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    San Diego Chargers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Vincent Jackson Will Torch the Bolts

    By | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Wed, Nov 7, 2012 4:14 PM EST

    COMMENTARY | The San Diego Chargers are headed into some dangerous territory as they travel to the East Coast to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Bolts' former No. 1 receiver Vincent Jackson.

    Not only are the Chargers not a good football team at 4-4, but they'll be facing a Bucs squad that is rolling and features a player in Jackson that will do everything in his power to show them up. He's already made Bucs history with an incredible Week 7 performance that saw him total seven catches for 216 yards and one touchdown.

    It's well-documented that Jackson and the Chargers had a rocky relationship from the start. He was drafted in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft out of Northern Colorado with all of the upside that comes with being as physically gifted as he was. But suspensions from off the field issues, misconduct penalties and general immaturity caused him to fall out of favor with the coaching staff at times.

    Then came the infamous holdout, where he missed 12 games in the 2010 season due to a contract dispute between Jackson and general manager A.J. Smith that was as much about egos as it was dollars. In the summer of 2012, it would all come to an unceremonious end, when Jackson signed a lucrative 5-year, $55.55M contract to head to Tampa Bay where he is developing good chemistry with quarterback Josh Freeman.

    All things considered, the Chargers are reeling, and their defense is not well-equipped to handle a playmaker like Jackson. They've allowed 1,902 yards through the air along with 22 touchdowns through eight games and rank 18th and 22nd in the NFL in those categories. On the outside, corners Quentin Jammer and Antoine Cason are each just 6-foot and give up a major size disparity to their 6-foot-5 ex-teammate.

    This game has all of the makings of a rout by Tampa Bay, and the man the Bolts let go will be a major part of it.

    Michael C. Jones is a Yahoo! Featured Contributor in Sports and covers the San Diego Chargers and the NFL. He is also the Editor of Sports Out West.

    You can follow him on Twitter @MikeJonesTweets

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