9/14/2008

11 Responses to “Broncos Edge the Chargers, 39-38 (Updated)”

1. While I’m always glad to see Norv Turner lose, I also want to see the Broncos lose. 🙁

   The male Dana (3e4784) — 9/15/2008 @ 5:55 am

   
   

2. I am a Skins fan but I don’t hate Turner.

   I am happy to see the Chargers lose because they fired a couach after he went 14-2.

   How does 0-2 feel? Smell it! Smell it! Bad GM!

   CAL (a25eb4) — 9/15/2008 @ 6:16 am

   
   

3. The reality CAL is that if the referee had not botched the fumble call, the Chargers would have won 38-31.

   SPQR (26be8b) — 9/15/2008 @ 6:34 am

   
   

4. Yeah, it was a lousy call.

   The announcers get dumber every year, though. No one knows the rules and no one understands simple game theory.

   You don’t get extra points for making the game longer. The offenses had been blowing through the defenses for most of the game. Denver had, what, a 75% chance of success on the two-point play? That had to exceed their overtime chances. It was a clearly correct call.

   Last night, Madden said that Cleveland’s choice to kick the field goal was “clearly correct” until they came back from a commercial break during which someone explained how football is scored. It was objectively wrong.

   I think some football teams need tactical coaches. Hire some quick-thinking football-knowledgeable game expectation experts for these situations. If you’ve got Shanahan or Belichek, you don’t need that. If you’ve got Dungy or Nolan, you’re in good enough shape that it would create more trouble than it’s worth.

   But if you’re making dumb decisions or you think Madden is often right, you should get a person who knows what they are talking about.

   –JRM

   JRM (355c21) — 9/15/2008 @ 6:42 am

   
   

5. They also lost last week on a miracle final play pass. Still the reality is they are 0-2.

   CAL

   CAL (a25eb4) — 9/15/2008 @ 6:59 am

   
   

6. Most of us learned long ago that when the score is close, the odds are pretty good the Chargers will collapse under the pressure. One of the many reasons that the typical San Diegan is not willing to put up the money for a new stadium for them.

   Jay Curtis (8f6541) — 9/15/2008 @ 7:07 am

   
   

7. This was a game where the Chargers were playing both the Broncos and the Zebras. First the refs had a slow whistle and a broken replay machine on a non interception by the Broncos which led to their first touchdown. On the Bronco’s last touchdown, the refs had a quick whistle on a Jay Coulter fumble, giving the Broncos the ball and yet another play on the San Diego 10 yard line.

   NFL Referees–doing whatever it takes!

   Mike Myers (31af82) — 9/15/2008 @ 8:04 am

   
   

8. Most of the anal-ysts leave much to be desired.
   Madden was a decent Raiders coach. Don’t know about Denver or San Diego radio announcers, but found often the radio team better than the inflated ego TV crews.

   I recall living in Vegas as a child in the midfifties watching the LA Rams on the tube. Still hard to comprehend that they are in St. Louis now and the city tolerates no NFL team. My god, there were a plethora of NFL teams in some rather small cities back in the twenties. My own hometown of Pottsville, Pa. actually won the NFL championship before having it stripped away. I guess my point is such a big media market in LA and the best they could get was the capetbagger Raiders for a time? Mind you, I used to adore the Raiders in the 70s-Lamonica and Blanda were super, just to name two stars.
   Not to offend Texas, but watching the Eagles for many years, I grew to loathe the stinkin’ Cowboys…America’s team, my dupa. And now the Patriots are the ones to be vilified. Can they remain competitive without Brady? Ah, I’m happy enough living in S. Fla. watching the big head Dolphins get clobbered weekly, especially by the Jets.

   madmax333 (0c6cfc) — 9/15/2008 @ 8:10 am

   
   

9. Here’s the real deal for all you Chargers fans. If the Defense had of showed up the ref wouldn’t have had the chance to blow the call. Last week the Chargers Defense allowed the Carolina Panthers, a team clearly not in San Diego’s league, to drive down the field and score with less than 2-3 mins left in the game. Denver did the same thing with less than 4 mins and then even though I admit they got ripped offed they allowed two passes for 8 points. They allowed the the Broncos who they had stopped to score a TD on 4th and goal and then went back and allowed another score for 2 extra points. If I were NORV TURNER and the rest of the Charger faithful I wouldn’t worry about refs because what is going to happen when a team with a good or great defense and a good or great offense comes to town. The Chargers might get “killed”.

   Richard Daugherty (8243d6) — 9/15/2008 @ 9:25 am

   
   

10. I’ve updated the post re: the NFL’s announcement it will review the inadvertent whistle rule after the season is over.

    DRJ (7568a2) — 9/15/2008 @ 3:18 pm

    
    

11. madmax, Los Angeles does not have an NFL team because of the city’s dysfunctional city politics. The city wants the NFL to use the city’s white elephant stadium and there is no political will to do what it takes to overcome the whacky identity politics that stops any progress. When the Dodgers’ proposed adding a football stadium next to their baseball stadium, all the Hispanic activists fanned up 60 year old resentments from the construction of Dodger stadium to stop something that would not harm any one today.

    SPQR (26be8b) — 9/15/2008 @ 6:20 pm