Chargers center Hardwick still not ready to return to the lineup

San Diego Chargers center Nick Hardwick will not play against the Denver Broncos on Sunday. The center, out since having ankle surgery following the season opener, missed practise on Thursday. The media reported that he might play in last week’s victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, but Hardwick did not return. The former Pro Bowl pick returned to practice four weeks ago, but hasn’t participated in drills “since suffering a setback last Wednesday.” Although Hardwick might be out for a while, the Bolts (6-3) have plenty of encouraging news this week. Several Chargers returned to practice yesterday, including tight end Antonio Gates, linebacker Shaun Phillips, and Shawne Merriman. Offensive tackle Jeromey Clary has not practiced since leaving the Philadelphia game last week. He suffered from an ankle injury. Chargers coach Norv Turner told the press Clary might work out this Saturday. Many football observers believe San Diego’s offensive line will be fine this week against the Broncos. They should be able to open the gaps for LaDanian Tomlinson to run. Chargers’ fans believe the Bolts can win the AFC West division this year, which would be their fifth straight title. But first they must get by the Broncos (6-3).

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Broncos’ Orton will play against the Bolts on Sunday

Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton sat out  yesterday’s practise  with torn ligaments in his left ankle. Orton suffered the injury in the 27-17 loss against the Washington Redskins last Sunday. The quarterback limped off the field just before halftime. After the game, Orton told the press he thought he would return in the second half. But the quarterback was unable to play through the pain. Earlier this week, the media reported Orton might not play against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday. But according to the Aassociated Press, “Orton doesn’t want to sit out this weekend’s game against the San Diego Chargers.” Backup Chris Simms took over for Orton in the Washington game and went 3 for 13 for 13 yards. “The word is that the Broncos coaching staff doesn’t want to see that again and is planning on starting Orton, who won’t possibly be fully healed by then.” Although Simms took all the snaps in practise yesterday, he will most likely be on the sidelines in Sunday’s match-up against the Chargers. Orton is in a contract year so he is apparently really wanting to get back out there and show other teams just how tough he is. Hopefully the QB doesn’t aggravate his injury.

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Chargers QB Rivers sends Bolts into 1st-place tie in AFC West

It wasn’t even two months into the 2009 season and the San Diego Chargers already been knocked 3.5 games behind the Denver Broncos in the AFC West. The Bolts were being written off in the media. Preseason discussion of the Chargers being in the Super Bowl was replaced by the stunning thought that they might miss the playoffs. But the confident Philip Rivers told the press that the Chargers “needed to simply worry about themselves, focus and hopefully look up in a month and be in it.” Easier said then done, especially after the Bolts lost to the Broncos 34-23 at home on October 19. It turned out that Rivers was right. After San Diego’s win over Philadelphia, Rivers said, “None of you believed us.” The quarterback continued to say he didn’t know the Chargers would catch up with the Broncos this fast or “would be sitting here with the same record, but we believed we could get ourselves back in it because we were talking about 11 more ballgames. There is a lot of football left still and there is no telling where things can go in either direction.” The Chargers and Broncos meet for a second time this Sunday in Denver. The Bolts have won four consecutive games. Meanwhile, the Broncos have lost three straight.

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Kyle Orton might not start against the Chargers on Sunday

The Denver Broncos haven’t won a game in a month and they don’t know if their starting quarterback will play against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday. Denver coach Josh McDaniels recently told the press that he didn’t know if Kyle Orton’s sprained left ankle would prevent him from playing in Sunday’s match-up. The Broncos quickly saw their 3.5 game lead in the AFC West vanish, and they are now tied with the Chargers at 6-3. Orton was injured while playing against the Washington Redskins last Sunday. He left in the first half after he threw for nearly 200 yards and hooked up with Brandon Marshall on two long scores. Denver’s backup quarterback Chris Simms entered the game but was ineffective, and the Redskins beat the Broncos 27-17. It was Denver’s third consecutive loss. McDaniels stated that the team will monitor Orton’s progress throughout the week and Simms will be drilled in the offense in case McDaniels starts him against the Bolts. The coach said, “We’ll have to see if and when Kyle is ready to go. Whether that’s Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or none at all.” Simms had a stellar pre-season before he was sidelined because of a high ankle sprain.

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Chargers Defeat Eagles 31-23

LaDainian Tomlinson ran for a season-high 96 yards and scored twice, and the San Diego Chargers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 31-23 on Sunday. A reporter asked L.T. if something gave him motivation. The explosive runner said, “I don’t know if I want to talk about it. My wife is pregnant. I found out before the game. She left me a gift in my locker. It said, ‘Open immediately.’ I thought it was a necklace. It was a pregnancy test.” L.T.’s wife, LaTorsha, suffered a miscarriage in 2005. Fired up about fatherhood, Tomlinson passed Thurman Thomas and  Franco Harris and moved into 12th place all-time with 12, 145 yards. His two TDs  gave him 146 and moved him past Marcus Allen and into third place on the all-time list. L.T. told the press he’s still effective and can find ways to help his team win. The Chargers received good news before they played the Eagles. They found out that the Denver Broncos, who use to lead the division, lost to the Washington Redskins 27-17. It was the Broncos’ third consecutive loss. This gave the Bolts a lot of confidence as they went on to beat Philadelphia and secured their fourth straight win. The Chargers and Broncos play next Sunday in Denver.

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Chargers Center Hardwick will not play against the Eagles

San Diego Chargers center Nick Hardwick will have to wait another week before he can rejoin the team. After participating in part of practice Wednesday, the former Pro Bowler missed Thursday’s practice because of a sore ankle, and Chargers head coach Norv Turner said he didn’t expect the center to play Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Hardwick, who was injured in week 1 and had ankle surgery, told the press “You try to take it in stride.” LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, Shaun Phillips, and Shawne Merriman did not practice on Wednesday. L.T. sat out because of a hip bruise and Gates because of a sore foot. Phillips did not participate since he injured his ankle, while Merriman sat out due to a foot injury. Turner stated that Merriman will be all right. The coach continued to say “I think he’s just a little bit sore, and it’s probably good for him to not work today.” Charger wide receiver Vincent Jackson has been playing phenomenal, with seven touchdown catches (tied for the NFL lead) and is first with an average of 17.2 yards per reception. Gates gave Jackson a lot of credit and said “He’s making it a lot easier for me. At this point, he’s playing better than any receiver in the NFL.”

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Chargers vs. Eagles (week 10)

The Philadelphia Eagles failed to build off an uplifting win over the reigning NFC East Champions and now looks to send San Diego to the same fate Sunday when these division titles hopefuls face off at the Q. The Bolts (5-3) are going after a fourth straight AFC West crown and fifth in six years despite a slow start to the 2009-10 season. The Chargers opened 2-3 this season but have won three consecutive games. Last week’s game against the New York Giants was probably the Chargers’ most impressive game this season. San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers rallied past the Giants 21-20 by marching the Bolts on an 80-yard drive that ended with his 18-yard TD pass to Vincent Jackson. The quarterback told the press “I think it will carry over into this week, something we can build on as we prepare for another really tough NFC East opponent.” The Eagles (5-3) started the season 3-1 before a stunning loss to the Lowly Oakland Raiders. They bounced back with a 40-17 victory over the Giants on November 1, but fell 20-16 at home to the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday. That loss, dropped the Eagles out of the NFC East lead. Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb might benefit from the return of Brian Westbrook, who missed the last two games due to post-concussion symptoms. The chargers are 26th in the NFL against the run, allowing an astonishing 130.1 yards per game.

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The Chargers improve each week

The San Diego Chargers won in dramatic fashion against the New York Giants on Sunday, as Philip Rivers marched his team 80-yards before he threw an 18-yard pass to Vincent Jackson with 21 seconds remaining. The Bolts (5-3) won the thriller 21-20 in the meadowlands. Chargers coach Norv Turner said, “It is for everyone on the outside. Our team is getting better. We’ve gotten better each of the last weeks since the bye. It’s nice to win a close game. It’s nice to win a game this way because I think when you win a game this way, it builds on your confidence and you know you can.” Key players such as linebacker Shawne Merriman have made huge plays for the Chargers in the past couple of weeks. Merriman has collected four sacks in the last two games. The linebacker said, “Well, it was another game that we had to win. It was one of those things where we approached the game with our backs against the wall, too. We can’t worry what Denver or anyone is doing in our conference, so we’ve got to go out and win on from this point on.” The AFC West-leading Denver Broncos (7-2) lost last night to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but still have a two game lead over the Bolts in the division.

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Chargers 21, Giants 20

San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers capped an 80-yard drive with an 18-yard TD strike to Vincent Jackson with only 21 seconds remaining, and the Bolts defeated the Giants 21-20 on Sunday. The Bolts (5-3) won their third consecutive game while handing New York its fourth straight loss. Rivers finished with 209 yards and three touchdowns. The quarterback told the press, “It’s a big emotional win. I don’t need a real reason why, but it ranks right up there with the win at Indy in the playoffs (2009). The link between me and Eli is always going to be there. So yeah, it’s a little special. Any time you play against a team that won the Super Bowl, it’s fun. It (the trade) didn’t weigh into my mind and my thinking, but I bet it was there.” The Giants (5-4) could have won the game when cornerback Terrell Thomas returned an interception 33 yards to the Bolts 4 with 3:14 left of the game. But New York failed to punched the ball in the end zone. Chris Snee got called for holding on first and goal, and the Giants were pushed back 10 yards. They eventually had to settle for a 22-yard field goal with 2:07 remaining. New york led 20-14, but that wasn’t good enough to win the game. Giants quarterback Eli Manning said, “We had a chance and you can’t leave that team in the game. You can’t leave that team an opening. They are good and talented and if you have a chance to end it, you have to end it.”

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Chargers vs. Giants (Week 9)

The San Diego Chargers will face the New York Giants for the 10th time (not including playoffs) this Sunday. Although the Giants lead the series 5-4, the Bolts won the last game, 45-23, in San Diego in 2005. So what are the keys to the game? Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson has been more productive in San Diego’s offense, but this week’s game is a match-up for quarterback Philip Rivers to exploit. In the past three weeks, the Giants have given up 112 points. So look for Rivers to take apart New York’s secondary as he throws to his tall wide receivers downfield. Giants quarterback Eli Manning has thrown six picks during New York’s three-game losing streak. Watch the Giants improve Manning’s efficiency when they “hammer away at a run defense allowing 132.1 yards per game.” This is a must win game for the Bolts (4-3) if they want to catch up with the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos. They have a date with the Giants in the Meadowlands this week, then they have a home game against the high powered offense of the Eagles the following week. In three weeks, the Chargers will get a rematch with the Denver Broncos, where they look to even the series for this season.

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