Is this man a competent NFL head coach? 

With a chance to host a conference championship game on the line, I expected Norv Turner to pull out all the stops.  When Vincent Jackson hauled in a long touchdown pass on the first possession to give the Chargers a 7-0 lead, it certainly looked like it was going to be the Chargers day.  Alas...it wasn't meant to be.   Turner showed his true colors throughout the rest of the game and the Chargers were soundly defeated by the Steelers. 

Was it entirely the head coach's fault?  Well, Norv wasn't on the field during the punt return touchdown by Santonio Holmes, he didn't overthrow a wide open Jackson on a play that most assuredly would have been another TD and he also wasn't defending Hines Ward during a crucial 3rd down reception late in the 4th quarter.  

However, Turner does need to take responsibility for 1) his inability to recognize when and when not to throw the challenge flag 2) the continued disorganization on the field that contributed to the team not having any timeouts at the end of the first half and 3) the gutless play call of having his tailback run into the middle of the offensive line with 35 seconds left in the first half down 14-10.  

You're probably not going to read about this anywhere else, but that decision to merely give up at the end of the half while trailing in the game was absolutely unconscionable.  It was also typical Norv Turner and the reason why he will never lead a team to a Super Bowl.  

Why not take a shot or two to advance the ball down the field?   A twenty yard out route to a receiver would have been my preference, but other alternatives included a screen pass to Darren Sproles or a pass over the middle to Antonio Gates.   In the last two scenarios, Phillip Rivers could have hustled the team up to the line of scrimmage and spiked the ball with at least  15 seconds remaining on the clock.  

By conceding a four point deficit on the road heading into halftime, Turner was essentially telling his team that he was satisfied and waving a white flag.  Rather than trying to re-establish the momentum, Turner's defeatist approach was entirely the wrong message in a do or die game. 

Hindsight is always 20/20, but I firmly believe that his ultra-conservative decision with 35 seconds left in the half was a factor in the abominable 3rd Quarter that saw the team have more turnovers than actual plays (one of the most bizarre quarters of football I've ever seen).   

Turner is an innovative offensive coordinator, but a terrible head coach.  He'll be given one more year at the helm and I hope it's his last.