The passion of Norv -- or lack of it -- is hurting the Chargers
By Mark Kreidler
ESPN.com
(Archive)
Updated: September 25, 2007
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Here's something that won't be thumbtacked to the bulletin board in A.J. Smith's executive office at the San Diego Chargers' headquarters: Some of his players knew last week that the team wasn't ready to play its best game in Green Bay. The practice mood, they said, was just a little too passive. It was a little too calm. It was a little too … well, a little too Norv, if you want to get to the nubs of it.
Of course, you won't hear Smith agreeing with that, because doing so would contradict the GM's working theory that anyone not named Schottenheimer could take the talent on the San Diego roster and, by not mucking around in it too much, produce a great season along with -- shout-out to Marty here -- some real playoff success.
But whatever else can be said of Norv Turner as a football man, what is increasingly beyond dispute is that he's a submediocre head coach. In replacing the garrulous, emotional and sometimes overtly political Marty Schottenheimer after last season's sucker-punch playoff loss to New England, Smith turned to a man with a 58-82-1 record as the head coach of two franchises (make that 59-84-1 after the 1-2 start in San Diego that has led to the current unpleasantness).
Paul Spinelli/Getty Images
Three games into his stint at San Diego, Norv Turner already has found the hot seat.
Those previous stops, in Washington and Oakland, were unquestionably weird places to work, and the quality of Turner's rosters ebbed and flowed. But the one constant among those who played for him was their assessment, usually offered with great kindness because of Turner's almost universal likability, that the man was a wonderful … offensive coordinator.
Or, as one exasperated Raiders defensive back told me in 2005, as Turner's second season in Oakland spun inexorably toward the 4-12 finish that got him whacked: "He's just a real nice guy." Too bad it wasn't intended as a compliment.
Turner and his San Diego players, LaDainian Tomlinson in particular, have spent the past couple of days attempting to explain their 31-24 defeat to the Packers in strategic terms: The team needs to run more effectively, the blocking schemes are flawed, 24 points on the road really ought to be enough, etc. But that misses the bigger (but less tangible) point, which is that Turner's teams historically haven't prepared and played at the emotional clip necessary to win.
That's observational and surely subjective. But it's also supported by plenty of Turner's former (and some current) players, who over the years have clamored for more fire and brimstone from a man who, though he clearly loves the sport, just isn't the demonstrative type.
Raiders fans almost chuckled to themselves when Smith tapped Turner for the San Diego job. It was strange enough to see the Chargers dump a coach -- Schottenheimer, who had just gone 14-2 -- for the sin of losing to the Patriots in the playoffs. But going from Marty to Norv? That's taking an off-ramp from the emotional superhighway. Suddenly, Oakland looked as though it might not have made the riskiest coaching choice in the division by hiring a then-31-year-old USC assistant, Lane Kiffin.
If the Norv-emotional-preparedness issue wasn't clear prior to the 38-14 pasting by the Pats in Week 2, it became so during the days that followed. As the Chargers tried to get over the sting of that defeat and gear up to face Brett Favre at Lambeau Field, something was missing.
"[The intensity] wasn't quite where it needed to be," center Nick Hardwick told the San Diego Union-Tribune after the Packers game.
"You've got to get after it and decide who you're going to be as a team … We've got to pick up the intensity during the week. Wednesday, Thursday is key for us."
Wednesday and Thursday were the kinds of days when Schottenheimer shined. And while it's by no means too late for the Chargers to turn around this season, they must realize by now that they're operating in an entirely different space, with a different set of directions. When Tomlinson declared Monday, "I'm sick and tired of talking about last year. This is not last year," he said a mouthful.
It's funny: While Turner was busy getting his reputation knocked around in San Diego these first few weeks, the franchise for which he spent 2006 as offensive coordinator, San Francisco, saw itself questioned repeatedly about its sudden lack of imagination and flair on offense -- after winning its first two games. The consensus is that the 49ers (now 2-1 after losing to Pittsburgh) were a better unit with Mike Nolan doing the head coaching and Turner up in the box drawing plays -- that is, with Turner doing what he does best.
Bottom line: The Chargers are too talented to crater, and with Kansas City, Denver and Oakland coming up on the schedule, they have a chance to right themselves before their bye week Oct. 21.
On the other hand, they're trying to follow up 14-2 with two new coordinators and Norv Turner driving the bus. Watch out for that exit ramp.
Mark Kreidler's book "Four Days to Glory: Wrestling With the Soul of the American Heartland", has been optioned for film/TV development by ESPN Original Entertainment. His book "Kids of Summer," about the curious ability of one town to consistently produce Little League champions, will be released in July 2008. A regular contributor to ESPN.com, he can be reached at
mark@markkreidler.com.
