The San Diego Chargers haven’t been fast starters during Norv Turner’s tenure as their head coach, and that was particularly painful last season, when the Chargers lost five of their first seven games and missed the playoffs despite going 7-2 from Halloween on. This season Turner thinks things will be different.
Appearing on NFL Network just minutes after the Chargers’ schedule was released, Turner said he’s glad to see the Chargers getting home games in Weeks One, Three and Four.
“There’s no question,” Turner said. “Being home three out of the first four, opening at home -- we haven’t done that in the last couple years. It’s time for us to get off to a great start, and being at home should help us.”
Of course, getting three home games in four weeks early in the season means a stretch later in the season of mostly road games. For the Chargers, that means they host the Dolphins on October 2, then don’t have another home game until they host the Packers on November 6. Turner is less enthused about that stretch of the schedule.
“I don’t like being away from our stadium for a month,” Turner said. “We go about a month and four days from playing at our stadium and I don’t know that’s fair to our fans.”
But if Turner is right about the fast start, and the Chargers come home on November 6 with a winning record, the fans in San Diego won’t mind.