Coach Roth: Football: Drills and Coaching

The Coaching Carousel continues to spin, just this time it’s not a HC who has to leave but Ted Cottrell, now former DC of the San Diego Chargers got fired.

The Chargers who lost 3 of their last 4 games, including last Sundays 32-37 loss to the New Orleans Saints in London, England. And over the season already the second time that the Chargers lost despite scoring more than 30 points themselves: first time September 14th vs Division Rival Denver 38-39!

Cottrell has been the Chargers’ DC for 2 1/2 seasons, he was replaced by now former ILB Coach Ron Rivera. Rivera is not new to the tasks of DC serving for three season (2004-2006) as the Chicago Bears Defensive Coordinator. Under his tenure the Bears lead the league in turnovers (44) in 2006 and made it to the Super Bowl.

The Chargers, who started with high hopes into the season winning the AFC West last year, only losing in the Conference Championship Game to the - until then still unbeaten - New England Patriots, are currently only 3-5, ranked 28th in overall defense (last vs the pass) and giving up almost 372 yards per game…

And last Sunday the Saints gained 339 yards through the air alone… including 3 TD passes.

Non-existent passrush (no sack in the last 2 games) and the inability to create turnovers (just 1 in the last 3 games) in contrast to last season when the Chargers averaged more than 3 turnovers per game (over the whole season) puts the Defense into an even worse light.

And you can’t blame everything on the absense of Pro-Bowl LB Shawne Merriman, who was the leagues leading sacker over the stretch of the previous three seasons with 39.

So the Chargers felt it was time to change something at the top of the defense and now put the responsibility into Ron Rivera’s hands.

Good Luck.

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This year the Coaching Carousel starts spinning early - the first 2 HC changes in the NFL already happend in September:

On September 29th Rams HC Scott Linehan was replaced with Jim Haslett. Under Linehan the Rams were 0-4 and got outscored 43 -147, since then under Haslett the Rams are 2-0 and outscored their opponents 53 - 31. So, it seems Pat from FanIQ was wrong claiming that Haslett won’t be able to change anything…

The very next day (September 30th) the Oakland Raiders, or rather Al Davis, replaced HC Lane Kiffen with Tom Cable. Under Kiffin the Raiders were 1-3 (scoring 78-101) since then under Cable: 1-1 (19-47).

Finally this Monday (October 20th) Mike Nolan HC of the San Francisco 49ers got replaced with Mike Singletary. After a 2-1 start into the season the 49ers lost their last 4 games being now at 2-5 (158 - 196). Next game is already this years rematch vs the Seahawks (first game in Seattle the 49ers won in OT 33-30). Even though it’s the least worse case of the three - by the numbers - Craig Massei from SFI thinks it’s the right move at the right time

Thanks for the reminder go to RUWT?

In the college Ranks it’s not quiet either… but that a topic for another post…

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If you do have the chance to get there don’t miss this opportunity!

And if you went there contact me about an experience report… Thanks!

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