Eight interceptions is an absolutely unreal number... when was the last time a Charger player lead the league in interceptions? Antonio Cromartie is just punishing quarterbacks that challenge him, and he's making it look easy. I'm not sure he'll ever be a great tackler; wanting to hit someone is an attitude and not something you can really coach. But if Cromartie can continue to ballhawk like he has this year, then there is no reason he wont be a perennial pro bowler.

It was nice to see Ladainian Tomlinson roll up 177 yards. That makes it like 13 times in his career he has rushed for 170+. LT has been running with a little more anger and its probably due to the fact that success on the ground hasn't come easy in 2007. LT is breaking tackles and fighting for those tough yards because he knows he has to maximize his opportunities - Norv Turnerhas been limiting Tomlinson to 20 carries a game (on average) but Tomlinson is getting plenty of looks in the passing game. LT already has 50 catches on the year compared to 56 in 2006, 51 in 2005, and 53 in 2004.

My opinion may not be a popular one, but I'm still unimpressed with the Chargers return game. If you take out that freak game against Indianapolis's terrible special teams, Darren Sproles' numbers on the year would be pretty awful. If Antonio Cromartie won't get a real opportunity to return kicks (and with Cromartie recently earning a starting spot on the defense its not likely he'll be used much as a returner), the Chargers are going to need to address the need for a bonafide return artist who can be consistent and provide some playmaking ability to both special teams as well as on offense.

It's been a roller coaster ride for Shawne Merriman all season long. Only a half a sack away from a double digit sack total, Merriman's have seem to come in bursts. There might be a period of a few games where Merriman goes without registering a single sack and then the following week will bust out with a three sack game. Nonetheless, Merriman is clearly more evolved as a linebacker than he has ever been in his career and should continue to dominate for years and years to come.

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Chris from Arrowhead Pride (unofficial KC Chiefs blog) is a widely respected member of the sports blog community. I had some questions for him about the team for which lives and breathes:

BoltHype - Brodie Croyle...is he going to get a chance next year to be the full-time starter? The Chiefs are terrible on offense right now and you have Herm Edwards saying that the team's strengths are running the ball and defense. He is basically saying they can't throw the football and score points. Croyle is young and undersized, but you have some good QBs coming out in the draft in 2008. Would the Chiefs spend a first round pick on a Quarterback?

Arrowhead Pride - Not likely. Brodie Croyle is the Chiefs' quarterback for at least the next year. Depending on how well he plays, we'll see after that. But he's definitely the starter come 2008. The team has invested two years in Brodie Croyle, which for a Chiefs team that hasn't drafted and played a quarterback in over twenty years, that's a lot of time. Also, the team's other needs are much greater. Depending on the players available, the Chiefs almost have to spend their first round pick on an offensive linemen. The 2007 unit is the worst offensive line in recent memory in Kansas City.

BoltHype - Getting back to the defense, I think the Chiefs have a real good foundation in place to have a elite defense next season. They're good this year, but they're young. Next season they could be downright dominant. Who has impressed you the most this year on defense?

Arrowhead Pride - Jared Allen is the team's sack leader and the best player on defense but that was to be expected. Our third-year linebacker out of Texas Derrick Johnson has been the most impressive defensive player in my opinion. He flew under the radar a bit in 2005 and 2006 but has really come into his own in 2007. Based on expectations, Johnson gets my vote.

BoltHype - Whats the deal with the Chiefs trying to hide the details of Larry Johnson's broken foot? It seems like they refuse to really elaborate on the injury. Luckily Kolby Smith seems to be doing well, and could turn out to be a real steal, but how badly will it hurt the Chiefs if Johnson misses the rest of the season?

Arrowhead Pride - I think the lack of details about Johnson's injury is really just the Chiefs organization not giving an advantage to their opponents. Also, and this is 100% pure speculation, the lack of details on his injury could help his trade value. Again, just speculation. If Larry misses the rest of the season, I don't think it hurts the Chiefs much. If anything, it gives LJ a chance to rest after a long 2006 season and this injury filled 2007 season. The Chiefs aren't going to make a playoff run and Larry resting will only help us in the future. Plus, the organization will be able to evaluate Kolby Smith on higher level and determine his future with the team. So, all in all, the loss of Larry isn't really a negative.

BoltHype - What do the Chiefs need to do to have success against the Chargers? They beat the team earlier in the year, but the Chargers seem to be finally hitting their stride.

Arrowhead Pride - The two things that the Chiefs need to do go hand in hand. Stop Antonio Gates and pressure Philip Rivers. Rivers has played poorly in his three career games against the Chiefs, averaging right around a quarterback rating of 50. Jared Allen and company should hopefully put pressure on Rivers against your newly starting right tackle. Antonio Gates has killed the Chiefs. In his last five games against the Chiefs, Gates has thirty receptions for 346 yards and five touchdowns. Like the first meeting of 2007 between the Chiefs and Chargers, it will come down to which team forces the most turnovers. The Chargers gave up four turnovers in that game, one of which went for six points. If the Chiefs clamp down on Gates, successfully pressure Rivers and win the turnover margin, we should win. At the same time though, the Chiefs offense needs to score points which we haven't done all season. I can't say I like our chances this weekend but if we do pull out a win, it will be because of our defense.

BoltHype - We'll, you didn't like like the Chiefs chances last time they played the Chargers and we know how that turned out. Must be some weird reverse psychology, anti-jinx mumbo jumbo going on...

Anyways, thanks Chris!

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The BAD:

Philip Rivers has to play better. He holds the keys to the offense and if he can't find a rhythm with his receivers and do a better job of taking care of the football, this team is going to lose lots of games.

Its a combination of little things that is hurting Rivers right now - he isn't doing a good job of planting his feet and throwing with good form. I'm not sure what it is, but his basic technique seems to have gotten worse since last year. He is throwing off balance, often times leaning to one side and side-arming the football. I know he has an unorthodox throwing motion, but his interceptions are way up this year, and there are lots of balls being batted down at the line of scrimmage. He is looking great when he is rolling out of the pocket, but when he has to stand in there and deliver the ball, he is hesitating or rushing the pass. He simply does not look comfortable.

The new offensive system combined with a fresh group of receivers might be taking more time to adjust to than I thought it would have. The only guy Rivers seems to be real comfortable throwing to is Antonio Gates. Of course, he is also looking down Vincent Jackson's way plenty but Jackson needs to be more consistent and reliable.

Taking care of he football was one of Marty Schottenheimer's biggest mantra. So far this year, the Chargers have seemed to forget about that mentality. Losing the football at the most inopportune times have killed the Chargers this year. Having opposing defenses score on you after you cough up the football is an almost guaranteed way to lose a game. The Patriots did it to the Chargers and the Chiefs did it to them as well. That took those team's point total up into the thirties, and with the way the Chargers' offense has been playing, scoring 30+ points seems to be too much to ask.

Allowing short plays underneath seems to be the philosophy for the Chargers defense the past few years. I'm not sure what it is; maybe its just the way the 34 defense is built. But the Chargers' secondary seems to want to allow the play to happen in front of them, and to let nothing get behind them. This has positives and negatives, but if you can't tackle the ball carrier in front of you, and you have no safety able to clean up the play, then you are putting yourself in the position to allow big plays for the receiver. Greg Jennings took a pass 57 yards for a touchdown. Dwayne Bowe did the same with a 51 yard catch and run. And add Randy Moss to that trio and that's three consecutive 100+ yard receivers the Chargers have allowed.

The GOOD:

Certainly there was plenty to like about how the Chargers performed Sunday. Nate Kaeding looked as strong as ever with his kicks. He was kicking touchbacks and his field goal attempts were true.

I like how Ladainain Tomlinson looked running the ball. The offensive line did a good job opening holes against an underrated Kansas City defensive line (Tank Tyler, Tamba Hali, and Jarred Allen are very good). Norv Turner was far more creative in his running schemes and it paid off as the Chiefs never really knew where the ball was going.

True to name, Shawne Merriman had a lights out performance. He continues to rack up sacks and continues to keep his average of about 1 sack per 1 game started. Merriman seems to love to compete against Larry Johnson and the Chiefs. His tackle totals seem to spike when Larry Johnson is on the field.

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Are the Chargers overrated? What about Coach Turner? Are the players responding to him at all, either negatively or positively? Is the team growing accustomed to losing? What's the deal with Philip Rivers?

Question marks abound, for sure.

Before I throw my hat into the ring and start declaring the season lost, I'm going to re-watch the disappointing game between the Chargers and their division rival Chiefs. I'll watch the first half and wonder if this is the team that is going to run through defenses like swiss cheese, and then the second half will come around and it'll be painfully clear that the Chargers cannot make half-time adjustments.

More to come later tonight..

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It was an honest mistake, but I still have to give Chris shit about it. We chatted about the Chiefs and Chargers over at his site, Arrowhead Pride (which, by the way, is probably the best Chiefs blog on the net).

AHP - How has Booger Davis looked thus far? Does he have a better future than our own LSU receiver, Dwayne Bowe?

BH - Booger? Ooooh, you mean BUSTER. Buster has been looking real good. He has excellent route running abilities and makes all the catches. The team seems to be bringing him along slowly, but I expect his opportunities for balls is going to increase as the season progresses. I'm not in the position to say Davis is going to be better than Bowe, but I will say that Davis fits what our team needed more than Bowe did. We need a stretch-the-field type guy who can get deep and provide speed down the sidelines. Bowe seemed more of an endzone, over-the-middle type guy who is big and strong. Between Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson, he have plenty of that already on the team. Both players seem to be helping their teams, and that's a testament to the talent level that LSU is putting out in the NFL.


Read the rest of the transcript here: ArrowheadPride.com

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