This is no time for excuses.
Quit saying that it will take time for Norv Turner to implement his system with the Chargers.
There is no reason for this team to be a loser at this point, just because the head coach is new. (After all, isn't former Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips 3-0 in Dallas?)
Look at the last time the Chargers hired a new head coach. His name was Marty Schottenheimer; the year 2002.
He took over a team that lost its last nine games in 2001. All his first Chargers’ team did was start out 6-1 on the way to an 8-8 season. (An injury to defensive stalwart Jamal Williams led to the team losing its final four games.)
There goes the excuse of taking time for a new coach and his team to jell.
With no apology to the apologists at the San Diego Union-Tribune, hiring Turner for the 2007 season was a horrible decision.
Turner couldn’t win in nine previous seasons as a head coach, and Hall of Famer to be Jerry Rice says Turner will never win as a head coach because he can’t motivate.
This is a Chargers’ squad that was supposed to be Super Bowl-ready. In reality, it’s a team that will be fighting for its life this Sunday against Kansas City with a 1-2 record.
Cris Collinsworth got it right during Sunday Night Football on NBC-TV. He sent out a bulletin to all teams saying you should not fire a coach who goes 14-2.
That’s what the Chargers did with Schottenheimer.
Without Schottenheimer and team leader Donnie Edwards at linebacker, the Chargers seem lost.
I wonder if a certain Union-Tribune columnist still sees General Manager A.J. Smith as the equivalent of John Wayne for being involved in the wonderful moves to get rid of Schottenheimer and Edwards.
Quit saying that it will take time for Norv Turner to implement his system with the Chargers.
There is no reason for this team to be a loser at this point, just because the head coach is new. (After all, isn't former Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips 3-0 in Dallas?)
Look at the last time the Chargers hired a new head coach. His name was Marty Schottenheimer; the year 2002.
He took over a team that lost its last nine games in 2001. All his first Chargers’ team did was start out 6-1 on the way to an 8-8 season. (An injury to defensive stalwart Jamal Williams led to the team losing its final four games.)
There goes the excuse of taking time for a new coach and his team to jell.
With no apology to the apologists at the San Diego Union-Tribune, hiring Turner for the 2007 season was a horrible decision.
Turner couldn’t win in nine previous seasons as a head coach, and Hall of Famer to be Jerry Rice says Turner will never win as a head coach because he can’t motivate.
This is a Chargers’ squad that was supposed to be Super Bowl-ready. In reality, it’s a team that will be fighting for its life this Sunday against Kansas City with a 1-2 record.
Cris Collinsworth got it right during Sunday Night Football on NBC-TV. He sent out a bulletin to all teams saying you should not fire a coach who goes 14-2.
That’s what the Chargers did with Schottenheimer.
Without Schottenheimer and team leader Donnie Edwards at linebacker, the Chargers seem lost.
I wonder if a certain Union-Tribune columnist still sees General Manager A.J. Smith as the equivalent of John Wayne for being involved in the wonderful moves to get rid of Schottenheimer and Edwards.
6 comments:
Takes time for a team to adjust to a new coach....
How about the Steelers...new head coach...3-0...they've had a real hard time adjusting...
Chargers plus Norv Turner = no post season...
Norv is good for one thing...your team sitting at home watching the super bowl just like the rest of us...
As for the Charger fans, I wouldn't be too worried. It takes time to adjust to a new coach in game situations. Tomlinson has played against three top tier defenses. They're only one game back of Denver in the West, a team that could easily be 0-3.
The whole point of hiring Turner was continuity, and the idea he could work with Rivers. They miss McCardell and Parker, as well as Edwards and Godfrey, and they did not upgrade the defensive backfield. But to me, where Turner needs to be held most accountable is the poor play of the O-line (the foundation of most teams) and of Rivers. This is where Turner was supposed to shine and he is failing.
The issue with San Diego is exactly what "Rice said", Turner cannot motivate. He coaches like an accountant. Lots of "pencil" and no action. This is a violent game that requires an intensity that neither Turner or Cottell have to offer. Both came in thinking that they really could "not screw up", and in doing so, have done it. The KC game should be interesting, as if Norv cannot beat them, then I would look for a long season where just breaking even at 8-8 would be a miracle. He has been out coached, his players out played, and for a while on Sunday, I actually was wishing for a "Heidi" interruption. I listened to his interview with the press after the game and he sounded more like a CFO explaining the corporate failure to make the numbers, than a head coach whose team got its butt kicked (again). As a fan since 1962, I have seen a lot of ups and downs, and without some intensity and fire in the team, this year will be another long one. But then, being a Charger fan does have its advantages. Being able to handle all the disappointment builds charactor.
I do feel sorry for the Chargers but they should be able to read the history of a man. Norv is a good co-ordinator but has always struggled as a head coach. This is especially sad because from all accounts he is a nice guy, but you know what they say about nice guys and where they finish.
1) New coaches should be able to take over superbowl ready teams (reference: Gruden @ Tampa Bay & Oakland.
2) General Managers are not coaches - micromanaging a football team for a coach = disaster.
3) The 49ers are 2-1 w/out Turner;
The Chargers were 14-2 w/Schottenheimer
Football is an intense and an intelligent game. A head coach must make sure that players are physically prepared and understand how to execute perfectly their roles in a very sophisticated long list of plays at any given moment, they must be excellent strategists, know when to encourage as well as when to jump on players and most important know how to make their team follow their direction.
Norv may be a better fit as a coordinator (afterall not all doctors practice general medicine, many are specialists...).
Isn't it Dr. Phil who always says that the best predicter of the future is past history?
Post a Comment