The 2018 NFL season has hit it’s halfway point | Forum

Los Angeles Chargers Jerseys Stitched , the Los Angeles Chargers are sitting comfortably among the AFC best at 5-2. Taking control of the AFC under potential MVP candidate Philip Rivers, the Chargers offense under second-year coach Anthony Lynn is among one of the league’s most productive system. Granted while some of the credit is due to his supporting cast, Rivers deserves most of the credit for the Chargers success.With Halloween right around the corner, scary things are on the rise, like the Chargers perhaps taking complete control of their own destiny heading into the postseason...very scary. Or like Melvin Gordon perhaps missing more time after the bye week, even scarier. Either way, Halloween is a time when kids, young and old, all dress up in costumes and pretend to be something they’re not. Sometimes a costume hits and it’s a treat while other times it fails miserably and it’s a trick. Halloween is known for trick or treating and much like that, so is the NFL. Any player could be worth a massive contract and trick an organization to thinking they’re a great addition to their staff while other times a name with little expectations breaks out and becomes a star in the making. The Bolts are no exception to the rule and have several names this season that have been tricks and treats. With the team on a bye week, let’s see which players have been have been tricks and which have been treats this season out in Stub Hub Stadium. Trick - Forrest Lamp This pains me to write as I loved the fit when the Chargers drafted him back in 2017 but at this moment, he’s tricked a ton of people into thinking he;s a sound offensive linemen. Although injuries have plagued his early career Easton Stick Jersey 2019 , heading into week 9, the former second round draft pick has yet to make any impact with the organization.Partially to blame would be the coaching staff. So far Lamp has been held out even though cleared to practice a majority of this season. It might be a stretch but perhaps there’s a reason why Lamp isn’t playing. Perhaps he’s not able to process the playbook fast enough? Perhaps he’s been executing poorly in practice? Either way, Lamp will need a big turn around in the second half of the season because as of now, he’s trick many, including our own Michael Peterson that he’s ready to become a top caliber guard for Chargers offenseTreat - Mike Williams Yes, Mike Williams was a first round pick so there’s plenty of pressure there for him to succeed. That being said, many around the NFL still believe that speedy Keenan Allen is the team’s top target. He still is as he currently leads the Chargers offense with 41 receptions on 56 targets for 506 yards. His one touchdown however has been the blemish that could lead to some thinking the Williams era is about to begin a blossom. The second-year receiver out of Clemson has collected 17 receptions on 29 targets for 308 yards and four touchdowns. The big bodied receiver known for this ability to win in man coverage match ups also is averaging 18.1 yards per catch and winning most of his one on one battles. Sure, doing your job is one thing but also becoming a perfect compliment to an already establish offense is a big step forward. It’s certainly been a treat to watch Williams grow as a receiver this season and become a key part of Rivers offensive game plan.Trick - Jahleel AddeeYou know when you get that chocolate box and you bite into the one with coconut filling? Yeah, that’s a good comparison for Addee at this point. Sure, some people will like him because of the stats he’s put up thus far but most people would likely spit him back out and trade him in for another piece.From a stat standpoint, Addee is average. He currently is third on the team in tackles with 35 total tackles and a pass break up. Other than that, he play has been below average at best. Missing open field tackles to chasing down receivers on missed assignments Cheap Easton Stick Jersey , Addee has been forced to play the high safety role and tricked everyone into believing he’s a sufficient free safety. Sorry Chargers fans who like coconut but most of people are done with Addee and can’t wait to find his replacement.Treat - Desmond KingDesmond King received a ton of criticism early this season due to his “average” cover skills. He must have changed costumes because since week 4, he’s been a whole new ball player. The former fifth-round selection has been showing that while he might be a nickel cornerback, he will hunt for the ball and make an impact on the field. In what could only be described as a perfect game game for King two weeks ago against the Cleveland Browns, King two tackles and three pass deflections on the way to a 38-14 win. Oh, he also had a pair of interceptions returned for 33 total yards that would set up a pair of scores for the Chargers offense. Not only is he building off his successful rookie campaign, but he’s also thriving in his role with the Chargers defense. Add in his special teams ability and it’s hard to imagine how the heck he fell all the way to the fifth round. Trick - Tyrell Williams Tyrell Williams has a team high four receiving touchdowns. Tyrell Williams has 428 receiving yards on the season thanks to 20 receptions. Tyrell Williams is tricking you Chargers fans. You hear that? Tricking you. One of the more inconsistent receivers in the Chargers locker room, Williams has tried to turn his season around in the past two weeks. Following back to back 118 receiving yard games, you’d think he’d be one of the league’s best receivers right? Wrong. Prior to his matchup with the Cleveland Browns, Williams has averaged just 38.4 yards per game and scored once. To put it Halloween terms, he’s that chocolate you find in a fools gold wrapper, just a part of the pack.Treat - Austin EkelerRemember when Chargers fans were ecstatic to find a complimentary back to Melvin Gordon in Justin Jackson? Yeah that lasted all but four preseason games. The reasoning? Ekeler’s versatility and upside with the Chargers offensive unit. Sure, while Jackson might still be apart of the organization White Easton Stick Jersey , it’s Ekeler who not only is playing the role as perhaps top secondary running back in the NFL, but also giving Gordon a run for first team snaps. This season, Ekeler is averaging 5.8 yards per carry, the most among Chargers running backs. He also has been detrimental in the team’s passing game, collecting 19 receptions for 233 yards and averaged 12.3 yards per reception, the most among Chargers running backs. He currently has six total touchdowns, second most among running backs. So while he’s not leading in every running back category, Ekeler’s skills have proved to be a major part of the Chargers success this season. Plus he’s been a treat to anyone who has in fantasy football.King Size Candy Bar Treat - Derwin James There’s always one house that gives out King size candy bars to all the neighborhood children. The Chargers are one kid and can thank 16 other houses for giving them this massive size candy bar in the form of James. Following seven game this season, it’s hard to imagine at the current moment how the former 17th overall pick isn’t Defensive Rookie of the Year. In seven starts for the Bolts defense, James has collected 44 total tackles, second among Chargers defenders. He’s also played a crucial role as a pass rusher with 3.5 total sacks, tied with defensive end Melvin Ingram for the most on the roster. Add in his team-high six pass deflections along with one interception and James has been the heart and soul of this defense since joining the staff. Put it this way; if you nearly as many tackles as your middle linebacker Youth Trevor Williams Jerseys , as many sacks as your best current pass rushers and nearly lead the team in every defensive category, you’re a mega bar and the biggest treat a team could ask for.What If Ryan Leaf Had Stayed Healthy? The SB Nation NFL team sites are continuing to do Theme Weeks after starting the trend during the 2017 season. This week’s theme is: “What if?”Ask any San Diego Chargers fan (I’ll get to you, L.A.) what the biggest mistake in franchise history was and you’re bound to hear the same answer 100% of the time: Ryan LeafWith the #2 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, the Chargers selected QB Ryan Leaf from Washington State. You could hear a million arguments at the time of why the Indianapolis Colts should, and should not, draft Peyton Manning with the #1 pick. Many thought Ryan Leaf had a better future because he had a better arm. Leaf, who wanted to follow in the footsteps of Dan Fouts, had made his mind up. He worked with his agent to anger Colts Head Coach Jim Mora Sr. and worked behind the scenes to let the Chargers know that he was doing so to ensure he could be the next Chargers QB. He may have been the 2nd pick in the draft, but Ryan ended up with his #1 choice.Read here about how Leaf was not what you would call a “draft bust” early in his career. In fact, it wasn’t until he faced a serious shoulder injury followed by a serious wrist injury that things really went sideways for the former Cougar.Why is that important? After three years, Leaf’s body was so beat up that he couldn’t throw a football. A real shame for a guy who some still talk about having one of the biggest arms in college football history. A real shame for a guy that wanted to come to the Chargers so that he could show off that arm with big passes and big plays down the field.That 1-15 record, the one that sunk Mike Riley’s career as an NFL head coach Trevor Williams Jerseys Stitched , was a direct result of an injured QB and a misdiagnosis at the hands of a reckless team doctor. It was also the end of Leaf’s time in San Diego.What if things had gone differently?The most notable difference for the Chargers, had Leaf stayed healthy, is not that they potentially have their franchise QB. That’s a minor blip...(Also, here is where I point out that it’s really difficult to predict Leaf could’ve been playing in Pro Bowls when the guy could barely crack 50% completion percentage in a league that was amping up the importance of exactly that skill/stat.)Leaf’s injuries lead to the 1-15 season that changed the team’s course forever. It led to the firing of the front office and coaching staff, replacing them with John Butler (and A.J. Smith) from Buffalo and famed Chiefs/Browns coach Marty Schottenheimer.It also leads to the team trading away the #1 overall pick and getting back a package that helped them build a core of:LaDainian TomlinsonDrew BreesReche CaldwellTim DwightThat’s two Hall of Famers and two very good NFL players that probably never play a down for the Chargers if Leaf stays healthy and is at least a league-average QB through his early 20s, which is/was entirely possible.If you’re the type to look for silver linings, as I am, don’t think of Ryan Leaf as the failed draft pick. Think of Ryan Leaf as exactly the type of player the Chargers needed to end up drafting two Hall of Fame players in the same draft class and be thankful that things turned out the way they did.What do you think would have happened? Did things turn out better or worse than they would have?