Alvaro Martin of ESPN Deportes Gets You Ready for the Chargers on Monday Night Football

Alvaro Martin and Raul Allegre at Invesco

Merry Christmas, everyone. As a gift to our readers, I present Alvaro Martin, play-by-play announcer for ESPN Deportes on Monday Night Football. In his second interview with BroncoTalk, Mr. Martin talks about the Chargers, the Broncos in 2007 and 2008, and why he calls Jay Cutler “cara de palo”, which loosely translates to “Stone Face”. Do enjoy.

The Chargers have turned it around, winning 8 of 10 games and are now the division champs. Do you credit Norv Turner or the players for the turnaround?

The coaching staff gets some of the credit. Eight new coaches, including the coordinators, had to adjust. In speaking to some of the Chargers players, you get the sense that the joint lessons learned by the previous coaching staff walked out the door with them. Players told me the play call would be the same, but with a different twist than last year. When the play did not work, the players explained to the new staff why they and the old staff played it differently. Ted Cottrell has a record of being much more effective in second halves of seasons during his stay with Minnesota, Buffalo and the Jets. There is just too much talent on that team to under perform the way they did.

How will the Broncos slow down the Chargers’ offense and Ladainian Tomlinson? If the Broncos stop the Chargers’ rushing attack, can Philip Rivers still beat them?

The Chargers’ offensive line has recovered its zest and efficacy. Pack the box, and hope Philip Rivers does not turn in a sharp outing.

The 2007 season has been a disappointment for the Broncos. Each time the Broncos looked like they turned a corner (like the last time they played on MNF in a win over the Titans), they took steps back in the following games. What do you think attributed to this inconsistency?

How about 11 new starters at the beginning of the season, the injuries and an entirely new defensive coaching staff? How about half the roster having three years’ experience or less? It may be a taboo word, but the AFC West, excluding the Chargers, rebuilt their teams this year.

From Henrietta: With the Broncos out of the playoff hunt, what areas do you see them addressing in the off-season? Are there any particular names that come to mind?

Mike Shanahan can do that so much better than anyone else, don’t you think? However, my humble suggestions would include getting Jim Bates the defensive tackles he needs for his system (through free agency). Depth along the offensive line would be a plus. And if an outstanding safety or receiver happen to be available in the NFL Draft, that may be a good move.

From Len: What do you think of Jay Cutler’s overall performance this year? Do you think he made improvements in comparison to last year or did he take a step back?

In our broadcasts, I have coined a nickname for Jay: “cara de palo”, which you translate as “wooden face”, but loosely means ‘stone face’. Beyond his physical gifts, his demeanor, in good times and bad, sets him apart. Nothing rattles him or makes him lose focus, not even success. In time, he will make the savvy adjustments that will cut down on his mistakes and allow his team to take advantage of opportunities.

What a great nugget on Jay, AKA Stone Face. Special thanks again to the readers for submitting questions, and especially to Mr. Martin for taking the time out of his busy schedule to answer them.