Charger Fan Perspective on the game

[RBI90]

As a Charger fan for over 30 years, I wanted to give an opposing view on this game and why it worries me.

I know all about the ranking and where SD's offense is ranked versus Buffalo's defense. I understand the "weak" schedule argument of the Chargers. Obvioulsy none of that matters on gameday as any team can win on any given Sunday.

Here's what worries me about the game.

It's now week 13 of the NFL. Teams are starting to plan more effectively against the Chargers.
Bills are playing inspired football these past 2 weeks. SD has a tendency to give up too many "big" plays.
The weather can limit the offensive production of the Chargers.
Marty. Although Cam is calling the plays, Marty is still the head coach and has the right to make changes at any time.
History. Other than the 94 season, the Chargers have yet to truly learn how to close out a season.Now, here's what I see as positives for the Chargers.

Having a healthy team and Merriman back forms what is arguably the best front 7 in football. Applying pressure on JP to disrupt the offensive flow of the Bills.
LT, even when teams "slow" him down, he still kills you and chews up clock time.
Gates. If you stuff the box, you're forced to play man-to-man at the corners. That tends to leave a LB covering Gates which is a mismatch in the Chargers favor.
The Chargers may not have a superstar wideout, but have 4 servicable WR's in McCardell, Parker, Jackson & Floyd. When teams focus on shutting down LT or Gates, one of these guys are good for the mid range 8-12 yard catch. If nothing else, Jackson & Floyd are tall enough for the jump ball thrown to the corners of the end zone.All that being said, my honest opinion is that the Bills score enough to keep it close, but not enough to win the game. I actually think a tough hard fought close game will help more to strenghten the Chargers than a lopsided blowout.

And as always, here's to a good game with NO injuries!

[Bufftp]

Great post RBI90, some good obsverations.

[justasportsfan]

As a Charger fan for over 30 years, I wanted to give an opposing view on this game and why it worries me.

I know all about the ranking and where SD's offense is ranked versus Buffalo's defense. I understand the "weak" schedule argument of the Chargers. Obvioulsy none of that matters on gameday as any team can win on any given Sunday.

Here's what worries me about the game.

It's now week 13 of the NFL. Teams are starting to plan more effectively against the Chargers.
Bills are playing inspired football these past 2 weeks. SD has a tendency to give up too many "big" plays.
The weather can limit the offensive production of the Chargers.
Marty. Although Cam is calling the plays, Marty is still the head coach and has the right to make changes at any time.
History. Other than the 94 season, the Chargers have yet to truly learn how to close out a season.Now, here's what I see as positives for the Chargers.

Having a healthy team and Merriman back forms what is arguably the best front 7 in football. Applying pressure on JP to disrupt the offensive flow of the Bills.
LT, even when teams "slow" him down, he still kills you and chews up clock time.
Gates. If you stuff the box, you're forced to play man-to-man at the corners. That tends to leave a LB covering Gates which is a mismatch in the Chargers favor.
The Chargers may not have a superstar wideout, but have 4 servicable WR's in McCardell, Parker, Jackson & Floyd. When teams focus on shutting down LT or Gates, one of these guys are good for the mid range 8-12 yard catch. If nothing else, Jackson & Floyd are tall enough for the jump ball thrown to the corners of the end zone.All that being said, my honest opinion is that the Bills score enough to keep it close, but not enough to win the game. I actually think a tough hard fought close game will help more to strenghten the Chargers than a lopsided blowout.

And as always, here's to a good game with NO injuries!:up:

If the Willis from last Sunday or the one against the jets shows up, we have a chance.

[mysticsoto]

:up:

If the Willis from last Sunday or the one against the jets shows up, we have a chance.


I think the key to this game is the Oline. If JP is harassed all day, we lose. If he gets time to set up some passes (since we are not likely to be able to run all over them) we may squeek out a win. LT is going to get 200 yds easily. But runs take time and if we can keep up with them with some bombs from JP to Evans, we might be able to stay in the game.

Also, I noticed that lately the Bills secondary has been concentrating on ripping balls out and generating turnovers. We may need a few of those to keep the ball out of LT's hands and possibly have a chance to win the game...

The Bills have been playing better as of late, but this is a BIG test...

[jamze132]

It will be a good game. I think if Buffalo can force Rivers to rush some throws, we might be able to get some turnovers.

I am also hoping that the SD offense takes us for granted and just goes through the motions during practice!

[BillsNick]

I think the key for us will come down to Jauron's Gameplan. If Jauron can structure an effective plan to exploit the Chargers weakness, and accentuate the Bills Strengths, we can win this game. We have already proved that we can play with anybody in this league.

[Patti120]

Great post! For Buffalo, our ability to stay in the game or even win the game hinges obviously on the o-line and the run D as previously stated. This will be a big test for our o-line, d-line and linebackers. LT is so damn good though which worries me and the return of Merriman (even if he's kicked "the juice") does make their front 7 on D quite dominant.

Anyway, here's hoping for a good game and no injuries! Go Bills!

[justasportsfan]

I think the key to this game is the Oline. If JP is harassed all day, we lose. If he gets time to set up some passes (since we are not likely to be able to run all over them) we may squeek out a win. LT is going to get 200 yds easily. But runs take time and if we can keep up with them with some bombs from JP to Evans, we might be able to stay in the game.

Also, I noticed that lately the Bills secondary has been concentrating on ripping balls out and generating turnovers. We may need a few of those to keep the ball out of LT's hands and possibly have a chance to win the game...

The Bills have been playing better as of late, but this is a BIG test...run the ball and JP doesn't get harrassed. I'd rather we run the ball til' all of our 3 rb's puke because passing will give their O more time on the field and it gives them more chances to beat up on our run D.It'll also keeps the game close and our D fresh for crunch time.

The SD running game is not just a ball control type of O, it's potent and can easily score tons of TD's.

[mchurchfie]

I think that JP and Willis are going to have to have a really big day to keep this one close. Are defense has been getting chewed up all year by lower rated running attacks we now are facing arguably the best running attack and rb iin the league. We are also facing probably one of the best tightends in the league. Our defense has been very weak against both. A good tightend can tear up a cover two defense.

[TacklingDummy]

:up:

If the Willis from last Sunday or the one against the jets shows up, we have a chance.

If the JP that showed up against Houston in the 1st half shows up, we have a chance.

[justasportsfan]

If the JP that showed up against Houston in the 1st half shows up, we have a chance. I'd rather the Willis from Jets shows up to keep the game close and then the JP of the last drive from the last 2 games shows up to steal another win :up:

[THATHURMANATOR]

As a Charger fan for over 30 years, I wanted to give an opposing view on this game and why it worries me.

I know all about the ranking and where SD's offense is ranked versus Buffalo's defense. I understand the "weak" schedule argument of the Chargers. Obvioulsy none of that matters on gameday as any team can win on any given Sunday.

Here's what worries me about the game.

It's now week 13 of the NFL. Teams are starting to plan more effectively against the Chargers.
Bills are playing inspired football these past 2 weeks. SD has a tendency to give up too many "big" plays.
The weather can limit the offensive production of the Chargers.
Marty. Although Cam is calling the plays, Marty is still the head coach and has the right to make changes at any time.
History. Other than the 94 season, the Chargers have yet to truly learn how to close out a season.Now, here's what I see as positives for the Chargers.

Having a healthy team and Merriman back forms what is arguably the best front 7 in football. Applying pressure on JP to disrupt the offensive flow of the Bills.
LT, even when teams "slow" him down, he still kills you and chews up clock time.
Gates. If you stuff the box, you're forced to play man-to-man at the corners. That tends to leave a LB covering Gates which is a mismatch in the Chargers favor.
The Chargers may not have a superstar wideout, but have 4 servicable WR's in McCardell, Parker, Jackson & Floyd. When teams focus on shutting down LT or Gates, one of these guys are good for the mid range 8-12 yard catch. If nothing else, Jackson & Floyd are tall enough for the jump ball thrown to the corners of the end zone.All that being said, my honest opinion is that the Bills score enough to keep it close, but not enough to win the game. I actually think a tough hard fought close game will help more to strenghten the Chargers than a lopsided blowout.

And as always, here's to a good game with NO injuries!
Great analysis. Good luck to both teams!

[Mitchy moo]

As a Charger fan for over 30 years, I wanted to give an opposing view on this game and why it worries me.

I know all about the ranking and where SD's offense is ranked versus Buffalo's defense. I understand the "weak" schedule argument of the Chargers. Obvioulsy none of that matters on gameday as any team can win on any given Sunday.

Here's what worries me about the game.

It's now week 13 of the NFL. Teams are starting to plan more effectively against the Chargers.
Bills are playing inspired football these past 2 weeks. SD has a tendency to give up too many "big" plays.
The weather can limit the offensive production of the Chargers.
Marty. Although Cam is calling the plays, Marty is still the head coach and has the right to make changes at any time.
History. Other than the 94 season, the Chargers have yet to truly learn how to close out a season.Now, here's what I see as positives for the Chargers.

Having a healthy team and Merriman back forms what is arguably the best front 7 in football. Applying pressure on JP to disrupt the offensive flow of the Bills.
LT, even when teams "slow" him down, he still kills you and chews up clock time.
Gates. If you stuff the box, you're forced to play man-to-man at the corners. That tends to leave a LB covering Gates which is a mismatch in the Chargers favor.
The Chargers may not have a superstar wideout, but have 4 servicable WR's in McCardell, Parker, Jackson & Floyd. When teams focus on shutting down LT or Gates, one of these guys are good for the mid range 8-12 yard catch. If nothing else, Jackson & Floyd are tall enough for the jump ball thrown to the corners of the end zone.All that being said, my honest opinion is that the Bills score enough to keep it close, but not enough to win the game. I actually think a tough hard fought close game will help more to strenghten the Chargers than a lopsided blowout.

And as always, here's to a good game with NO injuries!

It's the NFL, good teams that are going to make any noise need to do it near the end of the season and gain momentum. The Bills have played some tough games and taken some tough losses. The real determining factor will be the game planning of our coaching staff and execution by our players. If we load the Box at the right time and force River's to move, he effectively will become neutralized. JP is used to moving and running so throws on the fly and stepping up are becoming second nature to him.

I personally think that the Bills will win outright because we have more than a few players that are ready to become free agents and with winning comes bigger pay days for them. They are on the phone with their agents getting the advice that they need to showcase themselves for their new team and step up right now. The Jets game was moved & I feel if we win a few in a row we get even better time slots and attention. This flexible schedule not only benefits ratings, it also benefits players playing well. It's time for our big boys to step it up, they will.

[HHURRICANE]

I think there is one key here that everyone is overlooking. This Bills have one of the wrost run D's in the league. Maybe the worst. This has been to our advantage as of late. Let LT run all day as it still takes time off of the clock. The lower the score the better. If Rivers comes out throwing we are dead!!! Quick scores will put this game away early. JP and the offense is not going to win an offensive battle through the air. If McGahee can run and keep the clock moving and San Diego keeps the ball on the ground as well than we can win this game.

[RedEyE]

The Bills have struggled against the run this year and slowing down LT doesn't seem likely. Also, typically, the Bills blow large donkey nuts when trying to defend big receiveing TEs. Gates might just have a field day.

[mysticsoto]

run the ball and JP doesn't get harrassed. I'd rather we run the ball til' all of our 3 rb's puke because passing will give their O more time on the field and it gives them more chances to beat up on our run D.It'll also keeps the game close and our D fresh for crunch time.

The SD running game is not just a ball control type of O, it's potent and can easily score tons of TD's.

I'm not so sure. Our pass protection is better than our run protection for one thing. I just don't think SD is going to let us run. If they are smart, they stack up against the run and prevent Willis from doing anything - trying to make JP beat them. And he may beat them a few times in the air, but their hope should be that more often than not, he doesn't and we end up punting. On defense, we will have a hard time stopping the run and they just might be able to score at will.

Atleast, if I'm SD, that's how I would approach it. But some times OCs do stupid things...

[HHURRICANE]

I think there is one key here that everyone is overlooking. This Bills have one of the wrost run D's in the league. Maybe the worst. This has been to our advantage as of late. Let LT run all day as it still takes time off of the clock. The lower the score the better. If Rivers comes out throwing we are dead!!! Quick scores will put this game away early. JP and the offense is not going to win an offensive battle through the air. If McGahee can run and keep the clock moving and San Diego keeps the ball on the ground as well than we can win this game.

I forgot one more thing. You are in any game when Marty Shotenheimer is the coach of the opposing team. I have seen him blow more games by being a numb nut. Let's hope he out coaches himself. Very possible.

[DMBcrew36]

tell Merriman to share the juice.

[raphael120]

the big game changing factor? the bills are at home, and the fans are going to make the chargers go DEAF!

[RBI90]

the big game changing factor? the bills are at home, and the fans are going to make the chargers go DEAF!

The Bills are 3-2 at home. Not that much of an advantage if you ask me.

[Mitchy moo]

The Bills are 3-2 at home. Not that much of an advantage if you ask me.

You have no idea what you are talking about, the noise at the stadium during a game can more than change outcomes. Plan on seeing alot of false starts by rivers, that will send the crowd into a frenzy.

[RBI90]

You have no idea what you are talking about, the noise at the stadium during a game can more than change outcomes. Plan on seeing alot of false starts by rivers, that will send the crowd into a frenzy.

Skooby - I know what home filed CAN do for a team. I was just pointing out that so far you are 3-2 at home so it obviously hasn't been THAT great of an advantage. San Diego is 4-2 on the road and if not for a late FG by the Chiefs and a late TD by the Ravens, they'd be 6-0 on the road and 11-0 overall. I know you question the Chargers schedule, but I'll put their games against the Ravens, Bengals, Chiefs (twice), Broncos (twice) and Seattle up against just about anyone else.

[Mitchy moo]

Skooby - I know what home filed CAN do for a team. I was just pointing out that so far you are 3-2 at home so it obviously hasn't been THAT great of an advantage. San Diego is 4-2 on the road and if not for a late FG by the Chiefs and a late TD by the Ravens, they'd be 6-0 on the road and 11-0 overall. I know you question the Chargers schedule, but I'll put their games against the Ravens, Bengals, Chiefs (twice), Broncos (twice) and Seattle up against just about anyone else.

So far is as far as you need to go. Unlike you, we had the hardest part of our schedule early. We beat the Chiefs and Bengals last year both away games for us, so please don't bother bringing them up. We also play the Ravens in Baltimore at the end of this season. The Bills are starting to gel, the chargers are gelled already and have played well against .380 winning percentage teams on average. You haven't beat one team above a .570 current record, so leave your accomplishments so far at the door, please.

[Philagape]

Tomlinson and Gates. That's all I need to know. It'll be close, but I pick SD.

[RBI90]

So far is as far as you need to go. Unlike you, we had the hardest part of our schedule early. We beat the Chiefs and Bengals last year both away games for us, so please don't bother bringing them up. We also play the Ravens in Baltimore at the end of this season. The Bills are starting to gel, the chargers are gelled already and have played well against .380 winning percentage teams on average. You haven't beat one team above a .570 current record, so leave your accomplishments so far at the door, please.

Give it up already. No one, not even other Bills fans buy your .380 winning percentage argument. If you want to bring up your wins against the Chiefs and Bengals from LAST year, then lets discuss the SD-Buffalo game from LAST year as well. We beat the teams we're supposed to. You, on the other had lose to the Lions.

[Cntrygal]

GREAT thread RBI90!!!!!

:10:

[YardRat]

Nice initial post, RBI. Thanks :D.

I expect to see quite a bit of nickel defense from the Bills this week, similar to the Indy game, to try and offset Gates. Shut down the pass, let LT have his yards between the 30's, and hope for a couple of turnovers.

[jpdex12]

Nice initial post, RBI. Thanks :D.

I expect to see quite a bit of nickel defense from the Bills this week, similar to the Indy game, to try and offset Gates. Shut down the pass, let LT have his yards between the 30's, and hope for a couple of turnovers.

Screw all of this technical stuff. I want there to be 2 feet of snow on that field! Buffalo style! Send those sun loving wimps packing!

[BoltfanBo]

Keys to the game are TO's and kick returns. If the Bolts don't cough the ball up and limit the big returns, they win by 13. All year the Chargers have made great 2nd have adjustment. If JP doesn't hit quick shot passes early it's going to be trouble for the Bills. The Bills run game will be limited and there will be tons of presure on JP.
Bills game plan should be deep shotgun and chuck it deep to Evans and hope for a PI call.

[tat2dmike77]

Is merriman clean or are he and bonds still "lifting weights" together

[tat2dmike77]

Keys to the game are TO's and kick returns. If the Bolts don't cough the ball up and limit the big returns, they win by 13. All year the Chargers have made great 2nd have adjustment. If JP doesn't hit quick shot passes early it's going to be trouble for the Bills. The Bills run game will be limited and there will be tons of presure on JP.
Bills game plan should be deep shotgun and chuck it deep to Evans and hope for a PI call.

I love how everyone states that keys to the game are TO's. No crap we all know that anyway.

I'm sure your game plan for the bills will work. I mean your obviously a great NFL mind being that your posting on a message board.

Now move along.

[BoltfanBo]

I love how everyone states that keys to the game are TO's. No crap we all know that anyway.

I'm sure your game plan for the bills will work. I mean your obviously a great NFL mind being that your posting on a message board.

Now move along.
Mikey my point is that the Chagers are far better team and if the team play even on TO'S the bolts will kill the Bills.
The Chargers can win in many ways. Unlike the Bills

As for the game plan just trying to trhrow a little humor.. Sorry to get you panties in a bunch. Didn't know this was a SUPER SERIOUS FORUM!!!!!

[tat2dmike77]

You just don't know my twisted sense of humor


i say good day to you

[tat2dmike77]

What the hell is the deal with all these charger fans all of the sudden. What you guys have nothing better to do then troll around other message boards. I mean thats cool but i should thank you for reminding me why i have stopped spending my time on a message board.

It turns into a pissing contest. It gets old quick but i will leave you with record to ponder since SD will be most likely making the playoffs (barring a boston collapse) Your head coach has sweet record of 5-12 in the playoffs. So while you may be beating the bills ass on sunday just remember 5-12.

[mybills]

The Bills run game will be limited and there will be tons of presure on JP.

Bills game plan should be deep shotgun and chuck it deep to Evans and hope for a PI call.
I kind of agree with the first sentence. Your run D is efficient, and we've had trouble in the past protecting JP.

I half agree on the second.

We don't have to hope for a stinkin' PI call.
Your pass coverage stinks and will be no where near Evans or anyone when they catch JP's bombs for a 1st down and/or a TD. :D

Here's to a great game, and an injury free one as well. :cheers: