An omen of things to come?

[SDFan]

Because 5-3 is pretty mediocre in my book. Your standards must be lower.

not with all the injuries we had to key players it aint. you're just butt hurt because we only need 1 more W to match your pessimistic win total for the year.

[madcaplaughs]

This certainly is a pivotal game with the Rams. I think if we get the win, and Rivers doesn't take a big hit to the ribs, we've got a chance.

[Yubaking]

Are the broncos and chiefs starting a downward spiral?

I noticed watching the game last night that the chiefs were missing a lot of their firepower on offense....it was the Jamaal Charles show. Did anyone notice that Davis had only 2 carries the whole game.

For the broncos sanders and Thomas are questionable and they are going to play a tough Miami team.

We are finally getting healthy at the right time.

Watching the raiders last night made me appreciate how well the defense played last sunday.

Is marty ball the solution going forward? Play tough d and ride Mathews to victory and timely short passes mixing in play-action to protect rivers?

I think so.

Rivers made a good point that its play-off football from here on out. I think the team intensity is going to huge against a tough rams team.

We catch a break playing balt cause they play Monday night in new Orleans and have to fly back to balt. Can we beat an east coast team with an early start time...besides buff...I think we can.

Im hoping that NE comes in flat from partying all night. Someone needs to find gronk that Saturday night on 5th street and load him up with hookers and reefers.

Thanks for letting me post.

As much as I hate to suggest it, it is possible that we should be rooting for the Broncos this weekend against the Dolphins.

The Broncos have a one game lead against us, but have the head to head advantage and a two game division record advantage in the loss column against us, giving them the tie breaker over us. So, we either have win two more games than the Broncos out of our final 6 or hope that the Broncos lose to us and lose to the Chiefs or Raiders while winning one game less than us and even that might not get the job done.

Meanwhile, MIA has the head to head advantage over us in a very crowded wild card race. They have 3 likely wins left on their schedule NYJ, @NYJ and MIN; one game that they should be small favorites in (BAL); and two games in which they will be underdogs (@DEN, @NE). Three wins gets them to 9. A 4th gets them to 10. and a 5th gets them to 11 wins.

Given their tie breaker advantage over us and that we are still a longshot to overtake DEN for the division title based upon DEN being one game up with the tie breaker with only 6 games to play and with us having a more difficult remaining schedule than they have, I am thinking that we need Dolphins losses in the worst way. If the Dolphins beat Denver, then they are likely to secure 10-11 wins, which will get them one of the wild card spots leaving us to fight it out with the AFCN teams and possibly KC for the final spot.

Of course, I would prefer that we win the division, but, realistically speaking, that ship may have already sailed. I don't mind us being a wildcard and having to play a team like IND or CIN on the road in the playoffs. Those represent very winnable games. I do mind us not making the playoffs at all, which is what a MIA win this weekend against DEN and/or a loss @BAL by us next weekend could cause.

I think there are several of these types of games coming up where it is difficult to know which team to root for/against. Other games involving DEN are their games @KC and @CIN (because we don't want to root for DEN ever, but we may need all the KC and AFCN losses we can pile up so none of those teams can get a wild card spot).

[SFW]

As much as I hate to suggest it, it is possible that we should be rooting for the Broncos this weekend against the Dolphins.

The Broncos have a one game lead against us, but have the head to head advantage and a two game division record advantage in the loss column against us, giving them the tie breaker over us. So, we either have win two more games than the Broncos out of our final 6 or hope that the Broncos lose to us and lose to the Chiefs or Raiders while winning one game less than us and even that might not get the job done.

Meanwhile, MIA has the head to head advantage over us in a very crowded wild card race. They have 3 likely wins left on their schedule NYJ, @NYJ and MIN; one game that they should be small favorites in (BAL); and two games in which they will be underdogs (@DEN, @NE). Three wins gets them to 9. A 4th gets them to 10. and a 5th gets them to 11 wins.

Given their tie breaker advantage over us and that we are still a longshot to overtake DEN for the division title based upon DEN being one game up with the tie breaker with only 6 games to play and with us having a more difficult remaining schedule than they have, I am thinking that we need Dolphins losses in the worst way. If the Dolphins beat Denver, then they are likely to secure 10-11 wins, which will get them one of the wild card spots leaving us to fight it out with the AFCN teams and possibly KC for the final spot.

Of course, I would prefer that we win the division, but, realistically speaking, that ship may have already sailed. I don't mind us being a wildcard and having to play a team like IND or CIN on the road in the playoffs. Those represent very winnable games. I do mind us not making the playoffs at all, which is what a MIA win this weekend against DEN and/or a loss @BAL by us next weekend could cause.

I think there are several of these types of games coming up where it is difficult to know which team to root for/against. Other games involving DEN are their games @KC and @CIN (because we don't want to root for DEN ever, but we may need all the KC and AFCN losses we can pile up so none of those teams can get a wild card spot).

I understand both sides of the Denver/Miami debate here but at the end of the day neither scenario will matter unless the Chargers take care of business themselves. If they play well down the stretch they will be in and won't need to worry about tie-breakers and if they don't then the results of the other AFC games will have become a moot point.

But personally I love watching the other AFCW teams lose and wish they would do it more often.

[Yubaking]

I understand both sides of the Denver/Miami debate here but at the end of the day neither scenario will matter unless the Chargers take care of business themselves. If they play well down the stretch they will be in and won't need to worry about tie-breakers and if they don't then the results of the other AFC games will have become a moot point.

But personally I love watching the other AFCW teams lose and wish they would do it more often.

All true, I feel the same way, but I worry about us being able to run the table versus @BAL, NE, DEN, @SF, and @KC. NE and DEN are pretty good. BAL is usually tough at home and it is an early east coast game. SF and KC are not very good matchups for us because they can pound the rock and control the clock, taking away what we do best.

[SFW]

All true, I feel the same way, but I worry about us being able to run the table versus @BAL, NE, DEN, @SF, and @KC. NE and DEN are pretty good. BAL is usually tough at home and it is an early east coast game. SF and KC are not very good matchups for us because they can pound the rock and control the clock, taking away what we do best.

10-6 should get a team into the playoffs, so they don't need to run the table. 4-2 from here on out will be no easy task but it is definitely possible and winning tomorrow will get them off to a good start.

[WindsorUK]

Are the broncos and chiefs starting a downward spiral?

I noticed watching the game last night that the chiefs were missing a lot of their firepower on offense....it was the Jamaal Charles show. Did anyone notice that Davis had only 2 carries the whole game.

For the broncos sanders and Thomas are questionable and they are going to play a tough Miami team.

We are finally getting healthy at the right time.

Watching the raiders last night made me appreciate how well the defense played last sunday.

Is marty ball the solution going forward? Play tough d and ride Mathews to victory and timely short passes mixing in play-action to protect rivers?

I think so.

Rivers made a good point that its play-off football from here on out. I think the team intensity is going to huge against a tough rams team.

We catch a break playing balt cause they play Monday night in new Orleans and have to fly back to balt. Can we beat an east coast team with an early start time...besides buff...I think we can.

Im hoping that NE comes in flat from partying all night. Someone needs to find gronk that Saturday night on 5th street and load him up with hookers and reefers.

Thanks for letting me post.

That should have been our game plan for the past 4 years!

Norv was too stupid to realize Rivers didn't have time to throw down field (almost getting Philip killed!)And for that stupidity, he got himself shipped out of town.

McCoy has gone away from that plan most of this year as well( is that due to the loss of Whiz?)

Once again, with our line struggling, Philip should throw the ball no more than 20-24 times a game. With Mathews now healthy, there's no reason we shouldn't pound the opposition with he and Oliver. Rivers( and Chargers!) definitely best when he throws when he wants to, not because he NEEDS to.

[QSmokey]

not with all the injuries we had to key players it aint. you're just butt hurt because we only need 1 more W to match your pessimistic win total for the year.

This has nothing to do with my silly prediction, you knucklehead.

But we seemed to do pretty well against the League's bottom feeders with the injuries. And face it, injuries are injuries; they happen. This is the hand we've been dealt. If we can't get it done, we can certainly blame the injuries - and I think that's more than reasonable - but we still aren't getting it done.

I've said this a million times: It take a LOT of luck to win a Super Bowl. And I really don't think this team, historically, has been particularly lucky overall. More like snakebit, IMO.

[SDFan]

This has nothing to do with my silly prediction, you knucklehead.

But we seemed to do pretty well against the League's bottom feeders with the injuries. And face it, injuries are injuries; they happen. This is the hand we've been dealt. If we can't get it done, we can certainly blame the injuries - and I think that's more than reasonable - but we still aren't getting it done.

I've said this a million times: It take a LOT of luck to win a Super Bowl. And I really don't think this team, historically, has been particularly lucky overall. More like snakebit, IMO.

Not just bottom feeders you Dolt. Since you don't actually WATCH any of our games I guess you wouldn't know we started the season 5-1, and barely lost opening day by 1 point (after being up big earlier) to the top rated Cards, beat Seattle (last year's Super Bowl winner), went on the road and beat what was supposed to be a good team before we got there in Buffalo, got hosed by refs in Denver, SHUT OUT the Jests and barely lost a winnable game against KC. The only thing I agree with is it for sure takes luck- but who's to say we don't any the rest of the way? Now that the defense has most pieces healthy again and the running game produced 120 yds last week- I like our chances as good as anyone's.

[oneinchpunch]

Bill Simmons:

The Chargers have scored 54 points total since Week 6; they can’t block anyone. And they have the 31st-ranked defensive DVOA. Which brings me to my Crazy Proclamation of the Week: I don’t think San Diego wins again this season. They go STL, @Bal, NE, DEN, @SF, @KC. In the words of James “Baby Doll” Dixon, I wish them a lot of luck.

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

Could Simmers be our next good luck charm?

[homeless simpson]

I guess you wouldn't know we started the season 5-1

1-3 in the past month (and against teams ahead of us in the playoff race) diminishes that great start. if we miss the playoffs, it's nice to know that we went 5-1 to start the season.