Game Preview: Chargers vs. Browns

Source: CBS Sports

The San Diego Chargers continue to roll over opponents. A Cleveland Browns team that owns one of the NFL's worst defenses could have a difficult time slowing them down.

The AFC West-leading Chargers look to win their 15th straight December game Sunday when they face the injury-plagued Browns, who will try to avoid their 10th consecutive home loss.

San Diego (8-3) won its sixth in a row last week, 43-14 over Kansas City to regain a one-game lead over Denver in the division.

The Chargers, who posted their highest point total since a 48-29 victory over the New York Jets last Sept. 22, scored four of their five touchdowns off turnovers.

Quentin Jammer picked off a pass and forced a fumble, Brandon Siler and Larry English recovered fumbles, and safety Paul Oliver grabbed a fumble out of the air from Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassell and ran it in from 40 yards.

"We put the offense in good field position and really helped them out every way we could. It was a close game for the first half, but then the turnovers took over and we capitalized on all of them," Oliver said.

Oliver's play came 20 seconds after Philip Rivers found Antonio Gates for a 15-yard touchdown following Siler's fumble recovery.

Rivers, who threw for 317 yards and two TDs - both to Gates - completed 69.9 percent of his passes for 12 TDs and three interceptions as the Chargers won their last six games by an average of 17.5 points.

He will try to lead San Diego its first seven-game winning streak since it went 10-0 to finish the 2006 regular season.

Since a 23-7 loss to Denver on Dec. 31, 2005, San Diego has gone 14-0 in December.

Although his team will face a Browns defense that is giving up more than 393.0 yards and 25.0 points per game, coach Norv Turner doesn't want the Chargers to look past Sunday with contests against Dallas, Cincinnati and Tennessee coming up.

"We go to Cleveland, it's going to be a challenge for us," Turner said. "You look at our schedule over the next five games, we play good football teams that are doing the same thing we're doing, trying to make the playoffs."

With six straight losses, Cleveland (1-10) has no postseason hopes. The Browns, tied for the league's worst record, lost 16-7 at Cincinnati on Sunday and will now be trying avoid a 10th consecutive home defeat.

Brady Quinn went 15 of 34 for 100 yards as the Browns scored seven points or fewer for the seventh time this season. Cleveland's defense wasn't any better, surrendering 306 yards - 210 on the ground.

Things only got worse with the loss of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, one of the team's best run stoppers. Rogers was carted off in the final minutes with an undisclosed leg injury last week and went on injured reserve Tuesday, ending his season.

Ahtyba Rubin, a sixth-round draft pick in 2008, is expected to take his place.

"It's a great opportunity," Rubin said. "It's unfortunate it happened to a great person like Big Baby and I just look forward to getting out there on Sundays and proving myself. It's big shoes to fill."

Rogers' absence could benefit Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who looks to move up another two spots on the all-time rushing list.

Tomlinson ran for 39 yards Sunday, moving past Marcus Allen and Edgerrin James for 10th place with 12,257. He needs 23 yards to pass Marshall Faulk for ninth and 56 to overtake Jim Brown for eighth.

Cleveland is ranked 29th in rush defense, allowing 159.9 yards per game.

The Browns suffered several other key injuries. Leading rusher Jamal Lewis is out with an unspecified head injury that could jeopardize his career.

Coach Eric Mangini will also have to find a replacement for starting safety Brodney Pool, who suffered his fourth career concussion Sunday. Pool has not been placed on injured reserve, but his season and career could be over.

Chargers safety Eric Weddle may be sidelined for two weeks or more with a sprained knee, while linebacker Shawne Merriman is questionable after leaving Sunday's game in the second quarter with a foot injury.

San Diego has won three straight over the Browns since a 20-16 loss in Cleveland on Oct. 7, 2001.

Chargers Team Report 12-1-09

Source: USA Today/SD Tribune

With the Chargers having won a half-dozen games in a row, fighting to stay ahead of the Denver Broncos with a difficult December ahead, now is perhaps the perfect time to take it easy.

No one should suggest taking the Cleveland Browns lightly, but they just might be the perfect opponent with which to begin the final push to the postseason.

With Shawne Merriman’s hoof hurting and rest the only elixir, head coach Norv Turner said he might sit the outside linebacker Sunday.

“We’re just going to treat it the best we can and … see how he is at the end of the week,” Turner said of Merriman’s tendinitis. “That’s the biggest thing – rest and time for his foot to heal. That’s something we’re going to consider and look at. If he’s a lot better Wednesday and Thursday and can do some and practice Friday, I’d like to see him play. If he can’t practice, that’s something we’ll consider.”

Maybe defensive end Luis Castillo, who sat out Sunday’s game against Kansas City due to a calf strain, won’t be rushed back either.

And this could be the perfect week to ease center Nick Hardwick back into action and new right tackle Jon Runyan into his role with a few series each.

The NFL is fraught with weekly lessons that no team is to be taken lightly, but Cleveland (1-10) might make the Chiefs look like a great team. The Browns have the NFL’s worst offense (230.6 yards per game) and second-worst defense (393.3). They have been outscored by more than 14 points per game.

To be fair, Turner had not begun breaking down the Browns quite yet when he was asked about them yesterday. But his response was classically evasive when asked what concerns him about the team leading the race for next April’s top draft pick.

“On the road,” he said, “handling the elements, all those things will come into it.”

Yes, snow is possible (isn’t it always in Cleveland?) and the temperature is expected to be in the 30s at game time. Then there is Josh Cribbs, one of the league’s top kick returners.

Other than that, the Chargers’ biggest hurdle might be looking past the Browns toward a game in Dallas next week, though the Chargers certainly did not let a lesser opponent and myriad distractions affect them last week.

The Chargers are also very comfortable in the month that dawned today. They have won all 14 of their December games since a loss ended the 2005 season.

That said, this will be their toughest closing month.

The combined winning percentage of the teams they’ve faced the past three Decembers has been .424, and half of the games were against teams with losing records.

This month, after Cleveland, they’ll face, in succession, division leaders Dallas (8-3) and Cincinnati (8-3), and face a Tennessee team that has won five straight games before hosting Washington (3-8) to close the regular season.

“There are a lot of things that go into it,” Turner said of the Chargers’ December dominance. “We’ve got real good players. There is great focus. The schedule … has helped us. The schedule is much more difficult this year.”

And it’s different, too, because the Chargers are finished playing the AFC West. Meanwhile, the Broncos (7-4), who trail the Chargers by one game, get to play Kansas City twice and Oakland once. (Denver’s other games are at Indianapolis and at Philadelphia.)

“You’re not playing the teams you’re competing against,” Turner said. “You’ve got to go out and beat some other people and at times look and see how the team that’s chasing you is doing.”

The player likely to replace Weddle, Paul Oliver, has shown some spark as well.

It was Oliver who knocked loose the football from Matt Cassel on Sunday and raced 40 yards for a touchdown in the win over the Chiefs.

But Weddle is a workhorse who seldom leaves the field. He had a team-high 654 plays entering the Chiefs’ game and is known for being around the football.

Plus, the way coordinator Ron Rivera has been implementing his secondary — and in particular the safeties — into his blitz packages, losing Weddle is a big blow.

Oliver is coming off his best game of his career, which included three tackles.

The Chargers could move Steve Gregory back to the safety spot, but he has played so well in the slot in nickel packages the team is hesitant about such a switch.

So for games at Cleveland and Dallas, Oliver will be in the spotlight. The third-year pro has never started an NFL game.

Oliver could also get some help from C.J. Spillman, who cannot be considered experienced, either — he has but one special teams tackle this season.

The news was better regarding inside linebacker Kevin Burnett, who suffered a concussion on Sunday. Coach Norv Turner said Burnett, who had four tackles Sunday, had been cleared for Wednesday’s practice.

NOTES, QUOTES

—The Chargers introduced their 50th anniversary team Sunday before the win over the Chiefs. Many of the current Chargers said it was special to see the players, and then pay homage to some of those great Chargers teams of the past by scoring a season-high 43 points. In particular, it was a treat to a frail Don Coryell who is up for the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.

“With all the gadgets and throwing the ball downfield and seeing guys jump up in the air and catch the ball, I think we did honor him,” RB LaDainian Tomlinson said.

—There are 11 current Chargers on the franchise’s all-time best squad.

—S Eric Weddle, who will miss two weeks with a sprained knee, said the Chargers can’t get full of themselves despite a six-game winning streak.

“We’re playing good ball and we know that, but we can’t get sucked into the hype that a long winning streak will bring,” he said. “We haven’t done anything yet. We have to play consistent and finish each game.”

—Can the Chargers be better? “We don’t know that,” OLB Shaun Phillips said. “All we care about is fixing problems and getting better.”

— The case against Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who is accused of hitting another man on the head with a champagne bottle, will be sent to the City Attorney’s office Tuesday, according to the SD Police.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

PLAYER NOTES

—DE Luis Castillo, who missed Sunday’s game with a calf injury, is expected to go this week.

—C Nick Hardwick, if he avoids setbacks during practices this week, could play for the first time since injuring his ankle in the season opener. Hardwick wouldn’t start, but potentially get 20-25 plays.

—T Jon Runyan could be active this week. But it’s doubtful it would be in a starting role.

—RT Brandyn Dombrowski graded out well in his first start at the position left open by the injury to Jeromey Clary. Dombrowski’s play could allow the Chargers to ease Runyan back into NFL action.

—OLB Shawne Merriman continues to be bothered by a foot injury and it looks like it could stay with him through the rest of the season. Merriman played very little Sunday and he could follow that route this week as well — or possibly sit out and rest the foot.

—TE Antonio Gates continues to shine and is on pace for 80-plus catches and to set career highs in receiving yards and yards per catch.

REPORT CARD VS. CHIEFS

PASSING OFFENSE: A — Philip Rivers continues to play at an extremely high level as for the third straight week he completes 75 percent of his passes. The Chargers reintroduced the deep ball back into their game plan and the result was the Chargers stretching the field so much the Chiefs couldn’t defend it. The pass-blocking, again, was excellent as Rivers wasn’t sacked and was hit just once.

RUSHING OFFENSE: B-plus — People are saying the Chargers’ running game is back, and it is to some degree. But even when milking the clock and a big lead, the Chargers only ran for 94 yards and a 2.8-yard average. Tomlinson did add two more scoring runs and would have had a third save a goal-line fumble.

PASS DEFENSE: A — Matt Cassel never does look comfortable with the blitzes coming from the secondary and the coverage not giving him much to work with. Quentin Jammer had an interception and Antonio Cromartie had six tackles. Just a team sack, but Cassel was under heat which helped lead to the Chiefs’ four turnovers.

RUSH DEFENSE: C — The Chiefs didn’t run much when falling behind but they were effective in moving the ball early in the game. The Chargers allowed 114 rushing yards and never did have an answer for Jamaal Charles — he averaged 6.6 yards on 14 carries. Still work to do here, although ILB Brandon Siler’s arrow keeps pointing up.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A — Nate Kaeding’s 55-yard field goal is the best he’s done at Qualcomm. The coverage unit had a leak on Charles when he raced 45 yards on a kickoff. Darren Sproles had a 32-yard kickoff return, but not much else. Kaeding later added a 23-yarder.

COACHING: A — Coach Norv Turner had to juggle Thanksgiving holiday and everyone pulling at his players for the 50th anniversary parties. But he told the Chargers all week to focus on the Chiefs — Turner’s message got a boost when the Chiefs upset the Steelers. But he was going deep into the playbook as the Chargers are seemingly adding a wrinkle or two each week. Ron Rivera continues to lean on the blitzes coming from the secondary and it is working.

Chargers place Clary on IR and sign Runyan

Source: Chargers.com

Newly-signed Chargers offensive tackle Jon Runyan had to be patient, but Tuesday he found a great fit.

After opportunities to find a new home came and went prior to the start of the 2009 season, veteran offensive tackle Jon Runyan was content to be patient and wait for the perfect situation.

That came Tuesday in the form of a first-place team suddenly in need of help at tackle due to injuries. Runyan, a 13-year veteran who had started 192-consecutive games before the Eagles released him this spring, signed a one-year contract with the Chargers.

“It’s unfortunate that a lot of times it takes an injury to get in a position like this, but once the beginning of the season passed, this is the kind of situation I was looking for,” Runyan said. “I was fortunate enough that it worked out here. It’s the right time and right situation and I felt comfortable doing it.”

Runyan (6-7, 330) will fill the roster spot of Jeromey Clary, who will be placed on “Reserve-Injured” Tuesday. Runyan underwent microfracture surgery on his right knee in February but believes he’s physically ready to get back at it. He’ll practice with the Chargers Wednesday as they begin preparations for Sunday’s game against the Chiefs.

“I’m probably in the best shape I’ve been in in 10 years,” Runyan said. “I’ve been training that much. It’s my personality; when I do it outside of the football facility, I tend to overdo it. It’s a little more relaxed when you’re in the building all the time. I’ve been going four or five days a week for the past nine months so I’m there (physically).”

General Manager A.J. Smith lauded Runyan’s physical presence and said that the veteran “will be added to the mix” at offensive tackle.

“We are very fortunate that a player of Jon’s experience and ability was available at this time,” Smith said. “He is an outstanding competitor and I have always admired the physical, nasty approach he brings to the field every game.”

In 13 NFL seasons, Runyan has appeared in 223 games, including 21 playoff contests, five conference championship games and two Super Bowls. He began his career with the Houston Oilers and holds the distinction of being the only active NFL player who spent time with the franchise before its move to Tennessee. After four seasons in Houston/Nashville, Runyan signed with Philadelphia where he was a fixture at right tackle for nine seasons. He’ll spent Tuesday night immersing himself in the Chargers’ playbook as he tries to quickly pick up the offense.

“It’s a foreign language,” Runyan said. “But the basis of football is all the same. It’s just a matter of making that transition in your mind. I’m ready to get to work on it.”

Chargers Team Report – 11/24/09

Source: USA Today
The Chargers got their fifth consecutive victory and a spot atop the AFC West standings, but it came with a cost.

Right tackle Jeromey Clary suffered an ankle injury which will likely shelve him for the rest of the regular season.

The Chargers, though, are reluctant to put Clary on injured reserve, hoping if they make a late playoff run he might be able to go.

So look for Clary to stick, but likely not do much until late in the season.

That was the sense coach Norv Turner gave a day after the Chargers thumped the Broncos 32-3.

There was also troubling news off the field.

Cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who had an interception in Sunday’s win, is under investigation for assault with a deadly weapon. He is accused of throwing of a champagne bottle in a San Diego bar altercation.

He was out early Monday morning after the team’s big win.

Cromartie wrote via Twitter: "I want 2 apologize to charger nation and my fans. There's sum stuff out abt me that's not true. It will come out. God Bless"

NOTES, QUOTES

—Outside linebacker Shawne Merriman couldn’t hide the significance of Sunday’s win.

“I’d love to say it’s just another game, but we were playing for first in the division. This game meant a lot to a lot of us,” Merriman said.

—Running back LaDainian Tomlinson was scratching his head when Denver’s Chris Simms trotted out with first team instead of Kyle Orton. Orton was battling an ankle injury.

“I was surprised Orton didn’t start the game,” he said. “I saw him in pregame, and he looked good throwing the ball.”

—The win was the Chargers’ fifth straight.

“We never panicked,” inside linebacker Stephen Cooper said of the team’s reaction after a slow start to the season. “Look up and down our roster, and you will see All-Pro caliber players.”

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

PLAYER NOTES

—DE Luis Castillo (calf) could sit out Wednesday’s practice.

—ILB Kevin Burnett continues to shine after missing three games recently with a knee injury. He had his best day as a Charger on Sunday with seven tackles and two sacks.

—LB James Holt is making his mark on special teams. He had two more tackles Sunday.

—WR Legedu Naanee continues to get more playing time. Naanee had a scoring catch for the second straight week.

—DB Paul Oliver is playing more thanks to his productivity. He had four tackles, one for a loss and a pass defensed.

—FB Mike Tolbert continues to prove he can do more than block and play special teams. The Chargers are eager to slip him some carries, and he has responded. He had 58 yards and a score Sunday — including a 32-yard run.

—OLB Shawne Merriman (foot) held up OK in the game.

REPORT CARD VS. BRONCOS

PASSING OFFENSE: B-plus — Philip Rivers was accurate again, missing on only one of his 14 first-half passes and hitting 17 of 22 overall. Rivers didn’t have to be great, just manage the game while leaning on the running game. San Diego’s pass-blocking was keen; the Broncos had five sacks in the earlier meeting and none in this one.

RUSHING OFFENSE: A — This unit had its best game of the season with 203 rushing yards. With a comfortable lead, the Chargers were able to sock the game away on the ground while giving this piece of the offense a chunk of confidence.

PASS DEFENSE: A — Chris Simms and Kyle Orton didn’t look comfortable, with the secondary playing well and a pass-rush that pestered them both. The Chargers allowed just 181 yards, and that was against an offense that was throwing often to get back into the game. Antonio Cromartie got a pick, and Eric Weddle was active with six tackles.

RUSH DEFENSE: B — There were a few leaks here on the Broncos’ decent-looking drives, but some adjustments were made, and Denver had to start heaving the ball. But the Broncos did gain for 115 rushing yards.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A — The Chargers were much better in this area after allowing two returns for scores in the previous matchup. The coverage units were fine. Nate Kaeding boomed five touchbacks thanks to the thin air, and he went 4-for-4 on field-goal attempts.

COACHING: A — Having noted the Broncos’ pass rush in the teams’ first meeting, Norv Turner had the offense turn to short and medium routes to get the ball out fast. With the safeties on their heels, the short stuff worked, and the running game re-established itself. Defensive coordinator Ron Rivera went after the Broncos quarterbacks, and the pass rush was effective without Shawne Merriman having a big day.
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Chargers Win! Denver Doesn't!

SIGN ON SAN DIEGO.COM – Little more than 3½ weeks ago, they were 3½ games out of first place. They had all sorts of defensive shortcomings, no running game to speak of and no reason to think LaDainian Tomlinson would be able to bring it back to life.

Catch the Denver Broncos? Again?

Puh-lease.

Four games and four wins later, almost unfathomably, the Chargers already have climbed back alongside Denver atop the AFC West Division. Withstanding a full-scale passing assault by Donovan McNabb, the Chargers on Sunday pulled out a 31-23 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, drawing even with the Broncos at 6-3. As these things happen, of course, the Chargers play at Denver next Sunday.

The game was witnessed by 68,879, the third-largest crowd to ever see the Chargers play at home, and a considerable number of those in attendance came across country to see McNabb shred the Chargers’ defense. And he did. To a point.

Thwarted time and again by San Diego when getting in close through the first three quarters – by which time the Chargers led 28-9 on the strength of two Tomlinson touchdowns – McNabb passed the Eagles to two scores to make things interesting. He finished with 450 yards passing.

Philip Rivers showed some mastery of his own, though, killing enough time off the clock en route to a Nate Kaeding field goal with 30 seconds to play. The game ended with Antonio Cromartie intercepting McNabb's desperation pass in the end zone.

Even before kickoff, the Chargers knew they had first place within their grasp, no small thing to a team that began the season 2-3 and already 3½ games behind the then-unbeaten Denver Broncos. In an earlier game Sunday, the Broncos were upset at Washington, dropping the Broncos to 6-3 with their third straight loss.

The Eagles gave the Chargers a nice little gift in the game’s early going, too, Sav Rocca squibbing his first punt for just 30 yards to set up San Diego at the Eagles’ 40. The Chargers covered half the distance, including a 10-yard gain by receiver Legedu Naanee on a direct snap from “wildcat” formation, before Rivers hit fullback Mike Tolbert with a quick pass over the middle and the 20-yard touchdown.

As they did last week in a road defeat of the New York Giants, the Chargers were particularly effective in first-down defense, forcing the Eagles to the air. Not all of the passing was done by McNabb, either. Michael Vick made his first appearance of the game late in the first quarter, throwing a second-and-eight pass well downfield to DeSean Jackson, who dropped the ball and turned an ankle in the process.

San Diego maintained the 7-0 lead into the second quarter and immediately went to work building on it, running all sorts of different stuff at Philadelphia’s flyaround defense. Tomlinson took the wildcat for five yards, and with a six–yard gain two plays later, he passed Thurman Thomas (12,074 yards) into 13th place on the all-time rushing list.

Before the drive was over, Tomlinson had tied local product Marcus Allen in third place on the all-time touchdown list with his 145th, a five-yard bolt up the middle.

A 14-0 lead’s nothing against a multiskilled offense like Philadelphia’s, though, and McNabb quickly passed the Eagles downfield. A pass interference call on Quentin Jammer in the end zone gave the Eagles a first-and-goal at the one-yard line. They would get no closer.

Inside linebackers Kevin Burnett and Brandon Siler combined to stuff a first-down dive. McNabb resorted to a bootleg play, but tight end Brent Celek was too well covered in the back corner of the end zone and McNabb effectively threw it away.

On third down, running back Edra Buckley was stopped cold by defensive linemen Ian Scott and Alfonso Boone, whereupon inside linebacker Stephen Cooper took a few steps toward the Philadelphia bench and challenged the Eagles to try it again on fourth. Not biting, head coach Andy Reid sent on the field-goal unit, and it was 14-3.

Likewise, McNabb guided the Eagles on another promising drive on its next possession, only to come away with another David Akers field goal of 25 yards eight seconds before intermission.

While momentum seemed to be flipping over to the Eagles, they continued to hurt themselves with penalties in the third quarter. A 34-yard reception by Jeremy Maclin was negated by his own pass-interference infraction, and a 10-yard gain by Tomlinson was extended by an unnecessary–roughness call.

Not that Tomlinson needed the help. He was running like the L.T. of old – 24 carries for 96 yards – and continuing to pass some old legends in the process.

Breaking through the right side and capitalizing on the blocks of guard Kris Dielman and Brandon Manumaleuna, Tomlinson went 20 yards for the TD that pushed him ahead of Marcus Allen on the TD list, leaving him behind only Jerry Rice (208) and Tomlinson idol Emmitt Smith (175). At the same time, he surpassed Franco Harris (12,130) in rushing yards.

Qualcomm Stadium was seemingly half-full of fans wearing Eagles colors. To be sure, they were booing like true Philadelphians, especially when Reid chose yet again to take an Akers field goal instead of a chance on fourth-and-one at the San Diego seven-yard line.

Three-pointers indeed weren’t going to cut it after the Chargers made it 28-9 with their next drive, triggered by Darren Sproles’ kickoff return to the 41-yard line. Rivers connected on four straight passes, the last one a 20-yarder to Naanee, wide open and waiting just inside the backline of the end zone.

The rest of the game, virtually the entire fourth quarter, was basically spent watching the clock and McNabb completing pass after pass. Two of them were caught in the end zone.

McNabb found Maclin uncovered for a five-yard score. When he hit Celek for an 11-yard TD with 7:12 remaining, pulling the Eagles to within a touchdown of winning, McNabb had completed 33 of 50 attempts for 418 yards.

Chargers dominate Colts in overtime!

SAN DIEGO — Peyton Manning has his MVP award and nothing more, outdone again in January by the San Diego Chargers.

Speedy little Darren Sproles scooted 22 yards for the winning score 6:20 into overtime and the Chargers beat the Colts 23-17 in an AFC wild-card game Saturday night, ending Indianapolis' nine-game winning streak a day after Manning won his third Associated Press NFL MVP award.

Sproles came up big on a night when the Chargers played the final 2 1/2 quarters without LaDainian Tomlinson, who stood on the sideline in obvious discomfort from a groin injury.

Fifty years after the Baltimore Colts won the first overtime game in league history by the same score over the New York Giants for the NFL title, Indianapolis wasn't so fortunate. It was victimized by Sproles, who rushed 23 times for 105 yards, caught five passes for 45 yards, had 106 yards on four kickoff returns and 72 on three punt runbacks.

The Chargers (9-8) won the overtime toss. Indy's Darrell Reid called heads, but referee Ron Winter's flip came up tails. Sproles sent the Chargers into the second round of the playoffs, either at Tennessee or Pittsburgh, by finishing off the only series of overtime with his TD run around left end against an exhausted defense for the Colts (12-5).

It was the 25th overtime game in the postseason, including one game in the AFL. The last overtime game in the playoffs was last season's NFC title game, won by the New York Giants and Manning's little brother, Eli, against Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers.