Quote:
Originally posted by polarpi
But is this year the fluke, or was the mediocrity?
I don't think the Brees had all the mechanics of Schottenheimer's (sp?) gameplan down last year, and the team suffered for it. The entire team, with Brees leading them, have it down this year, and I think that they could "prove it ain't a fluke" easily next year - no one gave the Chargers a chance this year to even compete with the teams in their division.
|
Uh, the mediocrity lasted for four years, this has lasted for 12 games against the worst schedule in football - you tell me what the 'fluke' is.
Also, not to nitpick, but the Chargers were a chic pick to 'surprise' given their returning cast . . . and this assumed Rivers would start!
Quote:
Originally posted by polarpi
What have they accomplished?
* Swept the Raiders in their season series (which they haven't done in a while)
* Split the season series with Denver (which since Plummer joined the Broncos, they hadn't won a game until this past Sunday, and the earlier game in Denver was a winnable game for the Chargers)
* Defeated Kansas City IN Kansas City (which they haven't done since 1996)
* Defeated teams that they had to defeat (and should have defeated) - which isn't something they've done in the past
|
-The Raiders . . . suck
-Denver . . . is decidedly mediocre
-KC . . . sucks
-The teams they 'had to beat' . . . mostly suck
I'm just pointing out how light the SD schedule has been. It's still a massive step forward, but it hasn't required a herculean effort on the part of Brees and his considerable supporting cast.
Quote:
Originally posted by polarpi
All I'm saying is that Brees has shown this year that he has the mechanics in him, and after being touted as the QB for the future of the Chargers, it's insane and dumb to place Rivers as the new QB next year. AJ Smith (and the rest of the organization) have a "Win Now" philosophy - they won't be satisfied with having to wait for Rivers to mature enough to be a premier QB in the NFL.
|
If AJ Smith decides not to wait on Rivers, and goes for the "win now" mentality, the Chargers will be the 49ers within 3 seasons. You should better hope, as a diehard bolts fan, that he's smarter than what you just described . . . giving Brees a long-term deal at market value will cripple the team, you just can't carry $70-80 million in QB contracts. It's not feasible, is it?
So I think it's 'insane and dumb', as you put it, to retain a guy with only one good season under his belt. Especially when you put so much time, effort, and money into getting the right guy for your system in Rivers . . . unless Mr. Smith made a less-than-stellar pick there?