When the Chargers had VJ, he had double coverage taking pressure off of players such as Gates and Floyd. With VJ gone there was more pressure on our receivers as there is no VJ caliber player to need double coverage. Losing VJ was clearly a hugh loss and, IMO, one of AJ's biggest blunders of his career with the Chargers.

ultratvfan wrote: When the Chargers had VJ, he had double coverage taking pressure off of players such as Gates and Floyd. With VJ gone there was more pressure on our receivers as there is no VJ caliber player to need double coverage. Losing VJ was clearly a hugh loss and, IMO, one of AJ's biggest blunders of his career with the Chargers.

That's why they call him the Lord Of No Rings....

The guy is an ego maniac and runs his ship like a tyrant. It's either his way or the highway.  Instead of bringing people together, he pushes them apart. No one leaves this organization saying anything nice about the guy. The North County Times sports reporter has been asking AJ for an interview for almost ten years now I believe, and still hasn't got one...Why? Because AJ has an axe to grind. What a bozo! He should have been spent packing awhile ago.....It took another losing season to make it happen, which is a shame for the fans....We don't deserve it.

And some of us said it while it was happening. ;)

VJ was playing when we needed to win against the Bengals in 2010 and Lions in 2011 to make the playoffs

Rivers cost us the playoffs last year on a botched snap, so far this season if its not a physical mistake with underthrown and late passes its mental mistakes at the worst time of games

hes been given countless opportunities to drive us down for game tying/winning TDs and has failed every single time

for the life of me i dont understand why the finger is being pointed everywhere else

I think what most people are saying here is that Rivers now feels he HAS to carry the team to give them a chance to win.  Without all the talent he is acustomed to, he is trying to make things happen that simply aren't there.  So while Rivers is to blame for the bad decisions and lack of trust of the OL, he is making these bad decisions because now, moreso than before, he feels entirely responsible for making everything work within the offense.  Too much for anyone to do.  He needs help from his teammates.  That is why we miss not only VJ, but all the other playmakers that were here at one point.  It's just more evident now that we don't really have any playmakers left. 

kiwibolt wrote: VJ was playing when we needed to win against the Bengals in 2010 and Lions in 2011 to make the playoffs

Rivers cost us the playoffs last year on a botched snap, so far this season if its not a physical mistake with underthrown and late passes its mental mistakes at the worst time of games

hes been given countless opportunities to drive us down for game tying/winning TDs and has failed every single time

for the life of me i dont understand why the finger is being pointed everywhere else

I'm so happy we go rid of that bum. It is obvious now he was holding back our offense last year and AJ made the right call not giving him an extension because he drank one time.

So true!!! - And we can win with anyone.

Signed,

4-5 record.

sfchargerfan wrote: I'm so happy we go rid of that bum. It is obvious now he was holding back our offense last year and AJ made the right call not giving him an extension because he drank one time.

With it without VJ, it doesn't matter they would still be going nowhere. The offensive line is one of the huge reasons why this team is going on a downward spiral. So far from what I have seen, Danario Alexander looks like a real playmaker. AJ should have used the money that he spent for Royal/Meachem on a legitimate free agent O-lineman like Carl Nicks instead. A wide receiver set of Malcom Floyd, Vincent Brown, Danario Alexander, and Seyi Ajirotutu is as solid as it gets. It's our stupid head coach and the O-linemen that are stopping this team from scoring..

Not everywhere else for me, brother. Directly at the Lord of No Rings. AJ Smith.

kiwibolt wrote: VJ was playing when we needed to win against the Bengals in 2010 and Lions in 2011 to make the playoffs

Rivers cost us the playoffs last year on a botched snap, so far this season if its not a physical mistake with underthrown and late passes its mental mistakes at the worst time of games

hes been given countless opportunities to drive us down for game tying/winning TDs and has failed every single time

for the life of me i dont understand why the finger is being pointed everywhere else

Because you're biased in favor of Norv Turner, AJ Smith and the FO. Once you take those blinders off, you'll understand.

kiwibolt wrote: 

for the life of me i dont understand why the finger is being pointed everywhere else

No.

Floyd/Brown/Alexander/Tutu is not as solid as it gets.

Look at the career YPG:

Floyd: 45.1
Brown: 23.5
Alexander: 44.4
Tutu: 11.8

Could it be a decent WR corps?

Yeah, there's a chance for that, but remember Tutu and Alexander were both out of work, Brown doesn't have many reps under his belt and Floyd is usually good to miss three or four games a season.

What's missing is from the group is a big-time playmaker that demands doubles and opens things up for the other guys.

joser619 wrote: With it without VJ, it doesn't matter they would still be going nowhere. The offensive line is one of the huge reasons why this team is going on a downward spiral. So far from what I have seen, Danario Alexander looks like a real playmaker. AJ should have used the money that he spent for Royal/Meachem on a legitimate free agent O-lineman like Carl Nicks instead. A wide receiver set of Malcom Floyd, Vincent Brown, Danario Alexander, and Seyi Ajirotutu is as solid as it gets. It's our stupid head coach and the O-linemen that are stopping this team from scoring..

Sure, no question. But the point I'm trying to say is you can have Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, all in their primes on the same field, if you have NO QB protection then you're going to LOSE. Simple as that. It starts from building the line, and AJ has failed year in and year out to address those issues. If Rivers has all day to throw the ball then he'll find receivers like Alexander, Floyd, or Brown in the open field. That's all it takes.
--------------------------------------------
--- HunterSTomlinson wrote:

No.

Floyd/Brown/Alexander/Tutu is not as solid as it gets.

Look at the career YPG:

Floyd: 45.1
Brown: 23.5
Alexander: 44.4
Tutu: 11.8

Could it be a decent WR corps?

Yeah, there's a chance for that, but remember Tutu and Alexander were both out of work, Brown doesn't have many reps under his belt and Floyd is usually good to miss three or four games a season.

What's missing is from the group is a big-time playmaker that demands doubles and opens things up for the other guys.

joser619 wrote: With it without VJ, it doesn't matter they would still be going nowhere. The offensive line is one of the huge reasons why this team is going on a downward spiral. So far from what I have seen, Danario Alexander looks like a real playmaker. AJ should have used the money that he spent for Royal/Meachem on a legitimate free agent O-lineman like Carl Nicks instead. A wide receiver set of Malcom Floyd, Vincent Brown, Danario Alexander, and Seyi Ajirotutu is as solid as it gets. It's our stupid head coach and the O-linemen that are stopping this team from scoring..

---------------------------------------------

il take my crow on this one, i was one of those who said that we could do just as well without VJ, as we had done in the past. But this O'line is not at the same standard as a few years ago so Phillip cant make things happen with guys off the street, he really could have done with VJ to bail him out this year.

Now if we can fix the line then i think we go a step in the right direction, but obviously we miss a player of VJ's calibre.........

Personally I think the lack to of top notch or even an above average OL played a bigger role in Rivers current stint in crappy land than the departure of Mr Jackson.  

Now don't get me wrong here. VJ is a definite upgrade to the crew they have but given proper protection as strictly a pocket pass and not a "roll out, boot leg, on the run" passer Rivers is solid.  Especially when he's given time and space to step into his throws.  

His mechanics are his biggest thing as a passer and what made him special.  Now that he's throwing off balance, off of one foot and on the move, he's doing too much.  To much forcing throws.  He's a very good QB but even he isn't that good.  He's got to go through his entire throwing motion to be a successful QB. That's just not happening behind the current OL. 

Until that OL is fixed we'll never fully see that Rivers that we had prior to two years ago.  And if you don't fix the OL, you might as well sign Mike Vick or Tim Tebow and let them run the ball.  

I remember that many here were justifying letting VJ go because we "had too many other holes to fill" and it was a choice between keeping VJ, or solidifying our o-line (with Dielman retiring, McNeill retiring, Hardwick musing about retirement at the time, and Clary sucking.

Humorous....  especially since our OL stinks and VJ is gone.

Hindsight is 20-20, as they say, but I saw this one coming a mile away.....

You don't let pro-bowlers leave EVER.  It is too difficult to "hit" on future pro-bowlers strictly in the draft.

AJ had a good run of 'em for a while there, but lately, although he's drafted SOME quality players, he has not adequately replaced Tomlinson, Merriman, Dielman, McNeill, Sproles, and now Jackson.

And some would argue that he has not adequately replaced Brees, but that's a whole other debate.

And some would argue that he has not adequately replaced Marty, but again, that's a whole other debate.

AJ............

I don't know of any other GM that lets more pro-bowl caliber players hit the FA market.  

You seriously have to extend these guys a YEAR before their contract runs out.  Why does he not learn?

VJ was here last year and we went 8-8....that's not necessarily a good record. Sure it sucks that he left, but I thought the Chargers explained the reasons for letting him walk. I thought they needed the money for Weddle. 
I think AJ's biggest blunder is NOT upgrading the Oline!

Please hold Robert Meachem and Eddie Royal accountable for our record this season since you think its all VJ's fault we went 8-8 last year.

Lets put it this way for you VJ haters. In 2011, even with an 8-8 record VJ still had 1100 yards receiving and 9 TD's.

RM and ER will have what this year? They have a combined 324 yards and 3 TD's.

When will you guys start making sense?

Jeanne75 wrote: VJ was here last year and we went 8-8....that's not necessarily a good record. Sure it sucks that he left, but I thought the Chargers explained the reasons for letting him walk. I thought they needed the money for Weddle. 
I think AJ's biggest blunder is NOT upgrading the Oline!

I don't think people are saying it's VJ's fault for being 8-8, they are simply saying that even with VJ, we weren't that good.

LightEmUp1 wrote: Please hold Robert Meachem and Eddie Royal accountable for our record this season since you think its all VJ's fault we went 8-8 last year.

Lets put it this way for you VJ haters. In 2011, even with an 8-8 record VJ still had 1100 yards receiving and 9 TD's.

RM and ER will have what this year? They have a combined 324 yards and 3 TD's.

When will you guys start making sense?

Jeanne75 wrote: VJ was here last year and we went 8-8....that's not necessarily a good record. Sure it sucks that he left, but I thought the Chargers explained the reasons for letting him walk. I thought they needed the money for Weddle. 
I think AJ's biggest blunder is NOT upgrading the Oline!

And even with ER and RM we arent that good.

I simply dont understand what that statement means? - We pay ER and RM pretty much the exact same as VJ got in Tampa but are getting 1/2 the production.

What does VJ leaving after an 8-8 season have anything to do with anything when his replacements at the same pay scale arent even matching his production and we are currently 4-5?

Its a empty statement.

SanDiegosFinest wrote: I don't think people are saying it's VJ's fault for being 8-8, they are simply saying that even with VJ, we weren't that good.

LightEmUp1 wrote: Please hold Robert Meachem and Eddie Royal accountable for our record this season since you think its all VJ's fault we went 8-8 last year.

Lets put it this way for you VJ haters. In 2011, even with an 8-8 record VJ still had 1100 yards receiving and 9 TD's.

RM and ER will have what this year? They have a combined 324 yards and 3 TD's.

When will you guys start making sense?

Jeanne75 wrote: VJ was here last year and we went 8-8....that's not necessarily a good record. Sure it sucks that he left, but I thought the Chargers explained the reasons for letting him walk. I thought they needed the money for Weddle. 
I think AJ's biggest blunder is NOT upgrading the Oline!

We weren't that good with VJ some years, but now we're not nearly as good without him.

We had some lean seasons with LT, but it wouldn't have made sense to run him out of town in his prime. 

Retaining top-tier WRs won't automatically make a team great, but dumping top-tier WRs and replacing them with No. 2s isn't a recipe for success, especially in a pass-happy offense.