Spotlight Game: San Diego at Philadelphia

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San Diego’s killer schedule continues on Sunday, as the Chargers travel to the East Coast to play Philadelphia. In addition, this is the third straight week in which the Chargers are forced to play a team coming off a bye week. San Diego has survived thus far with a 3-3 record, but the team will be facing an angry Eagles squad that is 6-0 after bye weeks under Andy Reid.

San Diego

Drew Brees: I do not recommend Brees in this game. Not only will San Diego be facing the blitz consistently, but also LaDainian Tomlinson will vulture the majority of his scoring opportunities. Brees will move the ball to put the team in position to score, but Tomlinson should be the one who sees pay dirt. If the offensive line, which has given up nine sacks in six games, protects him, however, Brees could still register respectable numbers. I will predict that he goes 17/28 for 195 yards, a touchdown, and a turnover or two.

LaDainian Tomlinson: Tomlinson could face seven in the box today, and he should see elaborate blitz packages designed to confuse him, but he will get the ball anyway. San Diego will try to control the clock and try to feed him the ball all day. The Eagles are 23rd in rushing defense, giving up 118 yards per game, but I fully expect them to make Brees beat them today. Tomlinson owners will be happy at the end of the day, but the Eagles will not let him break out. Tomlinson will carry 25 times for 95 yards and two TDs, and he will add about 40 yards on five catches through the air.

San Diego WRs: Through four games, Keenan McCardell was on fire. Fantasy owners were throwing him into their wide receiver spots to fill their weaknesses. His 268 yards and five touchdowns in four games were a clear sign that he was Brees’ favorite target. Well, maybe that is not the case. Two games and three receptions for 25 yards later, fantasy footballers are scratching their heads, trying to figure out what to make of this enigma. Well, just as his hot streak was bound to end, this slump will eventually end as well. However, I would probably steer clear of him until he shows signs of life. McCardell should have about 40-50 receiving yards in this game as he begins to bounce back. The only other receiver that sees a good amount of time here is Eric Parker (questionable-ankle). He is not much of a play anyway (even in a deep league), since he never reaches the end zone (despite his 253 receiving yards this year). A hobbled Parker should only be good for about 20 yards today. If he can not go, Reche Caldwell should see the majority of his time.

Antonio Gates: With the relative absence of Tony Gonzalez in the passing game, Gates has established himself as the most valuable fantasy tight end in the league. When Brees goes to the air on Sunday, this is who he will be looking for, especially when the Eagles blitz. Gates is probably the best start for tight ends once again. He should go for about 80 yards on seven catches and score a TD.

Defense: The San Diego defense is normally a shaky start due to a vulnerable secondary, and this week is no different. San Diego is not even a spot start until they hit a break in their torturous schedule. The Chargers should garner one turnover and a couple of sacks at best. Donnie Edwards is a very valuable IDP to start this week, as he is third in the league in total tackles with 65. Edwards should tackle another ten adversaries this Sunday. The secondary offers little in the way of worthy starters, but Terrence Kiel (questionable) might be worth a look if he plays. He has 38 tackles and a sack this year, and with the Eagles’ tendency to throw often, he might see more action than usual in this clash.

Philadelphia

Donovan McNabb: McNabb is one of the best quarterback starts of the day. As usual, he is not completely healthy, but as long as the offensive line keeps him relatively clean, he should pick the Chargers apart. There is really not much in the way of analysis to be made here; McNabb is simply a must start. San Diego may try to double or triple Terrell Owens, but even if they find a way to contain him, Brian Westbrook, LJ Smith, and Greg Lewis will benefit. McNabb will go 30/43 for 320 yards, three to four TDs, and an interception.

Brian Westbrook: Westbrook has made public his desire to get more carries to improve the Eagles rushing offense, which is last in the league with just over 64 yards per game. However, this is not the week in which his wishes will come true. San Diego is third in rushing defense, allowing only 84.7 yards per game on the ground. Conversely, the Chargers are 27th in passing defense, allowing over 245 yards per game through the air. If Westbrook does any damage in this game, it is going to be receiving the ball either out of the backfield or in the slot. Luckily for Westbrook owners, he has the capability to accomplish this task, as he already has 292 yards on 25 catches this year. Westbrook will not get the rushes that he is clamoring for, but he will get his yards. Westbrook will have ten carries for 35-40 yards, but he will add six or seven receptions for 50-60 yards. He will also add a score either on the ground or through the air.

Philadelphia WRs: This is an ideal situation for Owens. He should pick apart this Charger defense throughout the afternoon. The Chargers may try to blitz to slow down the passing game, but do not expect that to work. Owens should post nine grabs for 130 yards and two TDs on Sunday. That being said, he is the only Eagles WR worth a start. Greg Lewis is the only other productive WR, and he has just 239 yards on 21 catches this year. Lewis may be worth a flier as a bye-week filler, but only if you are desperate. Still, Lewis should get about 60-70 yards receiving if he takes advantage of the weak San Diego secondary.

LJ Smith: Smith is rising to the point where he is an every-week starter, but he just doesn’t have the consistency yet. After two solid outings against Oakland and Kansas City, he laid an egg last week at Dallas (two catches for 22 yards). It has been difficult to predict when Smith will come to play, but you would have to think that this week is one of those weeks. If Smith can stay out of Donnie Edwards’ way while running routes, he should find some open space. I’ll put Smith down for 50 yards and a touchdown on four catches.

Defense: The Philadelphia defense is an average start at best in this situation. The Eagles are at home, but both Tomlinson and Brees are pretty sure-handed. I would expect something in the vicinity of two turnovers and two sacks. If you are looking for IDPs, the Eagles offer a couple of sleepers. Michael Lewis has 31 total tackles this year, and there is always a possibility of a sack if the safety blitz is used (although Brian Dawkins is employed in this role more often than not). Jeremiah Trotter would be your only real option in the front seven. He should be good for five to seven tackles.

Sleeper

Lamar Gordon: Gordon has played second fiddle to Westbrook this season, averaging a mere 3.3 yards a carry on 19 carries. However, he is not in Philadelphia to pick up yardage and score touchdowns, he is there to block and change the pace. Philadelphia is going to pass often on Sunday, but the Eagles will have to keep the Chargers honest so that they will not drop seven or eight into coverage. Gordon will play a huge role on Sunday – one that many spectators will not see. Gordon’s hard-nosed running style is not only a perfect compliment to Westbrook’s elusiveness, but it also is the perfect recipe to further wear down the Chargers’ front seven. Gordon will also do the blocking in the backfield on several occasions, especially when San Diego brings a blitz. Gordon may not get more than 5-7 touches on Sunday, but he will make an impact on this game’s outcome.

Matchup to Watch

LaDainian Tomlinson vs. Philadelphia’s defense: The age-old question will rise to the forefront once again this Sunday: can you contain Tomlinson? Oakland answered with a resounding “no” last week as Tomlinson ran, caught, and passed for touchdowns on the way to a 27-14 Charger victory. In San Diego’s three wins this year, Tomlinson has rushed for well over 100 yards (192 against the Giants , 134 at New England, and 140 at Oakland). In the Chargers’ three losses he has been contained (72 against Dallas, 52 at Denver, and 62 against Pittsburgh). Tomlinson will be tough to keep out of the end zone, and he has shown that with ten touchdowns through six games this year. The real question is, can the Eagles contain Tomlinson and keep him off the field (and prevent him from controlling the clock)? If the Eagles can answer “yes” to that question on Sunday, they should be adding a “W” to the win column.

Prediction

The Eagles will need to generate a pass rush in this game – something that they have been lacking as of late. If the Eagles can blitz effectively and pressure Brees, they can contain Tomlinson since they will be forcing the Chargers into second-and-long and third-and-long situations. On the other hand, the Chargers will need to do something to stop McNabb in this game. Linebacker Steve Foley said it best, “We have to get to him and hit him. If we let him sit back there, he’ll pick us apart. We’ve got to pressure him and try to make him move.” I really dislike this matchup for the Chargers, regardless of how much they try to blitz. San Diego faces a tough situation here. They have to play on the East Coast, they play against a rested team, and they play a team that is historically flawless after bye weeks. I think that Philly will recover nicely in the friendly confines of Lincoln Financial Field. Philadelphia 31, San Diego 21.

 
Dave McGrath hopes to eventually turn his Communication major into a full-time sportwriting career. He can be found posting as dave416 in the Cafe forums.