On a beautiful, warm sunny day at the Chargers facility, the team took the field in various offensive and defense drill across the field. Led by Takeo Spikes who looked much improved, along with the defense who was hard hitting, sharp, and ready to take on any team in the NFL right now. The secondary that includes Quinton Jammer who is coming off a bad season, looked improved, relaxed, and more confident in his abilities at corner. Jammer has alot of work ahead of him, however the determination to silence his critics and showcase to the Chargers and the rest of the NFL that he has what it takes to be a solid pillar at the corner position seemed to be his motivator. Only time will reveal exactly what Jammer has left in him.
Offensively, it was great to see Philip Rivers connect with new acquired former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Robert Meachem, who ran very crisp routes. From my vantage point, it appeared as though Meachem and Rivers had played for years. Even though he had a drop pass and ran a busted route, the afternoon was successful for him. Meachem described catching passes from quarterback Drew Brees and now from Philip Rivers, "they both take control of the huddle. Thye're both coaches on the field making sure everyone is lined up correctly, and they want perfection."
I also witness the great combo of Rivers airing it out to veteran wide receiver Antonio Gates who looked healthy and had a spring in his step on just about every play on the field. He caught some amazing passes from Rivers that made this reporter anticipate watching him this coming season even more. The Chargers also acquired from their division rival former Broncos speedy receiver Eddie Royal, who looked pretty good, yet is still adjusting to the system with his routes. On shorter routes Royal looked amazing, and with time this high football IQ receiver is going cause matchup problems for several defenses across the NFL.
It's all about timing and rhythm, and right now in OTA's is the opportunity to perfect that, according to Rivers which happens to be their focus. "I think it's going good, it's a constant build, you want to continue to progress everyday, and we've done that. The guys we've brought in here, in addition to the ones we already have, it's a great group." Rivers is a natural born leader, even on the sidelines, he can been seen observing, coaching, and when he didn't connect on the right plays, showed discuss at times when the played weren't executed correctly.
"We've got to win our division, and find a way to get in. History has proven it, if you get in you have a chance", Rivers speaking about the Chargers playoff goals.
A familiar face returned to the Charger roster as backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst showcased some of his skills at the position. Whitehurst launched a 55 yard pass to wide receiver Richard Goodman, who finished the play with a spectacular one arm catch. Goodman displayed lots of breakaway speed, which if he continued to display that, could prove to be a outstanding asset in the regular season. Rivers will have no shortage of weapons to throw to that also include former San Diego State WR Vincent Brown, and Malcolm Floyd. Rivers is still optimistic about his offensive line, who has a huge gap to fill with the loss of veteran guard Kris Dielman who retired last year due to a concussion he suffered last season. In addition to suffering a seizure on the team plane, that caused him to miss the rest of the season, Dielman decided to retire from the game of football to prevent risking any further head injuries.
The AFC West will not be easy to win this year, especially with teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, and the new revamped division champs from a year ago, the Denver Broncos and the addition of Peyton Manning, the Chargers have their work cut out for them. With a determined Philip Rivers leading the charge, not only will it be a dog fight, yet if the Chargers can remain healthy, and in sync with the offensive genius known as head coach Norv Turner, this Charger team can and will win their division. The offensive line has to keep Rivers protected and upright in order to win and make it to the playoffs this season. This team has time correct any mistakes, timing issues, and make adjustments before the regular season begins. It should be a very exciting year for the Chargers, the organization, and their faithful fans in San Diego and around the globe.
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