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Talking Touchdowns: Chargers’ Bye Week Report Card

By November 2, 2017July 11th, 2018No Comments5 min read

Hello, Bolt Nation! I cannot believe we have reached the halfway mark and that it’s time for the Chargers’ bye week. So what better time than now to review the team and give them their Bye week report card.

Philip Rivers

Let’s get the ball rolling with Philip Rivers:

  • Although we had a rough start to the season, it seems like Rivers and the boys are starting to get a handle on things. Lately, we have seen Rivers playing with controlled aggression and I have to give him credit at this point in his career for being able to adapt.
  • Rivers is a guy who puts up the stats and continuously proves that he’s headed for the hall of fame in the future. So far, he has put up 2,028 yards with a whopping 13 touchdowns this season. He has had four consecutive 4,000-yard seasons, eight total. With another half of the season left, it looks like he will reach those numbers and makes it five and for that he receives a B+ / A for effort.

Wide Receivers

  • Rivers has more weapons than he’s had in a long time. Keenan Allen is only eight games in and the young guys are still developing their chemistry and have a ton of room for improvement. They are young and aren’t there yet. They get a B- for now.

Run Game

  • There’s no denying that coach Anthony Lynn loves the ground game and running the ball. Although this is true, we have struggled to establish solid run game and this might be due in part that we have not been a solid tackle team. The Chargers have to be patient and be careful not to get frustrated. If the run game isn’t going early, they have to be patient and commit to it.
  • Melvin Gordon is a firecracker and has been a huge asset to the field. He has not missed a game, despite staying on the injury list for entire weeks at a time. Last week he ran in an 87-yard touchdown, tying for the team’s longest rush in the history of the Chargers franchise. Did you guys notice he was able to look up at the jumbotron and see the DB coming for him? Need I say more?
  • With that, I’m giving the run game a C+ with the arrow trending up if we can be more consistent.

Tight Ends

  • The TE is a feel good, feel bad position. I feel good for Hunter Henry in his development and carrying the torch. But you feel bad because we finally see that were near the end of Antonio Gates’ career. In saying that, he can still be productive. Before we set him off into the sunset, we can look for some red zone scoring chances at the end of the season. He can figure out how to get open in the end zone and while he might not have a ton of catches, he has large scoring abilities in the red zone. I’m giving them a B.

O-line

  • I’m giving them an incomplete right now. Injuries have banged them up and I don’t think its fair to grade them until we have everyone up right now. We’ll revisit it later when we get a better handle. Like the chargers have been for years, the O-line is an absolute rollercoaster.

Defense – Front Seven & Back End

  • Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram are the best pass rushing duo in the NFL. They have mix and match here and as a front 7 they don’t quite deserve an A, but Bosa, Inrgam and McCain are pulling them up, B+.
  • When the pass rush goes well, it makes the secondary look much better because we force QB’s to get rid of the ball quicker. They rank in the middle of the pack so I’d give them a C+. The expectations were quite high and while they haven’t been a wash out, they haven’t really dominated either. Bosa and Ingram will be their best friends.

The Chargers go into the bye week with a record of 3-5, but in saying that they very well could have a record of 5-3 if they played consistent football and got the right break. But, Bill Parcells once said, “You are what your record says you are.” Overall, I have to give them a B but through all the adversity the Chargers have had this season, I’ll give them an A in admiration of their effort and commitment to the game. Go Bolts!

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