Not to take anything away from the San Diego Chargers defense and the year they’re having, but Philip Rivers is what makes the Chargers go. This guy doesn’t flinch with pressure in his face, he doesn’t get down when his team starts poorly, and is putting up MVP type numbers with backup wide receivers.
His presence alone should be enough to scare any team unlucky enough to be on the Chargers’ schedule.
The only flaw the Chargers have as a team is their special teams. Mike Scifres is one of the best punters in the league when he’s actually given time to get the ball off, but that hasn’t happened this year as he’s been blocked five times already.
But against the Denver Broncos on Monday night, they decided to skip the whole punting thing entirely and just have Scifres throw the ball. It worked, so maybe that’s what they’ll do for the rest of the year.
It’s certainly less risky than actually trying to punt the ball.
But if they can actually get the special teams in order, the offense and defense is good enough to carry them down the stretch and perhaps even into the playoffs — especially once we look at the final six games on their schedule.
Next week they have the Indianapolis Colts but they will also have Vincent Jackson back in the lineup. The week after that is the Oakland Raiders, then the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Broncos one lost time.
The Colts game will be difficult. Let’s say they lose that game. They’ve got a great chance to win out from there. The Raiders and Chiefs are improved, but top to bottom are not on the same level as the Chargers. With some momentum, it will be difficult for the Raiders and Chiefs to get in their way.
The 49ers and Bengals could play spoiler, but I doubt it. Both teams are much better than they’re playing, but a hot-handed Chargers team will be too much for them. Then they finish off against the Broncos, whom they dismantled Monday night.
That puts them at 10-6 and would give them the AFC West. And once the Chargers are in the playoffs, anything can happen from there. I don’t believe they’ll even make it to the Super Bowl because Norv Turner will get in the way of that, but with the way Rivers is playing they might make it in spite of him.
Either way, they’re certainly going to throw a wrench into the AFC playoff picture.