Chargers travel to Tampa Bay

San Diego still in playoff hunt

Most teams with a 6-8 record at this point in the season are already making plans for the off-season. But not the Chargers with the AFC West being what it is, they still have a chance to be playing come January. They’re going to need a lot of help, but it is possible that on the final game of the season they could be playing for a division title at home against Denver. The Broncos are 8-6 and hosting the Bills this week while the Chargers will visit Tampa Bay, needing a win to stay alive.

The whacky and wild Chargers season just doesn’t want to end. After losing three straight games and seemingly eliminating themselves from playoff contention, San Diego has won two straight, and with a struggling Broncos team, have gotten back into the mix. Last week’s win against the Chiefs was a maniacal come from behind effort that included an onside kick recovery and go ahead touchdown with under a minute to play. And of course after taking a 22-21 lead, the Chargers still had to sit and watch a missed field goal by the Chiefs before it was over. At this point though the Chargers will take a win any way they can get it.

The Chargers won’t be the only team in Tampa on Sunday playing for their playoff lives. The Buccs are also in the race for a playoff spot in the NFC. A couple weeks ago they looked like a shoe in and with a great chance to win the NFC South, but they’ve since stumbled. Losses to the Panthers and Falcons have dropped Tampa Bay to 9-5 putting their hopes of winning the division in doubt and their wild card chances in jeopardy. It may be the Chargers fortune that they are playing the Buccs at the right time, but Tampa Bay is undefeated at home so far this season with a mark of 6-0. They will also be getting several players back from injury, most notably, Jeff Garcia.

The Buccaneers are still a formidable defensive team, but one area where the Chargers may be able to take advantage is in the running game. The Buccs were ripped by the Panthers and Falcons on the ground in the last two games. This may be a game where Ladainian Tomlinson can finally explode. LT has had his struggled with injuries and plain old poor performances all year long. Altogether is has been the worst statistical year of his career yet he is capable of pulling of a big game. The Chargers could use a good game from their star running back to help them pull out a victory and stay alive in the division race.

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If Tomlinson can’t get it going San Diego still has what has been their best weapon this year, Phillip Rivers. Amazingly, Rivers was not selected for the pro ball this year despite having one of the best seasons of any quarterback in the league. He has lead the NFL in passer rating almost all year and still leads with a rating of 101.4 and 28 touchdowns. He has also come through in the clutch several times this year including last week’s win over the Chiefs when he threw two touchdowns late in the game to help his team get the win.

The Achilles heel for the Chargers this year has been their defense. What had been strength for them in recent years has become a detriment. San Diego’s pass defense is one of the worst in the league. They are also near the bottom in creating turnovers and sacks, which with the return of Jeff Garcia could pose a serious problem for the Chargers on Sunday. The recipe for winning that the Chargers have had to stick to this year with little success is unlikely to change, that is to outscore the opponent.

By Steven Mondelli
ProFootball-fans.com San Diego Chargers Correspondent