Last Years Record - Discussion

[Cdn Bolt]

And that's why we're giving you grief now. "Should have". Well guess what, they didn't just like we didn't win last year. Maybe if we had all our linebackers healthy, maybe things are different. If we didn't get BS calls in the first Ravens game, we would have played the Patriots at home versus on the road. But that's what happens when you play the "should have" game.

Ultimately, the NFL is all about match ups. We matched up better against the Ravens in the POs, but not as much against the Patriots. As for the Chiefs, they almost lost to the Broncos in Denver if Keenum hadn't overthrown his pass to Thomas. You also forgot to mention that they put up 35+ points because their defense was giving up 34+ points.

It was an opinion and I was referring to one play that would have sealed it for them during the game which I explained later, not talking about events during the season in general. If I knew it was going to cause so much fuss I wouldn't have even mentioned it.

The main pt I was arguing was KC was more dominant than we were IMO. Everyone was talking about that O last year and I take no pleasure in saying it. Led us in the power rankings almost all year too. Those are the facts but believe what you want.

[Xenos]

It was an opinion and in later context I was referring to one play that would have sealed it for them during the game, not talking about events during the season in general. If I knew it was going to cause so much fuss I wouldn't have even mentioned it.

The main pt I was arguing was KC was more dominant than we were IMO. Everyone was talking about that O last year and I take no pleasure in saying it. Led us in the power rankings almost all year too. Those are the facts but believe what you want.

They were an exciting team offensively. Their downfall was that their defense was weak even with someone like Dee Ford and Chris Jones. But you know, power rankings and all that.

[richpjr]

It was an opinion and I was referring to one play that would have sealed it for them during the game which I explained later, not talking about events during the season in general. If I knew it was going to cause so much fuss I wouldn't have even mentioned it.

The main pt I was arguing was KC was more dominant than we were IMO. Everyone was talking about that O last year and I take no pleasure in saying it. Led us in the power rankings almost all year too. Those are the facts but believe what you want.

I am still scratching my head at how two teams can both have 12-4 records, which both include beating each other, can somehow be looked at so differently. The Chiefs put up a ton of points and did have a spectacular offense, but...their defense was spectacularly bad. Winning with "style" doesn't count any more than winning by a point. They almost beat the Pats, but they didn't. Twice. They almost beat the Rams, but they didn't. They almost beat us twice, but they didn't. They almost beat the Seahawks, but they didn't. IMO, their failure to close out wins against good teams speaks as much to me as their ability to run up the score against lesser teams.

[Steve]

Phillip Rivers is fond of saying its a one-score league. Games come down to a few plays here or there. You gotta make those plays. We made more in 2018 than we did in 2017. Every year its the same. There's a few outliers like our shellacking by the Patriots but we also got beat badly by the Chiefs (game 1) and Rams last season too. We weren't one of the top 4 teams in the league.

That's why football is called a game of inches. This is not like it is anything new. Vince Lombardi said "Football is a game of inches and inches make the champion". So it dates back to the 1960's. Football has always been a game of inches.

I would disagree with getting beat badly by KC and the Rams. We had a decent chance through the game to beat both of them. We just came up short. Derwin James screwed up and took the int return out of the end zone and should have taken the touchback, and there were a couple of plays in the 1st KC game that we just didn't get. They don't make us a bad team, just a few inches short. They made their plays and they beat us by more than a TD, but that doesn't mean the game wasn't close.

I agree, we were not among the elite teams in football last season. We were close, but we were at that next level below them. Good, but not great.

So, can we get better next season? I think we can. We need to block better, tackle better and do some of the small things a bit better. Just execute. Better personnel would help. But we are pretty close.

As far as some of the top teams, I am not sure they are any better.
NE - lost depth on the DL, Gronk was the best TE in football and the key to their power running game, lost OL depth with Brown going to the Raiders.
Ravens - Lost pass rushers Suggs and ZaDarius Smith. Lost CJ Mosley and Weddle (old but dependable). Added Ingram and Earl Thomas (injury?).
Rams - Lost Stafford, Mark Barron and Lamarcus Joyner and Suh. Added Mathews (ILB?), Weddle (slow?),
KC - Are down to Chris Jones Kendall Fuller and Anthony Hitchens after losing Dee Ford, Houston, Berry. They still have a great OL and a good skill guys on O, but their defense looks even worse than before and that was bad.

Our young players need to step up. Especially on the OL. But each of the last couple of years, guys like Adrian Phillips and Mike Williams look like low level contributors, and they raised their games last year. We need to keep adding to that, and the guys who have raised their game, need to keep getting better. New draft picks have to add to it as well.

[jamrock]

We're close but need to get better trench play on both sides of the ball. Health at LB and a better FS than Addae gave us.

The first KC game was a colossal disappointment. Same old Chargers 101. So much hype for the season and the air punctured right off by Tyreek Hill. They were down 31-12 in that game. Final score made it seemed closer than it was but the dropped punt by JJ bailed the coffin shut. Rams game was close until KA fumbles. Not really close after that.

[Cdn Bolt]

I do not remember any game being easy last season, so not sure what an "easy schedule" means in this context.

Cannot put injuries aside in talking about the relative strength of any team IMO. They can have such a dramatic effect on a team, as the Chargers know from suffering such team-changing injuries every season in recent memory (like since Rivers was drafted). To ignore this is like admitting an anti-TT agenda IMO, or an anti-GM agenda if discussing another team. The GM can only bring in the players, he cannot keep them from getting injured.

TT has been very savvy and pointed in FA this offseason so far, adding players at position of need and managing the cap well so far via cuts and non-signings, we have about $10 left with possibilities for cutting other contracts to make even more room.

Judging TT on the team he has built to date is more than fair: 13-5 with the aforementioned road playoff win, with crippling injuries late in the season, is quite the accomplishment IMO. About 30 other teams wish they had it so good - KC is a dumpster fire right now and the Rams have significant losses to the team too, arguably due to poor GMing.

We had the 24th hardest ( 8th easiest) schedule in 2018 actually so that is why I said it was easy. I think TT has done well. Just saying we have had some recurring problems that he hopefully addresses this year ( mainly stopping the run ). If he doesn't then there should be some issues raised.

http://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/272281/2018-nfl-strength-of-schedule

[Panamamike]

We had the 24th hardest ( 8th easiest) schedule in 2018 actually so that is why I said it was easy. I think TT has done well. Just saying we have had some recurring problems that he hopefully addresses this year ( mainly stopping the run ). If he doesn't then there should be some issues raised.

http://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/p...th-of-schedule

i think covering backs out of the backfield is a bigger weakness. Hopefully that improves with Davis amd White in the lineup. we definitely need to add to our DT roster.

[Fleet]

Fixed this for you Panama. You got your post stuck in the quotes.

[FoutsFan]

i think covering backs out of the backfield is a bigger weakness. Hopefully that improves with Davis amd White in the lineup. we definitely need to add to our DT roster.

Covering backs is huge. That was so painful against the Patriots watching them say "I am going to hit the RB in the flat again" Everyone knew it, the fans in NE, the fans watching on TV, the players yet no one could stop it. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. That and run defense inside are brutal to watch.

You are spot on with your assessment.

[pacstud]

Your is. We weren't that dominating IMO. Go back and watch some of our losses to BAL and DEN at home if you have to. DEN a 6-10 team. Is taht 'dominating' to you? And again NE destroyed us. I interpret what is in front of me differently but wave the pompoms either way.

So I "wave the pompoms" because you are throwing random crap out there? C'mon man. Look, it's hard to win games. It's a slippery slope into trying to go all Romanian Figure Skating Judge on us. You are what your record says you are.

New England lost to Jax, Mia, Tenn (smoked), Steelers, and Lions....NONE of them made the playoffs.

This started by you saying we should fire Telesco if we don't shore up the run defense. That's horseshit imo, pure and simple. Fire a GM who assembled a 13 win playoff team because you don't like a stat? Nevermind that he had no LBs after half the season (cue the "have depth everywhere" mantra).

Telesco is doing a hell of a job and is absolutely the least of our problems.

[pacstud]

They were an exciting team offensively. Their downfall was that their defense was weak even with someone like Dee Ford and Chris Jones. But you know, power rankings and all that.

I'm tagging your hand Xenos, this is a clear Eeyore situation...you're on it. I can't argue fucking power rankings. Cripes.

[wu-dai clan]

I'm tagging your hand Xenos, this is a clear Eeyore situation...you're on it. I can't argue fucking power rankings. Cripes.

Do you doubt power rankings ?

[pacstud]

Do you doubt power rankings ?

When someone uses it in a sentence with "facts"...yes?

Strawman fertilizer and Eeyore pessimism is all this thread is.

Fire Telesco? Hilarious. Only on the interwebs.

"Real playoff team"?...yeah, that sucked being a "fake" playoff team with the most wins in the conference.

And this isn't a detour. The OP said we should take a hard look at Telesco (ie fire him) if he doesn't shore up the run defense.

By that logic, we can go 4-12 so long as we stop the run? Which, btw, was our MO at one point in (painful) time.

Ah, debating football with other fans and no shackles? I kind of like it....I can go full A-hole