I posted a pic from Gator last week, so I give you a "Sharky's Machine" shot this week. It doesn't matter what photos I post, or what music I listen to when this team plays. I know this, FAITHFUL READER. That doesn't mean that I don't spend my Sunday's pacing, flopping, sighing, all the while moving positions so that somehow I can make the Chargers play better.
Let's not say Tennessee was rock bottom. When the cameras caught Philip Rivers appearing to say "worse day ever," after fumbling the snap in Arrowhead, I said that it could always get worse and often did. The problem with the Bolts continues to be FINISHING. They talked a big game in the offseason in it, but thus far the lack of results speak for themselves. I have spent the better part of my time as a Charger fan waiting for the next coach to be the one. Don Coryell and Bobby Ross were the only two coaches I ever trusted. I've written at length about Marty in real time and don't feel like rehashing the same thing for once. Suffice to say 1-14-07 against the Pats was the symptom of a larger problem.
That was 1999, right before The Sopranos. What's really crazy is the "My Brother Bobby" refers to RFK and his dickhead son was the host of the "Riverkeeper" picnic I was at when the photo was taken. This was before his anti-vaxx nonsense and marriage to Cheryl Hines.
I also met Lauren Hutton that day, who was in Gator and Malone with Burt Reynolds. At the time, I just knew her as a hot supermodel who was once on the HBO series, The Hitchhiker. She wasn't too thrilled to meet me, as you can see.
The Chargers defense is of course the biggest culprit for the inability to FINISH. Finishing means that when you go up by 11, after a pass to Trey Pipkins III (who is starting to look like Joe Barksdale, except with a bigger contract), you don't give up a bomb to Ryan Tannehill. Did I expect it? Of course. Just like when Josh Kelley fumbled in Tampa in 2020 and we all thought, "that's the ballgame." Other teams, including Super Bowl champs, have those moments. They commit red zone turnovers and stupid plays. But they don't let it become the deciding factor.
The Chargers always do. It might be a late hit, or two. It might be a pass interference. It's usually on 3rd or 4th down. It's not a Staley thing, but he was brought in to fix this. I guarantee you if the defense wasn't so abysmal they wouldn't get called for every infraction. Derwin didn't make contact with his helmet on the hit. It wasn't like the hit in Indy when we clinched a playoff spot. Guess what? That game was one where they started shitty and kept it together and FINISHED.
Herbert could have done more, sure. But he's above reproach until we can field a defense that doesn't completely suck balls. Miami was one thing, but they were just as bad against the Titans. As Vrabel said, they knocked the shit out of Tannehill and it didn't do a thing. If the Chargers go 0-3, Staley won't be fired until after the season. My biggest concern is the next Staley. Dean Spanos isn't cheap. That's a lazy narrative. But they haven't brought in an established coach or when who would threaten the John Spanos involvement hierarchy. Marty was cheap, btw as he'd just gotten fired from Washington. He also won zero playoff games.
This is the first photo from my next book, which I just handed in the first draft of to the publisher. I will have more time to complain about the Chargers now but don't plan to let them affect me more than they already do. We can get into Ekeler and what a bust Kendricks is thus far next week. If they are 0-3 with the Traitors coming into Sofi we'll all have a lot to vent about.
It's Bruce Springsteen's 74th birthday today. This is one of my faves. I am sorry this is relatively short, but what really can I say about this team? They'll either take a step towards proving they have learned how not to be self-destructive losers or not. It's raining here on Long Island and Monday is Yom Kippur. Maybe, just maybe, the Bolts can try not to ruin another holiday and a three-day weekend?
JIC,
RLW
Easy now. Marty had won two playoff games in 1993 with some guy named Montana.