From ‘Martyball’ to Rivers and roll

By Robert Rousseau  |   Monday, October 09, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

San Diego Chargers
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article!

Last weekend against the Baltimore Ravens, Philip Rivers threw the ball only 22 times (next to 41 rushing plays), and the team fell 16-13. Clearly, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron was partially at fault for the one-sided gameplan, but in reality it seemed as if head coach Marty Schottenheimer's patented "Martyball" was in effect.

Regardless, conservative coaching is what lost the game to the Ravens. Fortunately for the Chargers, coaching helped the team win on Sunday night.

Schottenheimer proved he's not the inflexible guy most believe him to be during Sunday night's 23-13 whipping of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Perhaps he saw the writing on the wall after the Ravens game. If so, then he appears willing to change the writing.

The result?

The Chargers passed the ball more than they ran it on offense (37 passes against 31 rushing plays), and Rivers played a great game, going 24-of-37 for 242 yards and two touchdowns. Most important, the Chargers won the game, which will likely bolster Schottenheimer's willingness to put future games into the hands of his rising star quarterback.

After all, Rivers didn't pick Cleveland apart; this is the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense we're talking about. Besides, facts are facts. In this league, no team can win on a weekly basis without a passing game. It's simply impossible.

The good thing for the San Diego Chargers is that Schottenheimer now knows he doesn't have to play 'small ball' football anymore; Philip Rivers is the real deal.

It looks like we've all seen the end of "Martyball." The new formula?

Give the ball to Rivers and, as the saying goes, let the chips fall where they may.

Get more San Diego Chargers coverage at RealFootball365.com
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article! (0)

About Robert Rousseau

Robert Rousseau is a sports writer that has been published in a variety of print and online venues. He’s been writing for RealFootball365.com for almost three years now. When Rousseau isn’t writing about college football he tends to be penning mixed martial arts pieces for MMAFighting.com or ...
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report