Robin Miller
10-07-2008, 03:15 PM
Rivers' ribs are acting up after two rough weeks in the trenches
Kevin Acee
Monday, October 6, 2008
Philip Rivers didn't get hit as much Sunday in Miami as he did the previous
week in Oakland. But the back-to-back weeks of playing teams that got to him
had him receiving treatment yesterday for the second straight day on his
bruised ribs.
"Just a couple bumps and bruises," Rivers said. "Nothing big."
There are a few others - guards Kris Dielman (thigh bruise) and Mike Goff
(knee strain), strong safety Clinton Hart (strained shoulder) and fullback
Mike Tolbert (sprained ankle) - who can say the same thing. All of them will
play Sunday against New England, though they could be rested in practice
this week.
But the Chargers will be without outside linebacker Jyles Tucker again this
week and perhaps a week longer because of the strained hamstring that kept
him out at Miami. And receiver Chris Chambers appears likely to sit against
the Patriots with the ankle sprain suffered against the Dolphins.
Moreover, LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates, the cornerstones of the
offense, remain hobbled by a toe and hip, respectively.
"We have some guys who aren't 100 percent," head coach Norv Turner said. "We
have some guys that aren't able to do the things we're accustomed to seeing.
I think they're getting closer and closer to doing it."
Gates expects to be bothered by the hip stinger for another couple of weeks,
and Tomlinson said he has no choice but to play through the injury.
"If I take a week off, I have to take three weeks off," he said. "It's not a
one-week injury. You can't get better in one week. There's no such thing.
Nobody can. If you are injured, you're injured."
Tomlinson actually had two fewer yards on nine more carries last season than
his 331 yards on 89 carries through five games this year. The past two years
comprise the slowest five-game starts in his career.
"I don't think there's any question that we're banged up," Tomlinson said.
"Obviously, just look at the injury report and you can see that. But at the
same time, we played through stretches like this last year when we were
banged up and we got the job done. So I don't want to make that an excuse.
"We're out there playing, so ultimately, it's on us. It doesn't matter if
we're hurting or banged up or what. We have to play better."
Great day
The loss precluded Mike Scifres from being too pleased with himself, but the
fact is he had the best game of his career Sunday against the Dolphins.
Never before in 74 career games had he finished a game with a higher net
average in a game in which he punted more than once. (And only once when
punting one time did he have a higher net than the 50.5-yard average he had
over six punts in Miami.)
"Just doing my job," Scifres said. "That's the guys covering. That's us
doing our job as a unit, those guys tackling and not giving up returns."
Sure, but he also booted the ball - a 65-, 64- and two 59-yarders that
seemed to hang in the air like a helium balloon.
Nuts 'n' Bolts
- Field position was not the problem Sunday. For the third straight game,
the Chargers' average start was beyond the 30.
- The Chargers have not allowed an opponent to score in the third quarter
since the season opener and have outscored opponents 30-7 in that period.
Bill Center contributed to this report.
Kevin Acee: (619) 293-1857; kevin.acee@uniontrib.com
Find this article at:
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2008/oct/06/chargers-s7chnotes195421/?chargers
Kevin Acee
Monday, October 6, 2008
Philip Rivers didn't get hit as much Sunday in Miami as he did the previous
week in Oakland. But the back-to-back weeks of playing teams that got to him
had him receiving treatment yesterday for the second straight day on his
bruised ribs.
"Just a couple bumps and bruises," Rivers said. "Nothing big."
There are a few others - guards Kris Dielman (thigh bruise) and Mike Goff
(knee strain), strong safety Clinton Hart (strained shoulder) and fullback
Mike Tolbert (sprained ankle) - who can say the same thing. All of them will
play Sunday against New England, though they could be rested in practice
this week.
But the Chargers will be without outside linebacker Jyles Tucker again this
week and perhaps a week longer because of the strained hamstring that kept
him out at Miami. And receiver Chris Chambers appears likely to sit against
the Patriots with the ankle sprain suffered against the Dolphins.
Moreover, LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates, the cornerstones of the
offense, remain hobbled by a toe and hip, respectively.
"We have some guys who aren't 100 percent," head coach Norv Turner said. "We
have some guys that aren't able to do the things we're accustomed to seeing.
I think they're getting closer and closer to doing it."
Gates expects to be bothered by the hip stinger for another couple of weeks,
and Tomlinson said he has no choice but to play through the injury.
"If I take a week off, I have to take three weeks off," he said. "It's not a
one-week injury. You can't get better in one week. There's no such thing.
Nobody can. If you are injured, you're injured."
Tomlinson actually had two fewer yards on nine more carries last season than
his 331 yards on 89 carries through five games this year. The past two years
comprise the slowest five-game starts in his career.
"I don't think there's any question that we're banged up," Tomlinson said.
"Obviously, just look at the injury report and you can see that. But at the
same time, we played through stretches like this last year when we were
banged up and we got the job done. So I don't want to make that an excuse.
"We're out there playing, so ultimately, it's on us. It doesn't matter if
we're hurting or banged up or what. We have to play better."
Great day
The loss precluded Mike Scifres from being too pleased with himself, but the
fact is he had the best game of his career Sunday against the Dolphins.
Never before in 74 career games had he finished a game with a higher net
average in a game in which he punted more than once. (And only once when
punting one time did he have a higher net than the 50.5-yard average he had
over six punts in Miami.)
"Just doing my job," Scifres said. "That's the guys covering. That's us
doing our job as a unit, those guys tackling and not giving up returns."
Sure, but he also booted the ball - a 65-, 64- and two 59-yarders that
seemed to hang in the air like a helium balloon.
Nuts 'n' Bolts
- Field position was not the problem Sunday. For the third straight game,
the Chargers' average start was beyond the 30.
- The Chargers have not allowed an opponent to score in the third quarter
since the season opener and have outscored opponents 30-7 in that period.
Bill Center contributed to this report.
Kevin Acee: (619) 293-1857; kevin.acee@uniontrib.com
Find this article at:
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2008/oct/06/chargers-s7chnotes195421/?chargers