Chargers DC Ted Cottrell fired

Oct 28

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.