Bolt Notes: Wrap Up, Preview, and Week 6 NFL Picks!

Well, week 5 was a bit less stressful for us Chargers fans. I was able to watch most of the games without a care in the world and enjoy a pretty good week for my picks. With another 10-4 week, my overall record has improved to 50-26. Now, let's take a look at what the Chargers did last week, what they may do this week, and how the games will turn out for week 6 in the NFL!

Wrap Up:

On the bright side, the San Diego Chargers did not lose last week! They had a bye and got to relax, hopefully get healthy, and prepare for a huge Monday night game against the Denver Broncos (5-0).

When I thought about writing this post, I figured that I would skip the "Wrap Up" part since they didn't play. Then, things started happening that, in my opinion, were note worthy.

• First of all, the Broncos battled the New England Patriots and came out with a big win. That was the only game that I cared about last week and I ended up on the short end again. Bummer. Congrats to the Broncos (I guess). Bye the way, brutal throwback uniforms!!!
  
• Chargers GM, A.J. Smith, called out his defense in the press by calling them "soft" and how there is "nothing positive" happening on that side of the ball.


• Next, A.J. sent another kind of message across the bow of the Bolt defense. He fired Safety Clinton Hart and re-signed Defensive Tackle Ian Scott. Hart had been a long-time starter for the Chargers and Scott had been released at the end of camp. According to Norv Turner, Scott had been injured at the end of camp and was told that they may have room for him when he gets healthy. Of course, his availability means that no other team contacted him. What does that say?
  

Preview of Chargers vs Broncos

On Monday night, the Chargers host the Broncos in what could be a very early "must win" game for the Bolts. This could also be a message from the Broncos that they are for real and the rest of the West should start worrying about the Wild Card. If the Broncos win this game, they will improve to 6-0 on the year and the Bolts would drop to 2-3. Yes, it is true that the Broncos had possibly the worst collapse in NFL history last year, but they can't be expected to do that again.

The Broncos started the year with fairly week opponents. They beat the Bengals on a fluke bounce at the end of the game. They beat the Raiders and the Lions, to no one's surprise. Week 4, they were expected by many to show their true colors and start to fade with their game against the Cowboys. However, they surprised the critics and beat America's Team and sat at 4-0. Even after that win, the more blame was given to Tony Romo than credit was given to the Broncos, so they had to prove themselves against another strong team, the New England Patriots.

The Pats started well, but could not stop the Broncos short pass, and power run offense and also fell to the Broncos. Now the critics are left to saying that the Cowboys and Pats are overrated and both games were in Denver. Will that play out to be true? Only time will tell. Monday night's game is is San Diego, where the Broncos have greatly struggled in recent years. That includes giving up 52 points to the Bolts there last year.

This game should be very interesting. The Broncos defense has been incredible. Giving up less than 10 points a game and smothering offenses each and every week. Their offense has been improving. They run the ball well with rookie back Knowshawn Moreno and they have had more than a decent performance from recently acquired Kyle Orton. Orton would be a Pro Bowl QB if the voting happened today.

The Chargers don't need to worry about Denver. They need to worry about themselves. The Steelers beat them like red-headed step-children (no offense to red-headed step-children). The Bolts are the worst in football rushing the ball and their defense has been horrid.

Much of the blame for the defensive woes of San Diego is that they do not get pressure on the quarterback. This is very true. However, after watching the Steelers game, I see Antonio Cromartie getting beat at the snap, not five seconds later. There seems to be much confusion with Defensive Coordinator Ron Rivera's scheme. I hear that they are working on a "Rush Zone" defense that the players are just not getting. They are blowing assignments and leaving guys wide open. With the memory that last year, Brandon Marshall, of the Broncos, caught 18 passes in their first meeting with the Chargers, doesn't help anyone feel over confident going into Monday night.

That being said, I am a Chargers homer and I will always try to find a way to believe they will win! So, here is my justification for picking my Bolts again this week:

• The Broncos will not be able to keep the Chargers from scoring in the 20's at least. The Bolts passing game is too powerful and has not been shut down by anyone. Yes, Denver has great defensive backs, but the Chargers have too many weapons on offense. Look for Gates and possibly Chambers or Floyd to have big games. I would include Jackson with them but I assume that he will be covered by Bailey all night. Bailey has been playing lights out all year.


• The Broncos have been able to move the ball, but have not shown the ability to rack up very many points. My guess is that they will have to score at least 28 to beat the Bolts. Again, time will tell. That is why we watch the games.
  
• The Bolts are coming off a bye week and should have been able to iron out some problems and get some guys healthy. However, they will still be without Nick Hardwick and Jamaal Williams and many other players who say they are banged up, including Shawne Merriman.

Week 6: NFL Picks - Winners in all caps

texans @ BENGALS (Bengals too much offense for Texans)

lions @ PACKERS (Lions outmatched)

RAVENS @ vikings (Big challenge for Brett. Too much D?)

GIANTS @ saints (Could be wrong, but have to respect Giants D.)

browns @ STEELERS (Browns may need to complete more than 2 passes to beat Steelers)

panthers @ BUCS (Upset of the week, not that the Panthers are very good.)

chiefs @ REDSKINS (Chiefs have a chance, but on road....doubt it)

rams @ JAGUARS (More ugly football.)

cards @ SEAHAWKS (Better game. Seahawks at home are tough)

EAGLES @ raiders (No contest)

titans @ PATRIOTS (Pats are pissed)

bills @ JETS (Bills are very bad)

bears @ FALCONS (Falcons will control the ball and play tough D.)

broncos 17 @ CHARGERS 34 (Could be a pipe dream. We'll see!

Feel free to share you opinion below. I would love to discuss any game of the weekend. However, don't rag my for my picks if you won's share your own

Enjoy the games!!!

Name That Film: Food Edition

If music be the food of love, and any substance is to be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue, play on. The belly is the giver of genius and nothing is to be more tiresome than eating and drinking if what you may perceive as religious deity had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity. As a word of caution: there is a lot more juice in grapefruit than initially meets the eye.

The Film Edition could be searching for anything that provides mental stimulus for a whole group of society. Most think fast food is the equivalent to pornography, nutritionally speaking and those who forget the pasta maybe condemned to reheat it. Welcome to the Church of the Holy Cabbage: lettuce pray. It would be more than nice if the FDA stopped issuing warnings about toxic substances and just gave us the names of one or two things still considered safe to eat!

It seems we are all serious dietetic sinners. Only a small percent of what we eat nourishes; the balance goes to waste and a massive loss of energy, which means we're in the red again. We’re gonna require a continuous drip of pixie sticks, stat!

Vegetables are interesting but lack a sense of purpose when unaccompanied by a good cut of meat. Now a nickel will no longer get you on the subway, but adequate garlic may get you a seat. I'll have you know we are presently living in a world where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons, never mind the best rapper is white and the best golfer, black...where would I start? Nobody seems more obsessed by diet than our anti-materialistic, otherworldly, New Age spiritual types. You’ve seen ‘em! I’ve been told, repeatedly, like a hammer to the head, the material world is merely illusion...so an honest guru visualizing whirled peas, should be as content with Budweiser and bratwurst realistically as they are with raw carrot juice, tofu and the slime of seaweed right? This may be a unnatural inference?

Them belly full but we hungry and hunger could be the best sauce in the world. He who distinguishes the true flavor of his food can never be a glutton; he who does not cannot be otherwise. One half of The Film Edition finds chopsticks frankly distressing. Who could be alone in thinking it odd that a people ingenious enough to invent the power of velcro, gunpowder, and the principles of poetry with a noble history extending back over 3,000 years haven't yet worked out that a pair of knitting needles is no civilized way to capture food? Who wouldn’t grow a little weak at the scent of bread rising? Given the topic’s rise, I may flutter and flounder as a fish out of water, void of control. It's like buttah!
As for the age old, butter versus margarine debate, we may trust the sacred cow, except when contained in a human herd, more than chemists, though it is becoming a decidedly closer battle with the cattle each and every day. You are what you eat, but don’t take that the wrong way. Common sense is a medicine in compliance with the master workman. If you ken believe it, training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education. The preservation of health could be seen as a duty. Few seem conscious that there is such a thing as physical morality. In general, mankind, since the improvement in cookery, eats twice as much as nature may have intended.

There is special feeling towards fruit, no doubt, in all its glory and abundance, and, I would hasten to say, this feeling has become almost universal....we respond to strawberry fields, forever, or racing cherry orchards with a delight that a cabbage patch or even an elegant vegetable garden cannot provoke on most days unless you happen to picture yourself in a boat on a river with tangerine trees and marmalade skies. Hunger is one of the few cravings that cannot be appeased with any other solution.

A converted cannibal may be one who, on Fridays, eats only fishermen, much to the chagrin of the scattering villagers.

The spirit cannot endure the body when overfed, but, if underfed, the body cannot endure the spirit, despite what may be said. A man may be a pessimistic determinist before lunch and an optimistic believer in the will's freedom after and yet there are but a few sights on Earth more appealing than the sight of anyone preparing food for someone they love. Bread deals with living things, with giving life, with growth, with the seed, and the grain that it nurtures. It is not coincidence that we say bread is the staff of life. We must only turn to nature itself, to the observations of the body in health and in disease to learn the great and noble truth. This may or may not tie Jupiter's hands. Digestion is one great secret to life and time is the great physician splicing us all to ribbons. This is the bread of the Film Edition. Let us give thanks!

Amen, Brother Blood! Thanks again for another stupendous introduction. This week we go a new direction and focus on food in the movies! When you think about it, some of the greatest movie scenes ever have revolved around food, or meals. This fact leaves us many classic quotes that would be easy to nail of the first try. Here at Blood-N-Bolts Productions, we strive to make our clues challenging, but not impossible. So, read the movie food quotes below and see if you can name the movie they came from!

Good luck and thanks for playing, Name That Film!!!


1. "Ma'am, you've gotta understand that this is a lot bigger than any domestic problems that you may be experiencing."

2. "Medium rare? Hmmm, and aristocrat."

3. "Isn't it awfully nice to have a penis?"

4. "Tastes like something I had when I was a girl."

5. "Can I just massage your thighs while you eat?"

6. "Now when was the last time you ever saw my boy throw up?"

7. "You are a human affront to all women, and I am a woman."

8. "Hamburgers! The cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast."

9. "Who can disguise, they have stars in their eyes, on this lovely bella notte?"

10. "You like your french toast crunchy, don't ya?"

Alright, let's see those answers! See if you can get credit for naming them first!

Thanks again to my pahtna bloodredsox and remember to check out the blood blog for more of his original stylings.

Thanks for playing Name That Film!!!!

Bolt Notes: Wrap Up, Preview, and Week 5 Picks!

Well, it's safe to say that I had a better week than the Chargers last week. I went a pretty good 10-4, while my Bolts got embarrassed on national television. Those wins bring my overall record to 40 - 22 for the season. Someday I'll have the guts to go against the spread, but that day is not today.

Chargers / Steelers Wrap Up Week 4:

Someone once said, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. If I follow that advise, I would have to stop writing now and call it the shortest blog post of my life. Well, I don't want to do that, so I think I will simply try to find a silver lining in the storm cloud that was the Chargers / Steelers game last Sunday night.

So, what positive things can I say about my Chargers? Hmmmm. Give me a minute, I'll think of something. Ah! Here we go, there were actually some bright spots for the Bolts in this game that was nearly as close as the 38-28 final score.

- Antonio Gates is back! He dominated the Steelers in the second half and actually got the Chargers back in the game.

- Philip Rivers did manage to manufacture a couple of strong drives in the second half that pulled the Chargers within seven points in the fourth quarter.

- The Chargers covered an on-side kick in a clutch situation.

- LaDainian Tomlinson did play, even if not much, or well.

- The Chargers special teams did a wonderful job. Hester even stripped the ball on a Steelers return and carried it in for an easy score. I was shocked that no one committed a penalty during the play to bring it back.

Negative stuff:

- Neither Chargers line could do anything against the Steelers lines.

- The Charders had run only three offensive plays by the time they were down by 14 points.

- The Chargers have not scored on their first posession in the last 22 games!

- Antonio Cromartie was not losing coverage due to a lack of pass rush. It is true that the pressure was weak for most of the game, but "Crimetime" was getting beaten from the snap. He then started holding guys to make up for his lack of covering ability. I really don't think he is very good. I would like to trade him while other teams may still remember two years ago.

- The Chargers defense had been known for starting slowly and then doing well late. In this game, they were pathetic the entire game. At least they were consistant.

Well, there it is. Don't get me wrong. I am not trying to take any credit away from the Steelers. They played a very good game and had it in hand in the first half. Their defense struggled in the second half but their offense had things well in hand.

Preview For Week 5:

Week 5 should be a great week for San Diego fans. None of the local teams will lose this week! The Chargers, Aztecs, and Padres do not play, therefore they will not lose!!!! The Chargers must get healthy and fix some major problems so they can come back off their bye week and face the division rival Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football!!!


Week 5 Picks: Winners are in all caps.

browns @ BILLS (Two bad teams, but too much going on in Cleveland to focus on football.)
STEELERS @ lions (Pah-Lease)
COWBOYS @ chiefs (We could see an upset here. Romo was horrible last week.)
VIKINGS @ rams (Fairy tail season will continue for at least another week.)
raiders @ GIANTS (Raiderettes would be better off playing against the Giants.)
bucs @ EAGLES (No contest, sorry aero)
redskins @ PANTHERS (Not impressed with either team, but Panters at home.)
bengals @ RAVENS (Bengals fall back to Earth this week.)
FALCONS @ niners (Tough game, could be wrong here.)
jaguars @ SEAHAWKS (Tough to play in Seattle and Hasselbeck is back)
texans @ CARDINALS (Texans defense cannot handle Cards offense.)
PATRIOTS @ broncos (Broncos can't score with the big boys. Pats will be able to score on the Denver top rated defense. This could mark the beginning of the end for the Broncos.)
COLTS @ titans (Titans are due, but don't bet against Indy in the early part of the season.)
JETS @ dolphins (Tough game, don't feel confident about this one, but I think the Jets defense is for real.)


Enjoy the games!!!

Name That Film: Are You Ready For Some Football!? Edition

American Football could be seen as a not so highly sophisticated method of selling automobiles, wheat barley beverages, athletic wear and hygienic products, but the Film Edition knows better. This would be akin to saying someone like Shawn Merriman would assault a d-list celebrity or there is a new labor agreement put into place. The knowledge came first class when my baby, she sent me another letter and it was better than the last. In it were some detailed key points: unfair acts, double foul, 3 timeouts per half. The good news? There has been 22 consecutive days without an arrest in the NFL.

Are you ready for some football? You have been? This is week 4? Where have we been and what do we see? Wide open spaces in fields filled with green that seem like the age old Roman Coliseum with better advertising!

Finish him or you will be deported like Ryan Leaf or Tony Mandarich! If you can’t be an athlete, be an athletic supporter and continue to remain fortified with faith in the name of your team, even if Randy Moss is lollygagging it from play to play! Paint your face but don’t stop there! The game of football...budding in August and bursting in September is a primitive form of rugby...but not in a bad way.

"Ken we get some wings, another round all around and a fresh plate of nachos with extra spice?"

More than nice on the list of successful coaches would have to be: Chuck Noll and Chuck Knox. Joe Gibbs (one of the most successful coaches the league has ever seen), George “Papa Bear” Halas (and you thought all this time it was Baloo in the Jungle Book?), Paul Brown (first to grade his players based on film study, first to call plays from the sidelines), Mr. Perfect, Don Shula, Tom Landry (20 career playoff victories, 5 NFC titles, and 2 Super Bowl championships.), Dick Vermeil (The coach who proved it was okay to cry in football), John Madden (Boom! 14 Sports Emmy Awards!), Tom Flores (stick-um!), Tony Dungy (spiritual advisor) and the genius, Bill Walsh. There is also Mike Holgren and Jim Fassel, George Seifert, Dennis Green, and Mr. Tan, Mike Shanahan and it would be a sin to forget Jimmy Conzelman, George Allen, Ray Flaherty (instituted the screen pass), Hank Stram (the 2 tight end set), the ever impressive, Sid Gillman and as it was, Weeb Ewbank who made that guarantee, channeled through the rickety knees of Broadway Joe. Bill Cowher was and probably still is, mental, Bud Grant effective and Dan Reeves has a career mark of 201-174-2. Earl Lambeau, is your founder of the frozen tundra and there is no way the Film Edition could forget Vince Lomabardi who was quoted more than once saying,

“Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect. If it
doesn't matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score? It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up. If you aren't fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm. Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence. Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser."

Don’t forget Knute Rockne or Alonzo Stagg and the man with the pretty hair, Jimmie Johnson (how ‘bout them Cowboys!) or the late great, Glenn "Pop" Warner.

Does anyone know when the Falcons hired Steve Martin?

These coaches and so many more have power... kinda like the uttered word…“Ditka”…that personify tackle football on the gridiron and high-tech television at it's finest with eager eyed consumers financing stadium construction much like European Socialism. Back in the U.S.S.R!Who-say sees red tax revenues being fed like an itty bitty lamb to the wolves and some men you just cain’t reach but you try and teach the game of life by scoring points and advancing the ball with strategy and raw physical play. Maybe you pull out a sharpie from your sock or something flashy posted in the cubicle that the general population rarely gets to see?

Sky’s the limit and despite what Al Davis may like to say, there are 11 players on each side with the numbers on the field indicating the number of yards to the nearest end zone. The longer lines are sidelines and the shorter boundaries are the end lines. Anyone gut any questions? Please reference the goalines on the grid. Draw it up in the sand and don’t throw a hissy fit, you ken be the bottle cap, if it means that much, but as a word of caution, the end zone includes the goal line but not the end line.

Keep in mind a good field will be built with a belly or a bow so as to allow the water to flow and drain over the sides. Remember, do not bite the hand that feeds and we'll see who gets their needs met in the end: Offense, Defense, or Special teams.

Call it in the air. Would you like to kick or receive? Which goal would you like to defend? The Film Edition, since it’s already week 4 in the NFL, is well rested and chooses to defer to start the second half. Sudden death is as bad as it sounds, 'less things tend to go your way. In that case race through the commercials with Tevo less it’s the Super Bowl, to see the new end zone celebrations and hear the infamous…he could…go…all…the…way!

This is not Sportscenter! and FYI…T.D. thinks Romo isn’t worthy of all the hype in Big D! The guy that keeps retiring only to play again threw an illegal crack back block last week….will he be fined?

Important note: if an NFL game is tied after 4 quarters the teams play an additional period lasting 15 minutes called overtime: first team ta score...wins. If neither team scores in overtime, the game is...is...a tie? Yup, 'zept if it's the playoffs then you have 4 downs to advance 10 yards.

There is the faceoff at the line of scrimmage, where the big uglies roam in the trenches. A turf war ensues upon the snap of the ball! Players resembling pillager's in the Cap One commercials advance in both directions in a true meeting of the minds. Crash!

There are two ways to advance a leather ball made of pigskin for a most ripping victory: rushing or tossing the forward pass and then, after that, the ball is dead. All play comes to a halt and both teams retire back to their huddle! A tackle is determined by the official, who is also referred to as a zebra, among various other unmentionables until the camera is able to focus on a scantily clad cheerleader.

Save your timeouts and do not throw a red beanbag unless you are completely certain. Are all lineman offensive, or just the ones who protect the rival’s quarterback? There is the long snapper who isn’t mentioned until he makes a mistake and the aforementioned special teams, which, contrary to popular notion, does not take a separate bus from the other players.

Take a look and get familiar with the playbook. Avoid plays that ken be considered high risk in certain scenarios. These playsken be a great thrill to the fans...when they work. The blind side ken lead to the need of a fluffy flak jacket before someone coughs up a bloody lung; concussions being more than just common, they're a curse for some competitors, I just don’t recall which ones!

Touch variations of football ken be less violent, depending on who is playing and if they follow the rules. Please keep in mind, playing touch which becomes too rough, would be a situation where “no” really does mean no, regardless of body language!

The hip bone, is connected to the...thigh bone, no matter the pay scale of the particular individual involved. This information is invaluable when treating an impersonator impersonating a doctor, who may or may not have stayed in a Holiday Inn last night. Try to keep in mind…leaving early is unacceptable no matter what your agent says or does is alright and make sure to drink plenty of fluids. Regulation football is impractical for casual play, no matter what the neighbors like to say.
The greatest game ever played may be the 1958 NFL Championship game, though the Film Edition has seen their fair share of dogfights but that is a tale for another time. The point is momentum so I'm going mobile! Beep beep! Keep on moving, stay on your feet and yes, we will go for two on the conversion.

Well sports/film fans, I think that was worth the wait! Huge props go out to bloodredsox for his outstanding effort of this week's introduction! Remember to check out the Blood Blog and read what Blood is sharing. The link to his blog is off to the side.

Now, on to the game! This week's quotes all came from football movies. Read the quote below and try to figure out what movie it came from.

As always, Blood-N-Bolts Production would like to thank you for playing and we wish you luck!

1. "You just lost yourself the Hall of Fame"

2. "He has a mental attitude that makes me proud to have a friend who spells out courage 24 hours a day, everyday of his life."

3. "The greatest value to us is that we don't care if you get hurt."

4. "Call me sentimental....The fish....they're coming with me."

5. "I sucked so bad, they used to pick my after the white kids."

6. "I can't do nothing else but play football!"

7. "I'll bet you right now that you're wondering what happened to that nice gentleman who begged you to come here, huh?"

8. "Even if you're down there for one hour.....you"re down there."

9. "He probably ate his folks."

10. "How you play today, from this moment on, is how you will be remembered."

There you have it! Ten quotes from 10 great football movies! Once again, thanks for dropping in and doing your best to win the game. Always remember, "you play to win the game."
See you next week!

Bolt Notes: Wrap Up, Preview, and Week 4 NFL Picks!

Well, last week went a little better for my picks. I was a decent 10-6 to move my overall record to 30-18. Not great, but not a complete embarrassment either. So, on to week 4!

Chargers vs Dolphins WRAP UP!

Miami came into San Diego last Sunday with the knowledge that they had beaten the Chargers seven straight times. It didn't matter what coast they played on, Miami had the Chargers number. They also had some other reasons to be optimistic.
- LaDainian Tomlinson would be on the side line for just the second regular season game ever, due to injury.
- Shawne Merriman was also banged up and has yet to regain his all pro form.
- Jamaal Williams was out for the year.
- The Chargers were the leagues worst defense against the run and had not shown that they could stop the wild cat offense last year.

All that being said, it did not look great for the Bolts against the Fins.

That is why they play the game!

The game started much like the Dolphins thought it would. Miami marched the ball right down the field like the Germans marched through France (until they ran into Americans). Then, for some reason, the Dolphins imploded at the goal line. They simply missed the hand off and promptly kicked the ball through the end zone for a Chargers touch back!

The first quarter ended with no score and the second didn't provide much more offense. Both teams moved the ball some, but could not break the plane as the half ended with the score 3-3.

A couple of things happened in the second half to help decide this game. First, the Chargers defense showed up and started stopping the run. Next, they slammed Chad Pennington to the ground and knocked him out of the game, and the season. Chad's replacement, Chad, was left dangling by the Dolphins coaches. It seems like Florida has lots of problems with dangling Chads. In this case, the Dolphins brain trust decided that the run was not working and they should rely on the pass. Ball game.

Chad Henne showed no ability to move the team and made several rookie mistakes. The biggest mistake was when he read a blitz by the Chargers and immediately threw to his "hot read" and decided that Chargers safety Eric Weddle was it. That turned into a "pick 6" and the game was essentially over.

The Bolts also finally scored in the red zone when Philip Rivers lumbered in from the five on third and goal in the third quarter. That was a nice play but it does not do much to help Chargers fans who are worried about their red zone offense.

PREVIEW OF CHARGERS @ STEELERS!

Okay, if there were ever a time to beat the Steelers, it would be this week. The World Champions are without two of their most important players. Troy Polamalu and running back Willie Parker are both expected to miss this game. Also, the Steelers offensive line has struggled to keep Big Ben safe while looking to throw. Actually, the Steelers problems sound a lot like the Chargers problems. Both teams have star players hurt. Both teams seem to be transitioning from running teams to passing teams. Both teams has major trouble scoring from within the red zone. This may as well be an intersquad game!

What the Chargers do have to worry about is that Pittsburgh, even without Polamalu, has been very good against the run. The Chargers, on the other hand, have struggle to stop the run and there is no reason to think that Moore, or Mendenhall will not be able to run the ball, at least in the first half.

LaDainian Tomlinson appears to be ready to return and anxious to show the Steelers that he may have made the difference in the playoffs last year. Unfortunately, he will still be behind a make shift offensive line and a poor fullbacks so holes may be hard to come by.

Another issue the Chargers have to deal with is getting another monkey off of their backs. Last week, the Dolphin seven game winning streak monkey was knocked to the ground, and this week they have a gorilla on their back when you consider that the Chargers have never beaten the Steelers in Pittsburgh during the regular season! The Bolts are 0-11 in Pittsburgh in the regular season and 2-1 during the playoffs in the Iron City. That is about as dominant as you can get during games that are on the regular schedule.

The way I see it is that the only hope the Chargers have is to air out the Steelers defense and test their back up safety. Rivers is the best deep ball passer in the league and has huge, talented receives to throw to. If his line can keep him on his feet, he should have more success through the air this week. Also, the addition of Tomlinson should force defenses to respect the run in the red zone and open things up in the air for touchdowns. Look for Gates to be open much of the day.

WEEK 4 PICKS! (winners are in all caps)

lions @ BEARS (2 wins in a row? No way)
BENGALS @ browns (I am thinking of moving to Ohio and trying out for QB)
raiders @ TEXANS (Good thing for the Texans that they are playing the lowly raiders. Perhaps the Raiders should be calling Cleveland for a new QB)
seahawks@ COLTS (No Hasselback and too much Manning)
TITANS @ jaguars (Hard hitting, but the Titans are better than their record)
bucs @ REDSKINS (bucs could be this year's lions)
BILLS @ dolphins (quarterback problems leaves only the wild cat - not enough) ravens @ PATRIOTS (Brady at home)
jets @ SAINTS (Brees at home)
COWBOYS @ broncos (start of the broncos return to reality)
rams @ NINERS (San Francisco is looking to beat up on someone after tough loss)
packers @ VIKINGS (Home team wins each time they play this year)

CHARGERS 31 @ steelers 17(Rivers goes nuts through the air and Tomlinson has good enough day to help Rivers passing game. If not now....never.)

Name That Film: Delay of Game

Sorry for the delay, but once again, life gets in the way. Super busy week means that I will have to postpone this week's edition to Friday. There is a chance I can squeeze it in before hand, but right now Friday is the best bet.

Thanks for checking in and a special thanks to blood for having his intro in on time and doing such a fine job on it.

See you soon!

Bolt

Bolt Notes: Wrap Up and Preview Plus Week 3 Picks!

Well, after week 1 I felt pretty good about myself and my ability to predict NFL games (without the spread). Now, I've gone from a strong 13-3 to a meager 20-12. Ouch! Oh well, that is what I get for picking some long shots and picking with my heart instead of my brain. That being said, I will continue to pick my Bolts no matter how many guys get put on IR and I will most likely always pick against the Broncos just because I really want them to lose every week of the year. Enough of that, now let's recap the Chargers game against the Ravens, preview the Bolts/Fins game and take another shot at making picks for all the games this week.

WEEK 2 - Ravens @ Chargers

I went into this game expecting the Chargers to lose. No Hardwick. No Williams. No Tomlinson. Injured guys all over the place! That did not give me much confidence going up against a very tough Ravens team. You would think that expecting to lose (yet picking the Bolts to win), would make losing this game easier to handle. Ah......no. It didn't help at all. If the Chargers had gotten blown out then I could have walked away saying, "it's the injuries." Unfortunately, the Chargers not only didn't get blown out, they had a real chance to win that game, late in the fourth quarter! Now that makes it hard to swallow.

The only thing keeping the Chargers in the game at all was the near heroic effort of quarterback Philip Rivers. Rivers threw for over 400 yards against the Ravens very respected defense, while having the likes Linebacker Ray Lewis frequently knocking him to the ground after, and occasionally before, his release.

Another highlight for the Chargers was the outstanding play of 5' 6" Darren Sproles. Sproles with over 100 yards receiving as well as more than 100 yards in kick off returns. The only aspect of the game that didn't work well for the Chargers was the run game. At least, from what the stats say it didn't work. At one time in the first half, the Chargers were averaging over 5 yards per carry! So, in his infinite wisdom, Head Coach Norv Turner decided to abandon the run and let it fly. This play worked quite well until the last offensive play of the game for the Bolts when on a fourth and two call, Turner decided that he would fool the Ravens and run the ball with Sproles. If you didn't see the play, let's just say that the Ravens have Ray Lewis on their defense and he is very difficult to fool. Game over.
The most frustrating part of the Chargers effort may have been from the red zone. Five times the Chargers marched down the field and got very deep into Ravens territory. With these five trips, the Bolts managed to kick four field goals and had a turnover on downs. One of these drives, Rivers connected with Vincent Jackson at the one foot line for a first down. After a review of the catch, there was confusion about he clock which lead to a five yard delay of game penalty. That was one of three delay calls on the day for San Diego. Such is the price you pay with young inexperienced players being thrust into the action due to injury.

Speaking of injuries...nine Chargers have missed practice this week. Names like Merriman, Cooper, Phillips, Siler, Tomlinson, Hardwick, Dielman, Vasquez and others have been dealing with injuries and now the flu! Not the way to get ready to play a team that has beaten you the last seven meetings.

Yes, the Miami Dolphins have had the Chargers numbers over the years. Seven straight victories over the Bolts, as well as Joey Porter trying to take advantage of a backup center, make it difficult for even the most biased Chargers homer to feel too confident about this Sunday's match-up.

That being said, I still feel the Chargers will be able to take care of business. The way I see it, the schedule is greatly in favor of the Chargers this week. The Dolphins are coming off of a brutal loss on Monday night to the Colts. Along with the short week, they have to fly across country to play in San Diego. Personally, I don't think the NFL should force teams to travel 3000 miles on a short week, but since the Dolphins have to do it, I'm glad that they face my favorite team.

The main concern I have from the Dolphins is that they are very capable of running the football and they have several gadget plays. The Chargers defense is 30th against the run and has been totally fooled on play far less confusing than some of the Dolphins plays. This ground attack of the Dolphins dominated the play clock against the Colts on Monday. The Fins held the ball on offense for more than 45 minutes! That is an incredible amount of time with the ball. However, that stat aside, the Dolphins strength also illuminated their weakness as well.

Think about it. The Colts had the ball for just over 14 minutes in the entire game and Peyton Manning still threw for over 300 yards and won the game. Now whether you think Rivers compares favorably with Manning or not. The fact is that the Chargers should be able to continue their big play offense and score very quickly.

Side note: Good job Chargers fans for selling out the game on Sunday in time to have it air on television. I feared that the game would not sell out after last week's loss. Whether it was Chargers fans, or Dolphins fans bought the tickets will be discovered on Sunday, but in the long run, it just doesn't matter.

Enjoy the game!

NFL Picks For Week 3

redskins @ LIONS (Just a funny feeling)
PACKERS @ rams (Rams are bad)
niners @ VIKINGS (Niners playing well, but too much A.D.)
FALCONS @ patriots (Pats have not impressed. They'll probably bounce back and make me look stupid)
TITANS @ jets (Hey Mark!!! DUCK!!! Titans are due)
chiefs @ EAGLES (Chiefs are bad)
GIANTS @ bucs (Bucs are bad)
RAVENS @ browns (Browns are bad)
jaguars @ TEXANS (Jags are bad)
BEARS @ seahawks (Injury to Hasselback)
SAINTS @ bills (Too much offense)
STEELERS @ bengals (Could be close without Polamalu)
broncos @ RAIDERS (Close game. Broncos on the road and not as good as their record. Russell stinks though.)
colts @ CARDINALS (Bob Sanders out and Cards receivers getting healthy)
panthers @ COWBOYS (Panthers are bad)
dolphins @ CHARGERS (Because I don't want the Charges to start 1-2)