Red-Hot San Diego Chargers Visit the Stumbling Cleveland Browns

The news just keeps getting worse for the 1-10 Browns as they prepare for the red-hot San Diego Chargers this week.

Starting safety Brodney Pool is likely out for the remainder of the season—if not his career—after suffering yet another concussion.

There is word that running back Jamal Lewis' impending retirement may be coming sooner than he planned after a report that the Browns will place him on the Injured Reserve list.

Nose tackle Shawn Rogers—clearly the Browns’ best defensive player—is now down for the season with a broken leg.

Defensive end Kenyon Coleman and linebacker Kamerion Wimbley are also doubtful for the Chargers’ game.

The Browns already had the following names on the IR: starting linebackers Eric Barton and D’Qwell Jackson, tight end Steve Heiden, punter Dave Zastudil, backup running back James Davis, and offensive lineman Ryan Tucker.

To say the Browns were out-manned before the injury bug hit would be grossly understated. To say the Browns are over-matched after the injuries would be akin to calling the Pope "kind of" religious.

San Diego is riding a six-game winning streak after completely dismantling the Broncos and Chiefs in back-to-back weeks.

After a 2-3 start, the Chargers are finally looking like the Super Bowl contenders many experts thought they would be before the season began.

Quarterback Philip Rivers leads a diverse group of playmakers on offense. Rivers has a 101.6 quarterback rating helped by his 19 touchdown passes against just six interceptions.

It’s a “pick your poison” between running backs LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles, wide receivers Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd, and tight end Antonio Gates.

Sproles and Tomlinson can beat you on the ground or through the air, and Floyd (6’5”/225 lbs.), Jackson (6’5”/230 lbs.), and Gates (6’4”/260 lbs.) have such a tremendous size advantage over opposing defensive backs that it is nearly impossible to match-up against them.

On the offensive line, left tackle Marcus McNiell and left guard Kris Dielman are Pro Bowlers, and center Nick Hardwick has been a Pro Bowl alternate.

If the Chargers do have an Achilles heal on offense, it is the right side of their offensive line. Despite having two of the game's biggest gamebreakers at running back, both backs’ yards per carry averages are down as a result.

Rookie third-rounder Louis Vasquez has had a difficult adjustment to the pro running game after coming out of pass-happy Texas Tech.

Starting right tackle Jeromey Clarey is now out for the season. He will be replaced by either back-up guard Brandyn Dombrowski or Jon Runyan, who was just talked out of retirement last week.

The defense is active and is especially strong against the run. Improvement on this side of the ball is the main reason for the team’s turn-around after a 34-23 loss to the Broncos on October 19.

Louis Castillo leads a rather non-descript group of defensive lineman. The Chargers front three do not make plays, but simply keep offensive lineman from hammering away at a solid group of linebackers.

Shaun Phillips has supplanted All Pro Shawne Merriman as the most disruptive force on the San Diego Defense. The sixth-year pro is becoming impossible to handle with a single blocker and must be accounted for at all times.

Merriman has not shown the same explosiveness that he had prior to his Achilles tear in 2009. He has recorded sacks in only two games this year and might miss the Browns’ game with a foot injury.

First round pick Larry English has not made much of an impact thus far, but may get a chance to play if Merriman does not suit up.

Stephen Cooper already has 80 tackles at middle linebacker. And although the opposite, starting middle linebacker Kevin Burnett might miss the game because of a concussion, Brandon Siler and Tim Dobbins are more than capable veteran backups who have received plenty of playing-time.

Antonio Cromartie and Quentin Jammer form arguably the best book-end cover corners in the league. Their ability to lock-down outside receivers forces teams to look to their tight ends and running backs much more than they would like.

The safety position is in a state of flux for the Chargers now that Eric Weddle will not play due to injury.

Rookie safety C.J. Spillman will play his first NFL game at safety in place of Weddle. Spillman will be thrown into the fire after spending all of the season on the inactive roster or special teams.

Kevin Gregory will likely start at the other safety. Rookie backup Kevin Ellison may also see some action.

Although the Chargers have some injury concerns of their own, they just have too many weapons on the offensive side of the ball for the Browns to keep up.

Because the Chargers cornerbacks are the strength of the team, the Browns will be forced to get some production out of the tight end position—something that they have not been able to do all year.

Look for the Chargers to jump out ahead early and never look back.

Final Prediction: San Diego Chargers 34 – Cleveland Browns 6