Chargers to Hire Turner - Era of Mediocrity to Begin

[hooskins]

Yeah Norv should have been in Dallas, but either way I feel really bad for the SD fans. They must be really pissed right now.

[BrudLee]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

Norv's a good playcaller, and that team has tons of talent on the offensive end. They will be up there in points next year for sure.

They will open up at number 1 in my personal power rankings for next year.

What the hell's a Power Ranking?

[ncskinsfanec]

Norv has hit the jackpot on this one! I think he may be the luckiest man in America right now. All he has to do is not screw this up. The Barry Switzer comparison raised earlier is a great one!

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

Interesting. What do you mean by "the little things"?

I actually might agree with you to an extent, but I want to make sure we are on the same page.

Like untimely offsides, a wrong route, a misread, whiffed punts (yes, there was only one of these but could it have happened at a worse time?), etc. During Norv's tenure here, they just were undisciplined - you could count on someone doing some small, high-school mistake at the wrong time. It was as if there was a general lack of concentration and focus.

[Beemnseven]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

They may make the playoffs b/c of their talent - they will not go much further. Turner's teams just don't pay attention to the little things that turn good teams into playoff winning teams.

I remember back in 1996 we were playing the Colts at home -- it was a point when the Skins were on that 7-1 run; NBC brought up a graphic basically asking the question of what's the secret to their success, something to that effect. Anyway, the Redskins were #1 in the NFL for least number of penalties, #1 for fewest turnovers, and #1 in red zone touchdowns.

Now, we all now how that season ended, and we know what ultimately happened with Norv. But given the right players, Turner has demonstrated that he can guide a team and produce an efficient squad capable of some success.

My biggest problem was that he seemed like a piece of wood, as if he had no motivational skills whatsoever. But then, I only saw him on the sidelines.

I guess he can still prove me wrong, but at times, he was able to create that elusive environment football coaches often speak of. Where the players buy into the system, when they develop that chemistry and reach an expectation of success. He wasn't the worst coach Washington ever had. We only know him by his failure to get us a Lombardi trophy.

Given the right players and the right circumstances, I think only the most bone-headed downright incompetants will get you nowhere. Norv isn't that coach. In San Diego, all the pieces are in place. There may be an adjustment period, but he'll probably prove the genius everyone said he had with Dallas.

[ncskinsfanec]

I'm not real high on Norv at all, but it did kind of all come together during the '99 season. That offense was something that season with Brad Johnson and Stephen Davis getting it done. Norv has proved more often than not that he can't have success as a head coach, but he has, at least, had a taste of it.

[That Guy]

i think personnel is seriously 75% of how good your season is going to be. norv lacks leadership, so they better hope the locker room leadership is VERY strong.

in other news, ron rivera looks like he won't be back with the bears, how'd that be for an experienced DC?

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by ncskinsfanec

Norv has hit the jackpot on this one! I think he may be the luckiest man in America right now. All he has to do is not screw this up. The Barry Switzer comparison raised earlier is a great one!

I don't think he is as lucky as you may think. He is coming in taking over a 14-2 team which is hard to duplicate no matter who you are in the NFL. If he goes 11-5 which is still a very good season then still misses the playoffs or losses in the playoff people will point to him as the cause. He is almost in a lose lose situation more than a win win. Now take a coach taking over a 3-13 team if they can go 7-9 it would look as a big improvement which is much easier most of the time.

[Longtimefan]

There should not be many reasons why Norv can't be successful in SD. He'll be blessed with the most talented team he's been associated with since he left Dallas, it's just hard thinking he could mess that up.

[JGisLordOfTheRings]

hahaha

love the title....mediocrity indeed.

8-8 here you come Chargers! Welcome to 2 runs plays and a 2 yard pass every possession. well, maybe it will play into LT's hands. If the O runs like it did here, LT could have a friggin 5000 yd season the way Norv runs the ball lolololol....

[djnemo65]

I dont think this is as bad a hire as you guys seem to think. The thing about Norv is, he knows this is his last chance. Moreover, he is inheriting a level of talent he hasn't seen since he was in Dallas. Remember, he got a raw deal in Washington for a number of reasons, and the situation in Oakland was untenable. Let's see what happens - if you can't succeed under these circumastances then you just aren't meant to be a head coach.

[sportscurmudgeon]

TAFKAS:

Why not Dennis Green?

Here's why I would not hire Dennis Green ever again in the NFL:


1. He is a control freak of the same magnitude as a Parcells. The only difference is that he hasn't won anything.


2. After the Vikings lost that horrid game to the Giants in the playoffs five years ago (wasn't it 41-0 or something like that?), Green was exposed as a guy who lived off the talent on his team. He did not get good players to play like great players; he had a big strong armed QB throw the ball deep to a big and athletic receiver or short to a guy who could catch a speeding bullet. Oh, and he had a pretty good RB (Robert Smith) too. But no one ever got any better from year to year. In fact, you could argue that Culpepper and Moss got worse under Green's tutelage. Robert Smith retired early rather than play out his contract with Green at the helm of the team. If you owned the Chargers, would you take that chance with LT?

3. His tenure in Arizona was just miserable. He took over a team that could not run the ball at all. He left after three years with a team that could not run the ball at all - - after he spent a lot of the owner's money signing Edgerrin James.


4. Dennis Green has had "relationship" difficulties in Minny and in Arizona; he threatened to sue the former owner of the Vikings if they did not agree to sell the team to him and a group of his friends. That suit went nowhere when "the group" could not come up with even half of the downpayment to buy the team if the owner were to put it up for sale. In Texas they call that "all hat; no cattle."


Other than that, he'd be on my short list if I owned the Chargers...

[SmootSmack]

Any other reasons?

[hamslam]

Westbrook for receivers coach!

[ncskinsfanec]

Originally Posted by sportscurmudgeon

TAFKAS:

Why not Dennis Green?

Here's why I would not hire Dennis Green ever again in the NFL:


1. He is a control freak of the same magnitude as a Parcells. The only difference is that he hasn't won anything.


2. After the Vikings lost that horrid game to the Giants in the playoffs five years ago (wasn't it 41-0 or something like that?), Green was exposed as a guy who lived off the talent on his team. He did not get good players to play like great players; he had a big strong armed QB throw the ball deep to a big and athletic receiver or short to a guy who could catch a speeding bullet. Oh, and he had a pretty good RB (Robert Smith) too. But no one ever got any better from year to year. In fact, you could argue that Culpepper and Moss got worse under Green's tutelage. Robert Smith retired early rather than play out his contract with Green at the helm of the team. If you owned the Chargers, would you take that chance with LT?

3. His tenure in Arizona was just miserable. He took over a team that could not run the ball at all. He left after three years with a team that could not run the ball at all - - after he spent a lot of the owner's money signing Edgerrin James.


4. Dennis Green has had "relationship" difficulties in Minny and in Arizona; he threatened to sue the former owner of the Vikings if they did not agree to sell the team to him and a group of his friends. That suit went nowhere when "the group" could not come up with even half of the downpayment to buy the team if the owner were to put it up for sale. In Texas they call that "all hat; no cattle."


Other than that, he'd be on my short list if I owned the Chargers...

If you want to crown him, crown him! He wasn't who he thought he was with the Cardinals!