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The Chargers – Concoction for disaster this season?
By
David Pierre
The
NFL team with the best regular season record of 14-2 last year is
experiencing troubled waters. That team, the San Diego Chargers, is 1-3
thus far this year. Let’s see if we can’t sum up the team’s current
troublesome issues.
The
Chargers’ Defensive Line is not pressuring opposing QBs like they did last
year? The DL’s inability to pressure opposing QBs is exposing a mediocre
secondary.
The
Offensive Line is not blocking for the run or protecting Philip Rivers for
the pass like they did last year? Rivers is fumbling the ball and staring
down receivers unlike last year when he was one of the most careful QBs in
the league.
Receivers are still weak? Before last Sunday’s game against the Kansas
City Chiefs the team’s running back, and last year’s league MVP, Ladanian
Tomlinson had very little success. This has many in San Diego peering at
this year’s new head coach Norv Turner with a accusatory eye.
Fans in America’s most temperate city hold the questionable hiring most
likely as a result of the contentious firing of Marty Shotenhiemer by
general manager AJ Smith, blaming Smith for being “vindictive” in his
off-season moves.
It
must be said, despite the team’s league leading record, the Chargers were
handed their hat in the first round of the playoffs by New England,
further stirring the proverbial concoction for disaster. Fans are calling
for Turner’s firing saying he’s not motivating his players and makes bad
play-calling decisions.
On
top of that,the team also hired defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell who
replaced Wade Philips who is now coaching the Dallas Cowboys.
Whew! Are you still with me? It may seem like a lot or a version of “As
the Sea World Turns.”
But
to me, the many Charger fans that are panicking are overreacting. Nobody
should be fired. NFL teams lose good and bad players and coaches all the
time - they are replaced with good and bad coaches everyday and that is
what every other NFL team has to deal with. Or should I say work with. Or
should I say play with.
Get
it? The Chargers have basically the same team as last year and are truly
capable of winning with this team.
So
here is what it will take for them to turn it all around and make a steady
march to the playoffs. I hope players are reading this because it is this
laid-back-southern-California-attitude that has contributed to their
demise.
Many of the players did a bit too much listening to fans and media who
were singing their praises while the Pats and other teams made themselves
better during the off-season. Even the players themselves like Brett
Favre and Randy Moss made themselves better during the spring and summer.
But
the cold hard reality that has manifested itself this season is that the
Chargers weren’t as good as their record last year and as a result became
overrated.
They weren’t ranked number one in any power rankings at any point last
year.
In
fact, as I remember, we could have lost more games than we did in the
second half of last year than we did. Last year, that Chargers’ schedule
was the result of a non-playoff season. It was clearly weaker than this
year. And the real tip-off was the early exit in the playoffs.
The
truth is many facets of the Chargers’ team could have used and now needs
improvement.
The
first thing is both defensive and offensive lines need to bear down and
play as if the team’s success depends on them. Forget about the “loaded
roster.” Instead of steroids - try rabies.
While Rivers seemed solid last year everybody knows he needed improvement.
Let’s face it, he still can be better than Breeze. He’s young, he’s in
his second year, folks!!! He’s going to make mistakes.
As
far as Norv Turner is concerned, to my knowledge he hasn’t thrown one pass
in a game this year and I don’t think he’s going to.
The
Chargers will be getting back their wide receiver Eric Parker this month
and that will provide another pass catching threat in addition to help
spread defenses. Rivers is a proven winner. He has the ability and the
composure to be a leading passer in this sport. He’ll make the
adjustments to improve his play and get better and better. Better than
last year.
Speaking of last year, Pro-Bowl tight end Antonio Gates had a bit of
trouble getting involved in the offense. This year he is figuring
prominently. That’s a good sign. I am willing to bet Norv Turner will
continue to use LT and Gates to their potential and right this ship in
troubled waters.
Defense is a little trickier because the Chargers’ blaring weakness is
their secondary and it doesn’t look too absorbed like their offense is
with their wide receiver deficiency. However, the defense could hopefully
improve with the return of IL Matt Wilhelm. That is kind of an excuse but
if he can match the dominance he showed in the Bears’ win then he could be
the shot in the arm the squad needs to smother opposing teams’ QBs and
running games and relieve some pressure on the Charger secondary. Not to
mention tackling statistics should improve considerably.
Of
course, this is all wishful thinking because good teams should be able to
overcome injury losses but perhaps the Chargers were hit by the injury bug
during a particularly vulnerable transition time.
That having been said, this talk of firing coaches after the second game
of the season is way too premature. AJ Smith’s biggest fault may be his
ego and he was unable to work well with others when it came to
Shotenhiemer. But the truth of the matter is that he took a risk in
firing a popular coach and hiring a coach that is really unproven and so
far that risk hasn’t paid off. But it’s only been four games and a little
patience is warranted. The team has to sleep in the bed it has made - for
at least this year.
What upset me more in terms of management was, once again, a lackadaisical
approach in the off season to acquire better players to improve their
team. Moss could have been in a Charger uniform but all indications were
that he wasn’t a good fit. But weren’t their any wider receivers and
cornerbacks out there to be dealt for, to be signed?
The
Chargers opened the 2007 season by beating last year’s Superbowl
runner-up, the Chicago Bears. They subsequently lost to teams led by Tom
Brady and Brett Favre. Those are two of the best players in the NFL and
when they are on they can’t really be stopped - and they were on and they
weren’t stopped.
Last weekend, the Chargers improved but fell back into bad habits in the
first half, exposing everything that is wrong with everything. But they
lost to a team that handed the Chargers one of their two losses last year,
the Chiefs. Sorry, but Kansas City has proven itself to be a formidable
opponent for the Bolts and the loss is understandable.
This week the Chargers play the Denver Broncos who they swept last year
and aren’t as good as a bunch of Mile High people would like to think.
C’mon, you can’t expect this downward spiral to last. Man, it’s hard to be
great in the National Football League, let alone the AFC.
No,
the smart money is that the Chargers are going to get healthy and pull
their heads out of that dark warm place and start playing football. San
Diego has too good of players and too good of a team to just roll over for
another AFC West foe this Sunday.
They need to get after it like Killer Whales in a feeding frenzy. And they
will. They have before in the not-so-distant past.
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(posted
10-4-07) |
