32 teams in 32 days: San Diego Chargers

Record: 7-9
Offensive Rank: 31st (Passing: 24th, Rushing: 27th)
Defensive Rank: 9th (Passing: 18th, Rushing: 6th)

What went right?
Not much offensively. Defensively the Chargers held up thanks to some strong play from youth like Kendall Reyes, Melvin Ingram, Donald Butler.

What went wrong?
Nobody stepped up to replace Vincent Jackson, Antonio Gates is past it, OL is shoddy. Rivers is on a downward trend.

Prospects for 2013?
New HC Mike McCoy is charged with turning around Phillip Rivers and he and the new GM will have to arrest a slump that has seen the Chargers go from one of the best rosters in football to also rans. Fortunately the AFC West, and AFC in general, is weak so there is potential for a turnaround if McCoy can resurrect the offense.

Projected 2013 Draft Pick?
Its no coincidence that Rivers has declined since Marcus McNeil was forced to retire, the Chargers need to keep him upright if they are going to go anywhere. Therefore this pick really has to be Lane Johnson.

Jesus I've made it through 11 days

good work GSC, keep them coming...

I'll second the comment re: Gates, I drafted him in my Fantasy Team and he stunk the place out

When you think of the players the Chargers drafted in the early 2000s and the guys they had you wonder how they didn't win a Super Bowl, they had some of the best talent around.


Drew Brees (admittedly he wasn't great inSD bar last season), Phillip Rivers, Ladainian Tomlinson, Michael Turner, Darren Sproles, Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson, Eric Weddle, Antonio Cromartie, Shawne Merriman, Quentin Jammer. They had some ridiculous talent.

Shame Merriman needed roids.

Maybe so but he was still money in his first few seasons.

The AFC West remains potentially winnable but its a fight between three very average teams and a good Broncos outfit, for now at least.

I don't anticipate the Chargers to suddenly spring up and I don't expect they'll improve much beyond around an 8-8 record.

Its more the AFC is pretty top heavy. A lot of meh to bad teams.