Norv Turner: I know this group will respond Posted by Josh Alper on November 11, 2012, 5:20 PM ESTThe Chargers held a 21-17 lead at halftime in Tampa on Sunday, but they will fly home as 34-24 losers. It’s the fourth loss in the last five weeks and the Chargers haven’t beaten anyone other than the Chiefs since the second week of the season. That increases the heat on coach Norv Turner, assuming there’s still a way to increase the heat on a guy who came into the season with a roaring fire under his seat, but the coach thinks that his team is poised to turn things around. “This is as tough of a group of guys as I’ve ever been around. We’ve got guys who have responded in every kind of adversity,” Turner said, via the team’s website. “We’ve had guys go play hurt and play when they shouldn’t have played. I know this group is going to respond.” That’s boilerplate coachspeak which doesn’t have much grounding in reality. The Chargers lost this game the same way they have been losing games all year. They gave up big plays through the air, turned the ball over on offense and made a brutal special teams error. Teams that respond don’t keep succumbing to the same failures over and over again, but that’s just what these Chargers have done. With a road date in Denver next week, the Chargers are staring at the end of realistic playoff hopes if they lose. If they’re going to prove Turner right, that’s their chance to do it. Otherwise someone else will be doing the boilerplate postgame quotes in San Diego. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/category/rumor-mill/
Bolt Quotebook “This is as tough of a group of guys as I’ve ever been around. We’ve got guys who have responded in every kind of adversity. We’ve had guys go play hurt and play when they shouldn’t have played. I know this group is going to respond.” – Head Coach Norv Turner “In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have thrown the ball, period. Kick a field goal and we tie it up. This game is played in quick decisions and I made the wrong one there.” – Quarterback Philip Rivers “We’re a pretty somber group right now. We know next week is as close to a must win as it gets. We’ll turn around and regroup, but right now the mood is how you’d expect.” – Safety Eric Weddle “I didn’t even see the guy coming. I’m not concentrating on the guys in front of me I’m just focusing on getting the ball out. I didn’t notice it until I was upside down.” – Punter Mike Scifres http://www.chargers.com/news/articl...ampa-Bay/a20f9385-0902-4f77-9ef3-201f93c99de3
That's is about as plain and level headed as I could put it. This is 100% accurate. This team is unacceptable. There is no reason to believe in them with what they have shown to date. Can they turn it around? Yes. Can the 'respond'? Yes. Is there ANY reason to expect that they will? No. Bums.
Must win doesn't equal easy win. Basically Denver wins next week then they clinch the division and the Chargers are guaranteed a third year out of the playoffs.
I mis-read it. I totally missed the word must. I thought he just said it was as close to a win as can be. My bad
I love my team and always will, but I don't have much faith left in this bunch. They're all foam, no beer.
Lets hope they do. But this Denver team in their home... That is one tough cookie and we havent been doing well against the soft chewy cookies....
If Denver wins next week they can still drop to 7-9 and the Chargers could still finish 10-6 That's not clinching the division, nor is it guaranteeing the Chargers miss the playoffs. (We don't need to operate in rhetoric to stress the importance of that game, or the real ramifications of losing it.)
Heard this same old story too many times now I'm afraid. How many times does this team have to "regroup" before we make a change to the root cause of the problem? Regroup after being thrashed and embarrassed by ATL in our own house? Regroup after choking what should've been a sure win against NO? That went well... Regroup after choking a huge lead against DEN? We thought that was rock bottom... Regroup after a total humiliation against CLE? And now ANOTHER choke against TAM???? The only time we would truly "regroup" is when we fire that sorry SOB Norv...
What cracks me up is we're approaching week 11 and you can still find Norv talking about how they have a lot of new players trying to learn the system, and how they get better and better each week. same old tired story. Move a long nothing to see here
I felt the season was lost on Monday Night Football when the score was 24-21. That's when I knew this team didn't have what it takes to make the playoffs. I will still be at every game and hope I'm wrong but I'm just being real.
Just like last year, the last game of the season will be a win and its against the Raiders and it will save Norvs job for another year.
“This is as tough of a group of guys as I’ve ever been around. We’ve got guys who have responded in every kind of adversity,” Turner said. It would be great if the Bolt's displayed this "toughness" during the game rather than in the locker room and practice.
^^^^^ after the game, Thats when the toughness comes out our players still on the field, yelling at the winning team run into their locker room. "Thats right you better walk away! you're lucky we don't come over there and give you a piece of our minds" "Oh what's that?!?! hold me back Norv Hold me back!!!"
I'm fairly sure 2 years remaining on his contract had more to do with saving Norv's job than a win against Oakland did. Somehow I doubt they were all set to fire Norv but then said "Well, he beat Oakland, Nevermind!" Here's hoping that added PR pressure and only one year left on his contract means they reconsider, regardless of what happens (save some miracle comeback and playoff wins).
Also if you recall several players including Rivers and Weddle publicly spoke out about wanting Norv back. They said the colapse was their fault. I am sure that weighed in on the decision. Not sure it will this year (knocking on wood).
You don't call all this loud hate from the fans pressure? And why is not winning their goal anyway? That doesn't make money.
He was talking about the players. The only player on the team who feels pressure from the fans is Rivers, and while winning is their goal, I don't believe that any of the players receive any additional bonus pay (other than game checks for playoff games) based on games won. Most incentive-based contracts are built around position-related stats, starts, or snaps. If Melvin Ingram gets 30 sacks in a season (outrageous, but you get the point), he'll almost assuredly get some kind of bonus in his contract (or a new contract), whether the team wins 0 games or 19. Likewise, Larry English got paid just as much for riding the pine his rookie year going 13-3 as he will this year going 4-12. Winning only gets QBs money. Playing well is what gets everyone else paid (and yes, this obviously gets QBs paid as well, but they get paid additionally for winning their teams lots of games).
Question: What would happen if everyone got their wish, next year Norv and AJ get gone, and still the team does what it is doing this season?
Exactly what they're doing this season, or are they breaking in rookies at key positions and getting better? If the new GM brings in bargain barrel FAs to be our starting linemen and our HC calls plays that require blocking that is beyond those linemen, then I'll be very disappointed. If, however, we suck because we have lots of promising players who are just getting worked due to lack of experience/a new system, I'll be patient, especially as that would put us in position for 2 high draft pick seasons in a row.
