I think the formula is there in my humble opinion...

[X-man]

I agreed with your opening topic post about the stellar defense carrying teams and this line "Trent Dilfer, Eli Manning x 2, Ben Rostlisberger x2, Joe Flacco, Brad Johnson, and Russell Wilson have proven that you don't have to have the better Qb to win the BIG game...but you do have to have the better defense. "

But in this reply you backtrack and want the focus on Rivers taking us all the way? I think time has shown the Spanii do not believe in investing more than a token high pick on the OL or DL and want the focus on a "face" that is exciting and a playmaker. Despite the fact they stabbed Don Coryell, 1st in the back with promoting Al Saunders to "co-head coach" and then in the heart when they replaced him- they STILL think being the San Diego Chargers = high scoring passing offense above all else and will sacrifice the chance of building a dominant TEAM in the name of offensive "continuity" and handing the passing game over to guys like NOrv and MM who then shortchange the defense. All the while using Rivers above average capabilities as a crutch to lean on instead of actually building a real TEAM that dictates to other teams. 9 years of Rivers as starter = proven fail leading us to Super Bowl with no TEAM around him. The formula worked in Indy with Manning and the proven Tony Dungy while Telesco was there but Rivers isn't Manning in his prime and Pagano can't get Dungy like success out of our defense.

If it were up to me, I'd blow out the entire coaching staff after this year and hire that proven NFL Defensive Guru as HC. let him choose ALL his own staff instead of handicapping him with leftovers like Pagano and Ollie Wilson- and tell him to build the trenches and Melvin GORDON is now the focus of our offense. And yes, I'd listen to any offers for Rivers and stop using him and Gates as crutches as justifications that "we wouldn't have won as much as we did without them". Moral victories suck.

Believe me when I tell you that as I like me some Phillip Rivers, I do not think that he is so special that he could lead this team all the way primarily by himself and should never be used as any type of "crutch." Truth be told, there isn't any Qb that could ever live up to that billing. Even mister regular season dominator himself, Peyton Manning, for all the SBs he's been to and regular season records he has set....only has one SB victory. That's the same amount as Dilfer, Wilson, Johnson, Flacco...but if you would ask anybody if they'd rather have Peyton Manning in his prime or any of those 4 mentioned...the choice would be pretty clear, manning all the way. Going back to my original post...it just so happened the year he did win, the colts had a pretty solid defense which ties back to my original point.

My second post was not meant to make Rivers out to be a savior that could put the whole team on his shoulders and could take us all the way because he is that talented. It was much more geared towards respecting how if you look at the league as a whole, there aren't many teams with decent QBs (which Rivers is) and if you have a player like that...better get it while the getting is good. Because for every decent QB talent drafted high or mid round (P Manning, Luck, Rodgers, Brady, Brees, Rivers, Rothelisberger, Cam Newton, Carson Palmer and more recently Russell Wilson & Derek Carr ) there's a Jamarcus Russell, Ryan Leaf, Sam Bradford, C Kapernick, Matt Leinhart, Vince Young, Joey Harrington, RGlll, Tim Couch, David Carr, Akili Smith, Heath Shuler, Todd Marinovich, etc...that has shown that teams have a much more likely chance of missing then hitting. All I'm saying is Rivers is a decent Qb who with help of a solid dominating defense on his team in my humble opinion could do just as well in the big game as any of those guys I mentioned in first post if given that chance...but again...the Chargers best get it while the getting is good.

[Mister Hoarse]

I have the HC candidate for this theory. Mike Pettine of the Browns.
Will come cheaper than a name HC for Spanos.
Experienced in dealing with a fiasco of an organization.
Has his team playing hard during their annual fire sale.
Solid defensive mind who deserves half a chance at a real HC job.
This is half a chance at a real job.

[Chargerville]

I'll just repost what I already posted on facebook a couple weeks ago:

Football in my opinion is about the QB, the coaching, and the line of scrimmage (line of scrimmage meaning Oline and entire defensive front seven) ... everything else can be interchangeable... but if you have those three, you truly do have a legitimate chance.

Philip Rivers, I'm sorry that so much of your career has been wasted and spent on teams lacking those other two key ingredients.

The Chargers need to #1 hire a head coach (maybe a defensive coach this time) that can put a hard-nosed, physical, fundamentally sound team around Philip Rivers (kind of like the one he had his first year with Marty), and #2 make the line of scrimmage the primary point of interest in the off-season, then maybe, just maybe he'll win a championship, much like Big Ben and Eli did, who in my opinion, greatly benefited from having these things on their respected teams

[Steve]

The thing that seems to be killing us is the injuries. If it happens one year, you can just write it off. Bad luck.

This is the 3rd year in a row (more going back to Norv). There are other teams in the NFL that seem to suffer a lot fewer injuries. I don't know what they are doing, but we need to emulate a lot of those things. Whatever it is that those teams are doing, it is helping them to stay healthy and whatever we are doing is killing us.

[Den60]

The thing that seems to be killing us is the injuries. If it happens one year, you can just write it off. Bad luck.

This is the 3rd year in a row (more going back to Norv). There are other teams in the NFL that seem to suffer a lot fewer injuries. I don't know what they are doing, but we need to emulate a lot of those things. Whatever it is that those teams are doing, it is helping them to stay healthy and whatever we are doing is killing us.

I read that in missed time we were 16th in the league last year which would be average.

[ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBKR]

I read that in missed time we were 16th in the league last year which would be average.

That's probably not the best metric. What is the quality of the time missed? If all of our guys missing time were scrubs that wouldn't be nearly as important as team 32 that had less missed time overall but the time missed included 3 Pro Bowlers. I don't know where we rank on that scale but that would be of more interest to me than overall missed time.

[Boltx]

I agree with most of what has been said.

It's not a secret IMO - you need a great QB or at least one that won't fuck up at the wrong times. Then you put him on a team with strong trenches. The move to trade up and draft Gordon was a disaster, IMO. Look at New England, they trot out different RBs almost every year. Gone are the days where you give your RB 30 touches a game. And the guys that somehow still do that fall off the map quick. Look at Bell, Murray, McCoy, Charles. All injured or ineffective.

I think they need to get it out of their heads that they need the next Tomlinson at RB. Those days in the NFL are OVERRRRRRRRRRR. And then to trade up on top of it? Ouch. I was one of the vocal few who did not agree with taking RB so early but I bought into the hype after awhile. I have nothing against Gordon, hey may very well end up being a fine player but it's such a luxury position these days and it looks stupid when your QB is getting pummeled or your DL is on ice skates for majority of games.

To the poster who referenced the quote about "dumb players stay dumb," well "dumb franchises and owners stay dumb" as well.

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

I read that in missed time we were 16th in the league last year which would be average.

Yes, but when you play your fith Center and third center taken from Walmarts Practice Squad all the comparisons go out the window.

[bonehead]

Who would listen to a guy who called out Dunlap for not playing with a concussion? Zero credibility.

In Burts defense he did the interview while being severely brain damaged

[X-man]

Yes, but when you play your fith Center and third center taken from Walmarts Practice Squad all the comparisons go out the window.

Lol...and unfortunately for our boy Rivers, to him it sure must've seemed like they recruited nothing but Walmart greeters...

...because as soon as a dlinemen came up to them...they'd wave 'em on by and say :

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[Steve]

I saw a thing that said we were 31st, with only the giants behind us.

[TTK]

I agree with most of what has been said.

It's not a secret IMO - you need a great QB or at least one that won't fuck up at the wrong times. Then you put him on a team with strong trenches. The move to trade up and draft Gordon was a disaster, IMO. Look at New England, they trot out different RBs almost every year. Gone are the days where you give your RB 30 touches a game. And the guys that somehow still do that fall off the map quick. Look at Bell, Murray, McCoy, Charles. All injured or ineffective.

I think they need to get it out of their heads that they need the next Tomlinson at RB. Those days in the NFL are OVERRRRRRRRRRR. And then to trade up on top of it? Ouch. I was one of the vocal few who did not agree with taking RB so early but I bought into the hype after awhile. I have nothing against Gordon, hey may very well end up being a fine player but it's such a luxury position these days and it looks stupid when your QB is getting pummeled or your DL is on ice skates for majority of games.

To the poster who referenced the quote about "dumb players stay dumb," well "dumb franchises and owners stay dumb" as well.

Agreed. Gordon may become a great player and I have to admit, it's a sexier pick than a fatty in the trenches so it was exciting to see drafted during the draft but it was a stupid pick, especially since the coaches seem to be trying to do the square peg in round hole thing with him. Your comment about "the next LT" and seeing how the coaches don't know how to use Gordon just seems to back up the theory that a lot of these picks are being heavily influenced by someone not named Tom Telesco.