Do or Don't (And Die)

Instead of the JIC collage, I thought I'd throw this up there. At this point, it really can't hurt. I thought the Giants game was as bad as it could get. As usual, I was wrong. The game was being shown here in NY, so I had to get a Sling Day Pass to see it and that didn't even work. By the time I was able to pick up a stream, Herbert had already ripped off his long run. I saw Washington commit that awful penalty on 4th which led to the Ladd touchdown.

I am sure you know, FAITHFUL READER, that I still scream "just go down" every time a ball carrier of ours is in the open field. This comes from the 1996 Tony Martin fumbles. Of course, the YAC stats didn't exist back then and there are players who are best when they get the ball in those spots. Quentin Johnston has been that guy this year but I still screamed it out when he was running. I began the season blaming him for everything. But I didn't blame him for the fumble after all he's done so far. You could argue that the Chargers aren't at their best when Herb is focusing so much on him. The offense should "go through" Ladd. When that happens it seems like they move with so much more fluidity.

After the fumble, of course I worried about the momentum swing. But the Chargers have to get past the "OH NO" every time something like that happens. We saw it with the Josh Kelley fumble in Tampa in 2020 and we saw it in the playoff game when Bosa and Tuli couldn't pick up at fumble. If they'd just sacked Stroud that would have been enough. But if something that happens that early in the game derails you so much that you can't score again after getting those quick 10 points, you've got some serious problems. And we've got some serious problems.

It goes beyond the injuries. We've got twice as much this week. Becton being out was huge. As much as I trash Pipkins, he's all we've got at that position right now and he was in and out of the lineup. Henley hasn't been the same since his "flu game" and Derwin hasn't been too effective these last two weeks. It's the defense that I was most sickened by on Sunday. Daniels had a brace on and was clearly not 100 percent. It didn't matter since they couldn't stop shit. St.-Juste finally looked like the guy we heard about when he was signed. At the end of the game, I heard Gillman was posing or posting at midfied at the end of the game on Sunday. I can't imagine that sits well with Harbaugh if so, but he's not our problem any more.

Jesse Minter didn't have any answers for an injured Daniels. After the half, FOX was talking about Quinn yelling to his guys that they needed to seize the moment. I wonder what Harbaugh said at half. Whatever it was, it didn't work. The second half was one slow blood letting. After being pretty fucked up in the Meadowlands (not my first time for that), I sat in front of this keyboard for the entire half and wish I wasn't sober for it. Herbert was getting shelled and once Hampton started heating up he was then hurt on what Roman called a "freak play." It was that awful 4th down where Conklin, who needs to be shot into the sun, took a Herbert fastball off his visor.

I mean he brings his new (or not) girlfriend to the game, and this is the help you give him? Had Hampton been in, I don't know if they even pass on the goal line on what became the game-ending interception. Could Herbert have gone elsewhere with the ball? As Popper noted this week, he does have too many tipped passes for a guy that tall. But after the Chargers finally got the turnover they needed, they shat the game away.

It was so bad that my son told me he couldn't go to Miami. It hurt too much to watch this, he said. I get it, I responded. I sold our tickets even though we are still going to the Steelers game. Since Sunday, the team has sufffered like eighty more injuries. The game is even more important. Decculus and Bobby Hart are horrendous, but that's where we're at. Hampton and Hand are out for four games. We have to win. No excuses, including injuries.

The more the Dolphins look like a team that has no chance to be successful, the more Boltheads fear we'll lose anyway. I get it. I won't be in the stands, behind the Bolts' bench as I intended. That's ok. I was behind the bench in Green Bay and look how that turned out.

I could sit here and tell you how the Chargers need to get the ball out quick with this Uber Eats Driver-staffed offensive line. I hope Becton can last the game. There is a chance that Perryman will be back, but his style of play doesn't seem to keep him healthy for long either.

The run defense has been beyond abysmal, which is why they made the trade with the Ravens (at least partially) and maybe Perryman can help. They are rolling with Vidal and Haskins tomorrow and somehow they have to make it work. They have to beat Miami or this season will be dead in the water. Now that expectations are super low, let's try to fuck some shit up.

RIP DK.

JIC,

RLW