Chargers invade the Dog Pound

On Sunday the Chargers will visit Cleveland to take on the Browns and try to get their seventh straight win. It shouldn’t be too difficult a task against a team that has managed only one victory this season and is competing with a handful of other teams for next year’s top pick in the NFL draft.

The Browns were once a proud franchise and perennial playoff contender, but that was a long time ago. The team was known for their competitiveness and raucous crowd with some of the wildest fans in the league that made up the Dog Pound. These days they’re more like the puppy pound, or at least their team is, a team that has a record of 1-10 and hasn’t won a home game yet this year.

This game will pit one of the best offenses in the NFL against one of the worst defenses. San Diego’s offensive unit has been cranking out the points on a weekly basis and is coming off a game in which they scored 43 against Kansas City. Phillip Rivers is putting together another awesome season, perhaps a pro-ball season with over 2,900 yards passing, 19 touchdowns, and only 6 interceptions. The Chargers have also been getting some big contributions from their running game lately, an area that they struggled with earlier in the season. With these things going in their favor plus the fact that the Browns defense is surrendering nearly 400 yards per game and an average of 25 points per contest, the Chargers offense should have a very productive day.

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For the Browns there isn’t much better news on the offensive side of the ball either. In a season that began with a quarterback controversy over Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn, neither QB has produced. The two of them have combined for a paltry seven passing touchdowns for an offense that has struggled to move the ball in almost every game they’ve played. The running game has been poor as well and will likely get even worse now that Jamaal Lewis is done for the year. It’s a miserable situation in Cleveland, one that will probably cost first year coach Eric Mangini his job at season’s end.

It could be a very long day in Cleveland for the Browns and their fans, but whoever is at quarterback for the Browns on Sunday will probably get the worst of it. The Chargers defense has been incredible over the six game winning streak and the main reason for the team’s turnaround. Last week against the Chiefs, San Diego’s defense forced five turnovers, returning one for a touchdown and throwing in a safety for good measure. They have consistently pressured opposing team’s quarterbacks over the last month and a half and will be chomping at the bit when they get on the field to face a very weak Browns offense.

Sunday’s date with the Browns is not a big match up for the Chargers, but the game is still huge. They can’t afford to take the light competition for granted, for the schedule with toughen up in the weeks ahead, starting with a trip to Dallas. The Broncos are still hanging on in the west so every game is important if San Diego wants to win their division as well as possibly clinch a bye week for when the post-season arrives in January.

By Steven Mondelli
ProFootball-fans.com San Diego Chargers Correspondent