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Posts Tagged ‘San Diego Chargers’

December 15th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The season could very well be on the line for both the San Diego Chargers and the San Francisco 49ers when the two square off at LP Field on Thursday Night Football this week. Check out our NFL free picks for the duel between these two AFC South rivals, as they both try to close a bit of ground on the Jacksonville Jaguars for the division lead.

Matchup: San Francisco 49ers @ San Diego Chargers
Date: Thursday, December 16th, 8:20 ET
Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
Game Line: San Diego -9.5
Over/Under 44.5

49ers Notes: The 49ers kept their season alive last week by knocking off the Seattle Seahawks in a big time way, but Head Coach Mike Singletary knows that there is still plenty of work to be done in order to get into the playoffs as the NFC West champs. Not only is San Fran going to need to win out, but it is probably going to need both the St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks to lose twice in these last three to get the job done as well. A loss here isn't a total eliminator, as the playoffs would still potentially be in sight as long as both the Rams and Seahawks don't win on Sunday, but it would certainly be a devastating thought to be one game back of two teams with just two to play. Singletary pushed the right button last week in letting QB Alex Smith get the nod under center, as he threw for 255 yards and three TDs in arguably his best game of the season. He is going to have to get both TE Vernon Davis and WR Michael Crabtree into the game more often than they are used to right now. These two are both Pro Bowl caliber players, but their numbers don't quite warrant it yet. Davis has 49 catches for 744 yards and six scores, while Crabtree is at 42 grabs for 555 yards and five TDs. The key to holding down the San Diego offense though, is going to be the running game, which has really lacked since RB Frank Gore broke his hip. RB Brian Westbrook did have a nice game last week, but the majority of his damage came as a receiver, not as a runner. Defensively, we know that LB Patrick Willis is one of the best in the game, as he has 83 tackles and five sacks this season. Forcing turnovers can be difficult for this team at times, as 19 in 13 games just isn't good enough at this point. Starting G Mike Iupati is questionable with a shoulder injury, and a very thin, yet very solid offensive line cannot afford for him to be out of the fold.

Chargers Notes: Just like San Fran, San Diego did what it had to do last week in beating the Kansas City Chiefs to get back within one game in the AFC West. However, just like with the Niners, the Chargers are going to need to win out and get some help, at least in the form of one more, and potentially two more losses by the men in red and gold. A loss could end any hope of getting into the second season, as it would take an absolutely perfect storm to get San Diego in at that point. For a team that is managing 135 yards and eight points per game more than their foes, the Chargers sure are struggling just to find victories this year. Without a dominating running back to turn to, the ball is going to rest on the right arm of QB Philip Rivers in this one as it has all season long. Rivers is going to become a 4,000 yard passer on the season this week, as he has 3,868 yards and 26 TDs against 11 INTs. His top target has been TE Antonio Gates, who has 50 catches for 782 yards and ten TDs. However, he really hasn't had any consistent threats to throw to all year long, as none of his other targets, save backup TE Randy McMichael, have played in more than ten games this year. Even now, Gates is listed as doubtful on the injury report with a foot injury, and if he can't go in this one, there won't be a target with more than 500 receiving yards in the starting lineup. WR Vincent Jackson is back, but he only has two catches for 29 yards in his two starts. Defensively, this might be the most talented unit in the game, even with the departure of LB Shawne Merriman. LB Kevin Burnett and LB Shaun Phillips probably headline the best linebacking corps in the league. Phillips has ten sacks and 40 tackles for the year, while Burnett is the leader in tackles with 64, has five sacks, two picks, and a defensive TD to show for his work on the year.

The Final Word: This seems like a great spot for the Chargers, as San Fran has underachieved all season long. However, this is the final home game in a very disappointing season for the Bolts, and the pressure is really on HC Norv Turner to win this game. The Niners know that they still have a lifeline left, but they are going to do everything that they can to make sure that they keep this one interesting for the full 60 minutes.

Free Pro Football Picks: San Francisco +9.5
Prediction: San Diego 24 – San Francisco 19

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September 12th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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NFL betting action continues on Monday night, as the first week of action finishes up with the duel at Arrowhead Stadium between the San Diego Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs.

San Diego Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs (+5.5)
Monday, September 13th
10:15 ET, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO

Chargers Notes: There are a ton of names for the Chargers that need to be replaced for this first game of the season, and there aren't a lot of options, at least at this point, that appear to be capable of stepping up. QB Philip Rivers is back, but my, is he going to have a lot of new options to try to break in. His top target from last year, WR Vincent Jackson, is still holding out and won't be eligible to play until at least the seventh week of the season if the Chargers ever see him report to camp. That being said, there will be a lot of pressure on WR Malcom Floyd and TE Antonio Gates to pick up the slack. Gates had a career year last year with over 1,100 receiving yards and eight TDs, and he could be getting even more looks this year, especially early in the season. The other huge question is whether RB Ryan Mathews, a rookie out of Fresno State, is going to be able to pick up the slack lost by RB LaDainian Tomlinson. LT was a beast for his entire career in San Diego, especially by the goal line, but Mathews proved that he had the ability to run wild in a solid preseason. DB Antonio Cromartie is also going to have to be replaced, but the Chargers don't have a lot of depth in the secondary that could do damage. This wasn't a strong defense last year and doesn't appear to be significantly better in 2010.

Chiefs Notes: Meanwhile, there is a bit of optimism in Kansas City for the first time in several seasons. The Chiefs have two new coordinators in Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel, who are familiar with each other from their days with the New England Patriots. QB Matt Cassel knows that there is a ton of pressure on his shoulders this year, as he knows that he is expected to put up a significantly better year this year than he did in 2009. His running game is going to be fantastic, that's for sure. The acquisition of RB Thomas Jones is going to be key to help take some of the pressure off the shoulders of RB Jamaal Charles, who was arguably the best running back in the NFL in the second half of last season. Jones was the prime rusher in one of the best tandems in the league last year in the Big Apple, as he combined with first Leon Washington and then Shonn Greene for the Jets. The KC defense will get a boost as well from the addition of rookie S Eric Berry, who many think might have been the best player in the NFL Draft this past year.

The Final Word: This is going to be a very tough game to call. Kansas City is going to be up for this game, that's for certain. San Diego crippled the Chiefs twice last season, and they aren't going to forget that. This is a team that carried some momentum over from last year at the end of the season, as KC picked up wins at Pittsburgh and at Denver. Now, that needs to be brought home. We aren't so sure that the Chiefs are going to win it, but we do think that they are going to stick around in this game.

Prediction: Chargers 23 – Chiefs 21

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September 6th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The NFL betting campaign is just about here! In order to get you revved up for the action beginning on Thursday night, we are making our playoff picks here at Cappers Info! (Odds to make the playoffs courtesy of BetUS Sportsbook)


Complete List of Odds to Make the Playoffs Can be Found Below

 

In the AFC, we reasonably probably have three teams fighting for two playoff berths in the AFC East and two teams fighting for one playoff berth in the AFC South unless someone can come out of nowhere in the AFC North or West. Simply put, the San Diego Chargers (-700 at BetUS Sportsbook) and the Baltimore Ravens (-200 at BetUS Sportsbook) are getting into the playoffs as division winners. Both of these teams are likely head and shoulders above the rest of their competition in their respective divisions, and neither should face a challenge. Yes, this means that we feel as though the Steelers, Bengals, and Browns are pretty much out of luck in 2010.

The three teams in the AFC East to watch are the New England Patriots (-175 at BetUS Sportsbook) and the Miami Dolphins (+140 at BetUS Sportsbook). We realize that we are conventionally leaving out the Jets from this equation, but we just don't have all that much confidence in QB Mark Sanchez and we tend to believe that someone is going to figure out how to beat this defense at some point. The Pats came out of the blocks in the preseason incredibly angry. We know that their offense is amazing, as the starters just continued to run up and down the field on just about everyone that they ran into. The questions are on defense. Still, we can't picture a Bill Belichick team getting left home from the postseason for the second time in three years. Miami is a trendy sleeper this year and for good reason. If RBs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams can stay healthy, the Fins are clearly better than last year's team that narrowly missed out on the postseason. HC Tony Sparano is a great manager on the sidelines, and he is going to get Miami back to the playoffs once again this year. 

Reasonably speaking, the Indianapolis Colts (-250 at BetUS Sportsbook) are going to get to the playoffs. The only way that doesn't happen is if something really happens to QB Peyton Manning that keeps him out of the playoffs for a lengthy period of time. That being said, the Houston Texans (+120 at BetUS Sportsbook) should get into the dance this year. This is a make or break season for a franchise that was just on the verge of making special things happen last year. They won their final four games of last season to be knocking at the postseason door, and this is the year that QB Matt Schaub and company kick it down. It's going to be a year of second guessing for the Titans, who might win ten games but fall just short of the playoffs.

In the NFC, things are significantly harder to decipher. The East probably has three contenders this year, and we tend to believe that two of the three are going to find their way to the playoffs. The Dallas Cowboys (-200 at BetUS Sportsbook) might be the best team in the NFC if QB Tony Romo keeps his head on straight. We tend to like what we have seen so far from the New York Giants (+100 at BetUS Sportsbook) as well. At some point, QB Eli Manning is going to put this team on his back and become one of those truly elite competitors at this level. The Giants should be fine. This leaves the Eagles on the outside looking in for the first time in seemingly forever. 

In the North, we are convinced that the Green Bay Packers (-200 at BetUS Sportsbook) are even better than they were last season when they went 11-5 and ended up as a Wild Card out of this division. The West and South we are handing to the San Francisco 49ers (-175 at BetUS Sportsbook) and the defending champions, the New Orleans Saints (-250 at BetUS Sportsbook) respectively.

This basically leaves us with the Eagles (whom we already deemed out of the mix with their new QB Kevin Kolb taking some lumps this year), Vikings, and Falcons fighting for one playoff spot. Minnesota might have QB Brett Favre back, but is there really any hope for him limiting his interceptions this year? Besides, that 40 year old body is going to take a huge beating once again in front of an offensive line that is starting to have some question marks, and we aren't so sure that even Favre, the consummate ironman in this league, is going to figure out how to make it through this season. That leaves the Atlanta Falcons (-120 at BetUS Sportsbook) to finish up the postseason roster. RB Michael Turner has to be in for a better season this year than he had a year ago, as 1,000 yards should be the bare minimum for this fantastic back. QB Matt Ryan is only getting better as well. There should be four slam dunk wins in the division against Carolina and Tampa Bay. The only question mark is whether the defense is good enough to put games away or not. The addition of DB Dunta Robinson should really help. We love the red and black getting back to the postseason.


Odds To Make the NFL Playoffs @ BetUS Sportsbook… Get a 100% Deposit Bonus Just By Clicking Here

Pittsburgh Steelers -120 
New England Patriots -175
Dallas Cowboys -200
New York Giants +100
Indianapolis Colts -250
San Diego Chargers -700
Baltimore Ravens -200
Philadelphia Eagles -110
New Orleans Saints -250
Minnesota Vikings -200
Carolina Panthers +300
Tennessee Titans +150
Atlanta Falcons -120
Green Bay Packers -200
Denver Broncos +300
Jacksonville Jaguars +325
Arizona Cardinals +165
New York Jets -175
Miami Dolphins +140
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +550
Buffalo Bills +650
Chicago Bears +175
Washington Redskins +175
Seattle Seahawks +225
Houston Texans +120
San Francisco 49ers -175
Cleveland Browns +600
Oakland Raiders +350
Cincinnati Bengals +160
St. Louis Rams +650
Detroit Lions +600
Kansas City Chiefs +375

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August 26th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The defending Super Bowl champions are back at it on Friday night with an NFL preseason betting war, as the New Orleans Saints try to tackle the San Diego Chargers in a nationally televised game seen on CBS.

San Diego Chargers @ New Orleans Saints (-3.5)
Friday, August 27th
8:00 ET, Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA

Chargers Notes: The Bolts are going to be playing their first preseason betting affair on Friday night after splitting a pair of games both SU and ATS at the friendly confines of Qualcomm Stadium. Though this is supposed to be a game in which the starters play at least a half of football if not into the third quarter, we still aren't sure whether the heart and soul of the defense, LB Shawne Merriman will be giving it a go or not. "Lights Out" has had his lights turned off thanks to an Achilles injury that leaves him listed as questionable for this one in New Orleans. With the Astroturf on the ground in the Superdome, San Diego might lean towards leaving Merriman on the sidelines. One man that will certainly not be sidelined is RB Ryan Mathews. The rookie out of Fresno State is already starting to live up to the hype that he started taking when he was picked as the preseason favorite for the Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. He has rushed for a team high 103 yards, though he is still looking for his first professional touchdown in this, his third game of the preseason. The defense for the Bolts has been stifling so far in the preseason. The team ranks first in the league against the rush (51.0 YPG), fifth against the pass (154.0 YPG), second in total defense (205.0 YPG), and eighth in points allowed (13.0). To top that off, opposing teams have only found the end zone twice against San Diego this year.

Saints Notes: New Orleans is going to look to change all of those defensive numbers this week when they welcome the Chargers to town. This is one of the highest flying offenses in the league right now, as New Orleans is averaging a league best 31.0 points per game in its exhibitions. However, whereas the Saints have traditionally been a pass first team, that hasn't been the case in the preseason. QB Drew Brees has done very little, as he hasn't even cracked 100 passing yards in two games. Third stringer QB Chase Daniel has put up respectable numbers, throwing for 232 yards and three TDs against two picks, but the real damage has come on the ground. Four rushers have at least 50 yards on the ground so far in the preseason. RB Christopher Ivy leads the way with 26 carries, 96 yards, and a TD. RB Reggie Bush has crossed the end zone twice and has 66 yards on 12 carries, while projected starter RB Pierre Thomas has 51 yards on 15 carries. The problem here is the health of the fourth of those running backs, PJ Hill. Hill, a second year man out of Wisconsin, suffered a season ending injury last week which only further depletes a rushing core that is significantly weaker than it seems based on preseason numbers. Ivory, Bush, and Thomas are the only three running backs of any merit left on the team, as Lynell Hamilton was already erased for the year in training camp before the preseason started.

The Final Word: Still, the Saints are ready to march forward with one more comfortable victory before the regular season gets started in a couple weeks. New Orleans has a lot to prove in this game, as the Chargers are projected to potentially have the best record in the NFL this year. The Saints would love nothing more than to both get the passing game going and to make a statement to one of the best teams that the AFC has to offer as it continues its Super Bowl XLIV defense.

Prediction: Saints 27 – Chargers 16

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August 10th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The NFL betting campaign is getting ready to get underway, and here at Cappers Info, we have five teams on the slate to watch out for that could be tremendous teams to back the 'over' on the season win totals!

Baltimore Ravens over 10 (-125 @ Brobury Sports):  The Ravens could be the class of, not just the AFC North, but the entire NFL as well. The addition of WR Anquan Boldin gives QB Joe Flacco a second huge weapon at his disposal to go with WR Derrick Mason. Two of the top receiving tight ends in this year's NFL Draft were also acquired in the forms of Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson. With TE Todd Heap reaching the latter stages in his career, these two could both step in and make an impact with a ton of reps. As always, RBs Ray Rice and Willis McGahee are going to make up a feared rushing attack. The idea of this offense racking up 6,500 yards of production on the season is totally believable. On the other side of the pigskin, DT Terrence Cody is going to pair with DT Haloti Ngata to make one of the biggest tackle duos in the game. LB Sergio Kindle should make a nice complement for LB Ray Lewis in the middle of the 3-4 defense. Parlay that with a schedule that features almost certainly given wins against Cleveland (twice), Buffalo, Miami, and Tampa Bay, and the idea of reaching at least 11 wins seems like a given, especially if the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to end up having a down year.

Detroit Lions over 5 (-135 @ Brobury Sports):  Call us crazy, but the Lions are going to have a decent chance to compete in the NFC North this year. The weapons on offense for Detroit are starting to resemble that of the best teams in the league. QB Matthew Stafford took a huge jump last year, and many think he could be amongst the elite signal callers in the NFC and soon. HC Jim Schwartz gave him a new weapon on offense with his second first round draft selection of RB Jahvid Best, who could be good for 70 yards every time he touches the football. Yes, the defense in the Motor City is still a mess, but DT Ndamukong Suh can only help out. The NFC North could get a lot more interesting if QB Brett Favre doesn't return to the Vikings, so there really could be a couple divisional wins this year. There are very winnable games against St. Louis, Washington, Buffalo, and Tampa Bay well. Seeing this squad get to seven wins could be a real possibility with an upset or two. We don't see any way that the Lions are stuck on just four as long as they stay relatively healthy.

New England Patriots over 9.5 (-150 @ Brobury Sports):  The Brady Bunch is back and should be efficient once again this season. We tend to think that New England is getting disrespected as the second choice in the AFC East, and though divisional play will be tough, there are certainly plenty of reasons to think that there will be at least ten wins in the future of the Pats this year. QB Tom Brady is still one of the best in the biz, and until further notice, WR Randy Moss is still one of the best receivers this game has to offer. No, the defense for New England isn't as strong as it once was, but that doesn't mean that this is an incompetent unit. Especially if WR Wes Welker is really healthy going into the regular season, this win total should be a given. There should be a bare minimum of four wins in divisional play, and aside from that, games against teams like Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, and potentially Minnesota should be givens as well. We tend to believe that the mastermind known as Bill Belichick is going to find a way to scratch two more wins together somewhere on this schedule.

Oakland Raiders over 6 (-150 @ Brobury Sports):  Raider Nation is about to get a real shot in the arm. Oakland plays in the most atrocious division known to man in the AFC West, making for four very winnable games against Denver and Kansas City. There is a new signal caller in town in the form of QB Jason Campbell, and though he will be playing for his sixth different offensive coordinator in as many years of football, he is a dramatic upgrade on the garbage that the silver and black have had in recent years. Owner Al Davis also finally made a fantastic move on draft day, picking up LB Rolando McClain from Alabama to be the new captain of his defense. McClain is a tackling machine and has a high motor, and those traits will sit well in the Black Hole. A third place schedule sets up a lot of great potential matchups, and four games against the putrid NFC West foes could set up a ton of victories as well. No, playing the AFC South won't be fun, but we tend to believe that even an 0-4 showing can still yield seven wins on the season. The Raiders certainly aren't going backwards from last year's 5-11 record, so the worst case scenario should be a push.

San Diego Chargers over 11 wins (+140 @ Brobury Sports):  We'd feel a bit better about laying some chalk at 10.5 wins, but getting this type of price on 11, knowing that an 11-5 mark is a push is just fine with us. Let's get one thing straight first: The Chargers aren't as good this year as they were last year. You don't lose a future Hall of Famer in RB LaDainian Tomlinson and one of the best corners in the game in Antonio Cromartie without taking a step back in life. However, assuming that RB Ryan Mathews can step in and carry the load as a feature back, the rest of this offense is downright frightening. QB Philip Rivers, TE Antonio Gates, and WR Vincent Jackson make up one of the most lethal passing games in the league. On defense, it was an off year for LB Shawne Merriman in 2009, and he might be back with vengeance this year, especially knowing that many are doubting the abilities of this defense. Finally, just like with Oakland, look at this schedule! Anything less than a 6-0 mark in division is going to be a brutal disappointment, and a 4-1 record in games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the NFC West is probable as well. Truth be told, anything less than a 13-3 record with this schedule should leave HC Norv Turner scratching his head. The Bolts aren't going to win the Super Bowl, but they are going to have one of the best records in the league when the regular season is finished.

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February 23rd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

 It's not often that you see a sure-fire, first ballot Hall of Famer unceremoniously released from his team at the age of 30. Yet, that's what happened on Monday when the San Diego Chargers cut RB LaDainian Tomlinson after nine years of tearing up opposing defenses.

The release was clearly something that was going to happen after the way LT's career just decayed in his last few seasons. In his first seven seasons, Tomlinson rushed for at least 1,200 yards, carried the ball at least 313 times, and touched it a minimum of 23.4 times per game. In 2008, he "only" rushed for 1,110 yards on 292 carries, and he averaged almost two fewer touches per game from his career-low at that point.

That year was a trip in comparison to 2009. San Diego only ran Tomlinson 223 times and threw him 20 passes in 14 games. His 3.3 yards per carry was easily a career-low, and his 12 total touchdowns was his fewest since his rookie campaign.

Still, when you look at LT's body of work, it's hard to see why the Chargers would cut him loose. Tomlinson has rushed for 12,490 yards and 138 touchdowns, and he also caught 530 passes for 3,955 yards and 15 more scores. You know how many players have scored 150+ touchdowns in their careers? Two: Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith.

Pretty good company, eh?

Are you paying attention, Houston Texans?

The Texans have only really had one legitimate running back in their team's history, and the signing of RB Ahman Green never really panned out. The Houston franchise has been around just one fewer year than Tomlinson, and the team's all-time leading rusher is Domanick Williams (aka Domanick Davis).

When you're talking about fans in the Lone Star State, they never forget about their college football. No, Tomlinson wasn't a Longhorn, but he was a TCU Horned Frog and is still an icon in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Remember, we're talking about fan base that booed its own team and cheered when Tennessee's QB Vince Young marched into Reliant Stadium and beat the Texans in his rookie season.

HC Gary Kubiak made no bones about the fact that he hates the running back situation for his team. RB Steve Slaton was benched for his fumbling problem before getting injured at the end of the season. Aside from that, does anyone have confidence in Chris Brown or Arian Foster or any of the other boards with angry faces that Houston is trotting out there behind QB Matt Schaub?

There's a reason that Schaub threw the ball 583 times last season. Houston ranked 30th in the NFL in rush offense.

GM Rick Smith was one of the many that came over from the Denver Broncos when Kubiak was hired in Houston. Everyone on this team is familiar with what LT can do.

This is a match made in heaven. Houston, this is your man.

Don't be surprised if that dark visor and the infamous #21 are playing in Houston when the NFL kicks off in 2010.

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