ESPN Mosley/MacMahon: Norv's secret to success in December

[WoodysGirl]

Dec 94:40PM ET

By Matt Mosley

IRVING, Texas -- The NFC East blog had an opportunity to check in with Chargers coach Norv Turner today via conference call and we discussed several topics. I wanted to talk to him about being a finalist for the Cowboys' head-coaching position following the '06 season, but he wanted to stay away from that. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had a choice to make at that point: Turner's history with quarterbacks or Wade Phillips' history with the 3-4 defense. Obviously, we know what happened next.

I think a lot of Cowboys fans would agree that Jones made the wrong choice -- especially given Turner's record in December (10-0) and in the playoffs (4-2). Phillips is 3-6 in December and 0-1 in the playoffs. I remember Turner telling me about a year ago that he came close to pulling his name from consideration from the Cowboys' coaching search, but a family member talked him into continuing in the process.

Of course, Turner's loss was the Chargers' gain. He has helped make Philip Rivers one of the best quarterbacks in the league and his teams perform their best at the most critical times of the season. When I pressed Turner for details today, he said he tried to tweak things with his practice schedule and certain drills in order to keep his team focused. It was suggested by another reporter that Turner's teams seem to have a swagger down the stretch.

“Our team has that anyway, because we do have a lot of good players,” Turner said. “There is a sense of confidence. I think one of the things, too, obviously to win games like that in December, like any other time of year, you have to win close games and you have to win games in the fourth quarter. We’ve been able to do that.”

 

[WoodysGirl]

Turner's secrets to December success
December, 9, 2009 Dec 93:05PM CT
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By Tim MacMahon

IRVING, Texas -- San Diego Chargers coach Norv Turner didn’t have much interest in discussing his candidacy for the job that Jerry Jones gave Wade Phillips in 2007.

But Turner was more than willing to discuss his December success, something the Dallas Cowboys certainly haven’t enjoyed recently. The Chargers are 10-0 in December games under Turner, success that has served as a springboard to a 4-2 playoff record the last two years.

“We have real good players, and as the season goes on, you’d like for those guys to keep getting better,” Turner said in a conference call with Valley Ranch media.

Turner noted that there were several factors to the Chargers’ December dominance, such as a favorable schedule, good fortune with health getting key players back from injuries. He tweaks the team’s schedule during the week down the stretch, breaking up the monotony of a long season. He agrees with Jimmy Johnson, his former boss at Valley Ranch, that teams that rely on young players benefit from their energy and enthusiasm late in the season.

And there is a snowball effect to the Chargers’ late-season success. They enter stadiums with a swagger at this time of year.

“Our team has that anyway, because we do have a lot of good players,” Turner said. “There is a sense of confidence. I think one of the things too obviously to win games like that in December, like any other time of year, you have to win close games and you have to win games in the fourth quarter. We’ve been able to do that.”

The Cowboys haven’t, going 3-6 in December under Phillips. If those trends don’t end Sunday, the Cowboys are in serious trouble.

 

[lwehlers]

all signs point to another loss this weekend. i did know that the chargers are 10-0 under turner in decembe unbelieveable.

 

[casmith07]

and of course, the logical explanation is that Cowboys + Norv Turner = Championship.