Can we nitpick?

[Buck]

It's too happy around here

[SDFan]

let Youbaking, PHead back in and take muzzle off Den60?

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

Den got muzzeled again???

[SDFan]

he's been MIA what, about a week now? Either he's on a ski vacation with no internet, self imposed exile or somebody gave him a time out.

[SFW]

he's been MIA what, about a week now? Either he's on a ski vacation with no internet, self imposed exile or somebody gave him a time out.

Or the Chargers have won two games in a row, went way over his expectations and he doesn't want to get his nose rubbed in it. He generally spends much more time here after Chargers losses than wins.

[Beerman]

Or the Chargers have won two games in a row, went way over his expectations and he doesn't want to get his nose rubbed in it. He generally spends much more time here after Chargers losses than wins.

:disco:

[ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBKR]

Den, who is "rarely wrong," was 233% wrong and counting about this team's # of wins.

[floydefisher]

Den, who is "rarely wrong," was 233% wrong and counting about this team's # of wins.

I totally flubbed it on my second half analysis too, but nobody has rubbed it in my face.

(dons flamesuit)

[Heatmiser]

Reasons to be excited as a Charger fan:

McCoy appears to be a solid coach and he has assembled a very good offensive staff. Joe D and Fred Graves and Whiz and Reich in particular have done an outstanding job. I am very confident in McCoy over the long haul.

Telesco had a good first draft and I like most of his FA adds -- Woodhead, Dunlap, Rinehart, Walker, Keiser all terrific value players. Still feel Freeney was a good gamble -- tearing a quad is just bad luck.

Rivers has demonstrated the problems were not his in the past.

A lot of young players (Troutman, Teo, Allen, Keiser, Williams, Green, etc) got significant playing time due to injuries and that will pay dividends in the future.

Freeney will be back, Ingram will be available for a whole season, Floyd and Alexander potentially can add to the WR depth.

Manning is another year older. Broncos reign likely to be short. Manning teams collapse when he goes.

Chiefs will always be limited by Alex Smith and Andy Reid. Big improvement for Chiefs, no doubt. But those two guys have well established ceilings that I don't see them breaking.



Reasons to be concerned:

Defensive staff has me less than impressed.
Chargers still seem to have trouble finishing at times and are inconsistent. Mostly on defense.
The secondary is atrocious.
Chargers appear to have no viable NT and Luiget/Reyes major disappointment compared to expectations.
Whiz likely to leave for a new job soon.
Gates another year older.

TG

[Steve]

To me, the whole DL thing has to be the major disappointment. They have played very well at times, but overall they have been just plain bad. They have to play more disciplined and just play the defenses that are called. Unlike a lot of people, I don't have an issue with what Pagano calls. It's not my cup of tea, but it's OK. But when the players make so many mental mistakes and play so stupidly, then the D has no chance.

Many of these players were on the D when we had Manusky as DC, and we did the same thing back then. Manusky was made the scapegoat for that little disaster, but he has done an excellent job in Indy. Pagano did a fine job last year, but things got out of control this year. It is always easier to blame the coaches, but the fact is that it seems like it is the players who are the common denominator.

There was some talk about changing to the 43, and I am a much bigger fan of the 43 then the 34, but I don't see how changing would help, other then force a new defensive staff in the mix. Even tweeking scheme to some other flavor of 34 isn't going to help if the players play like jackasses.

The only other thing is our D can be a lot better even if we don't upgrade the talent level significantly. The big thing they have to do is find some players who play the D that is called. Having uber-talented guys who freelance and leave gapping holes is a major problem. Better to play the second best guys if they play a group.

[Formula 21]

IMO, the D line players play the technique the coaching tells them to or they don't play. Because if they cover the wrong gap the whole D concept is blown. So I don't blame freelancing, I blame the coaching staff for putting them in the wrong position.

[Steve]

I'm not sure what you are saying. Are you saying that Reyes and Liuget jumping around and allowing them themselves to be pushed out of their gaps and not working hard to get off of blocks is poor coaching?