A.J. Smith makes a lot of money doing what he does, but he likes to speak in quarters, and it has nothing to do with coin of the realm. Caesar may have divided Gaul into three parts, but the Chargers' general manager splits an NFL season into four quarters.
The last is the most critical, when spine and will can make the difference in your Christmas presents and New Year's celebrations.
Which is precisely why Smith likes his football team – likes it plenty – despite the fact that it's 2-2, has underachieved in areas, has yet to play a complete game, and has lost a couple it shouldn't have. All of which he readily admits. He doesn't do much nickel-and-diming during his quarter chats.
Smith is quick to recognize his team's frailties, but rarely have I seen him as upbeat as he was yesterday upon the club's return from a 28-18 victory over Oakland.
The GM does not disagree with my stand, that his team has not played up to expectations. He, too, is disappointed in some of the play.
“I believe your point is well taken,” he said. “I'm happy with our football team, but I'm not happy with the inconsistent play. But I believe we have a chance to compete for a world championship.
“At this point, we're not playing our best, and I think that's obvious to all – and I mean in all three phases (offense, defense, special teams) of the game. We haven't put things together on a consistent basis. We're playing in spurts. But we're getting better – those aren't just words. And we're getting our front-line players back.”
I am not big on injury excuses, and any football man worth his binoculars won't make them, either. The Chargers' problem, heading into the season and beyond the start, was that so many Pro Bowl-caliber players – tailback LaDainian Tomlinson, nose tackle Jamal Williams, tight end Antonio Gates, linebacker Shawne Merriman, tackle Marcus McNeill and center Nick Hardwick – were either not ready to practice or not prepared to play.
Hardwick is a prime example. He started his first game Sunday and he didn't have the easiest time with the Raiders' massive front. To expect him to be at his very best after practicing four days in nine months would be idiotic. But, as coach Norv Turner said, Hardwick held his own, and adjustments were made after the Raiders threw in some unexpected defensive wrinkles.
Meanwhile, starting inside linebacker Stephen Cooper, their leading tackler in 2007, sat out the first four games due to a violation of The League's substance-abuse policy. He returns this week. With Williams hurting – he had his best game by far in Oakland – and Cooper out, the defense's weakness up the middle had been obvious.
It was better in the East Bay. The Raiders had been running the ball well, and they didn't do so against a healthier Williams & Co.
The most significant thing, in Smith's mind, and he has a point, is that the team has not folded. It lost to Carolina by two on the final play of the game and by one in Denver on an official's call, defeats of the worst possible kind.
But, to their credit, the players have rallied to win two straight. Good teams find ways to win; bad teams find ways to lose. It sounds simple, but it's a truism that repeats itself week after week.
Losing, like winning, can become habit-forming. It's right there, under the skull.
All Smith can do is acquire talent. Once a game starts, he's forced to watch, like you and me. But that doesn't mean he can't pay attention when time has expired. In his mind, evaluation doesn't come strictly from on-the-field performance.
“It's in their eyes,” he said. “I see it on the bus, on the plane, in pregame meals, in their preparation, in the locker room. Just little things I see. I think our players know they're good, and they're not the least bit satisfied. They're not robots. They believe it. They've been around. They've been through so much.”
Smith is not a rah-rah GM. He doesn't hold court in the locker room, glad-handing players he recruited. But he does pay attention.
“I like the makeup of this football team,” he said. “It's got resolve. We're not perfect and never will be. But, after a quarter, I like what I see, and I mean the big picture, not game day. I think we have a great group of players and coaches. We do not put the cart before the horse. These guys understand – they understand the target. They're not going south.
“I like the way we're built for the '08 season, I really do. We have depth protection – outstanding depth, and we've had to call on it this first quarter. For the entire league, it's a long, hard road. Disappointment is just around the corner for everybody. You have to be talented, but you also have to be tough-minded to survive. I have confidence in these guys.”
Knowing you're good is one thing. Proving it is another.
I'm not from Missouri, but the Chargers have 12 games to show me. And you.
Nick Canepa: (619) 293-1397; nick.canepa@uniontrib.com
