Week Sixteen Reactions-What Are the Chances? (1/2)

Dec 22, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers safety Eric Weddle (32) celebrates with fans after a win against the Oakland Raiders at Qualcomm Stadium. The Chargers won 26-13. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego Actually Has a Chance to Get the Last AFC Wildcard Spot
For living in San Diego, I’ve actually never really been a fan, not a believer in the Chargers. In my opinion they are a smaller market Dallas Cowboys. Still have the same second-half stumbles, still have the same amount of heartbreak, just a little less media attention. Well I guess this will fix one of those things. With the Chargers winning a commanding 26-13 home win against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, the former AFC West Champs have resubmitted themselves into the recent playoff conversation. To me this team, through all the changes they faced in the off-season deserves the most credit. This year after losing to the Bengals at home, the Chargers stood at a meager 5-7 and looked all in all, eliminated from the playoffs, however after an awesome 3-game winning streak over New York, Denver and Oakland, giving them a solid 8-7 record. To a casual NFL fan, the case with the Chargers may seem like a normal thing, but this season means everything for Chargers fans. After cleaning house down at Qualcomm Stadium they are expecting playoffs and even perhaps a Super Bowl out of new coach Mike McCoy. At first when I looked at the Chargers after their loss to Cincinnati I expected them to miss the playoffs outright, never in my wildest dreams did I see them beating Denver and winning three games in a row. As well, I never would have expected RB Ryan Mathews to have done so well these past three weeks. Over the past three games Mathews has rushed for 329 yards and 3 touchdowns to go along with his 53 yards through the air. Tomorrow the Chargers will host Alex Smith and the Chiefs at the Q; a tough match-up. So much is riding on this game. If the Chargers win, they will have a chance to go to the playoffs for the first time since 2009 when they lost to the Jets in the divisional round. As well they will have shown the AFC that they are for real, having beaten the Broncos already the Chargers would show their doubters that their defense can hold up quite sturdily and that their offense lead by Philip Rivers is one of the elite offenses in the NFL. What are the chances that the Chargers get that last AFC wildcard spot? Against Kansas City, I’d say that there is no way on all of god’s green Earth that the Chargers could beat the Chiefs, however after the Chiefs lost last week to the Colts, I am starting to rethink my attitude. Perhaps the Chargers can do it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t.