This is it. We can't keep winning a game and then losing a game. At this rate, we're going to be 8-8 and out of the playoffs. It's time for our fucking team to either (a) man the fuck up and play to their talent level or (b) pack it in for the season. We can't use Tomlinson's toe as an excuse anymore--it's not going to be healthy all season. He will struggle to break the 1,000 yard mark this year because he can't rely on his cutting and bursts of speed to get him yards. But that isn't the problem with our running game, it is our offensive line. They can't get any push when we need them to run block. I believe in the past 9 games, we've had two 100 yard runners? I'm not positive about that stat, but it's pathetic. For a "superb" offensive line, they blow. Make holes for Tomlinson and he'll get you 4 YPC, he won't hit the home run play, but he'll get you yardage...if you make holes. We can't rely on Rivers' arm to bail us out every week. Yes, he has been the best QB in the league so far this year, but he can't win it for us every week. Our line and our backs need to show up with the same fire and desire to win that he comes with every week. He is going to have his bad weeks like every other QB in the league...and when that happens, we need a running game and an offensive line to count on him. He hasn't cost us a victory at all this year, but today against Buffalo he turned the ball over three times (INT, 2 Fumbles). The interception is one that any QB would've thrown, as the defender wasn't in his field of vision. It hurt us though because we had the ball with 1st and Goal to go with about 7 minutes left in the 4th. The two fumbles...one was on him, the other one, the RB didn't pick up the blitzer and Rivers got hit on the elbow with a helmet. Other than the three turnovers, he was very efficient and continued to shred opposing defenses. The defense is the problem, however. They can't complain about not having Merriman...we are going into week 8. Somebody needs to step up and publicly call the defense out. They get absolutely no pressure on the QB (granted Jyles Tucker has been injured since halftime against the Raiders in week 4) and the secondary is getting shredded. I blame Ted Cottrell for that. He has an athletic freak in Antonio Cromartie who has been getting lit up this year, because Cottrell isn't utilizing him right. The one game Cromartie played a lot of man coverage; he ended up with two picks--one for a touchdown. He is an athletic freak that has the ball skills of a WR, play him in a man scheme...not a zone. And Cottrell, enough with the fucking prevent zones. We are getting lit up by underneath routes that go for long gains because of it. Play our boys in more man schemes, send more pressure to the QB, and stop playing soft coverages or things WILL NOT get better. If this type of play continues, I expect Cottrell to be fired at the end of the year because there is way too much defensive talent out there for these struggles to still be occurring. Norv--are you stupid? You run the same plays, over and over again. If you come with the same attack, teams are going to figure it out. What did you do against New England last week? You aired it out consistently throughout the game. You turn around, come to Buffalo and run the same damn run play up the middle and the same passing routes. What happened to airing it out? There was barely any wind in Buffalo and Rivers' has been pinpoint all year long. You're a great offensive coordinator but a shitty head coach. Norv's range of play selection is terrible and minimal. He needs to open up the play book. What happened to the HB option pass? What happened to HB tosses and HB Sweeps? HB stretches. Not the same fucking run play every god damn time you run the ball. I've already ranted about Cottrell. I want his head on a plate. This is it. We can't have make or break games every week. This game against New Orleans over in England is a make or break game for both teams. It's time for San Diego to live up to their talent and play some amazing football, or pack it in for the season. Don't blame LT's toe. Don't blame the absence of Merriman. Don't blame the time zone. Don't blame anyone or anything, but your god damn selves. It's time. Put up. Or shut the fuck up.
Reading your post, you have a lot of the same complaints I had with the Eagles. Personally, I think you guys still have a lot of talent on your squad, injuries or not. The offense still has a lot of weapons, and the defense has more than enough talent to be one of the top defenses in the league, Merriman or not. But like you said, coaching is a big problem. When I heard Schottenheimer was fired after leading the Chargers to one of the best records in the NFL, I was really surprised, but I understood the move because he has never been successful in the playoffs. But the hiring of Norv Turner was just absolutely ridiculous, and I never thought it was going to work out. Norv has never been a successful head coach, he's a lame duck coach. I guess your GM just thought the Chargers had enough talent on the roster, coaching wasn't a big issue. Obviously he was mistaken. And apparently your defensive coordinator is a dumbass. When I look at the Chargers, I see a football team with tons of talent, but probably one of the worst coaching staffs in the league. If there wasn't so many talent on the Chargers, this staff would've already been fired IMO. It's a shame because there's so much talent on the squad, but the coaching staff is holding all that talent back.
I would've liked to hire Norv as an offensive Coordinator. He has worked really with with Rivers, but he isn't Head Coach material. He doesn't have the fire that is needed and he isn't very motivating. And defensively, we have Ron Rivera as our LB coach. How many years did he spend in Chicago with their stellar defense? Why isn't he our defensive coordinator?
One thing I would like to clarify is that I'm not blaming the coaching staff for everything. But the motivation starts with them...and Norv doesn't motivate people. The work ethic, the firing up of the players, and the intensity all starts with the coaches and should transfer over to the players. I think the amount of talent and depth on this team, and what they've showed so far on the field speaks volumes for how the coaches motivate the boys. I'm still confused by Cottrell's consistent urge to play a soft zone coverage. When you look up and Cromartie is 10 yards off of his man who has a clear route over the middle; something is wrong. Our CB's play much better in man...I just don't get how the fuck he doesn't see that. Like...I think every single HS coach in America would pick up on that, why can't he? Rivers has become the leader on the field for the Bolts...he needs to take that a step further and become that vocal leader off the field. He needs to call out his team, especially his defense. He needs to tell the media that they have looked like garbage and that the defense can't hope for the offense to bail them out every game. It's going to take a .500 record, an embarrassing loss (hopefully the loss was to Buffalo), and someone taking charge off the field and calling everyone out. Sound familiar? It is. Last year we were 5-5, just lost to Jacksonville, and Merriman railed the Bolts through the media. We got on a streak, played motivated ball, and won after that. Please Bolts, please...don't let this talent go to waste. Rivers is playing All pro ball right now. Jackson, Floyd, Chambers, and Gates have been money so far. Step it the fuck up. Take this trip to London and put a spanking on the Saints. Drew Brees vs. Philip Rivers is going to be a highly touted match-up this week. Rivers' shouldn't struggle against that piss poor Saints' defense, but our defense really needs to man up. Throw some pressure on Brees, play man coverage, and get key stops. If we play our soft coverage zone with no pressure on Brees, he will easily skewer our defense for 400 yards.
I was looking at your schedule and I see what you're trying to say BM... SD will win at KC twice, Oakland, and Atlanta, but after that it gets tougher. I feel you are simply a more complete team than the Saints offensively and they're schizo in their own way. After the gimme KC game you face possibly two elite teams (not taking into account injuries early on in the season), so I see you splitting the Pittsburgh/Indy series. @ Tampa (you've been struggling on the road this season, ie Miami) and then a tough division rival are damn close calls at the end of the year. I project you going 7-2 to cap the season. Whether this is enough to get a playoff spot, I don't know obviously. Nice summary of the coaching situation, I didn't know exactly how incompetent they were... Still, a few plays and you win possibly 3 extra games. Aside from the first two that slipped your grasp, Rivers got picked well into the redzone today, and that fumble with 9:25 left in the second quarter gave the Bills great field position at SD's 38 yard line (and a TD soon after). As a rival I'd still be very cautious around the Chargers.
I don't blame Norv as much as I blame Cottrell. Our offense works, it's just predictable...our defense is pathetic. The games we should win: Atlanta, KCx2, Oakland, Denver, and New Orleans. I'm worried about Pittsburgh in Pitt, Indy @ home, and in Tampa. The only thing I like about the Tampa game is it is a prime time game...we perform well under the national spotlight. I'm not throwing in the towel yet, but if we lose to New Orleans and go into the bye week at 3-5; I'd say the likelihood of making the playoffs drops to about...well...we'd have to win out and finish 11 and 5, again. God, I hope New England wins tomorrow night.
Bump. I want to keep this on top of all the new threads I post. I'm hoping to generate a little bit of discussion in here.
One more thing I am pondering. Two years in a row this team has started slow, last year they recovered. This year isn't over yet, but if they don't...does Norv get fired? With this much talent, there is no room for below average years. If he isn't getting his team to play consistently, does AJ Smith fire him at the end of the year?
Norv is a good OC but its questionable whether or not he is a good head coach. His track record aint pretty, though to be fair, he took over some pretty poor Redskin teams. Not sure what the problem is in San Diego, other than underachieving. Its not like the talent isn't there. In many aspects, its similar to what my team is undergoing. Injuries to key players, but just general underachieving. I couldn't even begin to finger point what's going on in San Diego. Hell, I can't even begin to explain my team much less trying to explain another team. You simply have to weather the storm for the time being... and hope in the end, you can make a push. If Sproles is being more productive, then you need to look at increasing his work load, perhaps. Lastly, a pass rush equalizes a lot of things. Generate one, and the defense will turn things around.
That is one of our problems, we have no pass rush. Jyles Tucker should play Sunday, though. He can generate some pressure and make things easier for Phillips, as well. Our problem is Ted Cottrell. God. I am sick of ranting about him.
Cottrell throws our DB's in a zone prevent type of scheme (I don't know the schemes that well to get into it), but we get picked apart with dump down passes. We can shut down the long ball, but we can't stop the other team from moving the ball. At first I thought it had a lot to do with our DB's being lazy, but that isn't the case. It's the coaching and the coverage that he runs. He needs to play more man defense and let Cromartie use his athleticism to capitalize on that. Every time you look at Cromartie on the TV, he is 10 yards off his man before the ball is even snapped. Why we defend against the deep threat constantly is beyond me.
Cromartie may be better served in an "off" coverage scheme we he can use his closing burst, athleticism, and playmaking instincts while limiting the mistakes. IOW, he can play aggressively and attack the ball... but without the ramifications of doing it in tight coverage. Not necessarily playing 10 yards off... but not in direct, close man to man coverage. Think something similar to the way Asante was used in New England. Last year, despite his high INT totals... I know his coverage metrics came out to be pretty mediocre. Capitalize on his talents, allow him to be a playmaker.... close coverage will yeild lower INT totals, typically. And Cromartie (at least last year) looked more like a ballhawking CB than a strict man to man coverage guy. Unless that's changed this year. edit: Basically... allow him to attack the ball; not blanket the receiver.
What are the fans saying? Here are some quotes from local fans that were mailed into the San Diego Tribune yesterday. "In my 45 years as an avid Chargers' fan, Ive never seen such an unenthusiastic, ill-prepared, mundane, ho-hum, totally inept bunch don a Chargers' uniform. What is their problem" "In 2006, after the Arizona Cardinals lost a tough game to the Chicago Bears, the Cardinals' coach Dennis Green, famously said, 'The Bears are who we though they were.' In 2008, with much pain, all I can think of this current Chargers' team is: 'The Chargers are not who we thought they were.' What a bummer. "This secondary couldn't cover its shadow on Groundhog Day." "It's time for A.J. Smith to fire Ted Cottrell. (At least) have Cottrell up in the coach's box to see the disaster the zone coverage causes. I think all the defensive players should donate some of their salaries toward Shawne Merriman's next contract, because they should be embarrassed that one single player makes them a better football team." "Two questions for the Chargers: 1) Does the defense actually practice during the week? 2) Besides San Diego, is there another NFL team with this much talent playing such uninspired, pathetic and unimaginative football with such consistency?" "San iego Super Chargers. What's missing? Oh yeah, the 'D'." "No life, spark, motivation. Inconsistency. Underachievement. It stems from one person [Cottrell]...Let Ron Rivera take over for the second half of the season. Or keep it the way it is now and kiss the season goodbye." "I'm sick and tired of watching this talented team play so average. An offense that is inconsistent along with a defense that couldn't stop a nosebleed and a defensive coordinator stuck in the '80s with his zone defense--prevent defense--will equal an average season. Promote Ron Rivera, please." "It took Norv Turner just a little over a year to put his stink on this team, and man does it ever smell. This team lacks discipline and toughness, and Ted Cottrell has taken a top NFL defense and turned them into a bunch of undisciplined pansies. It just makes me sick to see what this coaching staff has done to this team in such a short time." "Is there any question the San Diego Chargers have the worst coaching staff in football?" the feeling is pretty damn mutual.
I hope A.J. Smith realizes how vital Shawne Merriman is to this team. He can't let him walk when his contract is up next season. He is the heart and soul of our defense.
Can they afford another large contract though? I'm wondering how your cap situation looks like, I'm not too sure to be honest.
I hope AJ Smith is watching this debacle in London. Our defense is fucking pathetic. Fuck Ted Cottrell. That fucking fat ass no good piece of shit. He's fucking horrible. He ruined everything that Wade Phillips made awesome. Everything. He won't be fired though because AJ Smith thinks are coaching staff is set for awhile. Fuck you, Smith. Son of a bitch. I hate this. So much talent...wasted. Pathetic. Fuck Ted Cottrell. Fuck AJ Smith. I'm sorry: Rivers, Tomlinson, Gates, Chambers, Jackson, Sproles, and MERRIMAN.
I think another thing has been proven false that a lot of people assumed so far this year: Shaun Phillips is not our best overall LB. He hasn't had the impact that everyone expected when Merriman went down. It's a damn shame, I thought he was going to prosper and take over the lead role for our defense, but he hasn't. He has tried being that leader, but he just isn't.
