How About Those Chargers?

As disgusted as I've been with how things have gone for the Pittsburgh Steelers this season (a good NFL year usually starts with the Steelers missing the playoffs), I can't help but be entertained with what the Chargers from San Diego have been up to.

They came into this season as one of the favourites, boasting Philip Rivers at quarterback, LaDainian Tomlinson as an all-star running back, and an 11-5 record last year that easily won the AFC West Division crown for them. However, to say that they were snake-bitten to start the season would be understating the truth, I think. First they hosted the Panthers, who had gone 7-9 the preceding year (as we'd learn later, this year's Carolina team is much improved), and San Diego led 24-19 in the dying seconds of the game. Somehow, Carolina QB Jake Delomme pulled off a 14-yard TD pass with no time left on the clock, and after the extra point was made (and I still don't know why it was even attempted), the visitors had stunned the home crowd to the tune of 26-24. Not exactly an auspicious start to the 2008 season for the Chargers, but you ain't seen nothing yet.

The following week, the Chargers headed off to Denver to play their divisional rivals, the Broncos. I saw approximately 10 minutes of this game and it turned out to be the most talked about several minutes of the entire day in the NFL. Basically (if memory serves), in the final moments of the 4th quarter and with San Diego up 38-31, Denver was driving down the field to try to tie things up. As QB Jay Cutler pulled back his arm to make a pass, the ball either slipped or was stripped out of his hand, and went to a Charger defensive player. With that fumble by Denver and recovery by San Diego, the game should be over... except that the referee ruled it an incomplete pass and Denver retained possession! Moments later they'd score a touchdown, making it 38-37 San Diego, and then in one of the boldest moves ever, Denver went for the 2-point conversion play (rather than the much safer single point after), opting to try for a win instead of a tie (and overtime). They completed that play and almost literally stole a win from their biggest rivals. (The official later admitted that he'd blown the call, for all the good that did the losing team!) Make the Chargers: 0-2!

Now, in a 16-game season, losing your first two games isn't automatically a death sentence, but it's also not the sign of a contending team. Fortunately, they followed up those two misadventures with back-to-back wins (against the Jets and Raiders), and thus improved to 2-2. Whew! However, next came a loss to Miami, who had managed only 1 victory in the previous season! (As with Carolina, though, the Dolphins are a better team this year and will, like the Panthers, probably make the playoffs when the dust settles next weekend.) The Chargers then beat the Brady-less Patriots, to once again achieve the 0.500 mark, only to follow that up with back-to-back losses to Buffalo and New Orleans (neither of whom will see the postseason this year). At 3-5, I pretty much wrote them off. I mean, sure, they could theoretically rattle off 8 straight wins and finish 11-5, but it hardly seemed likely.

Instead, they posted one win (against hapless Kansas City) before losing three in a row (to Pittsburgh, by 1 point, Indianapolis, by 3 points, and Atlanta, by an unconverted TD). They'd played well against 3 top teams but come up empty each time. So at 4-8, they were dead, dead, dead. Right?!

Well, not so much. They've since won three in a row (against Oakland, KC and Tampa Bay, the first two of whom are admittedly lightweights) to push their seasonal mark to 7-8. But just as significantly, the division leading Broncos have stumbled to an 8-7 record. With one game left in the season, the two teams "atop" the AFC West are only separated by that thin margin (a rather dubious honour made possible because division mates Oakland and KC are 4-11 and 2-13, respectively!). Guess which two teams meet next weekend? That's right... Denver visits San Diego with a playoff spot on the line! Will revenge be a dish best served hot (in sultry SD), or will the Broncos once again dash the Chargers' dreams? Who wouldn't want to tune in at 4:00 p.m. next Sunday to find out?! Not me, that's for sure! In fact, if the Steelers do well in the playoffs, that Chargers/Broncos game could be one of the last NFL contests I actually watch the rest of the way!