A Midseason Look at the San Diego Chargers

As much as I love to read the A, A-, B+, report card style of rating usually seen around these types of articles, I just can’t bring myself to go that route.  Instead, let’s look at the various positions of San Diego on a more analytical playing field and see how they stack up sans grades.

Quarterback: Not much to say here, Rivers is presently THE face of the San Diego Chargers.  His yardage and touchdowns are staying at their usual pace while his interception rate has slid down from prior years.  The Chargers have probably the best deep-ball game in the NFL.  Having three 6’5’’ receivers helps, but the canon-arm of Rivers is what puts those balls downfield.

If I can give one caveat it would be a little more touch in the short yardage passing game.  The playcalling doesn’t really showcase that aspect enough to get a major view, but he can occasionally rifle the ball a little more than is necessary on short passes. 

Final Verdict: The guy’s a pro-bowler and easily the team MVP.

Receivers:  Vincent Jackson has established himself as elite this year.  He has had a great vertical game for awhile now, but I am glad that now we are seeing game of five to eight catches for sixty to one-hundred yards.  These less flashy, more stable games show a player rounding out his overall game, that’s something to feel good about. 

Malcolm Floyd has shown flashes, especially with big play potential, enough that Chris Chambers became expendable.  He is putting up a massive 21.5 yards per catch yet for all that he only has 13 catches for 280 yards.  He is a bigger threat than Chambers was, but I feel he’s much better suited to third on the depth chart.  He is great pulling out a jump ball on long tosses, but needs to develop other elements of his game. 

Legedu Naanee is the only other significant receiver on the team, he does not have nearly the yardage Floyd can put up, but to me has more upside.  He is not considered a downfield threat, but is very good after the catch, a good screen-pass runner, and highly versatile.  He has the feel to me of a marquee slot receiver who will have a hard time getting utilized to his full potential because of the capabilities of Sproles and Gates in the passing game. 

Final Verdict: I would like to find a big sure handed No. 2 guy in the offseason so Floyd can assume his more natural third banana role (splitting that gig with Naanee).  If not one more depth guy would be nice since I think Davis is gone in the offseason.  With that said the number two wideout on this team will always be the third option anyway, so the team should perform fine with the troika they have now. 

Tight Ends: A couple big drops last game notwithstanding, Gates is on pace to match his career best 2005 season (TDs notwithstanding).  He is presently second among tight ends (behind Dallas Clark) and thirteenth among all receivers. 

Manumaleuna is what he is, a bullmoose of a blocking tight end who doesn’t do much in the passing game.  He has yet to get his one or two surprise TDs he is usually good for, though Kris Wilson snagged one such last game.  The decline of the running game has taken his impact away some, but he is still a monster at the line of scrimmage.

Final Verdict: While they aren’t exactly a big depth team here, the top two are among the best at their respective duties. 

O-Line: They have been hampered by injuries, especially another significant one to Nick Hardwick (the guy’s a great anchor if he can ever get on the field).  They have done an acceptable job in pass protection, ranking in the dead middle of the league with 18 sacks allowed, respectable considering Rivers has the mobility of a rusted cement truck and the team likes to go vertical often. 

The running game is a different story.  The inexperience of the line really shows here.  They rarely get any push against opposing defensive lines, and when asked to pull or take on linebackers not immediately in front of them they miss assignments and look to be in a fog.  Mruczcowski is a fine depth guy getting asked to do too much with Hardwick’s time on the sidelines.  Clary is another guy who would make for a fine sixth lineman, but overmatched as a starter.  Vasquez is rough but shows promise, McNeil is the one stabilizing factor. 

Final Verdict: A healthy Hardwick and a starting right tackle are going to top my offseason wishlist.  As long as Rivers has the ball the current line will be adequate, but regardless of who is taking handoffs there are no holes opening up.

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