Kostroski: Buy or Sell The Bears, Chargers?

[iggs111]

Each week I will focus on teams you might want to “buy” or “sell” in the short term based on a number of factors including scheduling, how they are currently playing, injuries, etc… Here are my recommendations in this week’s article.

BUY – Chicago Bears

Da Bears are a buy in my book over the next few weeks. In my opinion, this team is better than their current 3-3 record. Their defense is really solid against the run and they know how to keep teams off the scoreboard. They struggle against the pass, however their upcoming teams on the slate are not prolific throwing teams. Their offense is balanced and efficient. Starting QB Kyle Orton has managed games nicely and he takes care of the ball unlike his predecessor, Rex Grossman. That, along with a stretch of three straight home games, should add up to a nice run for Chicago.

Chicago’s three losses were all games in which they blew late leads. In their 20-17 loss at Carolina, the Bears led 17-13 with under four minutes to go in the game. They also watched a 17-3 second half lead evaporate in that one. Chicago’s 27-24 overtime loss to Tampa was even worse. They led by 10 points with just over three minutes left in that game and still had the lead with under 10 seconds remaining. Last week’s loss at Atlanta took the cake. Chicago scored with only 11 seconds left to take a 20-19 lead but inexplicably lost 22-20 on a last second field goal. Thus, truth be told, the Bears aren’t that far from being a perfect 6-0 against a pretty tough schedule.

Their upcoming schedule includes three home games against Minnesota, Detroit and Tennessee along with a bye thrown in after their game against the Vikings. As I mentioned, the Windy City defense is very good against the run and they struggle defending when balls are in the air. The Vikings, Lions and Titans all rank in the bottom third of the NFL in passing yards so it will be tough for those teams to take advantage of that deficiency, especially on the road. They catch Minnesota this Sunday off two straight wins they probably shouldn’t have. The Vikes were pounded by the Saints two weeks ago, however New Orleans basically gave them the game with turnovers. Last week, Minny kicked a field goal as time ran out to beat winless Detroit 12-10. When the Bears play Detroit it will be the Lions third road game in four weeks and Chicago will be off a bye. They should get a favorable line at home against a good and potentially undefeated Tennessee team in a few weeks. All of these things point to a “buy” sign for the Bears over the next few weeks.

SELL – San Diego Chargers

People are still clamoring and stating that the Chargers are the best team in the AFC. I’m not buying it and I’ll sell them in the short term. They have not performed well on the road and their next two games are away from home. Once their next two games are completed, it will end a brutal stretch that had San Diego playing five of its last seven games on the road.

So far Norv Turner’s team is just 1-2 SU on the road, losing at Denver and at Miami. Their only win came in Oakland and that performance was nothing to write home about. They trailed 15-0 at halftime in that game and rallied for a deceiving 28-18 which included a half-point cover. The Charger offense had just 295 total yards in that game and 41 of those came on a LaDanian Tomlinson TD run while he was attempting to run out the clock with just a minute remaining in the game. This offense that many so called experts proclaim among the best in the league had just 202 total yards at Miami in their loss a week later. Those in the "know” around the NFL have said LT is not the runner he was a year ago. He is not nearly as explosive this year and Chris Chambers has a bad hamstring which will limit him. That puts a pile of pressure on QB Philip Rivers to carry most of the load which is tough on the road against quality opponents. They can’t expect their defense to keep them in games as they rank near the bottom of the NFL in overall defense along with pass defense.

I quickly mentioned their schedule earlier in this article so let’s take a look at that. The two upcoming games for the Bolts are tough ones. They travel to Buffalo this Sunday to meet up with a 4-1 Bills team that is off a bye. It will be San Diego’s second trip to the East Coast in three weeks after jetting to Miami and losing 17-10 two weeks ago. It’s always tough for teams traveling from the West Coast to the East Coast to play the 1 p.m. ET game. One has to remember, it’s really 10 a.m. on their body clocks. Not only that, getting up at 7 a.m. ET to start their preparation for the game is really like getting up at 4 a.m. PT. Teams simply struggle in that situation. In fact, West Coast teams traveling to the Eastern Time zone to play an early game are 0-6 straight up this year. It’s definitely not an ideal situation, especially here with the Chargers having to do it in two of the last three weeks. After that this team is off to London to play the Saints. That’s right, England! What a tough way to end an enormously hard stretch of road games.

After that it’s a bye week and then three home games. That might be a spot for a buy but over the next few weeks this Charger team needs to be sold.

[rjb1816]

tough games for the chargers coming up but this guy is a tool

[rjb1816]

Originally Posted by iggs111

Those in the "know” around the NFL have said LT is not the runner he was a year ago.

he got injured in game 1 and it has lingered...those in the know are so sharp that they can see it has hindered him. wow...such analysis

[iggs111]

Originally Posted by rjb1816

he got injured in game 1 and it has lingered...those in the know are so sharp that they can see it has hindered him. wow...such analysis

yea but I thought Lt was gonna step his game up not for himself but for his team too?

[rjb1816]

Originally Posted by iggs111

yea but I thought Lt was gonna step his game up not for himself but for his team too?

thats why he's playing and still producing...1 game he's hurt, then he starts to get healthy and some dolphins douche is stepping on it and grinding it into the turf. its all good, he'll be good to go by the playoffs

[iggs111]

Originally Posted by rjb1816

thats why he's playing and still producing...1 game he's hurt, then he starts to get healthy and some dolphins douche is stepping on it and grinding it into the turf. its all good, he'll be good to go by the playoffs

Rjb, stop it........

[BigFratDaddy]

id do just the opposite of both as much as i hope the chargers fall apart so i dont have to listen to the san diego guys talk about them in every thread

[rjb1816]

talk to me at the end of the year...btw we are missing the point that this guy is a tool

[BigdaddyQH]

RJB. The only point you are missing is that your front office made a huge mistake by letting Turner go to Atlanta. Your team is not going anyplace this year. No superbowl for the Chargers. It will only get worse unless the Charger front office finds some help for LT, who is getting older and more injury prone. This clown does not play the entire pre-season and he gets hurt in the very first game? Please.

[dhunter]

turner's deal with atlanta is six-year, $34.5 million contract with $15 million guaranteed. how could SD complete with this...and why? for a backup? had to let him go.

[rjb1816]

Originally Posted by dhunter

turner's deal with atlanta is six-year, $34.5 million contract with $15 million guaranteed. how could SD complete with this...and why? for a backup? had to let him go.

you could compete with this if you're bigdaddy, have absolutely no clue how to run an nfl franchise or any sense of what reality is...really the only way