Phillip Rivers Provides Solid Foundation for Chargers even with Absent Stars
There’s no question now that the San Diego Chargers are Phillip Rivers’ team. Rivers has them all under his wing. He is their leader and has his teammates working hard.
The Chargers may be missing some key elements from their team, but they are still the best team in the AFC West.
In the spare time he gets from practice, Rivers has watched Canadian Football League (CFL) games, dissecting plays and looking for clues. Some star players may see football outside the NFL being totally beneath them, but these Chargers are humbled.
The team still has its swagger, but some egos are now not in the locker room either by force or voluntarily. Future hall of fame running back (RB) Ladainian Tomlinson was released this offseason, while wide receiver (WR) Vincent Jackson and offensive tackle (OT) Marcus McNeill are holding out in search of new contracts. Coach Norv Turner still feels confident in his group of guys and says they are working their tails off to prepare for the season.
"This squad has a lot of togetherness, you can feel it," outside linebacker Shaun Phillips said. "The big thing we've been preaching around here is to be together and do things as a team. We obviously have talent. We'd want those guys here but the fact of the matter is they're not here so we have to prepare for games without them."
The Chargers do miss a deep threat with Vincent Jackson likely to hold out for most of the season, but they have their share of offensive weapons. Legedu Naanee and Malcolm Floyd are showing they can be great fill-ins. Antonio Gates at tight end can run and catch like a wide receiver. Also Buster Davis is showing signs of improvement. Meanwhile, running back (RB) Darren Sproles is the ideal back for screens and swing routs, and Ryan Matthews can shine even in his rookie season.
You can’t forget that the lights are out on linebacker (LB) Shawne Merriman. The emotional leader of the defence is holding out as well for what he claims is to acquire job security. Larry English and Jyles Tucker have stepped in well and may have to continue to do so for a while.
It’s hard to ignore the star-power that’s missing from this team. The positive side to this is that even with so much talent, the Chargers never won a Super Bowl with any of those guys. Rivers and Gates are the faces of the franchise and the team is taking on a more blue-collar approach to the season.
They never got really deep into the playoffs with the prima donna attitude that seemed to poison the team come playoff time. With the talent they’ve had, they should’ve won a Super Bowl by now. They’re simply looking for new ways to win. They’re working harder than ever, even though this year may be partly about transition with familiar faces gone.
The good news for the team is that they’re still in a weak division and can probably win it convincingly even with star players missing. It will take an impact from their younger players and a working-class approach that has propelled the Steelers, Giants and Saints to the Super Bowl in recent memory.
The Chargers have been proof that all the talent in the world still won’t necessarily win you championships on talent alone. They have the talent part down. Now they have to begin to develop the intangibles required to win in January and February. They need mental toughness, discipline, leadership and the killer instinct required to use your talent to overcome opponents less talented than you are.
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