San Diego Chargers Should Fire Head Coach Norv Turner and GM A.J. Smith

Ever since Norv Turner took over the San Diego Chargers, they’ve started very slowly. More specifically, they’ve started 2-3 all four years he’s been the head coach. But this year, they’ve dropped to 2-4 after an unimpressive loss to the St. Louis Rams.

This team is far too talented for that type of start. They’ve turned it around the past three seasons and made the playoffs, but the result has steadily gotten worse and worse.

In 2007, the Chargers showed up in the AFC Championship game. The next year, They only made it to the divisional round. And last season, the Chargers dropped their game in the divisional round to the New York Jets after earning a first-round bye.

And now, in 2010, the Chargers can’t get out of their own way and are currently sitting at a putrid 2-4.

Again, there’s no reason for a team this talented to perform this poorly. They’re losing on mental mistakes and showing a complete lack of discipline — something the head coach must take responsibility for.

It can’t be a coincidence that the more and more Turner is able to get his hands on this team, the worse and worse they perform. As my dad put it to me recently, Norv Turner is quickly coaching the Chargers to mediocrity.

But, before Turner goes, general manager A.J. Smith needs to get the boot.

He ran one of the best coaches the Chargers have ever had in Marty Schottenheimer out of town because he couldn’t take the fact that Schottenheimer’s opinion on personnel and other moves were more highly regarded than his own with everyone except the team’s misguided owner.

And now Smith cost the team five games without Marcus McNeil and even more without Vincent Jackson because he put playing chicken ahead of the team’s success. Sure, McNeil had to miss some games, but he got his long-term deal in the long-run anyway, so what in the hell was the hold-up?

Why make McNeil wait if the team was going to extend him anyway? Had Smith sucked up his pride and extended McNeil in the offseason when he asked for the money, he would have been available to the team all year long.

The same thing goes for Jackson. It’s likely the Chargers will pay him eventually, so why drag this out and hurt the team just so Smith can make a point and get some hollow victory?

Bottom line is it’s time for a regime change in San Diego. The only question now is whether or not the change should take place now or in the offseason.