San Diego, CA
Tom Krasovic: Predictable finish to Chargers’ season feels the same and yet somehow different
So now that Jim Harbaugh’s first season with the Chargers is in the books with Saturday’s defeat in a wild-card playoff game, it’s time to answer a big question.
Are the Chargers the same Chargers they’ve always been?
The answer is no.
And yes.
The first answer will be the longer one, because that’s where the 17-game season points.
Over those four months, they weren’t the same old Chargers.
One, they Chargered far less.
Instead of goofing up winnable games, a habit that introduced Chargering into NFL speech, they forced opponents to beat them. They finished among the leaders in fewest turnovers and fewest penalties. No team threw fewer interceptions. In field-goal percentage and net punting, the Chargers landed in the top half. This team didn’t beat itself very often.
Two, in establishing a reputation for physical play, the Chargers broke from the franchise’s norms over the years since Marty Schottenheimer was fired.
Physicality isn’t easily quantified, but in leading the NFL in fewest points allowed, Harbaugh’s defense asserted itself at all three levels.
It takes good tackling, setting the edge and displacing blockers to allow the fewest rushing touchdown, as L.A. did.
A high number of defensive holding penalties, reflecting greater physicality, was the cost of doing business for a unit that finished fourth in net yards allowed per pass attempt.
On offense, Harbaugh and coordinator Greg Roman emphasized slam-bam football — even if it could be tedious.
They often deployed either of two massive fullbacks/wingbacks/tight ends, each weighing close to 300 pounds. Sixteen percent of the offense’s snaps came with a tight end and two running backs, one of them a huge mauler; only three offenses went with that personnel grouping more often.
They weren’t the same old Chargers. They were the Harbaugh Chargers, resembling the coach’s physical, sound teams at Stanford, Michigan and with the San Francisco 49ers.
It wasn’t surprising that Harbaugh changed so much about the franchise’s identity.
He commanded more power than any coach hired in the Spanos era, which goes back almost four decades. He was able to hire his own general manager, breaking from Spanos tradition, and also brought in a pair of coordinators, several positional coaches and a much-praised strength coach.
A former NFL quarterback, Harbaugh took a hands-on approach with Justin Herbert.
The regular-season results took a big jump: from five victories to 11 victories. And Herbert set career marks in victories, passer rating and interception rate, while also assembling his second-best Total Quarterback Rating, an ESPN statistic that accounts for rushing.
The Chargers’ only playoff game under Harbaugh?
That was a different story.
That look was Same Ol’ Chargers.
Notwithstanding stretches of defensive dominance, Harbaugh’s Bolts echoed the Chargers’ futility of many other postseason defeats.
The names were different, but two key areas of underperformance were familiar: interceptions thrown and failed kicking attempts.
Recalling Chargers Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts, Herbert threw four interceptions, exceeding his regular-season total by one. Fouts was more prone to interceptions in the playoffs than in the regular season. Sixteen of his passes were picked off in his seven playoff games. To be fair, interceptions then were common throughout the NFL, and Fouts led the Chargers to a few playoff wins with sparkling play. Still, his interception rate per passing attempt was 30% higher in the postseason than in the regular season.
Along with the offense’s poor game, the Chargers’ kicking game plummeted Saturday, too.
Fortunate that a deflected punt took a favorable bounce, the Chargers would later allow a blocked one-point attempt that the Texans returned for two points. A three-point swing, the sequence ballooned the fourth-quarter deficit to 13 points.
And it summoned the ghosts of Chargers kicking failures in Januarys past.
Several errant kicks by Nate Kaeding contributed to San Diego Chargers playoff defeats. An 86.2% kicker on field goals for his career in the regular season, Kaeding made just 8 of 15 field goals in the postseason, a rate of 53.3%.
It was just one game, but Saturday’s playoff defeat punctured some of Harbaugh’s mystique he’d built up in the regular-season run to the first wild card.
The sheer bizarreness of the three-point blunder made for vintage Chargering.
After his kick was blocked sky-high, Cameron Dicker, who a had bright season, camped under it and tried to bat it down instead of catching the live ball. Dicker got clobbered for his effort. Unfortunately for him, points weren’t given for comic relief. “OMG Chargers kicker! hahahahaha,” former Chiefs All-Pro tackle Mitchell Schwartz posted on social media.
The outing in total wasn’t a full-on Chargering performance. The Texans’ defense, which has stars at all three levels, was simply too good on several plays. The Chargers were favored by three points, but as the game unfolded, Houston coach DeMeco Ryans’ defense — better than almost every unit the Chargers had faced — showed how limited their offensive personnel was.
But, this was eerie: the Chargers’ most consequential errors recalled the franchise’s first playoff game of the Super Bowl era — a 17-14 loss in December 1979.
On that afternoon at sunny San Diego Stadium, where thousands of San Diegans wore gold “Charger Power” T-shirts, Fouts threw five interceptions against a franchise from Houston, the Oilers.
Cue up the spooky music, while pondering another parallel tidbit: Chargers kicker Mike Wood’s 26-yard field goal try in the second quarter was blocked, and Houston returned it 56 yards. That led to a short field goal for Houston, making it a six-point swing. Four more interceptions by Fouts would follow, and the Chargers, eight-point favorites, walked into the afternoon shadow with a stunning defeat.
Harbaugh’s team, in contrast, was playing with house money. Defense aside, it got exposed at several positions.
On to the offseason.
Originally Published:
San Diego, CA
Man fatally struck by hit-and-run vehicle in San Diego
A man in the Mission Bay Park community of San Diego was fatally struck Sunday morning by a hit-and run vehicle, authorities said.
The victim was also struck by a second vehicle and that motorist stayed at the scene to cooperate with officers, the San Diego Police Department reported.
The initial crash occurred at about 2:20 a.m. Sunday in the area of West Mission Bay and Sea World drives.
The pedestrian was in the southbound lanes of the 2000 block of West Mission Bay Drive when he was struck by a silver vehicle also in the southbound lanes. That vehicle fled the scene, continuing southbound, police said.
A 28-year-old man driving his vehicle southbound ran over the downed pedestrian.
“That driver remained at the scene and is not DUI,” according to a police statement. “The pedestrian was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
Anyone with information regarding the initial crash was urged to call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
San Diego, CA
Here are the 9 San Diego County communities that set or tied heat records
San Diego County is known for having wet, cold weather in February. But it had numerous hot spells this year. And when the month ended on Saturday a high pressure system produced heat that broke or tied temperature records in nine communities from the desert to the sea, the National Weather Service said.
The most notable temperature occurred in Borrego Springs, which reached 99, five degrees higher than the previous record for Feb. 28, set in 1986. The 99 reading is also the highest temperature ever recorded in Borrego in February.
Escondido reached 95, tying a record set in 1901.
El Cajon reached 92, three degrees higher than the record set in 2009.
Ramona topped out at 88, five degrees higher than the record set in 2009.
Alpine hit 88, four degrees higher the record set in 1986.
Campo reached 87, four degrees higher than the record set in 1999.
Vista hit 86, four degrees higher than the record set in 2020.
Chula Vista reached 84, one degree higher than the record set in 2020.
Lake Cuyamaca rose to 76, four degrees higher than the record set in 1986.
Forecasters say the weather is not likely to broadly produce new highs on Sunday. Cooler air is moving to the coast, and on Monday, San Diego’s high will only reach 67, a degree above normal.
San Diego, CA
Francis Parker captures Open Division girls basketball title
OCEANSIDE — The Frontwave Arena scoreboard showed 23 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Up 16, Francis Parker’s win over Westview High School for the CIF San Diego Section Open Division girls basketball championship was secure.
“No, no, no!” Parker head coach Courtney Clements screamed to freshman guard Jordan Brown, telling her there was no need to score.
So Brown walked the ball up the floor, from the backcourt, across midcourt, a 1,000-watt smile etched across her face.
With no Wolverines defending her, Brown dribbled from side to side across the logo. Then, a fraction of a moment before the final buzzer sounded, Brown flung the basketball high toward the rafters, then was engulfed by teammates.
The job was complete. Parker’s first Open Division title in program history was secure, the final reading 66-50 on Saturday night.
Of those final seconds, said Brown, who scored 23 points. “It was a surreal moment, knowing we worked for this all year long. It’s amazing.”
One reason it was amazing was because the top-seeded Lancers (21-7) were a decided favorite, but were stressed by the sixth-seeded Wolverines (20-9). Led by UC Santa Barbara-bound senior guard Sarah Heyn (18 points in the first half), Westview led 35-28 early in the third quarter.
“I just knew I had to do whatever it took to win,” said Brown. “Whether that was defense or offense. I just wanted to win, period.”
Sparked by its defense, Parker closed the quarter on a 14-0 run. Westview’s final 11 possessions of the quarter ended with five missed shots and six turnovers.
Still, the game wasn’t over. Heyn cut the deficit to 48-44 with just over six minutes to play on a bucket. But with 5:47 to play, Heyn was whistled for her fifth foul on a reach-in.
“Knowing their best player fouled out, we sealed the win,” said Brown.
As for Heyn, who finished with 23 points, she sat on the bench and pulled her jersey over her eyes, hiding tears.
Clements’ thoughts when Heyn fouled out? “I hope we can put this game away now.”
That the Lancers did, outscoring Westview 18-6 down the stretch.
The Lancers’ players and coach were effusive in their praise for Heyn, a four-year starter.
“She’s a great player,” said Brown.
“She played phenomenally,” said Clements. “She played the way you would think a senior would play in a championship game. She played desperately. She played every possession like it was the last 20 seconds of the game. She was extremely impressive. (Heyn buried five 3s, missing only once from deep.) She should be proud of herself.”
Clements was proud of her team for another reason. After blowing out two-time reigning Open Division champion Mission Hills by 26 in the semis, some thought Parker might cruise in the title game.
“I figured it was going to be a fight, and it was,” said Clements. “It was good that our girls had to come together, had to stick together. That’s what this is all about, developing character via the sport of basketball. When the kids face adversity, they have to make a decision. Who do they want to be? They showed the best version of themselves. That’s what I want to remember from a game like this.”
Francis Parker’s primary color is brown, which is fitting for the girls basketball team. They are led not only by the freshman Jordan Brown, but also junior Brieana Brown, a strong, aggressive and athletic 5-foot-11 wing.
Brieana Brown scored 25 points and yanked down a team-best eight rebounds.
About the team in brown being led by the Browns (who are not related), Jordan Brown said: “It’s super cool. I love Bri and our story. So many people think we’re related, that we’re siblings. In reality, we’re not, but we play like it.”
Francis Parker and Westview both will advance to the Southern California Regionals.
Earlier in the season, Clements — who was dressed in all black for the championship game — confessed she wasn’t crazy about Parker’s primary color. Her mood shifted Saturday night.
“Brown’s doing well for me now,” she said.
Asked if Lancers’ Brown squared tandem represents the best one-two girls basketball punch in the San Diego Section, Clements gave the questioner a “What do you think?” smirk.
“That,” said the coach of the Open Division champions, “is a no-brainer.”
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