San Diego Chargers

San Diego Chargers: Five players to consider in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft

Kenny Gardner — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:55:06 +0000

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Alan Maglaque-US PRESSWIRE

The San Diego Chargers have multiple positions that require immediate upgrades, or positions that need to be filled for the future. I think San Diego needs to draft a pass rusher in the first round with the 18th selection of the draft. The Chargers went from being tied for second in team sacks during the 2010 season, to being tied for 23rd in 2011. Here is a list of players who should be considered as an option in the first round

Five ways the Chargers can improve on offense in 2012

Kenny Gardner — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:52:10 +0000

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Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE

In my last slideshow, I talked about improvements the Chargers could make on defense in 2012. Although San Diego ranked sixth on offense in the NFL during the 2011 season, there are still improvements the team can make in 2012. Here is a list of ways for them to get better on that side of the ball

Five ways the Chargers can improve on defense in 2012

Kenny Gardner — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:03:29 +0000

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Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE

San Diego went from having the number one ranked defense in 2010, to having a defense that was ranked 16th in 2011. The offense tailed off as well, but they only dropped five spots from 2010 to 2011 as they were first and sixth in these years. Ron Rivera left San Diego to be the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, so this was a major reason why they struggled. Here is a list of how the Chargers can improve on defense

Five ways the Chargers can make a push for a title in 2012

Kenny Gardner — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:04:13 +0000

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Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE

In a recent interview, Philip Rivers said "The chase to the Super Bowl starts Monday." If the Chargers are going to make it to Super Bowl XLVII, they will have to solve their issues which prevented them from making the playoffs the last two seasons. Here is a list of ways the Chargers can make it to the playoffs, which will give them a fighting chance at going to the Super Bowl

Philip Rivers wants Vincent Jackson to re-sign with the Chargers

Kenny Gardner — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:03:10 +0000

Philip Rivers gave his thoughts about Vincent Jackson re-signing with San Diego by saying “I think it is quite clear the guys offensively that I would like to have back. Jackson is a big key to what we do offensively. Having him back and being a part of it is huge.” I think most Charger fans should be pleased with this sentiment. This statement has the opposite effect of Rivers’ quote in December of 2011 about Norv Turner, which created disappointment and anger. Rivers was quoted as saying “I know it’s about winning and losing, but I think Norv and his staff did an excellent job of keeping us in every game. We’ve won 48 games the last five years. That’s a lot of football games and I think Norv’s done an excellent job.”

Jackson had 60 receptions for 1,106 receiving yards and nine touchdowns during the 2011 season. Malcom Floyd and Vincent Brown combined to catch 62 passes for 1,185 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. This shows San Diego’s lack of depth because although Floyd averaged more receiving yards per game than Jackson, the latter opens up the field for the former. When you compare other receiving yard leaders in the NFL to Jackson, Rob Gronkowski, Calvin Johnson, Jordy Nelson and Jimmy Graham were the only players in 2011 with more receiving yards and touchdown receptions than Jackson.

Philip Rivers had 27 touchdowns and 20 interceptions in 2011, and Antonio Gates missed three games last season, so one could only imagine how 2011 would have gone without Jackson. San Diego has other issues like adding a pass rusher and potentially adding another center, but this can be done in the draft. The Chargers could solve most of their issues in the 2012 NFL Draft, which will not hit their salary cap too hard, so bringing Jackson back will be imperative for the team in 2012.

Five players the Chargers should consider for their backup quarterback position

Kenny Gardner — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:22:06 +0000

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Mark L. Baer-US PRESSWIRE

If the San Diego Chargers do not improve their backup quarterback situation and Philip Rivers gets injured, they could suffer the same fate as the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts in 2011. Billy Volek has not started a game since 2005, and has a career record of 3-7. Volek will be 36 by the start of the 2012 season, and here is a list of quarterbacks San Diego should consider as a backup option.

The Chargers need to find ways to avoid a repeat of history

Kenny Gardner — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:48:32 +0000

San Diego started the 2010 season with a 2-5 record. They would go on to win four games in a row before losing a week 13 match-up against a 5-6 Oakland Raiders team. San Diego finished the season at 3-1 in their last four games, and had an overall record of 9-7. Kansas City won the division at 10-6 with a 2-4 record against the AFC West, while San Diego was 3-3 against the West, so they were one win away from a playoff berth.

The Chargers started 2011 like men on a mission with a 4-1 record, but the wheels fell off from week seven through week 12 as the Chargers lost six games in a row. San Diego went on to finish the season with a 4-1 record in their last five games, and an overall record of 8-8. Denver won the division with an 8-8 record based on a tiebreaker scenario. One of the most disheartening losses for San Diego had to be against the New York Jets in week seven. The Chargers led 21-10 going into halftime, but failed to score in the second half and lost 27-21.

The San Diego Chargers will have seven games in 2012 against teams that made the playoffs in 2011. This includes home games against the Broncos, Ravens, Bengals and Falcons. Their schedule also includes road games against the Broncos, Steelers, and Saints. The Chargers cannot afford to take their proverbial nap during the season like they have done at some point the last two seasons. The Chargers were a respectable 2-2 during the 2010 season against teams that made the playoffs the previous season, but they were 2-5 against such teams in 2011. The Chargers need to find a way to be more consistent in 2012 to prevent history from repeating itself for a third consecutive season.

Five reasons why the Pro Bowl resembled the Chargers’ 2011 season

Kenny Gardner — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:17:35 +0000

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Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

The 2012 Pro Bowl being a shootout was no surprise to the fans in attendance, or the fans watching at home. As is the case for the NBA and NHL All-Star games, defense is the equivalent of extra credit assignments. Here is a list of reasons why this game resembled the 2011 season for the Chargers

Five questions that should be going through the minds of Charger fans

Kenny Gardner — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 02:18:12 +0000

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Christopher Hanewinckel-US PRESSWIRE

2012 has been a year filled with moves in San Diego's franchise. There have been changes at the defensive coordinator, offensive coordinator and assistant head coaching positions, but there are still questions that need to be answered for Charger fans. Here are five questions that Charger fans should want answered

10 issues that need to be addressed for the Chargers in 2012

Kenny Gardner — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:37:37 +0000

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Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE

The 2012 NFL Draft is about three months from now, and it will be a time for the Chargers to build for the present and the future. It is time to put the 2011 season in their rear view mirrors, and make improvements that will lead to a playoff appearance for the first time since 2009. Here is a list of issues that need to be addressed in 2012