2010 NFL Season

[BBTV]

Regardless of if the coach accepts underachieving, the players don't have to. If the "leaders" of the team are OK with underachieving, then perhaps they're simply not tough enough to be winners in the NFL.

[Lights Out]

Rivers and Gates are the Chargers' leaders, and those two are firey, competitive guys. It's the players who hit the club on the night before playoff games and talk trash before laying an egg on the field who are the real underachievers on the Chargers. Just because Rivers and Gates won't accept losing doesn't mean they can control the rest of the team's actions.

However, it's the coach's responsibility to create a system that everyone can buy into in order to prevent underachieving. Tomlin's done that. Belicheat's done that. Basically any perennial winner you can think of has done that. Norv hasn't, and that is why the Chargers choke and fail to live up to expectations every year.

[BBTV]

Rivers and Gates are the Chargers' leaders, and those two are firey, competitive guys. It's the players who hit the club on the night before playoff games and talk trash before laying an egg on the field who are the real underachievers on the Chargers. Just because Rivers and Gates won't accept losing doesn't mean they can control the rest of the team's actions.

However, it's the coach's responsibility to create a system that everyone can buy into in order to prevent underachieving. Tomlin's done that. Belicheat's done that. Basically any perennial winner you can think of has done that. Norv hasn't, and that is why the Chargers choke and fail to live up to expectations every year.

Strong leaders do. I'll use the Eagles for an example - Brian Dawkins and Jeramiah Trotter would talk to guys all the time (one softly, one a little more animated) when they slacked off or made dumb mental mistakes. The guys on that defense (with the exception of Jevon Kearse) all played hard, or they heard about it. They didn't have the most talent, so they didn't win anything, but they certainly played up to their potential. Do you think Peyton Manning wouldn't talk to someone if he had to? I doubt anyone on that team would cross him. John Runyan grabbed one of his teammates by the facemask for missing an assignment and then false starting on the next play. Is it a coincidence that the Eagles' line started committing a ton more penalties in the two years since he's been there? Maybe, but I'd suggest otherwise.

In high school and college, you need a strong coach to motivate everyone and keep everyone in line. In pro football, everyone is an adult, and the leadership needs to come from within the team. It's clear that the leadership is lacking on this team. Talent != winning.

[Viper]

Well. It looks like Singletary was just fired.

Can't win with 'em. Can't coach with 'em. Can't do it.

[infrared41]

Seriously dude, do your teams ever lose simply because they aren't as good as you think they are? Maybe the Chargers just weren't that good this season.

1. Yeah. I can remember a ton of really bad Clippers, Chargers, and Rays teams who lost because they lacked any talent.

2. The Chargers have the #1 defense and offense in the league IIRC, a winning record, a hall of fame tight end, an excellent recieving core, a solid rushing attack, a stout defense, and one of the league's top quarterbacks. There is no reason why we should be out of the playoffs, even with the special teams issues. Norv has created a culture where underachieving is accepted. That's why we choke. AJ needs to take a look around the league and realize that doormat coaches like Norv are being fired left and right, and take the cue.

Since you're part of the team and you're on a first name basis with the coach and GM maybe you should say something.

[IceCap]

The Chargers need to blow this thing up and rebuild. The "they have a top rated offence and the highest rated defence" is of little comfort when they're sitting at home come playoff time. Whatever the problems, be they with the GM, coach, or players, the dynamic in San Diego just isn't working.

Make no mistake about it. This is a very talented team. They've proven that many times this season. The problem, however, is that the separate components of that talented team just aren't working together. It goes beyond simply the coach being an underachiever or the GM being driven by his ego over a desire to build a contender. The whole thing's broken. Nothing works with the other components.

Yes, it's a shame to have to blow up a team with this much potential, but I doubt they'll ever going to realize that potential as-is. Better to rebuild from scratch.

[Lights Out]

The team doesn't need to be blown up, they need motivation. Look at the Titans game - the team was losing pretty badly at halftime. In the locker room, Norv reportedly gave a fire-and-brimstone speech and even cried. The team was so inspired by that moment that they came back and won the game. Where was that kind of speech and that kind of motivation the other 15 games of the season?

The way the team responded to Norv's speech suggests that the Chargers are the kind of team that needs a motivational coach instead of an emotionless, X's-and-O's coach. Marty was motivational and the team played a lot better back then. If he didn't turn into a panty-waste in the playoffs, we would have won at least one Super Bowl with him.

[dfwabel]

The Chargers need to blow this thing up and rebuild. The "they have a top rated offence and the highest rated defence" is of little comfort when they're sitting at home come playoff time. Whatever the problems, be they with the GM, coach, or players, the dynamic in San Diego just isn't working.

Make no mistake about it. This is a very talented team. They've proven that many times this season. The problem, however, is that the separate components of that talented team just aren't working together. It goes beyond simply the coach being an underachiever or the GM being driven by his ego over a desire to build a contender. The whole thing's broken. Nothing works with the other components.

Yes, it's a shame to have to blow up a team with this much potential, but I doubt they'll ever going to realize that potential as-is. Better to rebuild from scratch.

I think that many of you are fooled by randomness of the NFL as a whole. Last year, two of the best teams in one score games were SD and CIN, this season they are two of the worst. It is random. That is why half of the playoff teams change every season, not because a coach "did not get 110% from his players", it is random. In turn, survivorship bias is being played up: NY Times shows how survivor bias is seen in the NFL.

[Eye]

Seriously dude, do your teams ever lose simply because they aren't as good as you think they are? Maybe the Chargers just weren't that good this season.

2. The Chargers have the #1 defense and offense in the league IIRC

So the Chargers can gain yards, and stop teams from gaining yards. What is their turnover differental?

[Lights Out]

-7... however, you can blame the hellishly-awful special teams for most of the Chargers' turnover problems.

[BBTV]

Professional athletes shouldn't need a motivational speech from a coach. They should be self motivated, or at least motivated by money, and the potential for more money. Again, these aren't kids. They either have pride or they don't... and if they don't, then they can't win for anybody.

[IceCap]

Professional athletes shouldn't need a motivational speech from a coach. They should be self motivated, or at least motivated by money, and the potential for more money. Again, these aren't kids. They either have pride or they don't... and if they don't, then they can't win for anybody.

I know it's fun to egg on Lights Out, but you can't deny that the team has what it takes to in games. You don't dismantle the Colts and Chiefs with players that "can't win for anybody."

The team's got a lot of problems. The players aren't motivated. The coach doesn't push the team. The GM only has a job because he's BFFs with the owner.

Blow it up, suck for the better part of a decade, and rebuild.

[Jimmy!]

There is a chance that Seattle, at 7-9, could win it all.

If Seattle has to rely on Charlie Whitehurst, there's no chance.

[BBTV]

Professional athletes shouldn't need a motivational speech from a coach. They should be self motivated, or at least motivated by money, and the potential for more money. Again, these aren't kids. They either have pride or they don't... and if they don't, then they can't win for anybody.

I know it's fun to egg on Lights Out, but you can't deny that the team has what it takes to in games. You don't dismantle the Colts and Chiefs with players that "can't win for anybody."

The team's got a lot of problems. The players aren't motivated. The coach doesn't push the team. The GM only has a job because he's BFFs with the owner.

Blow it up, suck for the better part of a decade, and rebuild.

I'm not "egging" on Lights Out - that's how I feel. Not saying that the coach doesn't suck (I don't know one way or the other) but if motivation or leadership is a problem, that's as much a knock on the players as anything, specifically the "leaders".

[IceCap]

Professional athletes shouldn't need a motivational speech from a coach. They should be self motivated, or at least motivated by money, and the potential for more money. Again, these aren't kids. They either have pride or they don't... and if they don't, then they can't win for anybody.

I know it's fun to egg on Lights Out, but you can't deny that the team has what it takes to in games. You don't dismantle the Colts and Chiefs with players that "can't win for anybody."

The team's got a lot of problems. The players aren't motivated. The coach doesn't push the team. The GM only has a job because he's BFFs with the owner.

Blow it up, suck for the better part of a decade, and rebuild.

I'm not "egging" on Lights Out - that's how I feel. Not saying that the coach doesn't suck (I don't know one way or the other) but if motivation or leadership is a problem, that's as much a knock on the players as anything, specifically the "leaders".

I'm not disagreeing with your fundamental argument. Leadership among the plays IS lacking, and it's a serious part of the problem.

That being said, it's not the only problem. The players don't care, the coach doesn't care, and the GM doesn't care. The whole thing's a giant clusterfukc of apathy.

[Seadragon76]

There is a chance that Seattle, at 7-9, could win it all.

If Seattle has to rely on Charlie Whitehurst, there's no chance.

That's what I'm afraid of. I don't know, but why in the hell did Carroll take a flyer on this guy? He hasn't won in the few starts that he has and the few chances that he had, he's hasn't done much.

As a Seahawk fan, I'm more then happy to take a chance on a QB in the draft. Gabbert, Mallett, hell... even Locker! Just get a QB in the draft, because if the future is in the hands of Whitehurst... Then the 'Hawks are doomed to suffer from total medocrity for years.

[Eye]

There is a chance that Seattle, at 7-9, could win it all.

If Seattle has to rely on Charlie Whitehurst, there's no chance.

That's what I'm afraid of. I don't know, but why in the hell did Carroll take a flyer on this guy? He hasn't won in the few starts that he has and the few chances that he had, he's hasn't done much.

As a Seahawk fan, I'm more then happy to take a chance on a QB in the draft. Gabbert, Mallett, hell... even Locker! Just get a QB in the draft, because if the future is in the hands of Whitehurst... Then the 'Hawks are doomed to suffer from total medocrity for years.

This is pretty much the Seahawks' entire history.

[Jimmy!]

This is pretty much the Seahawks' entire history.

In this division, mediocrity has you alive for a playoff spot in the last week of the season.

The 2010 Seahawks are like that girlfriend you just can't dump. There's zero sex appeal, they aggravate you more times than you can remember, you'd rather do yardwork than spend time with them, and everyone else can see it's a train wreck.

[Lights Out]

I know it's fun to egg on Lights Out

Who's egging me on? It's a difference of opinion. BBTV feels players should be completely self-motivated. I feel that the head coach and team leaders BOTH need to motivate the team.

[lordsketor]

And the NFC West Championship Game will be Flexed for Sunday Night Football!