San Diego Chargers, Norv Turner have been down this road before
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
San Diego Chargers fans probably aren’t feeling too chipper right now, with their team in a five-game tailspin, dropping to 4-6 and two games back in the AFC West after a 31-20 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
But there are still reasons for optimism. Struggling quarterback Philip Rivers actually played pretty well against the Bears -- if you don’t count those two fourth-quarter interceptions.
Plus, these are the Chargers we’re talking about. This is what they do. Forget about that 4-1 start -- that’s just not the way things are supposed to go during the Norv Turner era.
The team has gotten off to a rocky start every season since Turner became coach (1-3 in 2007, 4-8 in 2008, 2-3 in 2009, 2-5 in 2010) but has made the playoffs every time except last year -- and even then it finished strong at 9-7.
At the 10-game mark in those seasons, the Chargers have been at .500 or below every time except 2009, when they were 7-3 and on their way to a spectacular 13-3 finish (and a spectacular choke job in the playoffs, losing in their first game, 17-14, to the New York Jets).
Like this year, they were 4-6 at this point in 2008. But they finished 8-8, won a weak AFC West and actually pulled off a playoff victory, 23-17, in overtime against the Indianapolis Colts in the wild-card round, before their season came to an end with a 35-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round.
So here they are again at 4-6 in a weak AFC West. Now that’s more like it. It’s time for another late-season playoff run. That’s just what the Chargers are supposed to do in the Norv Turner era.
ALSO:
Bears confirm Jay Cutler has broken thumb
Q & A: Chargers’ Eric Weddle still has faith in his team
-- Chuck Schilken
