| Anatomy Of A Loss |
| Anatomy Of A Loss - NFL Week 14 |
| by Jonathan Miller |
| This was a week of death for some NFL pretenders, perhaps creating clarity for one of the nastiest playoff breakdowns in years. It was also a time to laugh at teams that just can't win. With real opportunities from the Houstons and Oaklands of the world, though, it's with regret that we focus instead on the San Diego Chargers.After an impressive run put the Bolts into realistic wildcard territory, this week's stupefying loss to the Miami Dolphins begs the question: what went wrong? |
I'm sure the Chargers would love to know the answer, too. After all, they boast one of the NFL's most annoyingly-dangerous offenses, a respectable defense, and excellent coaching. They held the ball for over forty minutes, racked up 27 first downs, converted eleven of nineteen third downs and three of four fourths, and outgained their opponent in both rushing and passing.
LaDainian Tomlinson didn't have a great day, but he didn't have a terrible one, either - not against an above-average Miami defense. Antonio Gates did everything in his power, catching thirteen balls for 123 and a score. Can't blame those guys.
What about the defense that made Gus Frerotte look like Ben Roethlisberger? A decent culprit, but they really only played a bad quarter, holding Miami to 300 total yards, a measly 71 on the ground. Looking at the total statistical picture, from third-down conversions to TOP to YPR, they essentially did their jobs.
Blame Drew Brees's lone interception? Not this week. Blame his late-game fumble? Just a part of it. Brees is a good quarterback, perfect for his offense. After finally realizing his potential last season, he hasn't regressed and, unlike my main man Jake Plummer, isn't a disaster waiting to happen.
But Brees is involved in the nastiest of culprits: any quarterback who goes 35-52 for 245 yards, a sickly 4.7 YPA, hasn't had a very good day. In fact, it's dismal. However, it's just a symptom: this one falls on Marty.
Plenty of people, from fans to media to league types, are aware of Schottenheimer's inability to win big games and his turtlish strategies in key moments: witness only last year's playoff loss to the Jersey Jets for great contemporary evidence. What's worse for Marty is that unlike his disciple, Bill Cowher, he's not a great motivator. Hence, it's very likely (beyond very, actually) that his team was looking ahead to the Colts the following Sunday.
Psychologically, that can kill a team. So, too, can a game plan that reeked of ball-control slavery, relinquishing the big-play advantage the Chargers held over the Dolphins. Again, look at Brees's line: if your quarterback goes 35-52, you expect better than 21 points. Hell, it's practically required. Add in the fact that the Bolts scored fourteen of those points in the fourth quarter, and the pieces start to come together. |
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