Chargers LS

[MABroncoFan]

Chargers put LS Ryan Neill on IR today ... following James Dearth and David Binn there. They've now signed Ethan Albright.

4 LS already in this young season. Interesting in that I read Binn had missed only 1 game at LS for the Chargers in the past 17 years, now they've had 4 in 4 weeks.

I had read this on rotoworld.com a couple of weeks back, when they were going onto their 3rd LS...

<TABLE class=s_playerNewsTable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=s_playerNewsTitle style="BACKGROUND: #04284f"><TABLE class=s_playerNewsTitle cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD align=left width=33>http://www.rotoworld.com/images/teamlogos/NFL_sm/SD.gif</TD><TD align=left> James Dearth (http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=NFL&id=904)-TE- Chargers (http://www.rotoworld.com/content/clubhouse_news.aspx?sport=NFL&majteam=SD)</TD><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 10px" align=right>Sep. 17 - 4:10 pm et</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TD style="BACKGROUND: #04284f" width=14>http://www.rotoworld.com/images/right_corner_player_news.gif</TD><TD width=6>http://www.rotoworld.com/images/pixel.gif</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://www.rotoworld.com/images/pixel.gif</TD><TD class=s_playerNewsLeftBorder>http://www.rotoworld.com/images/pixel.gif</TD><TD class=s_playerNewsText>Chargers placed LS James Dearth (foot) on injured reserve, ending his season.
Dearth injured the foot in Thursday's practice, after signing with the Bolts on Wednesday. We can't remember -- ever -- two long snappers being placed on injured reserve by a team over the course of the season, let alone in the span of two days. Former Bill Ryan Neill was signed to take over.
Related: Ryan Neill (http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_relatednews.aspx?sport=NFL&id=4520)
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[PRBronco]

Chargers long snapping is the new pickup basketball imo.

[TheElusiveKyleOrton]

That information is formatted poorly. Quick, Baja! Give him neg rep!

[boltaneer]

Heh. Two Charger injury threads on here now.

[SoDak Bronco]

This is huge news!!!!

[bowtown]

Sometimes we forget about Lonie and just how lucky we are to have him. Let's make sure we take a moment each day to acknowledge him. Don't ever take him for granted people, he won't be here forever.

[gtown]

Chargers long snapper = Drummer from Spinal Tap. Ethan Albright might spontaneously combust on a 4th down if he isn't careful.

[400HZ]

The Chargers special teams are just a swirling cloud of suck right now.


Special-teams reinforcements called back to duty for Chargers
BY CHRIS JENKINS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2010 AT 4:46 P.M.

In this case, the Chargers may have to rob Peter and take out a loan from Paul.

With the kind of gaping holes that Leon Washington found in their coverage team in Seattle — the same sort of obstruction-free running room that Chiefs returners Dexter McCluster and Javier Arenas found to their liking two weeks previous in Kansas City — it was a safe guess that any postgame conversation among the San Diego braintrust would involve some serious revamping on special teams this week.

Absolutely none of the players reporting back to work today at Chargers Park to prepare for the Arizona Cardinals’ visit Sunday will be surprised at the changes in special-teams personnel. Most certainly, players who also start on offense or defense will effectively be back where they started in the NFL, chasing down fresh-legged jitterbugs on kickoffs and punts.

“I’m definitely going to get on (special teams),” said cornerback Quentin Jammer, playing in his ninth season. “Yeah, put myself on. I’m sick of that (bleep). We would never see another kickoff ran up our (tails) again. Not while I’m here.”

Officially, the players will find out today who’ll be doing what Sunday. By all logic, those being recalled from the defense or offense will be scattered around to various special teams in the hopes of sharing the extra workload and sparing the legs. Not to mention the attempt to minimize the additional risk of injury that comes with the kamikaze nature of kickoffs and punts.

“Hey, sometimes you got to do what you got to do to win football games around here,” said Jammer. “I’m trying to win a championship. … A lot of veteran guys are trying to win a championship. We are tired of getting into the playoffs and not being able to push over.

“You’ve got to get into the tournament to have a chance to win a Super Bowl. So, whatever we got to do to win a football game that is exactly what we will do.”

Until Seattle, the Chargers were trying to cover for some of the players on the cover team, generally and anonymously known as “the young guys.” Head coach Norv Turner and more than one of his veteran players suggested some of the newcomers didn’t take the role of special teams as “seriously” as if they were on offense or defense.

The kid gloves have come off since. Some of the kids, too, likely are coming off coverage teams.

Tuesday’s signing of Quinton Teal, who has considerable special teams experience with Carolina, was more than a message move. Dante Hughes was brought back as well, most likely to replace somebody on cover teams. Surely there will be additional changes.

“You’ve just gotta deal with it,” said safety Eric Weddle, among the defensive regulars who urged his own return to the cover units. “It’s just a little bit of a transition, going straight from punt return and kickoff return to playing defense, so you’re going to be a little bit more fatigued. Yeah, you’ll be winded, but so what? Just do extra running this week, that’s all.

“In the big scheme of things, if we don’t get the special teams fixed, it won’t matter what you give up on defense. What’s the point of a player playing great on defense if special teams are giving up touchdowns, if special teams isn’t where it needs to be? We’ve got to be great at all three phases.”

That is the thing. Over the first three weeks, the Chargers are 1-2 despite the fact that their offense and defense occasionally have been pretty close to great.

Philip Rivers threw 53 passes for 455 yards at Seattle and had his two touchdown throws offset by two Washington runbacks. Few teams in the NFL are performing better than the Chargers defense, which is manned by several players who cut their pro football teeth on coverage teams, and not just one season of it.

“Guys that have been around here for a while and done it at a high level before really understand how to get it done,” said safety Steve Gregory. “Not that the young guys can’t get it done, but we’ve done it. We just have to get it right as a team, find a way to get it done. We’ll address it and get it done.”

[WolfpackGuy]

They're definitely no Mike Leach!