Robbery in the Rockies

Ted Cottrell is second only behind the man pictured at left on the list of people who should be run out of town on a rail as the Chargers dropped another heartbreaker today losing to the Broncos 39-38 in Denver.

In the 1st quarter and deep in Charger territory, Charger receiver Chris Chambers catches a slant and is brought down by defender Champ Bailey. After Chambers is clearly down, Bailey strips the ball from Chamber’s grasp, gets up and runs into the endzone. The play on the field is ruled by the blind men in striped uniforms a fumble with Bailey being downed by contact. The Chargers, of course, challenge the play as Chambers was clearly down and the play over. Conveniently, though, the replay equipment was not working so the play on the field stood as called. Denver ball. They go in for the score a few plays later.

For the life of us, we cannot ever remember replay equipment not working. And why is there not some sort of contingency plan to handle such a rare occurrence as we were watching the CBS-provided replays on the telly while Ed Hochuli, the head umpire, was watching a blank screen in the replay booth.

Now, in-between that incident early in the game and the one at the end of the game, Jay Cutler the Denver QB went nuts on the Charger secondary passing for 350 yards on the day. Commentators Dick Enberg and Randy Cross were noting what a horrible day cornerback, Antonio Cromartie, was having. We don’t care if you’re name is Dick “Night Train” Lane, you’d have a crappy day also if there was nothing even remotely resembling a pass rush to prevent Cutler from reading a book and doing his taxes before deciding who to throw it to.

And this isn’t a Shawne Merriman, or lack thereof, thing. The Charger defensive front seven doesn’t begin and end with Merriman. There are plenty of other fine players on that defensive unit for which Cottrell can utilize to generate a pass rush. To say, though, that Cottrell wants for imagination and creativity or that he couldn’t mix things up a bit if you gave him a blender or that he, perhaps, lacks some fundamental coaching skills and instincts to be a credible defensive coordinator in this league, would make us guilty of criminal understatement. Let’s just be nice then and call Cottrell the anti-Dick LeBeau

Fast forward to the end of the game with under a minute left… Broncos driving (what else?) and needing a touchdown as they were down 38-31. Ball on the 4 and Cutler rolls out to his right. As he brings the ball up and cocks it to throw, clearly before his arm started moving forward, he lost control of the ball, fumbling the ball backward to where it was picked up by a Charger linebacker (Tim Dobbins?) who fell out of bounds with it. Ed Hochuli, however, blew the play dead as, inexplicably, he believed Cutler’s arm to be moving forward…. an incomplete pass. With the ball winding-up behind Cutler, there is no reasonable explanation for making this call other than high incompetence.

Since it was under 2 minutes in the half, the play was reviewed by the suits up in the press box who ruled the play a fumble but since the play was whistled dead they spotted the ball where it landed (the 10) and allowed Denver to maintain possession where they went in for the score and converted the 2-point conversion for the win. 39-38. Game. Over. Nice work, fellas.

Rooting interests aside, it was a shame that such an incredibly entertaining game was decided in the manner it was.

Another year older this weekend, a kick-in-the-gut, fate-sealing moment on the personal side and then this to wrap-up things.

Good night and good luck.