As they watched the gold confetti fill their television screens Sunday night, NFL players, coaches and executives sighed and had the same thought.

We’re all 0-0 now.

All those left out of the golden game have for weeks been pondering how they might get off the couch and get to Houston for Super Bowl LI.

Now, the march to next February begins in earnest.


In San Diego, the course for free agency and the draft has been clearly illuminated.

It was obvious before Sunday. All Super Bowl 50 provided was confirmation.

Defense. Defense. Defense.

Yes, one fast wide receiver to provide a deep threat. A starting offensive lineman.


But neither at the expense of defense.

If Ohio State’s Joey Bosa is as excellent as many believe, get him. If it takes moving up two spots to No. 1, do what you must. If Bosa is unattainable, then decide how transcendent the defensive back from Florida State (Jalen Ramsey) might be. Or make a move on UCLA’s Myles Jack, at No. 3 if that’s what he deserves or by moving down at the expense of some franchise desperate for a quarterback.

The Chargers need to win in 2016.

They need to win the offseason, they need to win during the regular season. They need to win at the ballot box. And don’t think the first two won’t affect the latter.


Defense wins. It has done it in San Diego before. It got the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl. It won the Broncos a title despite its offense having the fewest total yards in the history of the Super Bowl.

Outside a 64-yard drive to a field goal to open the game, the Broncos scored on defense, on a 54-yard field goal drive, a field goal at the end of a drive that lost a yard and a touchdown drive of 4 yards. What they did was take the ball away four times, sack Cam Newton six times and hit and harass the Panthers QB all afternoon.

“They made some plays on the defensive side that put their offense in position to score points,” Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. “That’s what it came down to.”

Yeah.


Any Chargers fan who has been paying attention any length of time thought of Philip Rivers when Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said this of Peyton Manning: “He didn’t have to go out there and do it all on his own, and he knew that.”

Now, Rivers is still capable of affecting victories. But he shouldn’t be forced to try as often as he is.

Rivers is a better quarterback now than Peyton Manning, and he will be next year. But Rivers won’t win one Super Bowl, won’t get to one, probably won’t even get to the playoffs again in his remaining three or four seasons unless the Chargers upgrade their defense.

In particular, imperatively, the Chargers need to acquire the type of disruptive force(s) they have lacked up front at least since Shaun Phillips was sent packing after 2012 and, really, since Shawne Merriman’s body broke down.


Yes, the Broncos defense probably deserves a spot on the podium among the best defense of the Super Bowl era. That might be a little much to shoot for just yet.

But 11 of the top scoring 12 defenses in the NFL were in the playoffs this past season. No playoff team was outside the top half in scoring defense.

The Chargers have to improve on their 21st-ranked scoring defense. And for whatever they need to do to replace Eric Weddle, fill out the rest of the secondary and tweak the offense, the jump-start to a much better season begins with finding a way to more easily disrupt opposing quarterbacks and control the line.

Melvin Ingram showed more promise more consistently in 2015 than he ever had. But the bulk of his production came at the end of the season against mostly subpar offensive fronts. The fear is his long-awaited breakout was prompted by a push toward a new contract.


Jerry Attaochu continues to be disruptive the way El Niño has been so far — only sporadically. His production may soon mirror his clear desire, but that can’t be counted on.

Corey Liuget can be a force, and he will do so more consistently if there are difference makers next to him.

Denzel Perryman and Manti Te’o can be playmakers if they have a line in front of them actually slowing down blockers and ball carriers. There might not be a Jamal Williams and/or even a Luis Castillo in the draft or free agency, but there is better than what the Chargers have.

What we saw in Super Bowl 50 watching the front sevens of both teams should have made us mad. Almost like, “Wait. Linebackers can do that?”


It certainly clarified the mission for the Chargers personnel department.

kevin.acee@sduniontribune.com