Post by TheShadow on Nov 2, 2008 9:17:54 GMT -5
www.dallasnews.com
Battered division is a porous substitute for greatness of the past
By Rick Gosselin
The AFC West was once a haven for great defense.
The Kansas City Chiefs won a Super Bowl during the AFL era with four Hall of Fame defenders: tackle Buck Buchanan, linebackers Bobby Bell and Willie Lanier and cornerback Emmitt Thomas.
The Denver Broncos flashed the Orange Crush in the 1970s, and the Los Angeles Raiders of the 1980s lined up one of the greatest cornerback tandems in history in Lester Hayes and Hall of Famer Mike Haynes.
The Chargers have long been able to turn loose elite pass rushers: Fred Dean and Lee Williams in the 1980s, Leslie O'Neal and Junior Seau in the 1990s and Shawne Merriman this decade.
But those days of defensive excellence are gone – blown up by a collective incompetence in 2008. If defense wins championships, the AFC West will receive some lovely parting gifts at season's end.
The best defense in the AFC West ranks 26th in the NFL. That's the Oakland Raiders, who are plodding along at 2-5 and have already fired their coach.
The Chargers rank 28th in defense, the Broncos 30th and the Chiefs 31st. The Chargers rank last in the NFL against the pass and the Chiefs rank last against the run. Kansas City has managed a league-low four sacks.
The Broncos lead the AFC West by two games with a 4-3 record. But Denver is the only one of the eight division leaders that has allowed more points (195) than it has scored (173). The Broncos have intercepted an AFC-low two passes and forced an NFL-low seven turnovers.
The defending AFC West champion Chargers were supposed to line up the best defense in the division in 2008, with Pro Bowlers at all three levels: nose tackle Jamal Williams, linebacker Merriman and cornerback Antonio Cromartie.
But a summer knee injury ended Merriman's season after one game, costing San Diego its best pass rusher. He also brought the swagger, and the Chargers have been sleepwalking on defense in his absence.
San Diego started the season 0-2, losing back-to-back games to Carolina and Denver on winning touchdown drives in the final minute. After the Saints slapped 37 points on the Chargers last weekend in London for loss No. 5, San Diego fired defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell.
The Chargers are off today, which gives them two weeks to get up to speed with what new coordinator Ron Rivera wants to do on defense. He was coordinator of the Chicago Bears for the 2006 season, when they went to the Super Bowl.
The Raiders and 1-6 Chiefs lack the offense to mount a playoff push this season, so either Denver or San Diego will advance into the postseason as the AFC West champion.
The Chargers led the NFL with 48 takeaways in 2007 but rank 16th this season with 10 through 11 games. If Rivera can revive that turnover mentality, I like the Chargers to play into January. The playmakers are there.
But if Rivera can't get the Chargers into the teens in the NFL's defensive rankings by season's end, I wouldn't expect them Chargers to play long in January.
Battered division is a porous substitute for greatness of the past
By Rick Gosselin
The AFC West was once a haven for great defense.
The Kansas City Chiefs won a Super Bowl during the AFL era with four Hall of Fame defenders: tackle Buck Buchanan, linebackers Bobby Bell and Willie Lanier and cornerback Emmitt Thomas.
The Denver Broncos flashed the Orange Crush in the 1970s, and the Los Angeles Raiders of the 1980s lined up one of the greatest cornerback tandems in history in Lester Hayes and Hall of Famer Mike Haynes.
The Chargers have long been able to turn loose elite pass rushers: Fred Dean and Lee Williams in the 1980s, Leslie O'Neal and Junior Seau in the 1990s and Shawne Merriman this decade.
But those days of defensive excellence are gone – blown up by a collective incompetence in 2008. If defense wins championships, the AFC West will receive some lovely parting gifts at season's end.
The best defense in the AFC West ranks 26th in the NFL. That's the Oakland Raiders, who are plodding along at 2-5 and have already fired their coach.
The Chargers rank 28th in defense, the Broncos 30th and the Chiefs 31st. The Chargers rank last in the NFL against the pass and the Chiefs rank last against the run. Kansas City has managed a league-low four sacks.
The Broncos lead the AFC West by two games with a 4-3 record. But Denver is the only one of the eight division leaders that has allowed more points (195) than it has scored (173). The Broncos have intercepted an AFC-low two passes and forced an NFL-low seven turnovers.
The defending AFC West champion Chargers were supposed to line up the best defense in the division in 2008, with Pro Bowlers at all three levels: nose tackle Jamal Williams, linebacker Merriman and cornerback Antonio Cromartie.
But a summer knee injury ended Merriman's season after one game, costing San Diego its best pass rusher. He also brought the swagger, and the Chargers have been sleepwalking on defense in his absence.
San Diego started the season 0-2, losing back-to-back games to Carolina and Denver on winning touchdown drives in the final minute. After the Saints slapped 37 points on the Chargers last weekend in London for loss No. 5, San Diego fired defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell.
The Chargers are off today, which gives them two weeks to get up to speed with what new coordinator Ron Rivera wants to do on defense. He was coordinator of the Chicago Bears for the 2006 season, when they went to the Super Bowl.
The Raiders and 1-6 Chiefs lack the offense to mount a playoff push this season, so either Denver or San Diego will advance into the postseason as the AFC West champion.
The Chargers led the NFL with 48 takeaways in 2007 but rank 16th this season with 10 through 11 games. If Rivera can revive that turnover mentality, I like the Chargers to play into January. The playmakers are there.
But if Rivera can't get the Chargers into the teens in the NFL's defensive rankings by season's end, I wouldn't expect them Chargers to play long in January.