[Dark Horse]

In my opinion, Chargers acted below their level when they rushed to win the game in the final minute right after Arizona came back to take a 31-30 lead. Norv should take a page out of Shanahan's book, who couldn't care less earlier tonight, and just played out the clock with the ball and behind 16-17. Tells me that Norv Turner is small-minded; too small-minded for a championship team. Then again, we already knew that.

[SBR Lou]

I still think it was a mistake to let Marty go, especially after the kind of year SD had last season. I didn't see Dungy getting canned after continually coaching his team through great seasons, then choking like SD did.

The bottom line is, Norv Turner is not an improvement over Marty Schottenheimer.

[onlooker]

Well they can't blame their poor performances on the so called "Marty Ball". If Norv can't do anything good with this team, then he and the Chargers deserve to lose.

[bigboydan]

The thing you guys are forgetting here is that this is just a pre-season game here. Both coaches and players play these games with no passion at all.

[Dark Horse]

I saw this game and the Arizona players were very passionate about taking the 31-30 lead, including the coaches and starters at the sideline. It would have been their first win under the new coach. This is why I was so surprised to see the Chargers treat the final minute like the regular season. It seemed so below the most talented team in the league.

[imgv94]

Your wrong Dark Horse

[Dark Horse]

Hey, I only need to be right 55% of the time. Wrong about what?

About Norv? Nah. Do I want to see a head coach constantly brushing his hair back from his face? Absolutely NOT!!!

About the Cardinals celebrating the 31-30 lead like it was a real game? They sure looked happy.

About the Chargers fighting to get in FG range with no timeouts and with a hurry-up offense? To me the Chargers lowered themselves to the Cardinals level by doing so. The win in this game mattered to the lowly Cardinals, but shouldn't have mattered to the most talented team in football at all.

Fun game to watch though.

[t2wentyfou4r]

The Chargers made a huge mistake hiring Norv Tuner. What has he really done since he left Dallas as a Off. Cord? He failed with the Redskins, and again with the Raiders. He is a great Off cord, but not a head coach. If he can't win with the Chargers he will never win. I hope he doesn't ruin the prime years of L.T. Rivera should have been hired for the head coach job. He shouldn't be a LB coach for the Chargers.

[Dark Horse]

I agree. It hurts seeing him at the sideline. LT deserves better.

[jjgold]

Turner is a proven loser, SD will be no factor this year

[ritehook]

1- Turner deserves a chance. No coach can win with teams lacking talent, as was the case in his prior two stops.

2- Shanahan hardly approaches the preseaseason games with a total lack of interest in the outcome. He is one of the top preseason coaches in the NFL, in terms of W-L!

3- Schottenheimer brought his firing upon himself.

(A)5-13 in the postseason lifetime. He should never be hired as a HC again, with a proven record of postseason failure

(B)The Chargers were willing to keep him for the final year of his contract. However, he demanded a re-negotiation and a huge salary increase. For a 5-13 Postseason coaching record? And another PS loss with the best team in the NFL? Gimmeabreak.

(C)He wanted to hire his son as one of the co-ordinators. Shades of Bobby Bowden!!

Marty's a loser. He should go back to the Redskins to re-join the loser owner of that franchise.

[ritehook]

The Chargers success in the last few years was not due to Schottenheimer, but to Gen'l Manger AJ Smith.

He, and his immediate predecessor (NOT Bobby Beatherd, whose bizarre drafts sunk the team -including Ryan Leaf) built the current team. Four years ago Smith publicly gave a national wedgie to the now-retired Giants GM, when he traded away the younger Manning and got QB Rivers and LB Merriman (plus others) in exchange.

GMs build good teams - almost any competent HC can then do the job on the field. Tho I didn't think the Charger draft this year was very good. (1st rounder has "alligator arms," - gave away too much in second round - and third rounder is recovering from a severe knee tear and was recently arrested in his home town for road rage.)

But who am I to argue with Smith? He has been recognized by his peers as one of the tops in the game. Again, sharp GMs build championship teams. It all starts at the top, tho to the majority of fans the HC is much more visible.

[isetcap]

I still think it was a mistake to let Marty go, especially after the kind of year SD had last season. I didn't see Dungy getting canned after continually coaching his team through great seasons, then choking like SD did.

The bottom line is, Norv Turner is not an improvement over Marty Schottenheimer.

That is absolutely correct. You'll never win a championship with Marty but you'll have trouble winning ANY important games with Norville at the helm.

Having said that, there is value in an end-game situation, last minute drive and working through the drill. It's not really about an empty preseason result, it's about executing what you've been practicing. Letting a team "win" simply because they seem really happy about it is complete nonsense. This is football not a soccer friendly.

[ritehook]

Successful coaches have different approaches to the pre-season

To argue, as many on this forum do, that it has nothing to do with winning, is incorrect.

To repeat, Shanahan likes to win games in the pre-season. Check his won/lost record.

And, oh yeah, a guy named Parcells liked to win in pre-season.

There is no right way or wrong way in pre-season. Super Bowl winning coaches have done it both ways. End of story.

[durito]

i agree, turner was probably not a good move.

but, the broncos most certainly tried to win that game last night. they went for 2 with 2 minutes left, missed. stopped cleveland, used their timeouts in the process. then got the ball back with 1 minute left, moved it all the way to midfield on 3 pass plays but they couldn't get out of bounds and time expired.

[Dark Horse]

Winning in preseason is more important to weak teams than to strong teams. Strong teams already know where they stand. Weak teams try to establish a winning psychology. What Turner proved to me last night is that he brings a weak team's coaching philosophy and psychology to a strong team. May be overly simplistic or not make sense to you, but that's how I saw it and still do.

[pokernut9999]

In my opinion, Chargers acted below their level when they rushed to win the game in the final minute right after Arizona came back to take a 31-30 lead. Norv should take a page out of Shanahan's book, who couldn't care less earlier tonight, and just played out the clock with the ball and behind 16-17. Tells me that Norv Turner is small-minded; too small-minded for a championship team. Then again, we already knew that.

Bash a coach because he tries to win a game. WTF maybe the commish should ban him from the NFL. There is no place in football for a coach that tries to win.

[ritehook]

Winning in preseason is more important to weak teams than to strong teams. Strong teams already know where they stand. Weak teams try to establish a winning psychology. What Turner proved to me last night is that he brings a weak team's coaching philosophy and psychology to a strong team. May be overly simplistic or not make sense to you, but that's how I saw it and still do.

Again, you can't make a general rule. Some coaches like to win, period. Shanahan, Parcells and other winners like to win in preseason. Others don't much care - Marv Levy was a prominent example (tho unlike Parcells and Shanahan he never won a SB).

I missed the SD/Ariz game, but is it safe to assume that in the 4th quarter the Chargers did not have their first team in?!

[ritehook]

And what should Turner have told the 3rd stringers and undrafted free agents who were out there, busting their balls to make plays, to fulfill their lifelong dream to play in the NFL?

"OK, guys, we're the best team in the NFL, so just go out there and loaf around, don't try to win, don't play hard. We don't want anyone to think we're rubbing it in"

Brian Billick (HC, Balto) is another SB winning HC who takes the preseason with more than a grain of salt. Check his win rate in the pre, after his team loses straight up.

The PS is not just about weeding out; it's about preparation, mental attitude. And a new HC just might think it advantageous in the regular season to install a "play hard" attitude in the PS.

Schotty fans just won't give up. But thankfully we were spared the ordeal of having Marty's son call the plays, nepotism on the 50 yard line!.

I don't know if Turner's the answer to the Charger postseason woes, but Schotty is one the great alltime playoff jokes in pro sports.

Remember,it was he who went into a "prevent defense" years ago vs Denver in a playoff game, with - guess who - John Elway at the controls of the offense. It resulted in the storied "The Drive," which never would have happened without a damn fool and gutless wonder coaching the Browns.

[Dark Horse]

My observation came after watching the entire game. When a top team plays a game like this, you don't expect a coach to be emotionally caught up in every detail for the entire game. Just didn't make sense to me. So the final minute came on top of my wondering about Turner for much longer.

Perhaps helpful to compare to gambling. SD is a bigger player, bets 5,000 a game. Cardinals a small player, bets $50 per game. Why on earth would the bigger player care that much about the $50 bet? My guess? Turner is a $50 player.

As to Shanahan. He really didn't care very much yesterday. He could have tied the game, but instead decided on a 2 pt conversion. That's not result oriented, that's creating your own game within the game (may as well have some fun, because there's nothing on the line anyway). If he had cared one iota, Denver would have passed deep on the final drive to get in FG range. Instead, they settled for three short passes.

Anyway, enough of this. This is a minor issue and of no real importance. I don't think Turner and the Chargers are a match, and maybe I was looking for a sign that they were. And didn't find it.

[ritehook]

Agree it's a minor issue (and so are 95% of all posts on sports bet forums!)

Turner might fall on his face and be gone next season. But it was still wise, now that SD has a team in the elite, to get rid of a lifelong Big Game Loser. Esp with the absurd demands he reportedly made.

Hey, maybe Parcells will show up on the Chargers sidelines next season!