Shelton Stepped Up in Style
Sometimes offseason signings can seem like just extra padding in case of an emergency, and the Chargers have needed that padding at the offensive tackle position. Starter Marcus McNeill is out, but veteran L.J. Shelton is happy to step up and fill in any gaps. Shelton was just singed Shelton in June and are already seeing dividends in this tried-and-true player. He told Casey Pearce, “That’s what they brought me here for. I’m going to step in there and do my job when they call on me. They’re working me hard but I’m enjoying it.”
Shelton started out his career with the Arizona Cardinals in 1999 after attending college at Eastern Michigan. He stayed there until 2005, where he left to go to the Cleveland Browns. He spent only one season with the Browns before heading to the Miami Dolphins in 2006, where he stayed until this offseason. The 6-foot-6 345 pounder is no stranger to starting and has held prominent positions on most of the teams he has been on. When the Chargers acquired Shelton, they didn’t have a specific position in mind for him, but instead were relying on his ability to play in multiple spots. Get your San Diego Chargers tickets from StubHub.com.
Tolbert Ready to Prove Himself
Some players seemed destined for greatness. They are top stars in college, get drafted in the first round and sign hefty contracts with enormous signing bonuses. Fullback Michael Tolbert is NOT one of those players. Tolbert hails from the mostly unheard of school Costal Carolina. He was signed as an undrafted free agent, but no one expected much from him. No one, that is, except Tolbert. He told the North County Times about his strategy saying, “Heart and desire. If you tell me I can’t do something, that just pushes me harder because it comes from deep down. I can make those nonbelievers (into) believers by being the best back on and off the field.”
And he has made believers out of many of his teammates, including star LaDainian Tomlinson. Tomlinson and other have been impressed with not only his hard work, but also his determination on the field. He is relatively small for his position at 5’9” and 243 pounds, but Tolbert is used to scoffers. He plans to prove them all wrong by showing his size is no setback to his goal. He started to quiet any doubters with the first preseason game against the Cowboys, where he ran in a touchdown. See all of his moves this season by getting San Diego Chargers tickets from StubHub.com.
Bolts-Boys a Super Bowl Preview?
After going head-to-head with Dallas in their preseason opener, the Chargers aren’t scheduled to play the Cowboys again this season, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Both the Chargers and Cowboys are among the favorites in their respective conferences and the notion of a Super Bowl matchup between the two isn’t all that farfetched. The Chargers made it to the AFC Championship game where they held their own against the juggernaut New England Patriots despite injuries to their superstar running back, starting quarterback and all-world tight end. As long as the Bolts can stay healthy, there’s no reason to think that they won’t have a shot at the Super Bowl.
The Cowboys lost their first playoff game last season to the eventual Super Bowl Champion New York Giants after securing the top seed in the NFC. A better and more experienced team returns this season, making the Cowboys the general favorite in the conference. The Chargers may not be the favorite in the AFC, but they’re among the top three teams in the conference. The Patriots are considered to be the favorite to repeat as AFC champs, with the Colts getting the nod as the prospective runner up. The Chargers are good enough to take both of those clubs down. The Bolts defeated a banged-up Colts team in the postseason last year, but were bit by the injury bug themselves the following week.
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Bolts Beat Boys 31-17
The Chargers won their first preseason game this weekend, defeating the Dallas Cowboys 31-17 on Saturday. Rookie running back Jacob Hester looked good, rushing for 49 yards and scoring two touchdowns. The LSU product is vying for the backup spot behind running back LaDainian Tomlinson and made his case the first opportunity he got. Philip Rivers completed five of his six pass attempts, netting 54 yards through the air in limited playing time. Rookie cornerback Antoine Cason looked impressive, notching eight tackles, six of which were solo.
These three players will play significant roles this season for the Chargers. Though Hester, as LT’s backup, would not see much playing time, having a solid backup is really important in the NFL. Just think of all the damage Michael Turner did in the past few seasons while serving as LT’s backup. Rivers’ recovery from a knee injury will be important for obvious reasons. His confidence, mentally and physically could be affected by the knee as Carson Palmer’s was coming off his knee injury a few years back. Cason was the team’s first-round pick in the 2008 draft and figures to see the field as a nickel corner on a consistent basis.
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Chargers Preseason Begins Tomorrow
The Chargers will kick off the preseason tomorrow night against the Dallas Cowboys. While superstar LaDainian Tomlinson in unlikely to see the field, there are plenty of things for Bolts fans to watch for in this game. First of all, we’ll get a look at how Philip Rivers looks coming off his knee injury. He probably won’t play more than a quarter, but how he handles himself in the pocket should be a good indication of where he’s at mentally. NFL fans can remember how tentative Carson Palmer looked coming off his knee injury a few years back. Rivers is a supremely confident player though, and should be ready to go.
Another interesting subplot in the Chargers’ preseason will be the battle for the backup running back spot behind LT. With Michael Turner leaving for Atlanta via free agency, the job will go to either mighty mouse-like kick returner Darren Sproles or rookie bruiser Jacob Hester. Sproles may be the smallest man in the NFL, so who knows how much of a pounding he can take? Hester is solid, but not spectacular. Either way, they make for solid options in spelling Tomlinson. The game starts at 10 p.m. Eastern time.
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ESPN Ranks Chargers O-line 6th
ESPN.com’s Scouts Inc. has ranked the Chargers offensive line as the sixth best in the National Football League, fourth best in the AFC. This is a pretty solid ranking, considering the slow start the line got off to last season. The ranking is a bit surprising to this blogger because the Chargers will again start the season without center Nick Hardwick, as they did last year. The Bolts do have a franchise-caliber tackle in Marcus McNeil, who really came on as the year progressed last season. He and Kris Dielman make a solid tandem on the left side; they’re not Minnesota’s Bryant McKinnie and Steve Hutchinson, but they’re among the better duos in the league. Scouts Inc. declares that the unit is better at pass blocking than run blocking even though the team’s best player is a running back. Perhaps it’s that they’re not as worried about LT because he’s so slippery.
This blogger wonders how good LaDainian Tomlinson really is. He’s the best running back in the league, but is he making this line seems better than it actually is? He’s so elusive that he can make something out of nothing in Barry Sanderesque fashion. Some NFL pundits expect the Chargers to throw the ball more this season, which could indicate that they know where their line is stronger.
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Chargers Need Strong Start
How the Chargers come out of the gate this season will tell people how they’ve recovered from the tough loss they received at the hands of the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game last season. The Bolts stumbled out of the box last September, losing three out of their first four games. Chargers fans will recall a devastated LaDainian Tomlinson looking completely distraught in a postgame interview during that stretch. As the team gears up for their preseason opener on Saturday, the starters need to keep their minds on getting in their reps and maintaining focus on the regular season.
The Chargers have the potential to go all the way this year, but they can’t afford another rough start. The mental fortitude of this team has been questioned in the past, and another rocky start will bring out the doubters in full force. The team opens the regular season on September 7th against the Carolina Panthers and everyone needs to keep their eyes on the prize. LaDainian Tomlinson seems like the kind of guy who will go out on the top of his game, and the window for the team to capitalize on his prime is not going to be open forever.
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No LT in Preseason
Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson is not expected to carry the ball at all in the preseason, and will probably not set foot on the field before the regular season is underway. He’s not hurt or anything, he just doesn’t need the practice. Tomlinson is the best running back in the league and will go down as one of the greatest of all time. The bulk of the preseason carries will likely to go Darren Sproles and rookie Jacob Hester, who are currently waged in a battle for the backup role behind LT.
There’s really no reason to play LT in the preseason. Injuries are what killed the Chargers last season, as the injury bug bit the team hard in the AFC title game. Tomlinson barely played in any of that game and the Patriots went on to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Why risk Tomlinson getting hurt in the preseason? Even a small injury could persist throughout the season and affect the all-pro’s performance. It’s pretty safe to say that LT won’t be rusty if he doesn’t play in the preseason, as he’s known for his rigorous offseason workout program and hasn’t been getting much preseason work in recent years. He also doesn’t need any help developing his game, as he’s pretty much as good as anyone can get as the position.
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Chargers Need to Make This Their Year
The Chargers aren’t going to have a better shot to win the Super Bowl in the next ten years than with the team they have in 2008. The club reached the AFC Championship Game last season and put up a pretty good fight against the Patriots despite injuries to LaDainian Tomlinson, Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates.
This club is as talented as any in the National Football League. With a plethora of Pro Bowl players, the Chargers need to make their run this season. The Patriots and Colts are going to be around for years, so the Chargers can’t wait for those two teams to fade, they have to beat them. They took down the Colts last postseason, but Indi had significant injury issues of similar magnitude to the Chargers’ in the AFC title game. San Diego has the best running back in the league in Tomlinson and his prime can only last so long. Rivers is a more-than-capable signal caller with a number of offensive weapons at his disposal. The defense features playmakers like Shawne Merriman and Antonio Cromartie, two guys that are on the top tier at their respective positions. 2008 might be the team’s best chance at a title.
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Smith Steps in For Cooper
Some San Diego Chargers fans might be wondering who will take Stephen Cooper’s place during the first part of the season, but that quest has been answered with Derek Smith. Cooper is out for the first four games of the season because of a suspension handed down because of Cooper violating the drug policy of the NFL. Smith was signed by the Chargers when the San Francisco 49ers released him.
Smith isn’t a bad replacement either. He has been in the league for some 11 years and posted more than 100 tackles in nine of his seasons. He seems to be on board with the Chargers’ way of doing things and told the Mercury News, “I think this group of guys, and the coaching staff, don’t create that environment. I would say you could get lured into that, but I think they have high expectations for themselves—the coaches and players. You got to have those, but you still have to be able to be loose, go out and play football and not press. You can’t be a robot.”
As the team weighs their chances at a championship, having a contributor like Smith seems like a great addition. See them work toward the title this year by getting San Diego Chargers tickets from StubHub.com.