AJ was smart enough to draft players like Tomlinson, Manning/Rivers, Merriman, Brees, etc. so you gotta give him some credit, but I always thought getting rid of Marty was a bad decision.
Some of you SD cats might now this. I was at the bar trying to figure this out the other day. Is AJ the same GM who drafted Ryan Leaf*, or did that front office get axed?
*I forgot his name when I was typing this, so I Googled "draft bust" knowing that his name would be the first to come up. That motherfucker's gotta live a sad, sad life knowing that's his legacy.
I think the real problem is that your D is hurt. Can't play the same way without Merriman on the field. When your D isn't dominating, its harder to establish your offense. You can't grind it out with Tomlinson and some no name receivers and run the clock because you're playing from behind. Put the pressure on the QB to make the plays. Then its a crapshoot. Luckily Rivers is good enough that you're not the Lions, but still...I think the problem is injuries.