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It looks like the San Diego Chargers have officially found the one thing in the 2008 season they can manage to do with consistency– Underachieve.  Sunday afternoon in Miami, they were at it again, losing to the Dolphins 17-10 in another collective failure that left them 2-3, a full two games behind Denver in the AFC West.  It’s still too early to hit the panic button, but heading into Week 6 the trends are unhealthy, literally and figuratively.  Break it down in any manner you like.  It doesn’t matter.  The Chargers had issues nearly everywhere on the field… including the sidelines, and they were indicative of the problems San Diego has had all season.

It was a loss worth looking at from all sides.  Not because it was pretty, but rather because it put on display all the issues that have hampered the Bolts through five games. 

Defense: Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown trampled the spongy Chargers’ defense for 125 yards, and orchestrated Miami’s “Wildcat” offense well enough that the Fins could run it repeatedly.  Beaten up by Brown and an offensive scheme that is decidedly minor league? Yep.  The Bolts D was put on its heels all afternoon by the gimmick Dolphins attack, and gave up an easy, confused TD. The secondary play was good deep- not exactly an area where Dolphins QB Chad Pennington thrives- but Miami picked San Diego apart on short and mid-range routes. Overall, Pennington was able to work efficiently (22-29 for a respectable 228 yards).  As has been the trend, the Chargers shored things up late, but in the opening minutes the only real defensive highlights came with a couple spirited hits from Antonio Cromartie.

His teammates seemed to be wandering like lost sheep until the second half.  

Special teams: Thanks to punter Mike Scifres for an All-Pro performance.  All day long, he dropped balls inside the Dolphins’ 20 yard line.  Over six kicks, he averaged 55.8 yards.  This is good stuff.  Unfortunately, when your punter is perhaps your best player on the field, that’s not good.   There was, however, other good news on the special teams.   Following Rivers’ touchdown pass to Chris Chambers in the third quarter, which cut Miami’s lead to 17-10, Jacob Hester forced a fumble on the kickoff, giving San Diego the ball deep in Dolphins territory.  It had the potential to be a huge momentum shifter.  However,  the inspiration quickly died when LT and the O-line were stuffed on 4th and goal from the one on the first play of the fourth quarter.  

Offense:  Where to start? How about the face on the marquee, LaDainian Tomlinson? Five games into the 2008 season, his only 100 yard efforts have come against the Raiders and Jets, teams with a combined record of 3-5.  Some blame must be directed at offensive design and play-callers.  Nothing the Chargers are doing right now has an ounce of creativity to it.  The Wildcat might be jayvee, but at least it’s a twist on the norm, and seems to be causing confusion.  With the running game unable to gain a foothold, some Charger fans are wondering whether GM A.J. Smith should have locked down Michael “Burner” Turner instead and traded LT.  Heretical as it sounds, age and injury seem to be catching up with Tomlinson faster than opposing defenses ever could.

Okay, maybe it’s not quite time to throw dirt on Tomlinson.  The total lack of a consistent, threatening run game can also be set on the wide shoulders of the line, who continue to allow penetration and are getting pushed around on a weekly basis.  Health and continuity are an issue there, as well, but the practical effect sees the Bolts unable to move the ball on the ground, while at the same time Rivers lacks the protection to look downfield on pass plays.

And in San Diego’s receiving corps, it seemed everyone was waiting for someone else to make the play.  Chris Chambers’ return to Miami was trumped by the play of ex-Charger wideout Greg Camarillo (right).  Vincent Jackson put forth an admirable game, but his routes often take the most time to develop, time Rivers is rarely being afforded.           

Coaching: Who is steering this ship? The play calling remains unimaginative on both sides of the ball.  Consistently starting games flat and spotting the opposition big leads indicates a lack of preparation, be it mental or motivational.  LT is unable to go up the gut and reach the second level of a defense as he’s done in years past, and the Chargers seem unable to compensate.  There were a couple effective screen passes early, but they were subsequently squashed by Joey Porter and the Dolphins’ D.  How about disguising them better?  Why wait for the second half to look to the receivers.  A few first quarter completions might just force defenses to respect the pass early and end crowding the box on first and second downs.

And can someone please inspire this defense? Face it, guys: Shawne Merriman is gone until next year. Of course his on-field leadership and feared presence on the gridiron are sorely missed, but it’s time to turn the page and become personally accountable.  There are still too many talented players on that side of the ball for San Diego to be so flat at times. 

Things don’t get easier from here on out.  Next, the Patriots come to town.  If the Chargers can’t prepare themselves to play from moment one, maybe it’s time to look up the 5 Freeway and organize a trade for the USC Trojans?

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