping him clean, they are). The rotation opposite him has underwhelmed as well. On the edges we simply lack speed right now with JJ and Freeney being forced to play so many snaps. There's a reason teams keep running on us on the edges and having success.

I agree with you that we are soft at ILB and that Butler has regressed. Unfortunately, if we choose to absorb all of Butler's contract next year, there is more dead money than 2015 cap figure, so it would cost us more to cut him than it would to keep him. While his play has been less than what we all had hoped for, I think it has not been so bad that we absolutely must get rid of him like we did with Gaither, Meachem and Cox.

I think that at full health we are about the same in terms of toughness at OLB as we were last year. Attaochu might be slightly more physical this year than Keiser was last year although it is difficult to tell for sure because he has been injured for most of the season. Keiser was soft, so it wouldn't take much for Attaochu to "outtough" Keiser.

I have to disagree with you with regard to the DL. Reyes has an occasional good game in terms of being stout up front, but usually he is very soft. Lissemore is okay in the middle. I continue to believe we are wasting what could be his plus contribution at 3-4 DE in order to get average at best production out of him at NT. Liuget has plus skills, but not plus toughness/stoutness IMO. I do not agree with you that the DL has kept the LBs clean. They have not consistently done so and that is part of the problem, especially with respect to Te'o, who struggles comparatively more when he is not kept clean.

Based upon what I have seen so far, I wouldn't mind seeing more of Mathews, but realize that this could be analogous to the situation with Conner at ILB--that there is a reason we are not seeing him more. I am underwhelmed by Palepoi.

In the Telesco/McCoy era, we have never been stout versus the run on a sustained basis and we are not now. It has been very clear the whole time and lots (but not all) of the folks on this forum have largely ignored the problem and/or in my view have grossly underestimated the importance of having a strong run defense in terms of both our overall defensive and offensives success with our ball control offense.

Carrethers, our supposed run stopper, can't even beat out Lissemore, an average at best NT. This further supports the likely reality that our long term NT may not even be on the roster. It may turn out that we have 3 solid #2 NTs on the roster, one of whom I think plays an effective 3-4 DE. It is difficult for us in terms of our future roster plans because the young NTs have yet to emerge, so the question remains as to whether or not any of them will ever emerge. Do we finally sacrifice and invest at least a mid round pick in a NT or do we continue to take our chances and possibly suffer with average at best production from the position? In light of our other needs, that's not an easy question to answer IMO.

I do want to give credit to the one guy on the defense who is clearly more physical than he was last year and that is Shareece Wright. He looks more muscularly developed and yet it has not compromised his ability to cover receivers at all very much unlike Marshall, who probably, in retrospect, made a career ending mistake by apparently going for maximum strength instead of maximum speed. Wright has been very strong against the run this year with multiple "plus plus" stops. I am very happy with his development.

[OhioBolt]

I agree with you that we are soft at ILB and that Butler has regressed. Unfortunately, if we choose to absorb all of Butler's contract next year, there is more dead money than 2015 cap figure, so it would cost us more to cut him than it would to keep him. While his play has been less than what we all had hoped for, I think it has not been so bad that we absolutely must get rid of him like we did with Gaither, Meachem and Cox.

I think that at full health we are about the same in terms of toughness at OLB as we were last year. Attaochu might be slightly more physical this year than Keiser was last year although it is difficult to tell for sure because he has been injured for most of the season. Keiser was soft, so it wouldn't take much for Attaochu to "outtough" Keiser.

I have to disagree with you with regard to the DL. Reyes has an occasional good game in terms of being stout up front, but usually he is very soft. Lissemore is okay in the middle. I continue to believe we are wasting what could be his plus contribution at 3-4 DE in order to get average at best production out of him at NT. Liuget has plus skills, but not plus toughness/stoutness IMO. I do not agree with you that the DL has kept the LBs clean. They have not consistently done so and that is part of the problem, especially with respect to Te'o, who struggles comparatively more when he is not kept clean.

Based upon what I have seen so far, I wouldn't mind seeing more of Mathews, but realize that this could be analogous to the situation with Conner at ILB--that there is a reason we are not seeing him more. I am underwhelmed by Palepoi.

In the Telesco/McCoy era, we have never been stout versus the run on a sustained basis and we are not now. It has been very clear the whole time and lots (but not all) of the folks on this forum have largely ignored the problem and/or in my view have grossly underestimated the importance of having a strong run defense in terms of both our overall defensive and offensives success with our ball control offense.

Carrethers, our supposed run stopper, can't even beat out Lissemore, an average at best NT. This further supports the likely reality that our long term NT may not even be on the roster. It may turn out that we have 3 solid #2 NTs on the roster, one of whom I think plays an effective 3-4 DE. It is difficult for us in terms of our future roster plans because the young NTs have yet to emerge, so the question remains as to whether or not any of them will ever emerge. Do we finally sacrifice and invest at least a mid round pick in a NT or do we continue to take our chances and possibly suffer with average at best production from the position? In light of our other needs, that's not an easy question to answer IMO.

I do want to give credit to the one guy on the defense who is clearly more physical than he was last year and that is Shareece Wright. He looks more muscularly developed and yet it has not compromised his ability to cover receivers at all very much unlike Marshall, who probably, in retrospect, made a career ending mistake by apparently going for maximum strength instead of maximum speed. Wright has been very strong against the run this year with multiple "plus plus" stops. I am very happy with his development.

It is amazing how Butler play has been very sub-par and it isn't like he's learning a new defense, and the sum of all parts are better around him. He is playing with the same D-line as last year and Liguet has stepped up this year still not as consistent game to game. He is basically playing with the same set of LBs as last year Teo and Freeney missed all and most of the year last season, so it is hard to use that as an excuse, Johnson, Freeney, Walker, and Williams he has played with this year so basically just missing Teo. The secondary is improved dramatically compared to last year. So what the hell is Butler's problem??????

Agree with you on Wright he has been good in run support and his coverage has been good, and the one time he was beaten bad was by Arizona Micheal Floyd opening game, but he has pretty much contained the opposing receiver and Demayrus Thomas had a good game against him, but Thomas is probably a top 5 receiver.

[chris9341]

Ok I think this is going to be one of those things where we all have different opinions on why the chargers struggled the last 3 games especially these last 2 games. We may end 11-5 for all I know or 12-4. But when it matters most in the playoffs and you're getting dominated at the line of scrimmage like the chargers have been then come tell me it doesn't matter or that I or anyone else who complains about how the chargers have been playing shouldn't be negative. Heres the thing our schedule doesn't get any easier so whatever problems the chargers are having they better get it fixed. This is not a knock on anyone here but I swear some of you must be watching a different team then I am right now. Now here is the good news after the broncos game we get a 10 days in between our next game and then we have our bye which is sorely needed right now then maybe we can get some of regulars back in there.