Chargers: Team the Indianapolis Colts fear most

As a head coach last season, Tony Dungy could never say he feared one team more than another because of coaching decorum.

But now that Dungy is an analyst for NBC’s Sunday Night Football, he can be a straight-talker.

When asked recently which team the undefeated Indianapolis Colts fear most in the AFC, Dungy’s answer was straight to the point: the San Diego Chargers.

After all, these are the same Chargers who snapped Dungy and the Colts’ nine-game winning streak in the wild card round of last year’s playoffs in San Diego.

The previous season, the Chargers knocked the Colts out of the AFC semifinals at Indianapolis in a game-winning drive led by second-stringers such as Billy Volek, Michael Turner and Legedu Naanee.

Going further back, the Chargers snapped the Colts 13-0 record (sound familiar?) with a 2005 win at Indianapolis led by the likes of blitzing linebackers Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips.

Certainly, Peyton Manning of the Colts and former San Diego QB Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints are the talk of the NFL this season by leading their respective teams to 13-0 records.

But Manning and his Colts know that Philip Rivers and the Chargers could very well be lurking in their playoff picture.

Ask Tony Dungy: He’ll tell you that is not a comforting thought for Indianapolis.

Chargers need succession planning at running back

Succession planning ensures that there are highly qualified people in all positions, not just today, but tomorrow, next year, and beyond.

The Chargers have done a good job of succession planning at linebacker; not so good at running back.

Why else would Darren Sproles be designated as their “franchise” player for 2009?

Sproles will earn $6.6 million, the average pay of the top five salaried running backs in the NFL.

That’s quite a lofty status for someone who serves as a third-down back, kick returner and sometimes running back.

How did the Chargers get in this position?

When LaDainian Tomlinson was injured in the 2007 playoffs, the Chargers saw it as an exception; not a trend. Unfortunately, it has become a trend.

At 5-foot-6, Sproles is certainly not built to handle the load as an every down running back. That’s up to LT – as long as he’s healthy.

And, by the way, the Chargers will only take Tomlinson back if he agrees to a reduced salary in 2009. In essence, if LT returns, he’ll only being making about half as much as his backup named Sproles.

When it comes to this vital position, lack of succession planning is catching up with the Chargers. Where’s Michael Turner when you need him?

Chargers' A.J. Smith: He's no John Wayne!

Notice how one local sports columnist often refers to Chargers’ General Manager A.J. Smith as John Wayne?

These days, he’d be better off calling Smith another “John Doe.”

In the “what have you done for me lately category,” the answer for Smith is simple:

Not much.

A.J. took much credit for building the Chargers with such free agent moves as bringing in veteran linebackers Randall Godfrey and Steve Foley in 2004 (not to mention drafting Philip Rivers in 2004 and Shawne Merriman in 2005.)

But when you look at the recent free agent/draft picks of the Chargers, it makes you wonder.

How about No. 1 draft pick Buster Davis from 2007? He’s a bust.

How about free agent linebacker Derek Smith, signed before the 2008 season? He’s no longer here.

And how about running back Michael Turner, who left the Chargers through free agency for the Atlanta Falcons?

He’s far superior this year to LaDainian Tomlinson, whose presence led to Turner’s departure.

Smith pounded his chest when the Chargers were successful under Marty Schottenheimer (at least during the regular season.)

Now he should hide his head in shame for hiring Norv Turner, who only makes the playoffs twice a decade as a head coach.

As much as Smith always wanted to take the credit, he certainly must take much of the heat for the team’s downfall in 2008.

Sunday selection:
Atlanta 24, Chargers 20 (Falcons win game on last drive!!!)

Norv Turner: Back to his old head coaching tricks?

Lance McCune of Bonsall may come from a small community, but he made a major comment concerning the San Diego Chargers in the San Diego Union-Tribune this week:

“Memo to A.J. Smith: Looks like you kept the wrong Turner,” McCune wrote.

With Michael Turner leading the NFL in rushing for the upstart Atlanta Falcons, maybe the Chargers did indeed keep the wrong Turner.

After all, through five games, it appears as if head coach Norv Turner is back to his old tricks with a 2-3 record.

Turner, now in his 11th season as a head coach, has a career record of 71-90-1 (.441 winning percentage.)

He’s only been to the postseason twice, splitting two games as head coach of the Washington Redskins in 1999 and going 2-1 in the postseason with the 2007 Chargers.

Of course, he was brought here to win in the postseason. Previous Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer couldn’t win in the postseason if the game was handed to him on a platter.

Therein comes the next debate. At least Schottenheimer reached the playoffs, which is more than Turner has done 80% of the time as a head coach.

The Chargers are supposed to be Super Bowl-worthy this year. Thus far, it appears as if they are more than “worthy” of Turner’s losing record as a head coach.

They better turn things around soon, or else it will be obvious they got rid of the wrong Turner.

Chargers: Where have you gone Michael Turner?

At some point, the Chargers need to re-evaluate their running back position.

How about now?

As the season has progressed, it’s becoming obvious that LaDainian Tomlinson is being more bothered by his injured toe than he is letting on.

He had 12 carries for just 35 yards in Sunday’s 17-10 stinker at Miami, being stopped from 1-yard out on fourth down when the Chargers could have tied the game.

Out of five games this season, Tomlinson has only had one above average performance; at Oakland. (And he always plays well there.)

On the other hand, Darren Sproles is emerging as the better back.

Consider the stats:

Tomlinson has 77 carries for 296 yards (3.8 average) and 4 TDs. He’s also caught 10 passes for 58 yards.

In a much more limited role, Sproles has 20 rushes for 106 yards (5.3 average.) He’s also caught 5 passes for 116 yards and 1 TD.

This is not to suggest that Sproles can be an every-down back. At 5-foot-6 and 180 pounds dripping wet, he can only take so much punishment.

The Chargers used to have an alternative named Michael Turner. All he has done is lead the NFL in rushing and boost the Atlanta Falcons to a surprising 3-2 record.

As Lance McCune of Bonsall said so well in a backhanded slap to coach Norv Turner of the 2-3 Chargers:

“Memo to A.J. Smith: Looks like you kept the wrong Turner.”

Draft analysis: AFC West gaining on Chargers?

Time is starting to run out on the Chargers, so they hope for immediate results from their 2008 draft picks.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders are gaining on the Chargers; thus San Diego better take advantage before the Chiefs and Raiders become solid contenders by 2010.

Certainly, the Chargers took care of their need at cornerback by taking Antoine Cason (Arizona) in the first round and DeJuan Tribble (Boston College) in the sixth round.

Whether they fully made up for the loss of Michael Turner and Lorenzo Neal by drafting running backs Jacob Hester (LSU) in the third round and Marcus Thomas (UTEP) in the fifth round is debatable.

But there’s no debate the big need is at offensive tackle, and waiting till the seventh round to take an OT (Corey Clark, Texas A&M) may prove to be a big mistake.

After all, the last time the Chargers failed to make the playoffs in 2005, it was due to lack of depth on the offensive line when injuries occurred. Unless they pick up a proven veteran OT before the season, it could prove to be their downfall, also, in 2008.

Meanwhile, NFL draft expert Mel Kiper of ESPN certainly thinks Kansas City and Oakland can sneak up on the Chargers within a couple years, based on this year’s picks. Here are some comments by Kiper on the AFC West picks:

Kansas City: (Grade: A) The rebuilding process is on. The Chiefs started the draft with 13 picks, and they made them count. After getting defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey -- the No. 1 player on my Big Board -- with the fifth overall pick, the Chiefs grabbed tackle Branden Albert, although he will be a work in progress. Virginia Tech cornerback Brandon Flowers would have been a mid-first-round pick if he had run better 40 times at the NFL combine. On Day 2, RB Jamaal Charles and Tennessee TE Brad Cottam -- who has untapped ability -- will be nice complements on offense. Cottam could be a diamond in the rough.

Oakland (Grade: B-) We all know what Darren McFadden can do. I really liked Oakland's second-round pick, Connecticut CB Tyvon Branch. He can help out in the return game, and also has great catch-up speed. Wide receiver Arman Shields hurt his knee early in the season and fell off the radar, but he's a developmental receiver.

Denver (Grade C+) Ryan Clady is the left tackle the Broncos needed to help Jay Cutler, and Clady should start right away. Eddie Royal is a decent slot receiver who has some return skills, Kory Lichtensteiger was one of the top centers in the draft and Arizona State's Ryan Torain is an interesting pick at running back because he has the potential to prosper in Denver.

San Diego (Grade: C+) Antoine Cason played a lot of football at Arizona, which at times works against a player in terms of being overevaluated. Cason doesn't have great recovery speed, but he has good technique in coverage and good ball skills. Jacob Hester could make up for the loss of Michael Turner. Hester was a fullback at LSU, but isn't a prototypical lead-blocking fullback. UTEP RB Marcus Thomas has some ability and was a good fifth-round pick; CB DeJuan Tribble did not have great workouts, but he flashed second-round potential early in the season. One thing I didn't like about the Chargers' draft is they didn't really address their need at right tackle.

If Kiper is correct, the rest of the AFC West may be gaining on the Chargers.

Chargers: Status quo good enough?

The Chargers are making it clear that status quo is good enough for them.

It was good enough to give them the No. 1 seed in the 2006 AFC playoffs; good enough to get them to the 2007 AFC Championship game.

But will it be good enough to get them to an eventual Super Bowl? We’ll see.

The team did the expected Thursday by cutting fullback Lorenzo Neal and free safety Marlon McCree. It was not so expected when offensive tackle Shane Olivea, who started much of last season, was also released.

The Chargers are banking that their current roster, plus the addition of linebacker Derek Smith from the San Francisco 49ers, will be enough to lead them to the promise land in 2008.

They’re certainly going to lose cornerback Drayton Florence and running back Michael Turner to free agency. Back-up quarterback Billy Volek can also hit the open market … and the Chargers may be best to let him go and elevate Charlie Whitehurst to the No. 2 QB slot.

The Chargers are down to just four picks in the 2008 NFL draft. Apparently, what they already have is believed to be enough by General Manager A.J. Smith.

Time will tell …

Chargers' Turner is quite a burner

Michael Turner of the Chargers will be the best running back available on the free agent market this offseason.

So said Charley Casserly of the “NFL Today” show on CBS-TV last Sunday.

Before then, Turner may be the best running back available for the Chargers when they play the New England Patriots for the AFC Championship this Sunday.

If LaDainian Tomlinson is less than full speed because of his hyperextended left knee, Turner is a better option than any other NFL team has in going to its second-string running back.

When LT went down in the second quarter Sunday at Indianapolis, the Chargers didn’t miss a beat at running back. Not only did Turner lead all rushers with 71 yards in 17 attempts, he helped open up the Chargers passing game which accounted for 312 yards.

For those who have not paid attention to the Chargers over the years (and there are many current bandwagon people who haven’t), this is the type of performance that has come to be expected from Turner in limited roles.

In 2005, he rushed for an 83-yard touchdown (and 113 yards overall) when the Chargers stunned Indianapolis, 26-17, after the Colts had started the season with 13 straight victories.

In 2006, he rushed for 138 yards in a 40-7 win against Tennessee.

On both of these occasions, Turner came on in relief of Tomlinson.

Turner will almost definitely leave the Chargers after this season to realize his dream of being a starting running back in the NFL.

The Chargers kept him around for $2 million in 2007 to help them in pursuit of a championship … and just in case Tomlinson ever went down.

Keeping Turner for the 2007 season may turn out to be among the best moves the Chargers have made in a long time … especially if Tomlinson is ineffective at New England.

Chargers better when bruised and battered?

Billy Volek at quarterback? Michael Turner at running back? Andrew Pinnock at blocking back?

It sounds like the end of an exhibition game for the Chargers ... not the beginning of a run for the AFC Championship.

Who would have believed the Chargers would score their winning touchdown on a drive with much of their second string on the field in Sunday’s 28-24 upset of the Indianapolis Colts?

Throw in a key catch on the winning drive by Legedu Naanee – and the fact tight end Antonio Gates was more than hobbled - and it makes the upset even more monumental.

So, would the Chargers be better off with their second-string offense in the AFC Championship game Sunday, Jan. 20 at New England?

Don’t even think about it.

The win at Indy proved the Chargers have a superior offensive line from tackle to tackle with Marcus McNeill, Kris Dielman, Nick Hardwick, Mike Goff and Jeromey Clary.

Their power blocking certainly proved to be a difference on the winning eight-play, 78-yard drive against the Colts capped off by Volek’s 1-yard touchdown run.

If nothing else, the Colts will remember their last game in the RCA Dome as a loss to San Diego in the same building where the Chargers spoiled what had been a perfect 13-0 season in 2005 for Indianapolis.

But while the Chargers have had Indy’s number in three straight games, New England also seems to have San Diego’s number.

Who can forget the Chargers’ heartbreaking 24-21 loss to the Patriots in last year’s AFC Divisional playoffs at home ... or the horrible 38-14 loss at New England earlier this year?

Philip Rivers and LaDainian Tomlinson better heal in a hurry from their knee injuries.

Otherwise, this may be known as the year that second-string "skill" players carried San Diego to its second-ever Super Bowl appearance ... or another lopsided loss to New England.

Turner's the burner for Chargers

The Chargers have decided to keep running back Michael Turner for the entire season, even though he becomes a free agent afterwards.

Wise choice.

If LaDainian Tomlinson became injured and Turner had been traded, the Chargers would be down to nothing at running back.

Turner, without a doubt, has the reputation as the best back-up running back in the NFL.

Last Sunday alone, he rushed for 147 yards (14.7 yards per carry) and one touchdown in the 41-3 romp over Denver.

In fact, it was one of a few times over the past three seasons that Turner has finished with more yards than Tomlinson.

Most memorable was the 2005 game at Indianapolis when Turner rushed for a game-high 113 yards (including an 83-yard touchdown) as the Chargers handed the Colts their first loss of this season.

This is not to say that Turner is anywhere close to being the running back that LT is.

Turner gains a majority of his yards during short spurts on the field when he is fresh and everyone else is tired.

It will be interesting to see how he does as a starting running back elsewhere next year, when he’s in on most plays – as opposed to one play here and there.

For now, the Chargers can only be happy to have him as a back-up running back and kick returner, as well as playing on other special teams.

Next season, they’ll have to find a new Turner after he leaves during free agency.

Turner worth the risk to Chargers?

If the Chargers win the Super Bowl this year, keeping running back Michael Turner as back up to LaDainian Tomlinson was worth it.

If not, General Manager A.J. Smith might actually not be hailed as a genius on this one.

Heading into this weekend’s minicamp, the Chargers are delighted to have Turner on their premises. Whether keeping him is a genius move, we’ll let you know in January (or on Dec. 30, if the Chargers don’t make the playoffs.)

During the NFL draft last weekend, ESPN listed key additions and losses for each team. The Chargers were listed as “none” under key additions, because they believe keeping Turner and guard Kris Dielman made them a better team (even though those players were already on the roster.)

New England has certainly strengthened itself during the offseason. And these are the same Patriots who eliminated the Chargers in last year’s playoffs.

Is keeping Turner and Dielman around – without signing any free agents – enough to make the Chargers better than New England?

Good thing the games aren’t played on paper!