NFL Divisional Round Thread: Colts? Chargers? Vikings? Saints? Come Out & Play!

Being a Cheesehead, I drink as much Haterade as anyone on Favre, But I don't get this latest lament from America's Team. Boo Hoo, big bad Brett rubbed it in. Too Bad. man up. Tell Romo not to turn the ball over 4 times and give your team a chance.

 

Jones wants someone he can run over, and he's got it.

 

I stand with Rosie.

 

You can debate the on-field awfulness of the two until the cows come home, but I was in San Diego during Leaf's tenure and had a good seat to see his shenanigans. I have never seen a player poison a whole organization like Leaf did during those two years with his temper tantrums and lack of discipline, as well as the other players constantly having to answer questions about it. It just always seemed to overshadow the rest of the team.

Also, it really made the Chargers gunshy in future drafts about drafting and investing a lot of money in a top prospect (like passing on Michael Vick, although it did turn out to be a gigantic blessing in disguise).

The potential is there for the same with Russell, but I haven't seen it yet as far as off-field distractions.

 

Oh, and as far as the speculation a few posts ago, I don't see Norv Turner getting the ax, I really don't (Not that it would bother me that much).

People may point to Schottenheimer's fate after that loss to the Patriots three years ago, but that was due to a huge personality conflict with the GM, not the playoff loss.

 

Passing on Vick was almost as good for the Chargers as trading Manning for Rivers and draft picks that they used on Merriman and Kaeding (though given Kaeding's latest failure, the latter doesn't look quite as good). They ended up taking Tomlinson with one of the picks they got and took Brees in round two.

 

It seems amazing to me that the Vick deal led to picking Tomlinson, who went on to a great career but is already completely washed up. Just doesn't seem that long ago.

 

In a weird, convultuted way, the Chargers have made the Leaf vs. Manning debate from 1998 worth revisiting.
Follow me on this.
Taking Leaf was a god-awful pick. But it led to them trading the No. 1 pick in 2001 (Vick) for what amounted to Tomlinson and Brees; the Eli-for-Rivers trade, which landed them three pro bowlers; and a quite successful run for the past six seasons, even if it hasn't resulted in a championship yet.
So the Leaf pick set in motion a chain of events that ultimately turned San Diego into a contender.
If the Chargers take Manning, it's fun to imagine whether they'd be what the Colts are today, or if they'd be Manning and nothing else. They probably wouldn't have Tomlinson, and might not have any of their other key players.

 

Re: NFL Divisional Round Thread: Colts? Chargers? Vikings? Saints? Come Out & Pl

I agree. The Chargers ended up drafting the wrong Manning. We're looking back with 20/20 hindsight of course, but Peyton i s one hell of a player to build around.

 

There is one problem with all of this speculation -- the Chargers never had a choice to take Manning and everyone of the other 31 organizations would have taken Leaf with the second pick like the Chargers did

 

Regardless of what happens Brett Favre will be back next season. Whether he loses this weekend or wins the Super Bowl, he'll be back. No way in hell is he capable of walking away from this kind of production. He'll pull the same old shit he always does, but no fucking way is that guy capable of leaving right now. Favre will never leave until a doctor tells his wife to tell him that he has to.

 

Re: NFL Divisional Round Thread: Colts? Chargers? Vikings? Saints? Come Out & Pl

I'm sure this was tossed about a few pages back, but if you're the Chargers you've got to dump Kaeding, but how do you dump a Pro Bowl kicker? When was the last kicker traded? Figure he might at least be worth another (if slightly less good) kicker.
Didn't read it anywhere - but he never blamed the field conditions did he?

And I'm rooting for the Jets against whomever. As hard as it will be for me to root for the NFC - the Vikes (their fans at least) are due, same can be said for the Saints.
Indiana and New York fans haven't suffered enough.