BOLT ANALYSIS: WEEK 16 -- BACK TO THE FUTURE

Another season has ended; another year of broken promise. For us long-suffering Charger fans, the feeling is expected, normal, natural. The Christmas Eve beatdown we all witnessed just the latest in an annual occurrence that has been a part of our lives for decades. It’s like a pre-printed spot on the calendar, really, somewhere in December usually…every once in a while it happens in January. But it always happens. The season ending a few games earlier than we all wish it would. This year’s ending has a different tenor than the past few years however. The past few years, the last game of the season (whenever it was) was tinged with excuses and expectation. There was always a reason that seemed readily at hand (e.g. “If only our special teams had played better”, “if it was not for that one bad game”, “if only our coaches would have inspired us in a different way”). No, followers, we don’t have those excuses this year. All of us who watched and hoped this year are now feeling the way we have so many times before:  We are starting over.

The Detroit Lions are a pretty good team. I would not call them great, but I would call them good. They are tough, they try hard, they seem to like playing together. They came into Saturday’s game with a chance to make the playoffs at home. As we all now, they have been one of the worst teams in the League over the years, so making the playoffs is a big deal for them. So, they had something to play for. Incredibly, so did the Chargers. Despite the 6 game losing streak, the Chargers were situated with a real chance for the Playoffs. As they game was starting, two things had happened that made those chances far more realistic:  Denver and the Jets had both been beaten badly.  These are two things the Chargers needed, increasing their chances exponentially. Suddenly, with a win over the Lions, the Chargers would have just as much a chance as Denver, the Jets, the Bengals, etc. in the final week of the season. After last week’s great showing against the Ravens, I for one settled in for what looked like it could be a very fun game.

Uh. No. You could tell on the first drive that the Chargers did not make the trip. You knew it, didn’t you? Halfway through the first quarter you knew it. The fire was not there. The motivation was absent. The sad sack, defenseless, pathetic body language was back. After three big wins, there it was. Detroit came out hot…playing hard…and we had no answer. There was no answer the entire game. I can only say that if this is all our team can muster with a chance to play in a real game…with a chance to make the playoffs…then nothing is sacred and nothing should be kept. Like WalMart after Christmas….Everything Must Go. And many things will go. If Norv Turner and Greg Manusky do not lose their jobs after a game like that, than we know for sure that Archie Manning was right when he would not let young Jughead play for the Chargers: the team is just not committed to winning.

This defense, so good against the Ravens, was horrible. The Lions scored on every drive in the first half. So thorough was the domination, and so pathetic was the response, I left to get my dry cleaning and do some errands. This team was not ready to play. Whatever soft “zone” they were running was an embarrassment. This team had 7 sacks and a bunch of turnovers last week. In this game, they could not have covered a High School team. When your job is to play games, this was inexcusable. I would be fired for such incompetence, why shouldn’t this coaching staff be fired for the same? Look, I know it is just a game, but the name of that game is to try and win. We did not even try. Collectively, you cannot tell me they did. There may have been a few players who looked like they were trying:  Weddle maybe….Floyd….but overall it was beyond a dud. The quotes afterward, “They wanted it more”, “They out-executed us”, “they were more intense”. These types of quotes are unacceptable. This is the last game of the season for them..and you are not motivated or intense?  These are the quotes of losers.  And that is what we are folks.

I won’t waste your time or mine talking too much about this game, and I refuse to even acknowledge the defense was there. But I would like to raise a couple of points. I guess Vincent Jackson was hurt. But how sick are you of seeing this guy half-heartedly running through plays? I guess people are always double-teaming Gates, but we all need to face the reality that he is about 50% what he used to be.  I guess they don’t trust Ryan Mathews to block, but why do you leave him on the bench after you have sold your soul to get this guy (e.g. getting rid of Sproles, first round draft pick, etc.). Those 2 yard screen passes to Tolbert? Really? If you don’t trust the kid, get rid of him and get someone you do trust. He was very good early in the season at taking screens so what happened? That interception Rivers threw that was returned for a TD? I don’t care that you are down 31-10 at the time….that is a horrible play by a guy who had a very rough year.

So, what happens next? We have one more game. Against the Raiders…who do have a chance at the postseason. There is zero reason to win this game. A loss gets us a better draft pick and a more favorable schedule next year. Plus, the Raiders have kicked our butt three straight times so why would they not again? We talked for the last few weeks about what should it take to get rid of our coach? If that game against the Lions did not do it, not sure what woul.  But it is not just Norv. It is Manusky, who was such an epic failure he probably deserves more of the blame than Norv. It is also Ollie Wilson, a schizophrenic running backs coach who is destroying Ryan Mathews. It is Charlie Joiner, who cannot seem to coax much out of his often-injured corps of receivers. Folks, they all need to go. But it cannot be blamed on the coaches alone. All the vitriolic-spewing yahoos out there in the Blogosphere think that a new coach alone will get this team somewhere? No chance. As I said weeks ago, this thing needs to be blown up. It is not working; the model is broken. Those players are out there on the field..who would you keep? I would submit that there are maybe 5 players who are untouchable…everyone else is fair game. This will be a fascinating off-season, because we are not “tweaking” anymore. We are not “tinkering” with our roster…we need to detonate it.

Right now, you are saying, “Wow. Someone at The ANALYSIS got some coal in his stocking”. Maybe you think I had too much Bourbon in the Egg Nog. You are right, usually I am less ranty and out of control. But, I’m mad. I am mad at seeing this team go from a very good one a few years ago to a below average one. It happened in pieces…not always obvious….but it has happened. We are no closer to the Super Bowl today than in 2001 when we started over by drafting LT. Watching the wonderful Drew Brees and the havoc-wreaking Darren Sproles last night in their game kind of drove this point home didn’t it? We are not close to that. Our former QB just set the all-time passing record for a season AND he already has one Super Bowl under his belt. Our former 3^rd down back and all purpose guy is still one of the most exciting players in the game, yet we let him go for nothing (after paying him $14 million over two years for some reason) and then not feeling comfortable using the guy who replaced him. All I can say is good luck to Brees and Sproles. I am rooting for you. No, we are not like that anymore. When it comes down to it, of Norv’s 5 years as head coach, we are going to miss the playoffs in three of them. One and out in the playoffs in a 4^th. Not good. And now, after seasons of 8-8, 9-7, and 7-9 (likely) over the past 4, can anyone really say we are good. The answer is no. Don’t just look at the coach though….everyone should be on the block.

So, followers, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. I really do. I hope you will have a wonderful New Year too. Sports are just sports. Nothing more. And when I see a tweet from Vincent Jackson the day after his team has been eliminated…gushing about how he is so excited and happy to be watching basketball….I know where my perspective should lie. Because folks, when you care more than the players, it ain’t worth it. So, I don’t. And neither should you. I said at the end of the last post that you should not hope for Charger success this year. I hope that you did not. But, we can start hoping now. We can hope that we lose the last game…..we can hope that our coaching staff gets completely replaced….we can hope that our General Manager gets replaced….we can hope that many of our players get replaced……we can hope that we are better next year. Because that is what makes sports fun…right? Hope.