It’s up, it’s up, it’s no good. This is a scene all too familiar to San Diego Chargers fans during the past five postseasons. The only difference this time was that it was during the regular season, and it was orchestrated by recently signed Kris Brown who started for the injured Nate Kaeding. Louis Vasquez committed a false start just before Brown was set to kick a 45 yard field goal, so he was forced to attempt to tie the game from 50 yards. He missed.
This is just the most recent special teams gaffe accrued by the Chargers’s much maligned unit. In Week 1, rookie Dexter McCluster returned a game-defining punt for a touchdown. Not to be forgotten in that same game were a couple of other damaging returns by fellow SEC rookie Javier Arenas. In Week 3, the special teams allowed 2 touchdowns and 250 kick return yards to Leon Washington which proved to fatal, as the Chargers lost by 7 points. In Week 5, the punt unit again brought itself to the forefront when it allowed the once lowly Raiders to block two punts on the first two drives drives of the game resulting in 9 points. The Chargers lost by 8 points. The Chargers have lost every game they have played on the road to the likes of Kansas City, Seattle, Oakland, and St. Louis. Bar none, every game in which the have played in this year has been winnable were it not for senseless miscues and blown assignments.
In a stat that largely shows the futility of the special teams, the Chargers are ranked number 1 in the league in total yards allowed, but rank a dissapointing 22nd in total points allowed. Similarly, the offense , fueled by perennial MVP candidate Philip Rivers, is ranked 1st in the league in both passing yards for and total yards for. This is a 2-5 team that could easily be 6-1 or 7-0 were it not for a severe lack of performance in one of three aspects of the game.
On Sunday, the Tennessee Titans come to town in which should prove to be a make or break game for the Chargers. This is a very winnable game, but unless every player on this team comes to play, it has no chance of being won. My fear is that this game will not only determine the remainder of the Chargers’s season, but also the future of the franchise in San Diego. Looks like it is going to be another bad year to be a San Diego sports fan.
This is just the most recent special teams gaffe accrued by the Chargers’s much maligned unit. In Week 1, rookie Dexter McCluster returned a game-defining punt for a touchdown. Not to be forgotten in that same game were a couple of other damaging returns by fellow SEC rookie Javier Arenas. In Week 3, the special teams allowed 2 touchdowns and 250 kick return yards to Leon Washington which proved to fatal, as the Chargers lost by 7 points. In Week 5, the punt unit again brought itself to the forefront when it allowed the once lowly Raiders to block two punts on the first two drives drives of the game resulting in 9 points. The Chargers lost by 8 points. The Chargers have lost every game they have played on the road to the likes of Kansas City, Seattle, Oakland, and St. Louis. Bar none, every game in which the have played in this year has been winnable were it not for senseless miscues and blown assignments.
In a stat that largely shows the futility of the special teams, the Chargers are ranked number 1 in the league in total yards allowed, but rank a dissapointing 22nd in total points allowed. Similarly, the offense , fueled by perennial MVP candidate Philip Rivers, is ranked 1st in the league in both passing yards for and total yards for. This is a 2-5 team that could easily be 6-1 or 7-0 were it not for a severe lack of performance in one of three aspects of the game.
On Sunday, the Tennessee Titans come to town in which should prove to be a make or break game for the Chargers. This is a very winnable game, but unless every player on this team comes to play, it has no chance of being won. My fear is that this game will not only determine the remainder of the Chargers’s season, but also the future of the franchise in San Diego. Looks like it is going to be another bad year to be a San Diego sports fan.
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