Will See You On The Flip Side

Friends,

After tonight's Chargers loss to the Raiders, I have decided to take a leave of absence from sports.

I will see you all again soon.

Best,

Bormo

Carson Palmer Versus The Bolts

As you know by now, the Raiders went ahead and traded for Carson Palmer yesterday, giving up two high draft picks for the aged but talented quarterback in a clear attempt to "win now."

The move concerns me as a Bolts fan. The Raiders were a difficult matchup for the Bolts before they picked up Palmer - the power run game, the improving Heyward-Bey, the steady defense that can apply pressure - but now they add a veteran QB who's had success against the Bolts in the past. He hasn't always beaten the Bolts - he's had a less talented team, even in Bengals playoff years - but his passing numbers have been very good, and the games have always been close.

Let's look back at the full history of Palmer v. the Bolts.

Game 1: November 12, 2006, at Cincinnati, Bolts win 49-41

One of the more epic games in Bolts history. The Bungles went up 21-0 and went into halftime with a 28-7 lead behind a pure blitzkrieg led by Palmer and his minions Chad Ochocinco, TJ Houshmandzadeh, and Chris Henry. And remember, this was a dominant Bolts team that would finish 14-2 on the season, and had probably the best defense of the Bolts' recent successful run from 2004 to present. Merriman was in his dominant prime (17.5 sacks), Donnie Edwards was still ably patrolling the middle of the defense, Quentin Jammer was a young ballhawk, and Shaun Phillips, Luis Castillo, and Randall Godfrey got after the quarterback. I mean Luis Castillo had 7 sacks on the season. He hasn't had more than 2.5 since.

Yet despite all that defensive firepower, Carson Palmer carved up the Bolts. He went 31-42 for 440 yards and 3 TDs with no picks. It was the first 400-yard game of Palmer's career (it may also be the last, I didn't go that far in the resaerch). He did fumble on a big sack in the second half that led directly to an LT touchdown run, but he can't be blamed for a Bungles defense that allowed the Bolts to score 42 second-half points en route to a stunning 49-41 victory. Palmer in fact responded after the Bolts pulled to 31-28 in the third quarter by tossing a 74-yard bomb to Ochocinco, and he drove the Bungles to the Bolts 15 with a chance to tie the game late, but just missed a 4th down completion that closed out the game.

He came up a bit short, but no one except Palmer put up more than 30 points on the Bolts in 2006.

Game 2: December 20, 2009, at San Diego, Bolts win 27-24

A matchup of playoff teams, this game was typical of the type of glorious victory the Bolts pulled off time and again during the '09 season, right up until they were bounced rudely out of the playoffs by the New York Yets.

Despite the Bengals loss in this game, which was their first game following the untimely death of Chris Henry, Palmer was again solid against the Chargers defense. He completed 27 of 40 passes for 314 yards with two TDs and a pick. Not an epic day, and the Bungles only scored one touchdown in four red zone trips, but it was enough to keep pace with the AFC's #1 seed on their home turf. Palmer also showed some grit by blocking downfield on a screen pass to Chad Ochocinco on a big 4th quarter play, and, a few plays later, scored a big 2 pt conversion on a sneaky QB draw. He also drove the Bungles 90-plus yards in 6 minutes for a tying field goal with less than a minute to play (including recovering a fumble to save the drive along the way). The Bolts didn't put the game away until Nate Kaeding hit a 52-yard field goal with three seconds to play.

Game 3: December 26, 2010, at Cincinnati, Bengals win 34-20

One of the worst games I've ever watched. The day after Christmas last year, the Bolts merely needed to beat the 2-11 Bungles to maintain their playoff chances. A win at Cincy, and then a win the next week against the just-as-lowly Broncos, would give the Bolts their fifth straight playoff appearance and a home game during Wild Card weekend.

Unfortunately the team came out sloppy and Carson Palmer took advantage. He managed an excellent game, going 16-21 for 269 yards and throwing 4 touchdown passes, including a dagger 59-yard bomb to Jerome Simpson early in the 4th quarter on a dastardly quick snap that caught Antoine Cason unawares and unready. He didn't throw his first incomplete pass until the third quarter, and didn't throw any picks at all. He was also missing the corpses of Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens who both sat out the game with injuries (that actually may have helped him), but still got the job done. In short, it was exactly the kind of game that I'm scared he'll be able to pull off against the Bolts this season. Mixing in a strong running game (Ced Benson and Bernard Scott ran a combined 33 times for a 102 yards in last season's game, doesn't that sound at least like something McFadden and Michael Bush could do) he only needed to pick his spots and pass 21 times, and the results were devastating to the Bolts.

Bottom line: I'm scared of the Raiders and Carson Palmer. And I'm not afraid to admit it.

Oh. My. Goodness.

A.J. did it.

He really did it.

Will A.J. Go Liuget?

What a headline. I'm sure no one else around the country thought of writing something like that.

Looking past yesterday's Padres game, in which Mat Latos was served with his 9th consecutive loss, tonight is the first round of the NFL Draft. I expect big things out of A.J. Smith and the Chargers.

The draft is deep with powerful DE and OLB types, precisely the position the Chargers need. But if I can make a quick plea to A.J.: take Corey Liuget, good sir. You won't regret it. He has the speed, strength, and mean streak to immediately add to the Bolts defense that which they have lacked since the demise of Shawne Merriman, namely the inspiration of fear and dread in opposing offenses.

It's time for the Chargers to draft a monster. Corey is that beast.

J Leman Is A Bolt!

I was just perusing the Chargers list of recent transactions and noticed that on January 12 they signed former Illini monster, J Leman, to a Reserve/Future contract. So choice.

What really blew my mind though is that this is J's third stint with the Bolts. I somehow missed that the Bolts signed J to the practice squad twice before, first in November 2009, and then again at the end of November 2010 for the duration of the season.

You know I love crossovers between and among the Padres, Chargers, and Illini, and J is the perfect ambassador between the teams. As the #6 all-time tackler in Illini history, and a captain on the 2007 Rose Bowl team, no doubt J has regaled his Bolts teammates with tales of Champaign and the Zooker's antics.

Well done, AJ. Well done.

Adios to Mr. Liuget

Corey Liuget is joining Martez Wilson and Mikel LeShoure and tossing his hat into the NFL Draft ring. It's a shame because the guy is a monster run-stuffer and dominant play-disrupter on the defensive line, but it is not a surprise. He looked like an NFL lineman in the Texas Bowl win over Baylor.

I've seen two early mock drafts that have him going in the first round (22nd to Indy or 25th to Seattle). Obviously that's very speculative - Seattle might not even pick in that spot - but Liuget likely will be a mid-to-late first rounder.

The Chargers draft in the middle of the first round. They need a defensive lineman with a mean streak.

Make it happen A.J.!

No Playoffs For The Bolts

I don't know who this guy is, but what I heard is he came home from Christmas vacation, a few days after the Bolts were eliminated from the playoffs, to find the playoff tickets he prepaid for in November in the mail.

Sure, he'll get his money refunded, but that's still cruel.

As for me, I'm still watching the Bolts - Broncos game today. A few pick sixes of Tim Tebow should cheer everyone up.

No Shortage Of News

There's obviously been no shortage of news relevant to the PCI Blog of late.

- Adrian traded to the Red Sox;

- the Bolts rolling on a four-game win streak, only to be embarrassed at home against Oakland;

- the Illini hoops squad playing a couple games in Manhattan (I was there!), then sweeping North Carolina and Gonzaga last week; and

- the Illini football team not only playing the highest scoring game in Big Ten history at Ann Arbor (I was there!), but also playing at Wrigley where Mikel Leshoure rushed for 330 yards (I wasn't there!), and qualifying for a Texas Bowl matchup against Baylor.

Whew!

It's been a busy month and I haven't been here to write about it.

I may not be around much of the rest of December either, but know that the PCI Blog isn't going anywhere.

Have a great holiday!

Defending Norv Turner

Yesterday, in the course of a discussion about football generally, my advisor Tam O'Flannell asked me this question: "This is a legit question ... not breaking balls at all ... why do you like Norv so much?"

I thought about the question for a few minutes and then sent him a response. Here, in full, is the response I sent:

It's not that I like him so much as I don't dislike him. I think he's a reasonably good coach who also happens to be an offensive genius. I tend to prefer offensive teams (as opposed to say, Stillers and Bears fans, who I think would mostly say they prefer strong defensive teams) and he can deliver that. The guy hasn't convinced me he can't get the team to the promised land.

His negatives all apparently have to do with motivating players which I think is mostly bs. Professional football players shouldn't need a loud fool like Rexy Ryan or a dirty cheat like Jeff Fisher to get them motivated to play. For that reason, I blame the slow starts each season on the players. The other part of his reputation as a bad coach were his stints with the Redskins and Raiders. Seriously, it was the Redskins and Raiders. Those teams are never good.

Also, other than last season's home loss to the Jets (which was fluky ... Norv can't teach Kaeding how to kick) they've had good success under Norv in the playoffs. They've beat the Colts twice, and beat the Titans, and their only other losses are on the road to eventual Super Bowl champions.

Finally, I think a lot of people don't like him because of his face, which is a bullying attitude that upsets me. Bullies are fools and deserve to get their comeuppance. I'll root for Norv against bullies any day.

Merriman!

Done as a Bolt.

My Dad Is Optimistic About The Chargers

My Dad sent me the above, depressing photo yesterday in the aftermath of the Bolts' horrendous loss to the Rams, but his accompanying message rang optimistic:

I don't know Bo, but for some reason 2 & 4 doesn't bother me.

I'm choosing patience.

We still have Richwoods and Boise State.

Dad

With age - sometimes - comes wisdom. I'll give my Dad the benefit of the doubt here and join in his patient outlook on the Bolts' season. After all, the Raiders, Broncos, and Chiefs also crashed and burned yesterday.

The Bolts are only one game back in the division!

p.s. No, I don't know why my Dad likes Boise St. We have no connection to that university, or the state of Idaho, or any player or coach connected to the team, as far as I know. I think he just likes their team colors of blue and orange.

Shawne Merriman: I Bid You Adieu

The Chargers put Shawne Merriman on the injured-reserve list today. Once he is healthy - if that ever happens - they will release him and he will sign with another team.

It's a sad day here at PCI Blog HQ. Merriman has been one of my favorite players since he entered the league in 2005. Based on his first few seasons alone his play ranks him as the best Chargers defensive player ever, and that is a list that includes Junior Seau, Fred Dean, Earl Faison, Ernie Ladd and Rodney Harrison. He starred in one of the top two sports commercials of all time. His jersey is the only jersey I've ever purchased for my wife. I even taught her the "Lights Out" dance, though, despite several hundred attempts, she's never quite mastered it.

My favorite plays Shawne made were against the Colts. He pressured Peyton Manning on the clinching plays in both the '05 Week 14 upset over a then-undefeated Indy squad, and the divisional playoff "Billy Volek" game at Indy in '07. He also forced the game-changing fumble against the Titans in the Wild Card that same '07 playoffs.

Setting aside the steroid suspension and the chronic injuries of the last three seasons, the only real tragedy of Shawne's Bolts career was that the '06 squad - one of the great NFL teams of all time - didn't play in a Super Bowl.

Still, my memories of Shawne will always be positive. Shawne will probably catch on with another team, probably the Pats or another AFC contender, before the season is out. I wish him the best. To a point.

Marcus McNeill Will Be With Bolts For Awhile

It looks as if Big Marcus and the Bolts are near agreement on a 5-year contract extension that, added to the one year Marcus still has remaining on his current contract, will keep him with the Bolts until 2015.

Details of the contract have not yet been released, but I'm betting the deal puts Marcus into the top 5 paid left tackles in the National Football League.

Now about those special teams ...

Illini Running Game, Defense A Saving Grace

In a week of heinousness - the Padres don't make the playoffs, the Bolts lose to the Raiders, Tony Gwynn announces he has cancer - the Illini victory in State College was some kinda nice. Zook's boys dominated both sides of the ball on their way to a 33-13 drubbing of Joe Pa and his Nittany Lions.

Props especially go to the defense and the running game. On the D side, Nate Bussey had a choice pick at a key spot early in the 2nd quarter, and the defense as a whole held Penn St. freshman quarterback Robert Bolden to a 38.1 completion percentage. The team also picked up a couple sacks and held Evan Royster, soon to be Penn St.'s all-time leading rusher, to 35 yards on 11 carries.

And the running game was unstoppable. Mikel Leshoure ran 27 times for 119 yards, Nathan Scheelhaase 8 times for 61 yards, Troy Pollard 8 times for 55 yards, and Jason Ford 9 times for 47 yards. Even Bud Golden had a carry, finishing off the game with a 3-yard run. All told the Illini netted 282 yards rushing at 5.2 yards per rush.

Derek Dimke also deserves special mention. He was perfect on field goals in a hostile, "white-out" environment, hitting 4 out of 4 field goals, including a 50-yarder.

Oh and Scheelhaase, a redshirt-freshman starting in his first real road game, completed 15 of 19 passes for 151 yards and no picks. Clutch.

Many thanks to the Illini for doing their part to save the week.

Quite A Day For Current And Former San Diego GMs

Quite a day, indeed. First, Kevin Towers is hired as the new general manager of the Diamondbacks, and then, a few hours later, A.J. Smith refuses to lower his demands for a Vincent Jackson trade, and is accused by rival GMs as being "the Lord of no rings."

To me, all this feels like a retread. Though he did not get the job at the time, KT interviewed for the DBacks job a few years ago. Nor is this the first time an agent or rival GM, spurned by A.J.'s tough negotiation tactics, has resorted to name calling. I'm pretty sure A.J. isn't weeping about it right now. He, and KT, are probably both celebrating jobs well done.

Though probably not together.

Antoine Cason Really Gets After It

One of my rules is that anytime you get two picks and recover a fumble in the span of four series to help the Bolts win a football game, you become my friend.

Welcome to the club, Antoine. You're now part of the inner circle.

Illini Need To Notch Another W

Today the Illini face Northern Illinois in a tough in-state matchup at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.

The Illini can't sleep on the Huskies. Northern has a tradition of producing NFL-caliber beasts - current and former Bolts Larry English and Michael Turner come immediately to mind - and are more than capable of going back to DeKalb with in-state bragging rights.

I'm looking for a big game from Mikel Leshoure today. Through two games Mikel has 224 yards on 32 carries, averaging out to 6.4 yards per carry. He's a monster, folks, and just needs that one big game to get national notoriety. Today could be that day.

Kickoff in Champaign in about 5 minutes

I Can't Watch The Chargers-Saints Game

Needless to say tonight's scintillating Chargers-Saints game is preempted in the New York market by the stultifying Jets-Redskins game.

Good thing booze exists.

Get To Camp!

Shawne,

I know you're a total monster, man, but for goshsakes ... get ye to camp!

Best regards,

Bevormo

Gary "Big Hands" Johnson ... Pour One Out For Him

Sadly, Gary "Big Hands" Johnson died yesterday of a heart attack. He was 57.

I haven't put together a Chargers All-Time Team in awhile, but I'm fairly certain we'd run a 4-3 and Big Hands would start at one of the defensive tackle positions. (I'd probably put Jamal Williams at the other DT spot, though I may keep Jamal in reserve as a NT if we use a 3-4 formation on certain downs.)

"Big Hands" anchored the Bolts defensive line during some of the greatest years in franchise history - the stretch from '79 to '82. Along with Louie Kelcher, Leroy Jones and Fred Dean, the group formed the "Bruise Brothers" in 1980, leading the League in both sacks and general mayhem.

They were one of the more imposing frontlines in the history of the League that's never really talked about.

As Chargers fans we don't often speak of defense - a few of the Seau-Rodney Harrison units excepted - but Big Hands was one of the great ones.

Pour one out for him. And make it a tallboy.