Chargers head coach Norv Turner said many of Sunday’s defensive breakdowns vs. Pittsburgh came down to mistakes made by individuals trying to do too much:
Hear more of Turner’s Monday comments after the jump:
Turner deflected many of the blanket statements thrown at him about his team’s defense, which surrendered 497 yards of total offense to Pittsburgh in a 38-28 loss on Sunday night. Norv and the staff reviewed film on the flight home and again when the team arrived back in San Diego at 5am. Turner thinks that Ron Rivera’s defensive scheme is fine, it’s the execution that’s lacking:
It was another rough game for the Chargers on the injury front, as 8-10 players are likely not to practice during the bye week. Turner gave his typically cryptic Monday injury report:
While the Chargers are 28th in the NFL in rushing defense, Turner does not believe the run defense will be a consistent weakness all year. He continues to insist the struggles are the result of individual mistakes that can be corrected:
Trying to remain optimistic heading into a two-week rest period that Turner described as well timed, Norv said the Chargers have played some very good football teams so far and have time to correct their mistakes and improve:
With Denver 4-0 and two games ahead in the AFC West, the Week 6 Monday Night showdown with the Broncos is looming as a must-win game, but Turner’s been around the block too many times to describe it as such:
The Chargers are off today and will have team meetings on Tuesday before resuming light practice on Wednesday and Thursday. Turner stated flatly that there will be no coaching changes during the bye week. Presumably he included himself in that statement.
