Chargers set for battle of first place Clubs

After a big road win in Dallas the Chargers are ready for a showdown with the Bengals and a possible playoff preview. Cincinnati has had a surprisingly successful season, a rarity for them, and comes into Qualcomm Stadium leading the AFC north by two games. Likewise, the Chargers have a two game lead in the AFC west, and both teams will be looking to take another step toward clinching a division title in San Diego on Sunday.

If things go well for the Chargers this weekend they’ll not only clinch a playoff berth but also the division and a first round bye. For this to happen they’ll need to win and have Denver and New England lose. Of course taking care of their own business first will be the Chargers main focus as they’ll have enough to contend with going up against the Bengals.

Cincinnati is coming off a 30-10 loss to the Vikings a week ago, and although they are 9-4 and in first place some aspects of their game have struggled for the better part of a month. The most glaring of these weaknesses has been in the passing game. They still have a big weapon in Chad Ochocinco, but without another threat at wide receiver Ochocinco and quarterback Carson Palmer have been virtually neutralized. Last week against Minnesota Palmer threw for only 94 yards and over the course of the previous four games he is averaging 157 yards passing per game with a total of 3 touchdowns.

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Since the Chargers resurgence on defense, which has had a tremendous influence on their winning streak, San Diego has made pressuring the opposing quarterback their specialty. In the eight games they have won in a row they have sacked the quarterback 23 times. But the amount of sacks, although impressive, does not tell the full story of consistent pressure which can disrupt even the best passing offenses. Needless to say, a team that is already in the midst of struggling to pass effectively like the Bengals could be in for some serious trouble when they take the field opposite the Chargers defense.

The Bengals have had success running the ball, however, and if there is a soft spot in the San Diego D it’s in their ability to shut down opponent’s rushing attacks. Cincinnati is ranked sixth in the league in rushing, averaging over 132 yards per game. They’re going to need significant contributions from their running backs if they’re going to have a chance at victory and for two reasons. The obvious is to score points, but the other would be to keep the high octane Chargers offense, which is averaging nearly 28 points per game, off the field.

The Chargers are clear favorites to win this game, but look for the Bengals to play with a lot of emotion. The Tragic death of their friend and teammate, Chris Henry, will be all the Bengals players and coaches minds, and already they have dedicated this game and the rest of the season in his memory.

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