Posts tagged AntonioGates at FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

Unlike the offensive coordinators under Brian Billick, Cam Cameron, the guy new head coach John Harbaugh has charged with revamping (creating?) the Ravens offense, will have the run of the place. So in contrast to Rick Neuheisel, who held the OC title but had little to do on game days outside of keeping Kyle Boller's spirits up, Cameron will not only install his offense, he'll be calling plays on Sundays.

Novel idea, that.

The hope, unchanged from the time the Browns relocated to Baltimore, is that the offense can serve some purpose other than offering the defense a quick breather. Cameron has a track record of fielding high-powered offenses, which is something Matt Cavanagh or Neuheisel could never claim.

The issue, of course, is if Cameron can have the same success in Baltimore that he had in San Diego. The biggest difference between the Ravens ahd Chargers is personnel. There are only one LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates (although Willis McGahee and a healthy Todd Heap ain't bad), and Drew Brees had his best season in San Diego under Cameron. Maybe the most underrated group was the offensive line, who allowed the skill players do do what they do.

It's seldom news when an offensive lineman has surgery in the middle of March. The season is still more than five months off and let's be honest: hearing about a fat guy going under the knife is a lot less sexy than the quarterback or wide receiver or, well, anybody but said fat guy.

This is different, though. Chargers center Nick Hardwick had surgery last week to repair a severe sprain in his right foot, and he could miss the first few games of the season (he thinks he'll be ready by the opener). Initially, Hardwick was just going to rest the foot but apparently the recovery was slower than expected. So instead of heading out on a nine-day Hawaiian vacation followed by a 12-day trip to Australia, Hardwick had surgery. Sweet compromise.

While losing a starter is always a big deal, the Chargers have other injury-related issues:

The Chargers offense potentially could also be missing starting tight end Antonio Gates (toe), quarterback Philip Rivers (knee) and fullback Andrew Pinnock (knee) for some or all of the preseason.

All had offseason surgeries and could be healthy before training camp or not until late August. Or all of them could be ready. For now, all the Chargers can do is wait.

And earlier this week offensive tackle Marcus McNeill (shoulder) and linebacker Shawne Merriman (knee) had minor surgical procedures. Neither player should miss training camp, though; McNeill should be ready to go in two-to-four weeks, and Merriman's looking at a four-to-six week recovery.

It seems innocuous enough. You'd think a toe injury would be about as likely as a hangnail to keep an NFL player out of a game. The Chargers' Antonio Gates suffered dislocated his big toe during the AFC Wild Card and although he played the following week, he basically served as a decoy.

San Diego's third-leading receiver from 2004-2006 missed all of last season because of broken toe. The point: even though they might seem inconsequential, toes are apparently play a pretty important role in the whole biped thing.

According to really smart people who have devoted their professional lives to feet, it has less to do with the fancy new playing surfaces, and more to do with the shoes.

But new footwear is the more likely culprit, said Dr. Doug Richie. ... The traction is so good that the foot inside may not get the natural give it should, Richie said. That means the player's foot can suffer "an abrupt collision" within the shoe itself.

Today's players also seek lighter, more flexible cleats instead of the more rigid ones of the past, he said. They help increase speed, but offer less protection.

So Mars Blackmon was right, I guess.

I'm sure much of the talk the next few days will be about Tom Brady and his underwhelming performance in the AFC Championship game. He came out flat and stayed that way for most of the afternoon. And yet Brady still did enough to get the Patriots to the Super Bowl.

He finished the day 22 of 33 for 209 yards and two touchdowns, but he tossed three interceptions, including his first red-zone pick in two years. I'm sure the weather had something to do with it, but the Chargers' Philip Rivers looked plenty comfortable and he was playing with just one good knee.

Lucky for New England, running back Laurence Maroney continued his recent trend of picking up yards in huge chunks. After only gaining 16 yards in the first half, Maroney went for 106 in the final 30 minutes.

The deep playoff run has to be encouraging for the Chargers, particularly after how 2006 ended and 2007 began. And Norv Turner, even after 1-3 start, did something Marty Schottenheimer never could: win in the postseason. Twice. And San Diego gave New England all they could handle without the services of LaDainian Tomlinson, and a less-than-completely-healthy Antonio Gates and Rivers.

The Washington Post's Mark Maske asks an important question, and one Chargers head coach Norv Turner certainly has considered: even if Philip Rivers starts today's AFC Championship game, can he finish it?

Rivers missed the fourth quarter of last Sunday's win over the Colts with a sprained MCL. This week, he was listed as doubtful on the injury report, but did take some snaps during Friday's practice and says he'll be on the field come 3 p.m. this afternoon.

More proof: According to Maske, "One person familiar with the Chargers' thinking just said his guess is that Rivers will convince the team's coaches to allow him to start the game." Playing through pain is great, but at what point does Rivers being on the field hurt the Chargers?

Against Indianapolis, tight end Antonio Gates was hobbled with a sprained toe. He still played, but was virtually invisible. That's not to say he hurt the team; San Diego used him as a decoy and it worked to some extent. It's a little more difficult to make the quarterback a decoy, particularly since the Patriots' game plan will be to stop LaDainian Tomlinson.

Backup Billy Volek availed himself nicely last week. If there's any question that Rivers isn't healthy enough to make the plays he made during the regular season, I think you have to sit him. Plus, the proximity to the stands will make it much easier for him to talk smack to the fans.

You think the Chargers could use Wes Welker this weekend? Welker actually started his NFL career in San Diego; the team signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech in 2004, and he made the roster out of training camp.

That lasted a week, when the Chargers waived him to make room for safety Clinton Hart. Seems ridiculous in retrospect, but who the hell knew Welker would be one of the league's best all around players?

It's easy to take shots at San Diego general manager A.J. Smith (although it's become less so now that Norvell has gotten the team out of the first round of the playoffs), but the guy has an eye for talent. Can't really blame him for cutting a rookie free agent, particularly, as Welker points, one that was 12th on the depth chart at wide receiver when training camp began.

Ironically, San Diego has been looking for a competent wideout to complement tight end Antonio Gates and running back LaDainian Tomlinson (the Chargers' top two receivers, by the way). The team drafted Buster Davis in the first round last April, but he only caught 20 passes during the regular season. He could be a fine wide receiver one day, it's just not likely to be this Sunday. Which is kind of a problem since San Diego's Big Three are iffy for the AFC Championship game.

At the time, it looked like Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson twisted his knee pretty good as he got tackled from about three different directions. The injury occurred on a second-quarter run in Sunday's AFC Divisional game against the Colts, Tomlinson's last action on the day.

Following the game, it looked like the Chargers could limp into Foxboro missing three starters (in addition to Tomlinson, quarterback Philip Rivers and tight end Antonio Gates), but a day later, the prognosis is a little sunnier:

LaDainian Tomlinson said during a news conference Monday that an MRI showed he has a hyperextended knee that is "nothing serious."

Tomlinson said he expected to be listed on the injury report as questionable but think's he'll be able to play against the Patriots on Sunday in the AFC Championship game.

One down, two to go. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Rivers, who sprained his knee against the Colts, should be able to play in the AFC Championship game, "although nothing will be certain until later in the week." As for Gates, he will see a specialist about his ailing big toe, and his status for next Sunday is still up in the air.

Good news: CHARGERS ARE GOING TO THE AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME! NORV TURNER HAS BEEN VINDICATED!!

Bad news: The opening line for next week's San Diego-New England game will probably be somewhere around 20 points, undoubtedly the largest in AFC Championship history. And it could be more; the Jaguars were +13.5 underdogs against the Patriots and are arguably a better team than the Chargers. Worse, San Diego could have three less-than-healthy starters in Foxboro: Antonio Gates, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Philip Rivers.

So, yeah, congratulations to the Chargers for pulling off the biggest upset of the postseason. Rivers, who now has no good knees, still managed to look more like Peyton Manning than Peyton Manning did. LdT spent most of the game on the sidelines nursing a knee injury, and Gates played with a bum toe, but he was mostly ineffective. That won't cut it next Sunday.

ESPN is reporting that Chargers tight end Antonio Gates will start today against the Indianapolis Colts, one week after being carted off the field with what appeared to be a significant toe injury.

Gates has been in a walking boot all week and was not expected to play. But he walked onto the field at the RCA Dome today in pregame warmups and did not appear to be in pain as he ran through drills. Gates is the best receiving tight end in football, and his presence is huge for the Chargers.

Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie will play and does not seem to be showing any ill effects of the stomach virus that hampered him last week. Fullback Lorenzo Neal will not play.

Chargers tight end Antonio Gates will likely miss Sunday's AFC Divisional game against the Colts. That's big. Gates is quarterback Philip Rivers' go-to option, as evidenced by his team-leading 75 receptions. (Of course, the second-leading receiver is running back LaDainian Tomlinson, which says as much about Rivers' inconsistencies this season as it does about Gates' and Tomlinson's abilities.)

But San Diego could be without just as big a playmaker on the defensive side of the ball, the other Antonio:

As the rest of the Chargers worked out before their afternoon flight to Indianapolis, Antonio Cromartie joined Antonio Gates in the training room. The Pro Bowl cornerback is battling a stomach virus.

"I started feeling it on Wednesday," said Cromartie, who said he has received "several IVs to pump fluids back into my system."

The good news is that Cromartie is listed as probable. Gates' prognosis is less rosy, however:

"I'm going to give it a shot, but I'm not going to test it until Sunday morning," Gates said. "If I tested it before then and it swelled up again, there'd be no way I could be ready. So we're not going to know anything more until just before the game."

San Diego is 8.5-point underdogs, but that seems kinda low if Gates is out. And if Cromartie is less than 100 percent, the Chargers will have virtually no chance. Not of winning, but covering.