Subscribe in a reader

Well thank the lord we picked up Derek Smith in the offseason, because as reported on rotoworld.com Stephen Cooper was suspended for violating the NFL substance policy. It was not confirmed what the substance was, but never the less, our insurance policy Derek Smith is going to get a chance to hopefully pay off and show what he can do for us at middle linebacker.

Though I am not happy about Cooper being suspended, I am very interested to see what Smith can do, he has 11 years of experience and lead the 49ers in tackles for several seasons. Even though he is 33, he is very excited to be playing for the Chargers and I think he will be a huge player for us across from Matt Wilhelm.

What do you guys think?

I've always liked Stephen Cooper. I knew he'd be a good player once given the chance. I'd see him leap over blockers and hit people in the mouth, and it made me dream about the day when Cooper would be given an opportunity to start.

I knew he'd be good, but I didn't know he'd be this good.


Cooper has 20 tackles through two starts. T-w-e-n-t-y. Nobody (on the Chargers)had that many tackles in their first two games last year.

Coop is among league leaders in tackles, tied for sixth place. If he stays on his current pace, he's fixing to record 160 tackles in the regular season.

Thats a ridiculous amount for a 3-4 linebacker, but not totally out of the question. I'm thinking Cooper is easily going to make over 100 tackles, and with the way he hits people, 5 or 6 of those tackles should cause fumbles. That would be way more than anything Donnie Edwards managed while in San Diego.

The interesting thing is that while he is basically playing in the same spot that Randell Godfrey did as a Charger, Cooper is making the plays run through him, similar to the way Wade Phillips used Donnie.

Coop has a groin injury at the moment, but he is expected to play against the Packers. We'll need him.

Subscribe in a reader

san diego chargers

The Chargers won a slugfest on Sunday in a game that feature two of the NFL's elite defenses. Not the easiest game to watch, the Bolts nonetheless came away with a victory. There were a number of players that caught my eye and I'd like to share my impressions of their performances in my post-game thoughts and impressions. Click on to read part one of two.


Eric Weddle continues to impress. While only credited with one sack, Weddell had two sacks in my eyes. He is a game changer and its only a matter of time before he starts opposite Marlon McCree on the base defense. Ted Cottrell and Ron Rivera are dialing up safety blitzes left and right and it’s a pleasure to watch. Using the defensive backs to blitz was something I would have loved Wade Phillips to do, and I called for them often last year. This is just another clear difference in philosophy that the defense under Cottrell/Rivera has versus the old Wade Phillips style of defense.

While he unquestionably has the physical tools to dominant in this league, it’s the mental aspect of the game that hinders Vincent Jackson’s ability to prosper. Jackson was called for a couple of penalties; one was an acceptable offensive pass interference that prevented a possible interception, but on the same drive Jackson was again flagged, this time for a costly false start. The knock remains against him about using his hands to catch so watching a football hit him directly in the chest and bounce off was both expected and yet heart-breaking. Jackson is expected to have a breakout year this season, and Coach Turner is certainly using him in a variety of roles – including lining him up in the backfield as a blocker. If Vincent can just wrap his head around the game, he is going to be a good one. He will never have a better opportunity than this season; no veterans ahead of him on the depth chart, and a thorough knowledge of the offense. He needs to have a nice season if he is going to have any shot at remaining the number one receiver. C’mon VJ!

The offensive playbook has certainly expanded, and if you were seeing the Chargers run plays that you never saw in years past, you weren’t alone. Its not too early to see why Norv Turner carries to reputation for being an offensive mastermind. The way the Bears defense was playing on Sunday, it’s a marvel the Chargers scored at all, let along two touchdowns in the second half. Its going to be awesome watching the Bolts run more of these new plays throughout the year. I’d expect a reverse play for next week’s matchup against New England.

Keep pounding the rock. Last year when the run game wasn’t there, Cam Cameron stopped calling it. Not so with Norv Turner. The Chargers kept running the ball, knowing they were facing eight and nine men in the box. The running backs accounted for 31 rushes in total, for only 78 yards. But the important thing is that the team remained committed to their bread and butter and forced the Bears defense to respect the run. LT didn’t gain but 25 yards rushing, but he needs his carries to thrive. He is still getting into his game-shape after sitting out the entire preseason as a precautionary measure. There is no better tune up than facing those Bears and their D-linemen. Especially considering Tomlinson will be taking the team into Foxboro next week where he is going to be counted on to lead the offense in hostile territory.

I have always liked Stephen Cooper, and I eagerly anticipated the day where he would take the reigns as a full-time starter. Cooper was forever around the ball, and hits with tremendous force. He has a compact and punishing build, similar to Michael Turner and Lorenzo Neal. Those two players are renowned for the blows they deliver to opposing teams, and Cooper is no different. He led the team in tackles and had a forced fumble to boot. Cooper will be more than an adequate replacement for Randall Godfrey and will bring a menacing presence to the middle of the field.

Subscribe in a reader

san diego chargers