Football Notes
They have a winning record and are in first place in the AFC West, yet they have been one of the NFL's more disappointing teams.
They were 14-2 last season, but now sit 5-4.
They won last week, yet felt as if they lost.
They have the reigning Most Valuable Player in running back LaDainian Tomlinson, but are struggling to consistently run the ball.
They have a new coach, yet the work of the old coach looks better and better each week.
What has happened to the San Diego Chargers?
Stephen Cooper is not offended by the question. The Wareham native and former University of Maine standout might be in his first year as a starting linebacker in the Chargers' 3-4 defense, but despite his personal success, he realizes something has been missing.
"There have been a lot of ups and downs and a lot of people are calling us out here in San Diego," said Cooper, who has been credited with a team-high 66 tackles. "We know we could have gotten off to a better start. We know things have to change."
The question is whether the Chargers are fooling themselves in believing a change is indeed a possibility.
Optimists see a talent-laden roster that rates as one of the NFL's best and figure the Chargers can make a late charge in a weak division. Pessimists view a listless team struggling in the coaching transition from Marty Schottenheimer to Norv Turner, a club that in surviving a wild 23-21 victory over the Colts last Sunday night showed major flaws in nearly blowing a 23-0 first-half lead.
Naturally, Cooper is one of the optimists. Yet he acknowledges that the coaching switch has meant a significant adjustment period.
"Marty and Norv are two different coaches - Marty harped on being physical and was get-after-it run-wise, while Norv is more West Coast, in the air, trying to put points on the board," Cooper said. "With the team we have, we're still prone to being physical every Sunday and we're adapting to it.
"There are not a lot of similarities. Marty was an in-your-face guy, you'd see him yelling at the refs. Norv is more laid-back, leaving it in our hands to go play football."
Some question whether the Chargers are mature enough to handle that responsibility.
Two nights prior to the team's 35-17 loss at Minnesota Nov. 14 - a game in which the Chargers surrendered an NFL-record 296 rushing yards to rookie Adrian Peterson - a group of seven players that included outside linebacker Shawne Merriman and nose tackle Jamal Williams missed curfew by a half-hour and were fined $1,500, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
Seemingly like everything else surrounding the Chargers, the incident has been viewed through different lenses. Some suggest the blown curfew is a reflection of the Chargers needing an iron fist, while others say the same things happened under Schottenheimer's watch.
Regardless, the Chargers' inconsistent start has left general manager A.J. Smith open to questioning for his decision to fire Schottenheimer and replace him with Turner, a top offensive coordinator who was only 58-82-1 as a head coach with the Redskins (1994-2000) and Raiders (2004-05).
Smith and Schottenheimer sparred behind the scenes, and to Smith, the postseason was a major factor in the decision. Schottenheimer is 5-13 all-time in the playoffs, with last year's 24-21 loss to the Patriots in the divisional round a most crushing blow. Turner has a 1-1 career postseason record.
So, essentially, the Chargers have placed a heavy emphasis on the playoffs this season. While some teams take it one game at a time, Cooper acknowledged that he and his teammates look ahead.
"That's talked about every day. As bad as the season has been, we're still in first place, controlling the AFC West," he said. "We feel like we can compete with the other great teams in the NFL, the New Englands, the Pittsburghs, and as the season progresses, we're working to get stronger and stronger leading to the playoffs."
Canadian football game?
When the Patriots travel to face the Bills next season, it's possible the game could be played in Toronto.
At the recent fall meetings in Philadelphia, NFL owners discussed a resolution that would allow the Bills to play one game in Toronto in each of the next five seasons.
Not all teams support the resolution, but the Patriots do.
"The fan base up in Buffalo is very strong and that team means so much in that community, and this would allow them to expand their market," Patriots chairman/CEO Robert Kraft said. "Unfortunately, Buffalo is not growing economically, but by allowing them over the next five years to play a game in Toronto, which is not too far away, they could develop a fan base with joint market support."
The Patriots are one of the NFL's larger-market clubs, while the Bills are one of the smaller-market teams. Buffalo owner Ralph Wilson has previously expressed concern about the growing financial disparity between teams such as New England, Washington and Dallas, and teams such as the Bills, Bengals, and Jaguars.
Sympathetic to the economic struggles of the Bills, several owners support the team's plans to play a game in Toronto. Some of the issues raised were taxes, border crossings, and the expenses incurred by visiting teams, which are considered minor.
The Bills are finalizing their plan, which will be reviewed by the league and then passed to ownership for a vote. A decision is anticipated before the end of the year.
"We believe it's good for the league and good for the partnership, so we're supportive of that," Kraft said.
Rare missteps for Vinatieri
One of the greatest clutch kickers in NFL history is in a funk.
After missing a potential game-winning 29-yard field goal with less than two minutes left last Sunday in San Diego, the Colts' Adam Vinatieri enters today's home against the Chiefs having missed three of his last five field goal tries.
He missed three all of last season. As for the one he pushed right against the Chargers, how rare was it to see Vinatieri misfire from such a short distance?
Entering the game, Vinatieri was 115 of 119 from 30 yards or closer. He had made 33 in a row in that range, the last miss coming as a member of the Patriots in the 2003 season finale, when he did not convert a 24-yard attempt against the Bills.
Vinatieri also missed a 42-yarder Sunday night in San Diego, which came at the end of the half in rainy conditions as the Colts were hurrying to get the attempt off.
The week before, he could not convert a 50-yarder against the Patriots, as defensive lineman Richard Seymour deflected the ball at the line of scrimmage.
Vinatieri, who has converted 19 game-winning field goals in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime, is 16 of 20 on the season. He's also had two extra points blocked.
Coach Tony Dungy shot back quickly when asked if he was concerned about his big-money kicker, putting him in the same category as his quarterback, Peyton Manning.
"I'm not concerned with Adam, I'm not concerned with Peyton," Dungy responded. "If I'm going to bet on two guys, I'll bet on those two guys for the rest of my life until I don't have any money left. That's the one thing I'm not concerned about."
Etc.
Shades of Steel Curtain
While Ben Roethlisberger has enjoyed a remarkable bounce-back season in completing 66.1 percent of his passes with 22 touchdowns and just seven interceptions - the offense is on pace to score the most points in team history - don't overlook defense as a major reason for the Steelers' impressive 7-2 start. The Steelers enter today's road game against the Jets with the league's top-ranked defense, allowing only 229.4 yards and just 14 points per game. The "D" leads the NFL against the rush (72 yards) and the pass (157.4). Pittsburgh could become only the third team since 1960 to lead the league in both rush and pass defense, joining the 1975 Vikings and 1991 Eagles.
Polian's focus is telling
Colts president Bill Polian has shown an uncanny knack for identifying talent, but he's focusing on more than just players these days. He has his eye on mascots as well. A reporter in the press box during the Colts game at Jacksonville last month noted that Polian approached the league's official observer in the front row and said he felt the Jaguars' team mascot - the aptly named Jaxson de Ville - was too close to the field. The league apparently agreed, as NFL officials recently reminded teams that mascots must stay at least 6 feet behind the sideline. No word on whether the mascots have filed an appeal.
Longtime allies and foes
When the Titans visit the Broncos tomorrow, it'll be a matchup between the head coaches who have the longest consecutive tenure with their clubs. Both Tennessee's Jeff Fisher and Denver's Mike Shanahan are in their 13th season. The matchup had both reflecting on their time together as assistants with the San Francisco 49ers in 1992 under George Seifert, with Fisher calling it one of the highlights of their careers. Fisher and Shanahan are followed by Baltimore's Brian Billick (9), Seattle's Mike Holmgren (9), Philadelphia's Andy Reid (9), and New England's Bill Belichick (8) in longevity.
Not sorry they didn't make Bush move
Twenty-five games into their pro careers, how do things stack up between the top two picks in the 2006 draft - Texans defensive end Mario Williams and Saints running back Reggie Bush? The two face each other for the first time today, in Houston, and Bush has the statistical edge. He leads the Saints with 55 receptions and also has a team-high 451 rushing yards, numbers the running-challenged Texans would gladly take. Williams has shown improvement - he has four sacks after totaling 4.5 all of last season - and Texans coach Gary Kubiak stood by the choice last week. "The NFL's a marathon. We'll see how they all pan out through their careers, but we're happy with our kid," he said. "He's getting better every day and we're excited about the direction he's heading."
It may be time for the college guy
With Ravens starting quarterback Steve McNair sidelined with a left shoulder injury, Kyle Boller takes over under center, which also means that 2006 Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith bumps up to the No. 2 spot. After a standout career at Ohio State, the 6-foot, 225-pound Smith slipped to the bottom of the fifth round because of concerns about his height. With the Ravens struggling on offense - they rank 28th out of 32 teams in averaging just 15.3 points per game - coach Brian Billick is considering using the athletic Smith in different ways to provide a spark.
Extra points
Packers quarterback Brett Favre has thrown at least three touchdown passes in a game 61 times over his career, including three times this season. He is one shy of Dan Marino's all-time mark . . . The Packers are one of the NFL's surprise teams at 8-1, and contributing factors have been health and continuity. Consider that Green Bay has not had an impact starter placed on injured reserve for two full seasons - since running back Ahman Green blew out his thigh in the sixth week of '05 . . . Eagles running back Brian Westbrook has not fumbled in 458 "touches," the second-longest streak in the NFL behind Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson (478) . . . The Bengals are 27-3 under coach Marvin Lewis when posting a positive turnover differential . . . Once the power team in the AFC North, the Ravens are 0-4 in divisional play this year . . . Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers, who totaled 13 sacks last season, has just 1 1/2 this year . . . The Buccaneers (5-4) hold a one-game lead in the NFC South, and they've reached a key point of their schedule, with three of their next four games on the road; they are 1-9 on the road since the start of 2006 . . . The Cowboys are on pace to score a team-record 64 touchdowns . . . Seahawks receiver Deion Branch, who sprained his foot Oct. 7 at Pittsburgh and has missed the last four games, is expected back for today's home game against Chicago . . . With 76 receiving yards today, Patriots wideout Randy Moss would reach 1,000 for the season and tie Lionel Taylor for the fewest games needed by a player to reach 1,000 receiving yards with his new team. Taylor hit 1,000 in his 10th game with the Broncos in their inaugural season of 1960.
Did you know?
The Patriots have the largest nine-game point differential of any club in the past 45 years, having outscored foes by 208 points. The 1942 Bears and 1962 Packers are tied for the largest point differential through nine games in history, with a plus-231.
Mike Reiss can be reached at mreiss@globe.com; material from personal interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
