SuperBOLT or Bust! The Chargers' Window of Opportunity May Be Closing

In today's NFL there's only one rule: Just Win, Baby.  Gone are the days when "rebuilding year," "rookie quarterback," and "the injury bug" were acceptable excuses for a less than successful season.

"Rebuilding" has been replaced by "reloading;" "Injury bug" replaced with "lack of depth." 

So it is for the San Diego Chargers entering their 2009 campaign for a world championship.  Once again the Bolts on paper appear to be a legitimate title contender. 

They are widely considered one of the most talented rosters top to bottom in the NFL.

However, as is often the case in the NFL, the championship window for this Chargers team is closing, and faster than most San Diego hopefuls care to admit. 

The Bolts need to have an "if not now, then never" attitude to avoid once again falling short of expectations.  Anything less than jewelry on the finger come February will be viewed as a disappointment by the franchise, the players, and the City of San Diego.

AJ Smith and company once again took some positive off-season steps to address the needs of what had been a less than advertised 2008 campaign (9-9 combined record regular and post-season). 

They brought back the recently hobbled All-World running back LaDainian Tomlinson, franchised tagged the spark plug Darren Sproles, and addressed several key needs through the draft, including the lack of depth at the linebacker position.

In addition, the off-season health of the Lightning Bolts is much improved compared to this time a year ago.  Philip Rivers, Tomlinson, Gates, and Merriman, all of whom dealt with moderate to severe off-season injuries last year appear at least thus far, to be on track to being 100 percent by opening day.

General Manager A.J. Smith's philosophy is and has always been line up the talent "three deep," but it's difficult to replace that much injured star power.

The Chargers will be further aided by what will likely be another down year in the AFC West.

The only legitimate competition the Chargers have faced for the AFC West crown in the past several seasons has been the Denver Broncos, who after firing long time head coach Mike Shanahan, and shipping off All-Pro 25-year-old quarterback Jay Cutler to Chicago, will likely struggle to make a legitimate playoff push this season. 

Kansas City made a splash acquiring free agent sensation Matt Cassel on one hand, and shipped off their most dangerous receiving threat (future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez) on the other. 

Their defense looks to improve from an abysmal '08 campaign with the draft of former LSU DE Tyson Jackson and others, but still appear to be a year or two away from being a serious threat.

And let us not forget the Raiders...ah, the poor Raiders.  They've been the NFL's most pitiful franchise over the last six seasons, failing to win more than five games in any season since their 2002 Super Bowl appearance.

While the Raiders have a much improved defense, indeed one of the better defenses in the NFL, their offense still has gaping holes from an unproven and inexperienced offensive line, to a young and thus far ineffective quarterback, to the total lack of anything that could be called a legitimate receiving threat.

The draft of speedy Heyward-Bey in the first round proves that Owner Al Davis still thinks he's drafting for a track meet rather than a football season.

Barring significant injuries to key positions, the Chargers should clinch the division. Not to achieve this would be beyond disappointing.

There are however, very real and significant obstacles San Diego must overcome if they hope to win it all before the window for this Charger team closes forever. 

First and most importantly, many of the Charger's key players are not spring chickens any longer.  Though generally regarded as a fairly young team, ol' Father Time is creeping up on some very important roster spots. 

First and most obviously, the Chargers' perennial All-Pro running back LaDainian Tomlinson will be 30 at the start of the 2009 season.  Statistically speaking, this does not bode well for his quest to return to former dominance. 

Though Coach Norv Turner has shifted the focus of the potent Bolt offense to be geared more towards Rivers and the passing game, the slow slide in total rushing yards per game over the last two seasons has coincided with the diminishing win count in each of the preceding campaigns. 

Coming off of his worst season ever statistically, the Chargers will need Tomlinson to be at least close to the level he has been at throughout most of his career if the Chargers hope to be the legitimate contender most perceive them to be. 

That alone is by no means a guarantee...and the potential issues for this San Diego team don't end there.

Jamal Williams, the anchor of the Charger 3-4 defense is now 33.  At 6-foot-4, 350 pounds, the sheer mass of the man that makes him so effective at nose tackle, has also begun to make its presence felt on Williams' aging knees. 

Coming off Knee "procedures" in each of the last two seasons, it remains to be seen if Williams can stay both healthy and effective throughout an entire season and post-season.

If he cannot...look for the usually stout run defense of San Diego to suffer severely, healthy linebacking corps or no.

And finally, let us not forget the polarizing Shawn Merriman.  Up to this point in his career it is irrefutable that when healthy, he's one of the most effective and dangerous outside linebackers in the game. 

He's had more sacks per game than any player in the league since his arrival to the NFL.  That said, he's coming off major reconstructive surgery of his ACL and PCL; the two largest and most crucial ligaments in the knee. 

If he's not the same explosive wild man that we all remember, look for the Chargers to struggle pressuring the quarterback much as they did last season, exposing a perennially flawed secondary that to this point in the off-season has given no reason for fans to expect marked improvement. 

In San Diego, the writing is plastered all over the wall in big bright baby blue magic marker.  The front office knows it, the players know it, the fans in San Diego know it; this year its Super Bolts or bust!

Should they fall short of the mark, look for next years' roster to be very different than this year's, if they're even still playing in San Diego; and if that happens San Diego fans, mild mannered as they are....may have trouble staying classy.