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Bolts banged up, won't say how badly
By: JAY PARIS - Staff Writer | ∞
SAN DIEGO -- Are the Chargers being coy with the extent of their injuries from Sunday's overtime win against the Titans? Pro Bowl linebacker Shawne Merriman will miss at least Sunday's game against the Lions with a knee sprain.
"We will know more as the week goes on how long he will be out,'' coach Norv Turner said. "It could be ---- I'm not going to speculate, but it could be a few weeks, a couple of weeks."
Turner said quarterback Philip Rivers was questionable for the Lions game with a knee sprain.
When pressed for specifics on the severity of the sprains and which ligaments were compromised, Turner referred inquirers to the team's publicist.
"We will get you the details,'' Turner said. "I don't want to act like I know what I'm talking about. Obviously, Shawne's more (serious) than Philip's is. ... Philip is walking around.''
Team spokesman Bill Johnson declined to elaborate, delivering a somewhat generic labeling of injuries to seven players.
When general manager A.J. Smith was reached for comment, he hung up on a reporter.
Merriman, in an e-mail, said his injury is similar to the one suffered earlier this season by Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. Peterson tore his lateral collateral ligament and missed two games. His injury was considered moderate.
Rivers wore a tight sleeve and a brace on his ailing left knee as he spoke with reporters Monday.
When asked about his prognosis, Rivers wasn't clear.
"I'll leave that up to the coach and the trainer as far as giving you the information,'' he said. "I don't try to get caught up in all the scientific words that are used. It's pretty sore this morning."
Does Rivers expect to play Sunday?
"I do, I certainly do,'' he said. "We'll see how it goes during the week, but I expect to. You're always sore on Monday and Tuesday (more) than you are on Sunday. Obviously it is early, but I have every plan to (play)."
Fullback Lorenzo Neal broke his leg Sunday and underwent an operation to insert a plate into it. The Pro Bowler will miss the rest of the regular season.
Along with Rivers, others listed as questionable for Sunday are defensive tackle Jamal Williams (ankle) and right guard Mike Goff (foot).
"We will see as the week goes on and how they progress,'' Turner said. "I don't think we will have a true feeling on that up until Friday."
Added Rivers: "You hate to see anyone get banged up, and we got a handful of guys banged up in key spots. I think some of it is expected late in the year, and you have to be able to fight through some of these things.
"Guys need to step up where needed and fill the role. Guys have done a great job of that thus far, and we have to continue to do it and just hope you can get through these three and win and get everybody as healthy as you can heading into January."
After the Chargers' roared back for their third straight win by overcoming a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit, there were accusations about dirty play from both sides.
Some Chargers took exception with the hit that knocked Merriman from the game, and the one that briefly sidelined Rivers.
Rivers said defensive end Antwan Odom, who rolled into Rivers' leg, wasn't at fault.
Rivers did raise his eyebrows over Merriman getting smacked after the play -- no penalty was called.
"I know just from watching it was late,'' Rivers said. "LenDale White has been tackled.
"Late hits happen that result in nobody being injured, but when a guy does get injured you start to wonder what happened?"
There was no mystery that the game was rugged on both sides.
"It was as physical as a game that I have been involved in,'' Rivers said.
"There's always plays you look at that are going to be iffy in any game. I just hate a couple of them that looked iffy resulted in some injuries. You hope it wasn't anything intentional."
LaDainian Tomlinson, who won the game with his 16-yard touchdown run, said the game was a hard-fought, not necessarily dirty.
"I don't know what you classify 'dirty' as,'' he said. "I don't know. I think it was a competitive game. I think sometimes throughout a competitive game things happen. Guys go to extra distance to make a play, make things happen.''
Et cetera
Coach Norv Turner said he'll send in a series of plays, including the one in which Shawne Merriman was injured on Sunday, to the league office for clarification. ... QB Philip Rivers and RB LaDainian Tomlinson chuckled at the perceived rift between the two. CBS cameras on Sunday showed Tomlinson abruptly getting off the bench just when Rivers sat down. "I don't see any need to comment on it,'' Rivers said. "I have seen the clip and I still think nothing of it. Hey, when things are going good they want to find something that is going bad, and things have been going good here for awhile.'' ...Ý P Mike Scifres has bruised ribs; TE Antonio Gates a sore back. ... DE Luis Castillo (ankle) is out at least another week. ... Rookie WR Craig Davis drew praise from Turner for his work Sunday on punt returns. That role could be open to competition when Darren Sproles (knee) returns. It's possible Sproles will miss another week.
-- Contact staff writer Jay Paris at jparis8@aol.com.
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Jaque wrote on Dec 11, 2007 7:22 AM:The excuses for the upcoming losses are being developed as we speak. Too bad Odem didn't roll over Rivers' mouth!
ILOVE SDCHARGERS wrote on Dec 11, 2007 8:12 AM:OKAY WILL EVERY ONE GIVE THE RIVERS AND LT SITUATION A REST ALREADY !!!
Trail Oregon wrote on Dec 11, 2007 9:14 AM:Jaque.... LOL well said!!!
Mark wrote on Dec 11, 2007 9:15 AM:Hey Jaque, go back to france or whichever... The Chargers are 8-5 and in FIRST PLACE. ...
Joe wrote on Dec 11, 2007 9:45 AM:Karma! "Hit Man" Fisher and the Titans CHEAP SHOT the Chargers on many plays and end up LOSING a heartbreaker to the mighty Chargers which hopefully will be a dagger in their season and keep them out of the playoffs. Talk about poetic justice! Igor Olshansky was on the Scott & BR show this morning and he was LIVID about how many INTENTIONAL cheap shots were directed at the knees and ankles of the Chargers-some of which will be sent to the league office. He said that Vince Young was ACTING and not hurt at all (remember how he RAN off the field after the acting was over) when he "intentionally" ran into Merriman who simply stood there and absorbed the hit from Young. Had Merriman unloaded on him his lights would have been turned out PERMANENTLY-just ask Priest Holmes. I now have to rank the Titans as my 2nd most despised team after the Pats and BilliCHEAT. "Super Human Strength" Igor also said that the hit he put on Vince Young early in the game SCARED him from running with the ball which is why he was no threat running and, to use Norv's, and unfortunately now Rivers' and LT's, favorite word, OBVIOUSLY was no real threat to pass (longest pass was a measley 17 yards) either. I guess the Titans should adopt the Raider's motto..."Just LOSE baby!" Mckinney did an excellent job filling in for Jamal Williams and had around 10 tackles in just half of a game which is superb for a nose tackle in the 3-4 so perhaps the Chargers have found their replacement for an aging Jamal the Wall. Pinnock did great and showed soft hands bobbling and catching the swing pass which could add another dimension to our passing game with him now playing for LoNeal. While I have railed on AJ Smith on occasion I must admit the pick up of Chris Chambers was brilliant and is proving to be the perfect compliment to our passing game. Nice to see Buster Davis do a great job fielding punts and he might even win that job when Sproles returns. Norv needs to get as creative in the 1st half of games as he has shown he can be in the 2nd halves. He starts out way too conservative which is why The Chargers are falling behind early and forced to play catch up. Strike fast, get ahead early and then unleash the dogs on defense. Go Chargers!
Go Chargers wrote on Dec 11, 2007 11:34 AM:Jaque, Caliente has the Super Chargers as 10.5pt favs. Broncos are 1.5pt underdogs the Chargers could basically have two bye weeks at the end of the regular season. Mark my words we`re not going to lose in the opening round of the playoffs. So hang in there buddy
Chargerfan_n_Texas wrote on Dec 11, 2007 12:47 PM:There is a light at the end of the tunnel, Lets just hope its not a train. This is a lot of injuries to over come. Jamal, Sean, Loneal, .....the list keeps growing and growing. One game at a time, one win at a time and maybe we can rest the last week before we play jacksonville at home in a rematch. As for Norv....I must say that im not sure if its him or the O cordinator that has to go. but when I watched the game I saw an o line that was not in sinc with what the offense was doing. A Qb that was Awful and not making adjustments to the blitz. and making terrible calls. 1st and goal at the 2 and LT dosnt touch the ball...(Kinda like the Dallas game....luckily this time we won)....Hint to the coaches if you rush for 146 yards....they cant stop you... OH and one more point....Time of Possesion....that is the big difference between this year and last year. Last year we dominated it...this year our defense is playing way too much........we play a physical offense punish the defense for 40 min a game and they wear out. Look at Tennisee and we barly held the ball but in the 4th their star players on D couldnt catch a breath ......Coaching staff take a hint.
BoltDan wrote on Dec 11, 2007 1:29 PM:Here we are again after a tough win... which was one replay away from a loss... Norv comes out flat AGAIN... will we ever see a pass on the first down in the first two series of any game??? Norv continues to come out slow and warm up to what is happening. Cromartie continues to be a wonderful suprise. Now if only we could get Jammer to safety... and JOE... Aj had a shot at a few wide recievers in the off season... he got Chambers because his boy V.Jackson is not the #1 WR he thought he was... Chambers was needed the first half of the season... While I am happy for any win we have won 2 games that probably should have been lost...INdy and This game. Ted Cotrell has finally unleashed the D and it is improving... although now hurt... if we make the play-offs we will need a lot of help and maybe a little luck. Hey we did it in 94 so why not???
Norv wrote on Dec 11, 2007 2:32 PM:How the heck did we pull that one off?
Norv wrote on Dec 11, 2007 2:33 PM:I missed the last 10 minutes of that game! I always close my eyes during the best parts...
Joe wrote on Dec 11, 2007 2:39 PM:Would the Chargers have won this game against the Titans without Chambers and his 90 yards in completions? Not! I guess we could have picked up "Cancer/take off every other play" Randy Moss in the off season. Vincent Jackson is a very young receiver with huge upside and has been playing much better lately and catching the ball with his hands. The catch and yac, yards after the catch, that he made late against the Titans for a first down was a HUGE play. I have plenty of complaints about AJ Smith but picking up Chambers early enough in the season for him to have time to get his timing down with Rivers is not one of them. He is a very SOLID veteran professional wide receiver who always played very well against the Chargers when he was with the Dolphins. Speaking of the Dolphins, how IRONIC would it be for them to be the only team to go both undefeated and also not win a single game all year. Buster Davis is proving valuable as a punt returner and 3rd receiver. There is no doubt that losing "The Bondsman" Eric Parker for the year was a devastating loss to the Chargers early in the year and now they have Chambers. How about also being a missed by inches 29 yard field goal away from a loss? Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. The remainder of the season will hinge on how strong their offensive line is in run and pass blocking. We might see Olivia at guard for the injured Goeff. The rest of the team, even with the new injuries, (except for back up quarterback) still looks solid. Go Chargers!
Jaque wrote on Dec 11, 2007 2:57 PM:RE BOLT DAN...finally a realist on the panel of Charger love. The only thing is in 94 there really wasn't a dominate team in the AFC. I remember while on the 11-1 winning streak thinking that as long as we don't turn the ball, play decent defense that all games are winnable. This season is different, considering our lack of vertical passing, glacial starts to games, and thoroughly strong opponents. While defense is great, and win championships, you can't compensate for not scoring points. No scores no win. The Chargers have exhibited basically one game (vs Denver) that they clicked. New England has had 10 games of that caliber. AND finally MARK, go back to Kentucky!
PAL52 wrote on Dec 11, 2007 6:39 PM:Nice breakdowns from Joe and BoltDan. Yeah, '94 was the reverse of what it s now: all the best temas were in the NFC (SF, Dallas...) ``Texas,'' you need to work on some new complaints. Time of possession difference Sunday was negligible. Rivers doesn't do the play calling. The O line was getting worked by one of the best D lines the league, and it was more about McNiel and Rivers than playcalling or adjustments. Besides Rivers admitted he stunk for 50 minutes -- but that last quarter and the OT were amazing. A perfect fade to Gates. A great hot read to LT. Great mix of play calls throughout from Norv. How can you diss a play call at the 2 if they score? And if your star RB has consecutive monster games you can rest assured you don't have any hints to pass along to the coaches. They've been clued into the LT way for weeks, making great adjustments at halftime, and it's showing up. And, y'all: as for taking the last couple of weeks off, don't be too quick to assume Bolts will be the four seed. Steelers are only a game ahead of SD, they're banged up and they still have to play Jacksonville, St. Louis and Baltimore. If they lose to Jacksonville and the Chargers win out, the Chargers have the tiebreaker, if I'm reading the rules right -- which is debatable. In any case: Go, Jags!
Rob wrote on Dec 11, 2007 6:57 PM:I dont know about anyone else, but right now I hope the Chargers are listening. If they are: PLEASE DO NOT GET TOO FULL OF YOURSELVES AFTER THAT COMEBACK WIN IN TENNESSEE AND MOST OF ALL DO NOT OVERLOOK THE LIONS. One game at a time.
Mike wrote on Dec 11, 2007 7:02 PM:Jaque is not smart. BANDWAGON, obviously!
Joe wrote on Dec 11, 2007 7:38 PM:Thanks for the kudos PAL52. I always try to mix in some positive along with my criticisms in my critiques. Once it was determined early in the game that "Too Many TACOS" McNeiel could not pass block Vanden Bosch the Chargers should have put a tight end on his side to help which they did at the end of the game. That was finally a good adjustment however it was LATE by 3 full quarters. McNiel does not yet have the skill in his footwork, or lack thereof, to consistently pass block against a speed rusher like Vanden Bosch or Jared Allen of the Chiefs. The coaches need to work with him in that area and improve his first step technique and even try to get him to skip rope which is what boxers do to improve their footwork speed. I am curious to finally see some of Pinnock at fullback. He was recently given a 5 year extension so he is the heir apparent for an aging LoNeal. What happened to Naanee? I would like to see him catch some slants and work in the slot. The Chargers need to take care of business against the Lions and not let it be a "trap" game like the Dolphins a couple of years ago. It will be interesting to see what Jyles Tucker and Brandon (Go Gators!) Siler can do at linebacker backing up Harris with Merriman out. It will be interesting to see if there are any penalties handed down by the league to "Hit Man" Fisher and company. Go Chargers!
Mark wrote on Dec 11, 2007 7:43 PM:Good observation Mike!
James wrote on Dec 11, 2007 8:31 PM:BoltDan, AJ didn't go after a wide receiver because he thought Parker was going to be back...so let's not say AJ didn't do anything and revise history...Parker had a big year last year and was Rivers safety valve last year...and I don't want to hear about the Pats game...so he had a couple of drops and a fumble...a bad game...but he came back and made the catch that got them into field position...If I recall T.O. had a couple of huge drops in the playoff game last year...I'd take Parker over any of the free agents that were out there including Moss...Like T.O. everything is fine when there winning but when things go bad they'll sink their own ship! Parker is underrated, just ask Rivers how much he missed him early...
Oak Park Bark wrote on Dec 12, 2007 1:10 AM:Jaque, you spew alot of "----" kind of like the pipes off point loma!! BE A FAN FOR ONCE "GO CHARGERS"...OPB..OUT
BoltDan wrote on Dec 12, 2007 8:17 AM:Once again don't hate because we fans critize things we don't like about the team... Parker s/was at best a #2 reciever which is all I cxan say for Jackson (ballspinner boy).. AJ blew it not going out and finding a #1 WR for our team (remember Chambers was available then too)JOE I agree with a lot of what you say... I try to be optimistic but you of all people know how much I hate Norv/AJ... AJ by doing nothing to improve our Offense essentially made it worse.. Keeping Deilman was good but not the only fix. Improve constantly or everyone else will. With all that said I am still yelling at the tV each week for my BOLTS>
Kentucky Mark wrote on Dec 12, 2007 9:16 AM:As per Jaques' plea, I have gone back to my ole Kentucky home. I am sitting on my front porch, with my cousin Annabelle, whom I am dating, and we are sipping the sour mash whiskey we just made in the back yard and rooting FOR my beloved Chargers. Now...will Jaques please go back to france and leave this blog to the REAL Chargers fans. With friends like you who needs enemies.
Long Board "Spikemann" wrote on Dec 12, 2007 10:05 AM:Positive AFC stats:(we have a few) - LT/OL is #1 in ttl yards/1st dwn. - LT/OL is # 2 in rushing - LT/OL is #3 in scoring. - PR/OL # 10 in passing. - PR/OL/WR #10,18,43 receiving - SM/DL #1 in sacks. - AC/DL #1 with LL in int's. -RED Zone stats are top 5 AFC with a youg QB and no #1s on OL? its a different team! This is "GOOD STUFF" "GO CHARGERS" PS-OPB I haven't surfed the point in years due to "bac" in the water and negative vapors like mr J above!! LB.Spikeman out
Sandy wrote on Dec 13, 2007 9:45 AM:Now is the time we may see the positive difference between the old school coach Marty who tends to burn out his players by the time they get to the playoffs, and the save the best for last finesse of Norv Turner. Go Chargers. Let's hope.
BoltDan wrote on Dec 13, 2007 11:04 AM:Sandy...HAHAHAHAHAHA... sorry I am still spitting coffee out my nose... Norv is saving his plays and players???? All you have to do is look at Norv's performances as head coach anywhere else... Marty had his players ready for a season not burnt out. He had horrible luck or what ever when his teams get to the play-offs... Norv will be lucky to get there and given that IF he was in any other division we wouldn't get there... we are in the AFC Worst. LONGBORD- Love the stats but they mean nothing.... ONE game at a time...OH sorry that was Marty's Mantra.
Joe wrote on Dec 13, 2007 11:30 AM:That's right BoltDan and that one game at a time starts Sunday with the Detroit pussycats. I hope the Chargers take care of business at home favored by 10 points. I fear a "trap" game like against the Dolphins a couple of years ago but perhaps our "CONTINUITY" has finally kicked in, the Chargers win and LT will actually sit next to Rivers, he of the spectacular 22-8 record as a starting NFL quarterback, on the bench. I find it interesting that the improvement in the defense coincides with the acension of "Lead the entire NFL in interceptions" Cromartie starting in place of "Headbut/help lose playoff game/stupid penalties" Florence at corner back. Maybe then we can "get to the tournament" and "make some noise." Go Chargers!
OPB wrote on Dec 13, 2007 12:14 PM:BoltDan, So we throw out Longboard's stats and just "LIKE OUR CHANCES AT HOME"!! I'm chill with that, GO Texan's and ." Go Chargers! "
BoltDan wrote on Dec 13, 2007 3:16 PM:I am all for home game against the Lions... I believe we should win by 21 points but who knows with Norv... Joe I like the way you are talking now... Let us hope the Corners are ready this week...because the lions will come out and throw. They have no run game so it is up to the replacments to take this game over... even if Rivers doesn't play Volek should be able to take this defense... lets hope for a big game from Chambers. GO BOLTS.
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