Bring me the skull of Norv Turner on Monday

[sigma7]

So ESPN's John Clayton hops aboard the Norv Turner back-slapping bandwagon. The media's been making a huge deal of the Chargers' win yesterday over the Titans, which is, I concede, the Chargers' first playoff win since their Superb Owl run of '94.

But the idea that this team is somehow more successful than last year's Chargers -- made explicit in the title "Turner gives Chargers what Schottenheimer couldn't" -- is just laughable. Yes, they won a playoff game, but they won a wild-card playoff game against Tennessee. Last year as the #1 seed by virtue of a 14-2 record, the Chargers didn't have to play a wild-card game. Winning a wild-card game against a #6 seed is not an accomplishment. Sorry. This proves nothing. Small children, primates and some plants could beat a Tennessee team with four starters out with injuries when they're given the daunting depth of talent on the Chargers' roster.

If the Chargers lose this next weekend -- and against the Colts, they should -- they'll have made it just as far as the previous season's Chargers did under Marty Schottenheimer, the coach subsequently run out of town by GM A.J. Smith, pain be unto him. That's not an accomplishment, that's stagnation. If the Bolts do eke past the Colts by exploiting Indy's injuries or an aggressive defense or maybe remembering that LT can catch passes from time to time, then we can talk about Norv Turner not being a very large bacterium. And it's possible. It just might happen. But I'm not planning the victory parade just yet.

Comments

[rainfletcher.livejournal.com]

You are a welcome counter to all the Norv love going on here in town today.

I was impressed with the going for it on 4th-and-a-foot, though I understand that decision was largely up to LT. I didn't even mind the challenge flag on the previous play, because I thought it had a decent chance of being overturned.

I was also impressed that they actually changed up the game plan in the second half. It was looking like the Chargers were going to do exactly what San Diego does when a little rain hits (that is, grind to a complete halt), but they looked pretty good after halftime.

How this somehow makes Norv a better coach than Marty baffles me, though. They lost that game last year on some flat-out horrible on-field mistakes - not because of anything Marty did or didn't do. To vilify him now because this year's model managed to get an ugly win without him is more than unfair.

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

I'm not giving anyone any credit for the fourth-down calls. Those required no thought. Of course you go for it if you have LT in your backfield. (It would've been handier to have 'Tonio Gates as a decoy, though, because that's a hell of a plan B.) And even then, without LT's ability to recover and surge for that second effort, the Titans get the ball back.

I don't understand the Norv love. I just don't. I don't see how you call going from Marty to Norv an upgrade in any sense of the word. I was pleased that someone reminded him at halftime that they got Chris Chambers from Miami and he seems to be running down the field and maybe we should try throwing the ball somewhere in his vicinity...?

And in the realm of my #2 team, I'm not impressed with Herm Edwards not playing to the strengths of his team (or, more accurately in KC's case, playing away from their weaknesses). In neither case is the GM being held responsible, and in my ideal scenario, the word "crucifixion" would be coming up a great deal.

[rainfletcher.livejournal.com]

Oh, you'll get no argument from me that AJ Smith needs to be taken to task for more than a few things. He should have just installed himself as the head coach - at least then there would be no pretense of his intentions.

I also remember how low things had to get before Bobby Beathard got ejected, and that... disturbs me.

[rainfletcher.livejournal.com]

Found this on Yahoo Sports, from Michael Silver:

Chargers fans, I know you're rightfully in a good mood, and it's very hard for me to be anything but cheery in your presence at this particular moment. So take this with a grain of margarita salt: Are you really trying to make the case that Sunday's victory somehow validates the hiring of Norv Turner because "he won a playoff game, which Marty (Schottenheimer) didn't do"? This just in: Marty didn't win a first-round game last year because he didn't have to – his team had secured a bye. All Norv has done is get the Chargers back to the same place they were at this time last year, before they blew that game against the Pats. If the Chargers go to Indy and get rolled, or even lose at all, there has been no improvement. If they beat the Colts next Sunday, you'll be justified in giving Turner credit for getting the team to the next level. Until that time, grab another round of margaritas and spare me the rhetoric.

I agree with all except the last point. If they beat the Colts next Sunday because of incredible play-calling and grace under pressure, then we can talk. If they beat the Colts because Sproles runs back two more kicks, Cromartie gets four interceptions and LT breaks off three 80-yard touchdown runs, then I won't be impressed with the Norvster. They won the game against Indy this year in spite of the coaching, not because of it.

But I am a fan, therefore I hope.