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Last season in Week 1 the Bills dismantled the Rams and everybody was convinced Buff was going to win the Super Bowl. The Bengals started 0-2 and everybody was convinced they weren't even going to make the playoffs. But months later, the Bengals beat the Bills with relative ease in Buff to advance to the AFC Championship. This happens every season. Some teams (not all) that start hot fade, and some teams that started slow get hot later in the season. Very often teams look totally different in Week 18 than they did in Week 1.
Every NFL pundit today is marveling at Tua and the Dolphins, calling yesterday "a statement game." blah blah blah But the reality is if JCJ had not had his Marlon McCree moment at the end of the 1st half, the narrative would be completely different today. That one bone-headed decision meant the difference between the Chargers winning the game by a point and losing the game by two.
I am not defending Brandon Staley. I have the same doubts and concerns as most Chargers fans about him. I'm not necessarily trying to be positive. I am being real. Week 1 games don't define a season for a team. It might be different if the Chargers were beat badly on both sides of the ball. But the offense was really good, it is #4 in scoring, #3 in total yards and #1 in rushing after Week 1.
The defense had a bad game. But Week 1 performances don't define an entire season for a defense or an offense. The Chargers have invested heavily in this defense. The Dolphins may very well have the best offense in the NFL right now. The experience of getting torched may help the defense improve. I am not writing off the defense based on a lousy performance in Week 1. And there were some positives. The defense did have its moments where it shut down the Dolphins' passing game. JCJ did have an INT. And the run defense was good.
If the Chargers win their next three and go into their Week 5 bye 3-1, nobody will even care about this game. I see kind of a rivalry building between Staley and McDaniel, the defensive HC vs the offensive HC. Staley won round 1 last season in a game the Chargers dominated. McDaniel was embarrassed and grew sick of hearing about the "Staley plan" and he won round 2 - by the skin of his teeth. Maybe the rubber match comes in January.
It was Week 1. Don't read too much into it. On to Tennessee.
Every NFL pundit today is marveling at Tua and the Dolphins, calling yesterday "a statement game." blah blah blah But the reality is if JCJ had not had his Marlon McCree moment at the end of the 1st half, the narrative would be completely different today. That one bone-headed decision meant the difference between the Chargers winning the game by a point and losing the game by two.
I am not defending Brandon Staley. I have the same doubts and concerns as most Chargers fans about him. I'm not necessarily trying to be positive. I am being real. Week 1 games don't define a season for a team. It might be different if the Chargers were beat badly on both sides of the ball. But the offense was really good, it is #4 in scoring, #3 in total yards and #1 in rushing after Week 1.
The defense had a bad game. But Week 1 performances don't define an entire season for a defense or an offense. The Chargers have invested heavily in this defense. The Dolphins may very well have the best offense in the NFL right now. The experience of getting torched may help the defense improve. I am not writing off the defense based on a lousy performance in Week 1. And there were some positives. The defense did have its moments where it shut down the Dolphins' passing game. JCJ did have an INT. And the run defense was good.
If the Chargers win their next three and go into their Week 5 bye 3-1, nobody will even care about this game. I see kind of a rivalry building between Staley and McDaniel, the defensive HC vs the offensive HC. Staley won round 1 last season in a game the Chargers dominated. McDaniel was embarrassed and grew sick of hearing about the "Staley plan" and he won round 2 - by the skin of his teeth. Maybe the rubber match comes in January.
It was Week 1. Don't read too much into it. On to Tennessee.
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