[atari 2600]

Scientists say that yesterday was the most depressing day of the calendar year. For me, it was the day before, on Sunday.

As a Chargers fan, it's difficult for me to get past prima donna Eli's (and the rest of the Manning family's) insistence that he not play in San Diego, but at the same time, I surely hope the Giants can deal the Patriots a loss in the Super Bowl.

I wonder if Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers will trot out Stevie Nicks during halftime or not.

[Rob Instigator]

The Charger's coach did them in man.
this is from ESPN.com Tuesday Morning QB


Norv Turner's decision to punt in New England territory in the fourth quarter when trailing by two scores might go down as the single worst coaching decision of all time. Let us count the ways in which the decision was ludicrous. First, the Patriots have the best offense in football history, so the odds of getting the ball back quickly without New England scoring were very low. Second, you need a touchdown and a field goal and are in field goal range. Why aren't you at least attempting a field goal? Sure a long field goal try might not work, but punting is guaranteed not to work! Next, San Diego coaches should have decided already, when the Chargers had third-and-10 on the New England 36 at the 9:36 mark, that they would go for it on fourth down. The opponent is the highest-scoring team of all time; you will not defeat those guys by passively punting the ball away late in the game. Yet rather than use "four-down thinking" and call a draw or similar play on third-and-10 so the fourth-down situation would be more manageable, San Diego's coaches called a midrange pass on third down, then, facing fourth-and-10, shrugged and punted.

By sending in the punt team, Turner quit on the game.

I agree withi this. I was furious that they would punt in the 4th quarter, in new england fucking territory, when trailing by ELEVEN fucking points!

[Rob Instigator]

From what I hear, the Manning family collectively ahs a massive grudge against the Chargers for the way that the patriarch, Archie, was treated by that organization. I do not know the details on that but qwould love to hear them.

[krastian]

Originally Posted by atari 2600

I wonder if Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers will trot out Stevie Nicks during halftime or not.

I was wondering that too. My sister saw him last summer and she was there. I love me some Tom Petty.

[Kloriel]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

The Charger's coach did them in man.
this is from ESPN.com Tuesday Morning QB


Norv Turner's decision to punt in New England territory in the fourth quarter when trailing by two scores might go down as the single worst coaching decision of all time. Let us count the ways in which the decision was ludicrous. First, the Patriots have the best offense in football history, so the odds of getting the ball back quickly without New England scoring were very low. Second, you need a touchdown and a field goal and are in field goal range. Why aren't you at least attempting a field goal? Sure a long field goal try might not work, but punting is guaranteed not to work! Next, San Diego coaches should have decided already, when the Chargers had third-and-10 on the New England 36 at the 9:36 mark, that they would go for it on fourth down. The opponent is the highest-scoring team of all time; you will not defeat those guys by passively punting the ball away late in the game. Yet rather than use "four-down thinking" and call a draw or similar play on third-and-10 so the fourth-down situation would be more manageable, San Diego's coaches called a midrange pass on third down, then, facing fourth-and-10, shrugged and punted.

By sending in the punt team, Turner quit on the game.

I agree withi this. I was furious that they would punt in the 4th quarter, in new england fucking territory, when trailing by ELEVEN fucking points!

I have to disagree because Ciphers is a monster. He had like an 80 yard punt in the Indy game. This combined with the fact that the bolts d played very well pretty much throughout that whole game - the decision doesn't seem that big of a deal to me.
I don't remember what direction the wind was in the situation though, was it into or with?

[atari 2600]

Coach Turner expected the same thing to happen towards the end of the game as I did. He figured that the Chargers would start to manhandle the Pats sometime in the third quarter and continue to do so throughout the rest of the game.

Aside from decisions on the field that left the Chargers with FGs instead of TDs, Norv made the same mistake that all the other teams that have lost to the Patriots after giving them a fight have made. He forgot who it is he was playing.
Bellichick knew, just like I did, just like Coach Turner did, that his team was more than likely going to start to show some discernable weakness in the latter part of the game. And so, Coach Bellichick made the adjustment with that three tight end formation that threw San Diego for a loop.
More than anything else, it's what lost the game for the Chargers; their inability to adapt to that Pats offensive formation did them in and sealed victory for the Patriots. However, I do think that a valid point of criticism is the 3rd and 10 pass that the espn.com writer cites. I really think they should have tried some sort of screen or run with a tried-and-true blocking scheme. It seems to me that a pair of play-action runs would have done it and have possibly given the Chargers some life at the end.

[krastian]

Speaking of the Chargers, I think Kaeding saved his job by nailing those 4 field goals against the Patriots. Another debacle in the playoffs would have surely screwed him.

They say that Fassel is now the front runner to get the Skins job. I think I'd kind of prefer Williams over him since he's been here for awhile and from what I can gather, the players really respond well to him/play hard for him. Who knows?!

[Rob Instigator]

they were on the 36 yard line. Punting was flat out stupid.

they kicked field goeals twice with 4th and goal (short ones) against the highest scoring team in NFL history? STUPID

They fell for the same trap the patriots have done where they do not blitz at all in the first 3 quarters then blitz heavily in the 4th. they have done it 4 games in a row. stupid coaching.