Chargers Post Another Epic Choke; Chargers Stink

In what has become a theme of the 2012 season, the San Diego Chargers found an epic way to lose another football game.  Like blowing a 24 point lead and losing by double digits isn't epic enough way to lose and be the laughingstock of the NFL, the Chargers continue to find ways to display their full suckitude.

All the Charger defense had to do was to stop the Baltimore Ravens from converting on a fourth and 29 and the game would be over.  And fourth and 29 you would think a team would try a deep pass or something down the field...not the Ravens for they know how deficient the Chargers are...they simply dump the ball off to Ray Rice who then proceeds to make the Charger defense look like an episode from the three stooges...as Charger defenders collide into each other and glance off of Ray Rice which thus leads to the Ravens to tying the game.  Sure the game goes to overtime and the Chargers had a chance to save some face...but like much of this year the Chargers stop scoring in the second half and going into the fourth quarter up by 10 points couldn't even muster another field goal to either put the game away or win it in overtime.  The Chargers were able to make 2 first downs on their first possession in ot but didn't cross midfield and went three and out on their next.  The Ravens, meanwhile, seemed to know they controlled the game.  After failing to convert on many third downs throughout the game the Ravens found new life in the latter stages of the game and converted on many third downs and on 3 and 10 in overtime, they completed a 31 yard pass that set up the game winning field goal.

There is little doubt in my mind that the Chargers have now descended into being one of the two worst teams in the NFL.  The Chiefs maybe the only team lower than the Chargers, because Jacksonville seems to be playing better these days.

And here we are Monday morning...and so far no sign or hint that Norv Turner is going to get canned anytime soon even after the embarrassment that is becoming the 2012 season.  I, like many other Charger fans, are simply stunned that Turner continues to be the head coach despite the mind-numbing way this team loses under him.  There is little hope in Chargerland and even a 6-10 season has become "hopeful", something that some other Charger fans were certain to rip into me when I made that assessment prior to the season starting...funny thing is, really can't find too many of those Charger fans anymore.

Rivers Continues To Suck, So Do The Chargers; All But Eliminated

The Chargers showed off why they are one of the worst teams in the NFL by losing to the Broncos for the second time this season yesterday...mainly because of Rivers but another special teams gaffe and the game was never in doubt despite the final score.

Sure, the Chargers jumped out to a 7-0 lead after intercepting Manning and running it in, but that would be the only time the Chargers were even remotely in this game.  The Charger defense was not to blame for this lose...they actually held the Broncos and Peyton Manning down for most of the game...but you have Phillip Rivers throwing interceptions and fumbling the ball, like he has for the past two seasons and a team really can't overcome the obstacles he continues to put up for the team.  The Charger offense was completely inept yesterday with maybe only a couple of first downs during the game, the rest were during garbage time when the Broncos had most of their B squad in.

Most Charger fans have begun to put their "wish list" of coaches together, but I doubt the Spanos family is going to spring for anyone good.  Heck, they are too cheap to can Norv even now...after seeing how this team has sucked this entire season they are still satisfied with "status quo"...it's a complete embarrassment, if you ask me.

What sucks for the Chargers is that they might eek out another win or two which would drop them in the draft but not gain them even a sniff at the playoffs this year.  So unless the Dean Spanos does something out of character, I think a cheap head coach and a mid round draft pick are what is in store for us Charger fans next season...but at least it's more hopeful than the past 3 seasons...

Chargers Lose, Rivers Continues To Stink

The San Diego Chargers traveled to Tampa Bay to try and get a rare east coast win under Norv Turner but the Chargers and, more specifically, Phillip Rivers continue to stink.

Right when you thought Rivers would be snapping out of a "funk" that has had him making poor decisions and turning the ball over...as he had 3 touchdowns and over 200 yards in passing against the Bucs as the Chargers had a 21-17 lead...but then Rivers and the Chargers quickly converted themselves into the team we have seen for the past 3 seasons.  A team that turns the ball over, the defense can't stop the other team and even more distressing these days is the fact that Phillip Rivers just plain stinks.  With the lead and the Chargers inside the 30 of Tampa Bay, Rivers throws a pick six and the Chargers wouldn't see the lead again.

The Chargers scored a measly three points in the second half and end up losing 34-24.  That's a 17-4 run to close out the game. 

Is there really anything left to say?  There doesn't need to be any more examples to anyone to see that he is a bad coach and is getting out coached in EVERY GAME!  After halftime the Chargers are thoroughly trounced by any capable team (sorry KC you are horrible!) and even if the Chargers have the lead at halftime, no lead is safe with them...and really even if the Chargers had any lead going into the 4th quarter, they would be more likely to lose than win because their defense is so paper thin it is pathetic.  Even with the Chargers unable to mount any offense in the second half the defense had it's chances to simply stop Tampa Bay from driving the entire length of the field...but couldn't do that.

Norv Turner is horrible.  Phillip Rivers is awful. And the Charger defense is bad.  I think that about sums up this season and I don't see much hope on the horizon...Denver won't let the Chargers go up by 24 next week and are going to totally put the boots to this Charger team...it will be over by halftime and Peyton Manning will be doing interviews from the sideline halfway through the third quarter...probably won't have much to do other than watch the defense return Rivers' interceptions.

Chargers At The Half Way Point

The San Diego Chargers have finished their 8th game this past weekend marking the halfway point of their 16 game regular season campaign and sit at 4 and 4.  On "paper" a 4-4 record isn't bad and teams have been worse off at this point and still rallied to win a championship.  But what's different about the Chargers 4-4 record is that they haven't even played very many good teams...in fact, with the only exception being Atlanta and Denver, games the Chargers lost both of, the Chargers haven't even played anyone with a winning record.  Add to that, the Chargers lost to teams that had 1 or no wins on the season (New Orleans and Cleveland).  And then sprinkle in embarrassing nationally televised losses in which the Chargers had double digit leads at halftime only to get totally destroyed in the second half by New Orleans and Denver.  Then what you have is a pretty lousy 4 and 4 team.

So what are some of the problems?  Here's what I've seen so far...

Phillip Rivers stinks.  He started stinking last season and it is only compounding into a bigger problem this year.  It's been noted that he hasn't led the Chargers to a fourth quarter comeback since 2008.  If the Chargers do not have the lead in the fourth quarter, which is typically the case, they can not mount any sort of late game offense to come from behind to win the game.

No Big Plays.  Watching other NFL teams, it seems as if other teams are able to have big plays on a somewhat regular basis.  A runningback that rips off a 60+ yard run.  A deep 80 yard bomb that opens the field up.  The Chargers are very "contained" in their offense.  They seem to take the 10, 15, 20 yard plays the defense give them but because there is no big play, the offense has more time to make mistakes on long drives and the Chargers do just that.  Whether it be penalties or turnovers, it seems the more plays the Chargers run the more likely they are going to screw up. 

Poor Defense. Some Charger fans are able to point out some positives on the Chargers defense and I'll say that Eric Weddle is probably the best the Chargers have on defense...but after that, I am not sure there is a "good" player on defense for the Chargers right now.  The secondary is a complete joke.  Quentin Jammer is obviously a little too old and lost a step and Cason and Gilchrist are just plain bad.  I don't mind the way Atari Bigby delivers big hits and seems pretty active for a safety, but I've also seen him miss some tackles, but still is serviceable.  The defensive line and linebackers all essentially get run over and chase the ball on most plays.  Sure, there is the occasional sack and the stats would seem to point that the Chargers have a decent rush defense, but that is because teams have chosen to pass on the Chargers rather than run.  When teams' have wanted to "ice" the game against the Chargers, they are able to run at will and do so.

Norv Turner. The Chargers are exactly what Norv Turner has coached them to be.  Look to last season and the season prior when the talent had departed from San Diego, the Chargers are a stumbling, bumbling embarrassment on the field.

Is There Hope? The short answer is no.  The only hope I would have for this Charger team is if Norv Turner is fired right now and a new head coach is brought in from the outside.  The current coaching staff has all been around Norv Turner and see how a loser runs a team...this team needs to be shaken up and a new attitude...a new winning attitude needs to brought in for anything positive to happen this season.  But everyone knows that Dean Spanos is too cheap to first fire Norv before the season is over (to get his money's worth) and second, Dean Spanos is too cheap to hire a competent coach in the first place...how do you think the Chargers ended up with the losingest head coach in NFL history?  I truly don't think the players on the Chargers are really as bad as they seem to play and even with a new head coach they may not be in the elite of the NFL but the hope is they at least return to being competitive, something more than one coach has accomplished in short order.

Chiefs Are Awful, Lose To Chargers

It's too bad the Chargers have already played the horrible Chiefs twice this season already because having those two wins so early in the season put the Chargers at .500 at 4 and 4.

Beating the Chiefs really proves nothing and like the first match up, the Chiefs really beat themselves more than the Chargers did.  The Chiefs fumbled and bumbled the 4th quarter away and the Chargers simply had to not follow suit.  But with the assistance of two defensive scores, the Charger offense didn't really have many opportunities to squander their lead.

But Phillip Rivers continues his poor decision making...at the end of the first half when the Chargers were up 10-3 and right on the doorstep to score before the half, Rivers forces a throw and gets picked off.  Instead of settling for 3, Rivers makes sure the Chargers got zero.

The Chargers are also fairly anemic on offense, despite the 31-13 score.  After scoring a touchdown in the first quarter, their only touchdown in the past 9 quarters, it took them until the fourth quarter for the offense to finally find the end zone again...against the Chiefs.

No, beating the Chiefs only gave Norv Turner a week to breathe a sigh of relief.  Now the Chargers are set to go to Tampa Bay and Tampa Bay is not that bad a team and certainly not as crappy as the Chiefs.  The Chargers still haven't beaten anyone with a winning record or even a team that anyone would consider even "respectable" so the Chargers haven't proved anything other than they aren't THE worst team in the NFL...the Chiefs and Jaguars might be contending for that crown right now.