Charger Fans are not afraid of the Chiefs.

[sd4chiefs]

This should be fun. Check it out.

http://forum.signonsandiego.com/uplo...threadid=44636

[milkman]

Originally Posted by Boltergeist

Hey guys,

I come in peace. Not particularly into the smack talk, but I thought I'd offer some comments.

Count me in with the Chargers fans that are not so cocky right now. I know how quickly things can change and I've been through too many lean years to count on us ripping through the league with the monster schedule we have to face. Also, there is no doubt the division is going to be much tougher next year and the potential impact of the Chiefs' draft and acquiring of Surtain is pretty obvious.

With that being said however, I find it funny that some are taking us lightly also. We did go 12-4 last year and lost games to Indy in overtime and Atlanta by 1 point on the road when we were winning for 90% of the game. We are probably also one of the deepest young teams in the league from top to bottom and we seem to really have taken steps to address our biggest weakness last year (pass rush) with what would seem to be a pretty good draft. We also get our #1 receiver back (Caldwell) who was off to a great start last year before getting hurt, and McCardell will be with us for a full year and TC instead of coming off the street to start 7 games. Perhaps even more importantly, LT will not be hobbled for 10 weeks with a groin injury like last year(knock on wood). Antonio Gates is also no mirage and teams starting double teaming and keying on him during the second half of last year. He is a nightmare matchup on 3rd down and in the red zone. Brees is also not asked to do anything extraordinary in our offense. His biggest improvement was simply cutting down on mistakes....throwing balls away instead of throwing into double coverage to try to make a play, etc. Defensively we have 3 first rounders and 1 high second round pick playing corner...all of whom are young and improving. Jammer has been fairly solid for us, and Drayton Florence is stepping up to be a good compliment. Our pass rush should definately be improved with Castillo and Merriman...this is what will help our pass defense the most. Our run D was #2 in the NFL last year and the addition of another 300 pounder to the line and a freak like "lights out" won't hurt that.

It's all speculation now, but I think it will boil down to the Chargers and Chiefs for the division with the Broncos being right there the entire way. The Raiders still have too many gaping holes on defense to keep up with the other three all year, although they'll be a nuisance to everyone.

This may be the most competitive and exciting AFC West we have ever seen. May the best team win.

Welcome.
I think you have a very good take, and I agree with your overall assessment of the Chargers.

However, one thing that will always bite your team in the ass is Marty's conservative nature, especially if he feels his D can hold a 3-7 point lead early in the 2nd half.

Marty's nature being what it is, I would not be surprised to see you lose a number of close games this season against the tougher teams on the road.

Never, I repeat, never underestimate the moronacy (Is that even a word? If not it should be.) of Marty's conservatism.

I refer to it as Martyocre football.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Boltergeist

It's all speculation now, but I think it will boil down to the Chargers and Chiefs for the division with the Broncos being right there the entire way. The Raiders still have too many gaping holes on defense to keep up with the other three all year, although they'll be a nuisance to everyone.

That's how I see it playing out.

[alanm]

Originally Posted by Saggysack

The Charger fans have alot to be proud of with their team. I really don't like to get into the prediction business so I will not claim to know who will come out on top in the AFCW when all is said and done. One thing I do know is that Marty, while not having very much success in the playoffs is a hellava regular season coach. No doubt about it. I have no doubt he will have the Chargers in contention for the playoffs, again. And I have no doubt that he has assembled a fine team in SD that should be the Chiefs main competition for the division title. What Marty does have is consistency, a trait that you will find among the top tier of coaches.

We can sit here and say Marty is not on in the upper echelon of coaches because of his failure in the playoffs. IMO it is a injustice to his coaching to claim that. IMO it is sheer stupidity to even think that. Let me tell you about one of the greatest coaches in sports history. His first name is Dean, last name Smith. Can anyone tell me how long it took this Dean Smith to win a national title? Well, before you answer that let me go ahead and tell you. It took Dean Smith 21yrs, yes 21yrs to win a national title. As Marty enters his 20th year as a head coach I can't help but think that his time is coming, and it will come, oh yes it will come. And it will come at our expense more than likely.

It took Tom Osborne 21 yrs. also.

[Boltergeist]

Originally Posted by SideWinder

Welcome.
I think you have a very good take, and I agree with your overall assessment of the Chargers.

However, one thing that will always bite your team in the ass is Marty's conservative nature, especially if he feels his D can hold a 3-7 point lead early in the 2nd half.

Marty's nature being what it is, I would not be surprised to see you lose a number of close games this season against the tougher teams on the road.

Never, I repeat, never underestimate the moronacy (Is that even a word? If not it should be.) of Marty's conservatism.

I refer to it as Martyocre football.

Alas, we are painfully aware of Martyball syndrome....aka...play not to lose instead of play to win. I will say that Marty has done some evolving over the years and has loosened the reigns on Cam Cameron's play calling quite a bit. I think we hate his bull headedness as much as you guys did in the 90's, and it sure came back to bite us in the @ss during the playoffs. I think it has changed a bit though, and my only hope is that Marty continues to loosen up as he gets more and more desperate to win a SB before he's done. He acknowledged several times last year that the game has evolved and you have to pass a lot to win in this day and age.

One thing we do like about Marty is that he kicks the crap out of the Raiders. That trend continues as we go for 5 straight against them.

I also have to give you guys props on this message board. I've lurked here quite a bit over the past 3 years and this is a top notch site. I've tried the Orange mane (very subpar IMO) and some other AFC West sites and this is far and away the best of any (including our own) with regards to football knowledge and good banter. We all have our share of trolls and smack talkers, but you guys have a very good ratio of solid, objective fans on here.

[Bob Dole]

Bob Dole can sum up why the Chiefs will win the West in two words.

Rich Scanlon.

[milkman]

Well stick around then, Boltergeist.

Good football takes are always welcome, even from lowly Bolt fans.

[Iowanian]

hey Doltergueist....

welcome back to the promised land.

I'm curious to see what happens with the Bolts this year. I see potential for QB controversy if Brees doesn't start out hot. The Bolt line depth has been improved this offseason, but it just seems like there is alot of "Potential" that just isn't stepping up. McCardell, Caldwell and Parker and Gates are respectable, but not game breakers. I think Tomlinson is the best back in the league when healthy, so he's obviously a problem.

Last season, Bolt fans were calling for the heads of most of your secondary, including Jammer. I don't think Many would argue that Mary-man was a good addition with his speed and pass rush potential.

Truthfully, its ludicris for anyone to be making any predictions so early in the year. We all know too well that unfortunante injuries can strike in camps to Players No team could afford to lose. Its also been proven(see Chiefs last year) that success in a previous year doesn't guarantee success the next (See Post superbowl raider crapfest).

Good luck.......you, shamrock and a couple of others should stick around.

[Chief Faithful]

Good to see a revival of Dolt fans as they were so close to extinction. I was getting tired of hearing the dilusional rantings of Donco fans as the lone voice of serious smack talk.

The Dolt fans have good reason to crow about their team. They have excellent young talent, one of the best coaches at producing intra-division wins, and a history of playing their best against the Chiefs every year.

Given the positives it will be interesting to see if they can repeat against a tougher schedule as a known quantity. They will not sneak up on anyone this year and everyone now has plenty of game tape to study so Brees and Gates will not have it so easy.

I hope the Dolts start fast as I don't want their fans to go into hinding again. It gets old with only Rat fans to spar against.

[Always Charger]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

hey Doltergueist....

Truthfully, its ludicris for anyone to be making any predictions so early in the year. We all know too well that unfortunante injuries can strike in camps to Players No team could afford to lose. Its also been proven(see Chiefs last year) that success in a previous year doesn't guarantee success the next (See Post superbowl raider crapfest).

Good luck.......you, shamrock and a couple of others should stick around.

I agree completley with this Iow, but what else is there to talk about??

Boltergeist I think has said what most of us Charger fans think. You guys have improved graet on Defense, and always have had taht high powered offense....The addition of Crap Thorpe is a good one, I think he was your best pick up the second day.

Obviously Holmes healthy is just as ggod as they come, pretty unstoppable, and LJ has improved a LOT as his backup.

Hell, your offense we know what it cn do.....Now about your D...

DJ is going to be one of the best LB in the league a few years from now, but for your D is going to be an impact almost from day one. Sort of like Vilma for the Jets...

I just think that Jared Allen is going to be a great pass rusher, and the addition of Surtain will only improve your pass covering skills.

Bell, DJ, Fujita, Hall, Allen, Hicks, Surtain, Knight, Barber, to name a few, and coached by Gunther, that is a GOOD GOOD defense.....

Its going to be one heck of a season guys......

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by Boltergeist

Hey guys,

I come in peace. Not particularly into the smack talk, but I thought I'd offer some comments.

Count me in with the Chargers fans that are not so cocky right now. I know how quickly things can change and I've been through too many lean years to count on us ripping through the league with the monster schedule we have to face. Also, there is no doubt the division is going to be much tougher next year and the potential impact of the Chiefs' draft and acquiring of Surtain is pretty obvious.

With that being said however, I find it funny that some are taking us lightly also. We did go 12-4 last year and lost games to Indy in overtime and Atlanta by 1 point on the road when we were winning for 90% of the game. We are probably also one of the deepest young teams in the league from top to bottom and we seem to really have taken steps to address our biggest weakness last year (pass rush) with what would seem to be a pretty good draft. We also get our #1 receiver back (Caldwell) who was off to a great start last year before getting hurt, and McCardell will be with us for a full year and TC instead of coming off the street to start 7 games. Perhaps even more importantly, LT will not be hobbled for 10 weeks with a groin injury like last year(knock on wood). Antonio Gates is also no mirage and teams starting double teaming and keying on him during the second half of last year. He is a nightmare matchup on 3rd down and in the red zone. Brees is also not asked to do anything extraordinary in our offense. His biggest improvement was simply cutting down on mistakes....throwing balls away instead of throwing into double coverage to try to make a play, etc. Defensively we have 3 first rounders and 1 high second round pick playing corner...all of whom are young and improving. Jammer has been fairly solid for us, and Drayton Florence is stepping up to be a good compliment. Our pass rush should definately be improved with Castillo and Merriman...this is what will help our pass defense the most. Our run D was #2 in the NFL last year and the addition of another 300 pounder to the line and a freak like "lights out" won't hurt that.

It's all speculation now, but I think it will boil down to the Chargers and Chiefs for the division with the Broncos being right there the entire way. The Raiders still have too many gaping holes on defense to keep up with the other three all year, although they'll be a nuisance to everyone.

This may be the most competitive and exciting AFC West we have ever seen. May the best team win.

Good post. I'm looking forward to our matchups with San Diego this season.

One question though: Isn't it contradictory for the "Chargers" to draft a guy whose nickname is "Lights Out?" I don't think Marty considered the karma impact of that contradiction.

[Boltergeist]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

hey Doltergueist....

welcome back to the promised land.

I'm curious to see what happens with the Bolts this year. I see potential for QB controversy if Brees doesn't start out hot. The Bolt line depth has been improved this offseason, but it just seems like there is alot of "Potential" that just isn't stepping up. McCardell, Caldwell and Parker and Gates are respectable, but not game breakers. I think Tomlinson is the best back in the league when healthy, so he's obviously a problem.

Last season, Bolt fans were calling for the heads of most of your secondary, including Jammer. I don't think Many would argue that Mary-man was a good addition with his speed and pass rush potential.

Truthfully, its ludicris for anyone to be making any predictions so early in the year. We all know too well that unfortunante injuries can strike in camps to Players No team could afford to lose. Its also been proven(see Chiefs last year) that success in a previous year doesn't guarantee success the next (See Post superbowl raider crapfest).

Good luck.......you, shamrock and a couple of others should stick around.

I will post a little more on here as I like getting the rival perspective. I think the more casual fans (admittedly we have a lot of them) get really down on Jammer for getting burned deep a few times. It really doesn't happen as much as you would think, but when it does (either a flag downfield or someone hauls in a 30+yard touchdown right over him), Charger fans are all over him. I think people need some perspective and should watch highlights of the number of times Champ Bailey was burned last year. I like Jammer because he provides tight coverage and teams usually steer clear of his side of the field. He is also as sound a tackler as you will find at CB and Sammy Davis was getting lit up as the second corner and Drayton Florence has been a big improvement thus far as he is a little bigger, faster, and more physical. The hope going into the year is that an improved pass rush will really have an effect on the performance of the secondary. I'm pretty optimistic about it at least.

I'm with you on the prediction thing. One thing we do have going for us is that this is probably the deepest Charger team (top to bottom) that I can ever remember seeing. A lot can change by the start of the season though. Both of our teams have some trouble signing their top picks also which is something I never look forward to.

Also, I don't think you can lump Gates in with our other receivers as being only "respectable" unless you say the same about Gonzales. Gates was money all season and in our playoff game. For good measure, he also made plays in the pro-bowl. He also converted more 3rd downs than any player in the league last year. Anyway, I won't get too many people on here agreeing with me on Gates / Gonzo comparisons.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by alanm

It took Tom Osborne 21 yrs. also.

It took Osborne and Smith 21 years to BUILD to a championship.

NEITHER of them spent 21 years repeating the same STUPID mistakes over and over and over and over and over and over again.

[Braincase]

The Chargers fans sound a lot like we did prior to last season.

[Boltergeist]

Originally Posted by Braincase

The Chargers fans sound a lot like we did prior to last season.

One difference is that we have a little more going for us on the defensive side of the ball now than you guys did last year. It was no mystery last year that your powerful offense and 'X' factor was going to have to compensate again for a defense full of holes. A couple of injuries to key offensive players for you guys and effectively neutralizing Dante Hall made a huge difference. KC is in much better shape going into 2005 than they were even in 2003. The rest of the division is much stronger also.

We feel like we have enough on defense and offense to play with anyone. Our ridiculously tough schedule won't make anything easy though.

[Chiefnj]

Bolt,

I hate to tell you, but last year was as good as it's going to get. I'm a Marty fan. He's great at building teams. In fact, I was rooting for the Chargers in the playoffs. I actually thought Marty had changed his ways and would not go into his little conservative playoff cocoon. I thought he had learned from his past mistakes in KC and Cleveland. Nope; I was wrong. You guys got in LONG FG range and he got conservative and choked again. A tiger can't change his stripes. Welcome to a world of regular season success and post-season failure.