B.I.G. Preseason Recap & Schedule - 2014 - Fridge Combat's Blog

Fridge Combat's Blog

B.I.G. Preseason Recap & Schedule - 2014

Posted on September 7, 2015 at 07:38 AM.

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Bolts Insider

As promised, we have the Chargers' schedule in it's entirety which we will break down game-by-game. But first, we're going to have a quick look at the Preseason as a whole, both the good, and the bad!

Let's start with the negatives, as Chargers fans that's what we're all used to.

Their Run Game Sucks:

If we gave you a chance to guess at the Chargers' total running yards all Preseason, what would you guess?
Unfortunately, it's probably less than that. Despite investing highly in Melvin Gordon, (and possessing a strong RB group), the Bolts managed only a pitiful 148 yards in four games. This was their Achilles heel last year, and forced them to become a one-dimensional team.
Let's hope that this doesn't continue throughout the year, and that this backfield can really get it going.

No Juice: The Bolts have put a lot of stock into improving this run game. If it doesn't pay off, the Bolts may be in big trouble down the stretch.

Their Defense Sucks:

Another area of concern for some time, this Bolts defense has often been predicated on 'bend but don't break', a far cry from the 1st ranked defense of years past.
Giving up nearly 1500 yards in the Preseason alone, (via a second string defense, granted), you've gotta wonder if this is the last year of the John Pagano zone-blitz scheme, or if they will find a new wrinkle to their game.

But It Doesn't Quite Suck?

Ok, so maybe we were a little harsh on the second teamers, but real props go to the first team defense. In four quarters they have let up only 10 points, against four different teams. That's quite the accomplishment.
Whilst they have found some success getting to the QB, (with 12 sacks throughout), they have struggled creating turnovers which has forced their offense to shoot it out every week.

Which leads us nicely on to the real positives!

They Have A Potent Passing Game:

When only 14% of your overall offense happens on the ground, it says something for your aerial attack. Granted, because they couldn't establish a run the Chargers were forced to the air out of necessity.
Still, with Clemens leading the Preseason in passing yards it shows that the offense can put up yardage with the best of them. This isn't exactly what Coach McCoy envisioned with the drafting of Gordon, but being able to sling the pigskin in this day-and-age isn't exactly a bad thing.

They Have Pride:

Sorta. When you're down 24-7 in the 4th Qtr, what do you do? Try to air it out if you're San Diego! As we've seen throughout the Preseason, this isn't a team to give up, no matter their predicament. Both offense and defense continue to fight hard, which shows this team's grit.

They Have Depth:

If anyone can take something positive from the Bolts' Preseason it's probably their depth throughout. We saw good production from all the backup offense at every level, especially at WR, and Clemens shined behind this backup O-line.
Defense also had it's standouts, OLBs Emmanuel and Williams both took the Preseason as an open invitation to prove something.
If there's any positions the Chargers are lacking in seemingly, it is the front 3 and the secondary. Both showed flashes at times, but inconsistent play led to huge rushing and passing yardage against them.

Young Guns: Inexperienced players, like Emanuel, will be the future keys to this team, based on their performance thus far.

This Is A Young Team:

Hard to fathom when all of your best players are hitting their 30's, but looking at the depth chart it is clear this is a team built for the future. At nearly every position there are young guys waiting in the wings, from drafted talent to former First Round picks, this team is slowly grooming a batch of special players.

As they say, the proof is in the pudding, and we have made it possible for you to make your own opinion. Below is a copy of the Final 2014 Roster, please feel free to download it (with 100% assurance it is safe), and let us know what you think of this final group!

http://www.mediafire.com/download/um...al_-_2014.xlsx

As always, players in Red are those who we believe to be on the chopping block to make room for young talent in the coming years.

In other news, the Chargers schedule has been released and we have it below in it's entirety. We will take a moment to preview the games and come up with a final record for the Chargers

San Diego Chargers Season 2014 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Sep 8	at Arizona Cardinals
Sep 14	vs Seattle Seahawks
Sep 21	at Buffalo Bills
Sep 28	vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Oct 5	vs New York Jets
Oct 12	at Oakland Raiders
Oct 19	vs Kansas City Chiefs
Oct 23	at Denver Broncos
Nov 2	at Miami Dolphins
Nov 8	vs Bye Week
Nov 16	vs Oakland Raiders
Nov 23	vs St. Louis Rams
Nov 30	at Baltimore Ravens
Dec 7	vs New England Patriots
Dec 14	vs Denver Broncos
Dec 20	at San Fransisco 49ers
Dec 28	at Kansas City Chiefs

The Chargers have a tough schedule this year, including a hellacious 5-game stretch at the end of the season.
In their division, the Broncos stand strong as the firm winner. Oakland have added some impressive pieces through the draft, and Kansas City, under Coach Reid for another year, look to return to the playoffs.
If the division wasn't tough enough, teams like New England, Seattle and Baltimore stand in their way. It's gonna be an extremely tough year for this Chargers team, so let's hope that Mr Telesco and Coach McCoy are ready!

@ Arizona Cardinals: The Chargers first game of the season will see them pitted against a team they played in week 4 of preseason, an unusual scheduling to say the least. Arizona dominated their last outing, in a game where they put up over 400 yds of offense. If the Chargers have a similar outing, it's going to be an awful way to start the season! With a dominant secondary, expect to see the Bolts try to ground and pound the football. Though there hasn't been much to prove they can do that though!
Score: SD - 17 ARI - 28

Seattle Seahawks: The defending champs will be coming to San Diego in Week 2, and that's not good news. After dismantling the Broncos, (a much tougher opponent than our Bolts!), the Hawks will be looking for a Superbowl repeat, trashing all who stand in the way. With Marshawn Lynch against this putrid run defense, and a Hawks defense that is lights out, expect the worst.
Score: SD - 21 SEA - 38

The road to the Superbowl passes through San Diego, unfortunately.

@ Buffalo Bills: The Bills suffer from the same problem a lot the AFC East does, lack of a great QB. The Chargers D will have to use this to their advantage. Unfortunately, this high-powered offense will have other ideas. Despite the injury to CJ Spiller, Fred Jackson is more than capable of carrying the load, and a plethora of receiving talent will more than make up for the deficiencies at QB.
The Bills' strength though is it's formidable front seven, (which took a blow with the injury to DE Jerry Hughes), look for the Chargers to go to the air in this one. Not an improbable win to be had here.
Score: BUF - 17 SD - 21

Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jags are a struggling team now on the up. QB Blake Bortles, (like any rookie quarterback), had his ups and downs last year. But with a plethora of young pass-catchers, and rookie RB TJ Yeldon now in the mix, this offense has potential. Whilst there are still holes on the defense, the Jags shouldn't be taken lightly.
Score: SD - 34 JAX - 21

New York Jets: The Jets are a difficult evaluation. With the drafting of D-lineman Leonard Williams, and the return of CBs Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, this team has a defense others would pine for. With two excellent receivers and a solid RB corps, the only question is at QB. It's not clear who the Jets are gonna go with, but as long as they just don't turn the ball over, it will be a tough day for the Chargers.
Oh, and that Chargers run game? Not happening.
Score: SD - 24 NYJ - 21

@ Oakland Raiders: The Bolts first division game will be taking place in the Black Hole. The Raiders had some great draft picks this past year. With OLB Khalil Mack, QB Derek Carr to name a few, the Raiders won't be the walkover of last year. Still, they will probably still be the bottom of the division this year.
Score: OAK - 17 SD - 28

Kansas City Chiefs: The string of division games continues with Chiefs coming to town. They have a great 3-4 system, built right down the middle, with DT Dontari Poe, MLB Derrick Johnson and SS Eric Berry. OLBs Justin Houston and Tamba Hali cause havoc off the edges, and could have a field day if this O-line doesn't hit it's stride.
Score: SD - 35 KC - 28

@ Denver Broncos: One of the hardest games on the schedule, the Chargers will travel to mile high. The Broncos have no obvious weaknesses on their squad, and with a future hall of famer under center, chances are the Broncos will pick them apart.
Score: DEN - 45 SD - 31

@ Miami Dolphins: Last week before the bye week, will be against the hard-nosed defense of Miami. Ryan Tannehill is in his 3rd year now, and has a better understanding of the offense. The Bolts will also try and contain RB Lamarr Miller, and these young talented receivers. Not to mention the addition of DT Ndamukong Suh and MLB Daryl Washington, this defense is frightful in it's own right!
Score: MIA - 21 SD - 28

Bye Week: After a tough stint of games, the Chargers will limp into Week 10 for their bye. Hopefully, without too many injuries in tow.

Oakland Raiders: After a week of rest, the Bolts will be excited to bring their hated rivals into their stadium. Provided they aren't too injured, or the Raiders struggled in their last meeting, then expect the Bolts to do well here.
Score: SD - 34 OAK - 13

St. Louis Rams: The first game of the Bolts' toughest run of the year starts against St. Louis. If there was a front 4 that you didn't want to meet, it's this one. The Bolts offense will have a real challenge against St. Louis, but the defense may be able to contain QB Nick Foles and it's lack of pass catchers. But now with Todd Gurley, the Rams could have success on the ground against this defense.
Score: SD - 28 STL - 24

@ Baltimore Ravens: From one tough defense to another, the Ravens will be another great test for this O-Line. With the departure of Ray Rice, the Ravens will rely on the services of Justin Forsett and the arm of Joe Flacco. Despite not being a high-powered offense, this defense will more than make up for any deficiencies in the team!
Score: BAL - 35 SD - 21

New England Patriots: The team the Chargers can never beat, even at the best of the times. Now they, probably have no chance. The Pats will rule the East until Brady retires most likely, and no doubt Belichick will have planned many ways to exploit this depleted team. No matter who's on the roster, the Pats always find a way to win.
Score: SD - 24 NE - 37

Denver Broncos: 2nd bout against the AFC West heavyweights. Playing at home may make a bit of difference, but not enough to change the outcome, we fear.
Score: SD - 28 DEN - 34

It's unlikely the Chargers will de-throne the Broncos as the division leader this year!

@ San Francisco 49ers: The schedule continues on it's hellish march to the off-season, with another exceptional defense. To this point the Chargers will be no strangers to mobile QBs, and Kapernick may be one of the most agile thus far. Containing him alone will be a challenge for this young defense. With a plethora of linebacking talent, the Chargers will just have to hope they can do their damage through the air.
Score: SF - 24 SD - 17

@ Kansas City Chiefs Last game of the season may be the last chance for our Chargers team to clinch a wildcard berth this season. Depending on injuries at the time this game could swing either way, but a string of tough games may see the Bolts limp into this game with no juice.
Score: KC - 28 SD - 14

When it's all said and done, an 8-8 team may not get the job done and make it to the playoffs, (though the Chargers have done it before!). But as we said before this all purely speculation, any numbers of factors could change things.
But let's hope we're wrong and this team can make it over the hump this year. Another year without a playoff appearance could be putting Coach McCoy very much in the 'hot-seat'.

The Bolts Insider is an independent news-letter, created by a long-time, avid Charger fan, dedicated to bringing you all the top news and results as they happen!

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