PITTSBURGH -- One year later, nothing has changed for San Diego. The Chargers still can't stop anybody, and, no, it's not too soon to say that's a problem.
A year ago, the Bolts switched coordinators at midseason to return a pulse to their defense, and the move worked: They won their last four games and caught Denver from behind. But that was then, and this is now, and now Denver has a defense, and the Chargers don't.
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Recap: Steelers 38, Chargers 28 Injuries: L.T. plays, Steelers' Parker sits |
In fact, San Diego has holes everywhere, with most of them exposed Sunday in a resounding 38-28 loss to Pittsburgh that wasn't nearly as close as the score indicates.
The Chargers couldn't stop the run. They couldn't stop the pass. They couldn't stop a friggin' drive, for crying out loud, with the Steelers scoring the first 28 points. They were so dreadful that when the Steelers -- then holding a 14-0 lead -- had a fourth-and-1 at their own 30 in the second quarter, they did what virtually no one would dare to do.
They went for it. And, naturally, they succeeded.
That tells you all you need to know about San Diego's defense and its ability to make big plays. They're short on both scores, and never was that more apparent than here, with Pittsburgh drilling them behind a career night by a backup running back, 32 first downs, a 67 percent success rate on third downs and a season-best 497 yards in offense.
"I think the stats speak for themselves," San Diego linebacker Kevin Burnett said. "We couldn't stop them, and they went for the fourth down and got it. That says enough."
Not really. Because San Diego must correct things in the next two weeks, or before its Oct. 19 date with division leader Denver, otherwise the Bolts are in deep kimchi.
Once, I thought they would be OK if they split their first four starts, like they did a year ago, because three consecutive division opponents followed. But now I'm not so sure. They barely beat Oakland, and they outlasted Miami only after it lost quarterback Chad Pennington to injury. But when it came to measuring themselves against the two teams that met in last season's conference championship game, they failed.
Baltimore was close. Pittsburgh was not, and because their most recent performance was a blowout, you have to wonder where this takes San Diego. The Chargers have a habit of finishing seasons fast, but if they're going to make a second-half run, they must do it without defensive tackle Jamal Williams anchoring the defensive line.
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| The Chargers have a lot of work to do to get their defense going in the right direction. (US Presswire) |
"Yeah, but he's a good back," safety Clinton Hart said.
He was also a benched back, with coach Mike Tomlin sitting him down last week after the second-year running back got in his doghouse. The only reason he started against San Diego was that starter Willie Parker was hurt. The Steelers needed a healthy back, so they turned to Mendenhall, and he responded. Simple as that.
But where's the surprise? I mean, that's the way it has been for the Chargers on defense, with opponents gaining 151 yards rushing per game. This latest debacle served only as the punctuation mark.
"It's a natural thing in this league ... in this world we live in ... to base everything on one half of one game," losing coach Norv Turner said. "This has been a tough month on our football team, and a very difficult, physical month on our defensive front.
"We've had some changes, but we were unable to respond the way I would've liked to have seen. As I said, I'm not going to draw all of my conclusions based on one game, because I've been through this situation with very good teams and [we] had one game get away from you and still had outstanding seasons."
Maybe that happens here, but not based on what we just saw. The Steelers had four series of 10 or more plays, and seven times gained 57 or more yards during a possession. If there was a surprise here, it was only that the Chargers produced 28 points. They had the ball for 19:40, which means Pittsburgh held it twice as long, and, nope, that's not how you catch Denver.
Consider this a warning, San Diego: Either your team solves its defensive shortcomings or get used to January without football.
"The first thing you do from Day 1," Burnett said, "is stop the run. And when you can't stop the run, it puts you in a bad position. Collectively, man-to-man, player-to-player, we've got to play better. It was a collective effort."
No kidding. Virtually everything and everyone on defense stunk, and where's the hope with no Jamal Williams around? Look, it's not as if they lost a Defensive Player of the Year, but the guy has been an All-Pro. You lose him and replace him with ... what? Ogemdi Nwagbuo? He was working at a rental-car agency this time a year ago. Alfonso Boone? He was cut by Kansas City.
Pittsburgh recognized that. It also recognized how poorly the Chargers tackled and defended the pass and stopped the third down. So it did not hesitate to roll the dice -- if you want to call it that -- on fourth-and-1 when virtually nobody else would assume that risk. Only Pittsburgh knew then what you do now: The Chargers can't stop anyone.
"We're always going to look at it as a sign of disrespect," linebacker Shawne Merriman said. "At the same time, if the game's going the way it was, you can't fault them. I mean, if we're not stopping them or getting off the field, can you fault them for going for it in a situation like that?"
No one in his audience did. That tells you what's wrong with San Diego now and what could be a problem ... a big problem ... as the season goes forward.
